A round-up of what we’re reading right now. 

Because you should never be without a to-go cup: now you can make your own from a mason jar. Just make sure you use a reusable straw. [Via Fine and Feathered]

It’s back-to-school season, but what does education look like in the rest of the world? This portrait slideshow takes us into classrooms from around the globe. [Via Brain Pickings]

Summer isn’t over until the fall equinox, and this healthy Mint Mojito Smoothie might just be the afternoon reminder that you need to embrace the late season. [Via Well+Good NYC]

Movies can be educational, which is why someone came up with this list of Lifetime movies for Republicans who don’t understand rape. [Via The Cut]

Minimalism is on trend right now. Even for Kuwaitis. [Via Dezeen]

Your drinking habits depend on the shape of your glass. [Via The Atlantic]

Our new dream house? A converted barn in France. [Via The Style Files]

On average, Americans eat 200 pounds of meat a year. That’s not just bad for our health, it’s also fueling the water crisis. [Via Mother Jones]

Trying to figure out how to live better in small spaces? You need the Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Feng Shui. [Via Greatist]

Image: Fine and Feathered

The post Link Love: How to Turn a Mason Jar Into a To-Go Cup, Kuwaiti Minimalism and Movies for Republicans Who Don’t Understand Rape appeared first on EcoSalon.

Sink into glamor with a drip of royalty as the Chromatic Theology series continues with violet.

Each post in this series explores an individual hue, but the characteristics of the topic color can be translated into tints and shades. Keep in mind that the effects and emotions we discuss are most prominent and intense in pure, saturated color. To some extent, the distinctive attributes of violet will be present in color variations – lavender, plum, eggplant, periwinkle, magenta, etc.

VIOLET is a secondary color with a challenging personality. Take a mental meander back to elementary school and recall that violet is a mixture of red and blue. This specific combination of hues is ambivalent, as a heavy dose of tension exists within violet’s conflictions of warm and cool, calm and intense. Spaces and color schemes implementing violet are often ambiguous and dramatic.

Pale tints (amethyst and lavender) boast whimsical and magical reflections of light, while deep shades (eggplant and plum) are symbolic of dignity and regality (and sometimes laced with a threatening undertone). If you are new to the world of color, or your eye is less than impeccable, avoid saturated violet tones or dabble with caution (sometimes the power and force of pure drama result in discord and uneasy aesthetics). Oh, but when violet is applied with skill – the result is stunning success, insinuating artistic expression and sensitivity.

Want to get acquainted with the rest of the rainbow? Indulge in the rest of the series with these previous posts.

(Images from The Society Inc., Trine Thorsen, James Merrell, and The Style Files.)

The post Chromatic Theology: Violet appeared first on EcoSalon.