You may have noticed that there’s a lot of blue in my website’s new look. Out of the various options that website developer Laird Sapir and I considered, the blue wallpaper looked absolutely right to me. At the time I didn’t think about why that might be; I just went with my instincts.
Then I ran across this article in The New York Times: True Blue Stands Out in an Earthy Crowd – NYTimes.com. It seems that, for humans, blue is the favored child of the color spectrum.
Here are some interesting tidbits from the article:
- 50% of the population considers blue to be the most attractive eye color (even though only 1 in 6 people have blue eyes)
- studies have shown that a blue computer screen heightens creativity
- a Japanese study found that a blue partition reduced fatigue during lengthy videogame sessions (don’t tell my kids)
- sick children show a preference for doctors/nurses wearing blue uniforms
- blue suppresses appetite (in humans; apparently, mosquitoes are attracted to blue)
Check out the rest of the article to learn more, such as why the sky is blue, and how some vertebrates still manage to look blue even though, as one scientist put it: “vertebrate physiology never evolved the ability to make or use blue pigments.” Cool stuff!
Ah, but you know I had to find out more about what’s up with blue. So here are more fascinating facts for your enjoyment:
- some Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultures used a blue eye talisman to ward off the “evil eye” (blue-eyed people, ironically, can be considered the source of the “evil eye”)
- blue color blindness is so rare that it affects only 5% of people who are color-blind, which in the U.S. is only 11% of the population to begin with. Doing the math, that’s .0055% So…it’s crazy rare.
- blue has a calming effect, and slows the heart rate
- according to Crayola.com, teal blue was used by Tibetans in their prayer shawls: “They believed the color strengthened their concentration and spirituality.” (source)
- In 1995, over 10 million people voted to add blue to the M&Ms mix. I had to put chocolate in here somewhere, right? 😉 Source: http://www.mms.com/us/about/mmshistory/
And, lastly, here are some fun “blue” phrases we like to toss around:
- blue funk
- feeling blue
- blue blood
- true blue
- once in a blue moon
- blue plate special
- out of the blue
- blue collar worker
There are many more expressions out there, but why should I have all the fun? What others can you think of? And what’s your favorite color? I’d love to hear from you.
Until next time,
Kathy
Very interesting! My favorite color is green. Followed by purple.
(But I do love the new blue theme you have going on here!)
Thanks, Amber! My fave is purple, but a little goes a long way… I also ran across some gender differences in my research. Apparently, women tend to gravitate towards the red-hued spectrum. Interesting, huh? Thanks for stopping by!
My favorite color is that teal blue that Crayola is talking about, so I definitely get this.
It’s interesting that mosquitoes are attracted to the color blue. One would think they’d be attracted to the color of their normal food source. Of course, another interesting fact about the little buggers is that the smell of bananas attracts them. They crave potassium, and bananas are full of the stuff.
Nifty post as always, Karen.
I love teal blue, too! Wish it went better with purple…
I was really surprised by the mosquito thing, too! Good to know about bananas. I’ll have to remember that in the summertime. 🙂
BTW, it’s Kathy…that’s what I get for going with my initials! 😀 Thanks for the visit!
Actually you can blame me completely for that, Kathy. I realized the Kathy/Karen thing earlier and just had a chance to get back here to apologize. I was mentally mixing you up with my aunt Kathy and telling myself that you “couldn’t have the same name”… Silly me. :-/
And about the banana thing… Thank Mr. Wizard. My son loves to watch old episodes of that show. I’m still learning cool things from it.
Love your new look!
My ultimate favorite color is also teal…a combo of blue and green. I always reached for the blue green crayon when I was small. Interesting.
I do have a light blue bedroom – on the robin’s egg side. I love my room and feel relaxed and secure there.
We have an early runaway favorite! I agree that light blue is a great bedroom color. You want to be soothed…
Thanks for the compliment, too, Loree! 😀
I think it’s an interesting statistic about “blue” and color-blindness. My husband is somewhat color blind (he can’t see varying shades or colors [like pink vs. rose]) but his favorite is blue. I think that’s because it’s the only color he can see varying shares of.
Fun fact about the evil eye as well. My hubby has blue (evil) eyes! Tee hee.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
Kathy – This is so interesting! I read somewhere that restaurants often do not have blue themes for just this kind of reason. They want to ‘turn the table over’ so they want schemes that encourage guests to eat more quickly (and to eat more). Interesting that colour has such an effect on us…
I’ll have to look for that in restaurants, Margot! It makes sense, though…
I’m giving you the evil blue eye, K.B.
I think men have a phrase that refers to a certain part of their anatomy. It’s alliterative. And, most likely not something you want in comments.
Tossing the topic BALL onward…
I love your wallpaper, and like others, blue is my favorite color. I could not paint a bedroom in my own home blue, although I love them in other homes.
My aversion is a long and sordid tale from when I was a kid and Mom left us (5 girls) pick the colors for our two bedrooms. We chose turquoise and purple. Easter egg hunt? Our home LOOKED like an Easter egg. (Mom chose pink for her own room).
Worse, she ran out of funds (a frequent dilemma) before she could purchase new bedspreads. The Blue Room with orange bedspreads? Lovely!
Blue and Orange?! Sounds like a college football team or something. When I was a teen, I got to pick my own room color theme. I chose this awful lime green color (although I loved it at the time!). Funny what associations you make with color.
How about “God blue and they were scattered”
Okay, that is a stretch — but, at least Elizabeth had blew blood.
Seriously, I am definitely convinced (as much by observation as by reading from authoritative sources) that light, color and environment in general have an impact on behavior.
Blue rocks. But my favorite color is green (which is at least half blue)
Several popped into my head while writing the above: wild blue yonder, blue-dog Democrat, Blue Belles, blue bellies.
No, I did not cheat and google any blues — don’t need to: I am just freaking creative with all that blue in my face.
LOL, Quiltman! I love your “blue” phrases…all great contributions to the collection. 😀
I love my rainbow colored Fiesta Ware dishes, and I prefer orange and tangerine in my living areas. Although, when I look at my clothing, I am shocked by how much black there is. I wear black nearly everyday.
Hmmm.
I wonder why.
I adore blue, and I will be 100% on board with this makeover, once your name is clearly apparent on the mobile version! 😉
Hmm…maybe I should ask Laird about the mobile version’s limitations! I wear a lot of black, too. Maybe we got the message that it’s slimming and cool? IDK…
I have blue eyes and blue has always been my favorite color. However, like Renee, I wear mostly black. Hmmm. Interesting facts. The evil eye thing explains why my superstitious Italian mother-in-law didn’t like me much. 😉 The only blue saying I can come up with is “swear a blue streak”, “baby blues” (eyes), and “Frankie Blue Eyes” (Frank Sinatra and my kitten’s nicknames). Neat post, Kathy!
Like your blue phrase suggestions, Marcia! As far as mothers-in-law…well, it’s hard to say what sets them off.
I knew there was a reason why I liked your new website look so much. Blue is definitely my favorite color, although peach is a close second.
I’m sitting in my blue study typing this!
Fun post, Kathy!
Thanks, Kass! Glad you like the site!
I, too, love teal. But my favorite color is probably a deep red. Such an interesting post!
Thanks, Amy! Teal is a great color! And red is fab, too! You have to be careful with it as room paint, though. A little goes a long way!
Blue is my favorite color. And I think teal blue can go with purple, right? 🙂 Blue can go with almost anything. 🙂
Jennette, I’m coming around to the idea of teal blue and purple…
Well Kathy, I don’t need to tell you how I feel about Laird Sapir. Isn’t she the best to work with? And yes, I noticed your blue wallpaper. I love the antique pattern and the black silhouette of a historical building. What a wonderful way to add mystery to the page. You guys did an exellent job on your site. Perfecto! Now, what is my favorite color? Hmm. I’m not sure if I have a favorite. One day it’s green and one day it’s blue. Okay, blue-green. Oh, would that be teal? LOL! 🙂
There you go, Karen! And I feel that same way about Laird. What a marvelous gal. 😀