A Navy Blue Love Story

Today’s tiny painting is a navy blue flower, and I should probably begin with a confession:

I am a navy blue critic.

Not all navy is created equal.
Some navies are moody in a way that feels personal.
Some lean purple (rude).
Some are basically black pretending to be interesting.

But the right navy?

Oh, the right navy is magic.

The right navy sits somewhere between cozy and confident. It’s the color equivalent of your favorite sweatshirt—the one that somehow makes you feel pulled together even though you’re wearing it for the third day in a row. It’s classic without being boring. Calm without being sleepy. Strong without yelling about it.

And friends, the new paints my kids gave me for Christmas?
They have the perfect navy.

This navy makes me happier than it probably should. The kind of happiness where you swatch it one more time just to be sure it’s real. The kind where you think, Well, that alone justified owning these paints.

Navy has been quietly showing up in my life for years.

My car is navy blue.
My white English golden retriever is named Navy (which feels very on-brand).
My home is mostly navy and cream.
My favorite quilts? Navy.
My favorite sweatshirts? Also navy.

I was not in the Navy—but in hindsight, maybe I should have considered it. (Missed opportunity. Truly.)

I’m not even sure where my love for navy began, except that I read a book in college—one of those books that confidently tells you things about yourself—that said people with my hair and skin tone look best in navy.

Reader, they were right.

To this day, that remains true. Navy shows up for me. Navy never lets me down. Navy says, I’ve got you, without making a big deal about it.

Which brings me to this flower.

This flower isn’t loud.
It’s not begging for attention.
It’s grounded. Steady. Confident.

Navy doesn’t need to prove anything. It just is. And there’s something deeply comforting about that.

Painting this felt like settling into something familiar. Like choosing what you know works. Like trusting your taste—even if it makes you unreasonably excited about a paint color.

This tiny painting reminded me that it’s okay to love what you love. To choose what feels good. To surround yourself with colors, textures, and small joys that quietly support you.

Not everything has to be trendy.
Not everything has to be explained.
Sometimes you just know.

So today’s small thing is a navy blue flower—and an appreciation for the things that have stayed constant, cozy, and quietly joyful through the years.

Here’s to favorite colors.
To paints that spark ridiculous happiness.
To knowing what suits you—and choosing it anyway.

And if you, too, have a color that feels like home… I see you.

Posted January 4 at 9:00 AM