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Raise your hand if you thought Pantone’s 2023 Colour of the Year would be Barbiecore Pink – or some version of it. You aren’t alone. I was sure it was going to be the pinkest of pinks. We were close—sort of. Magenta is in the pink family but a bit more of the black sheep.

What do you think of Pantone’s Colour of the Year for 2023? I love that Pantone described this colour as “a call to courage.” Because when I look at it, courage is precisely what I see. This magenta is bold, expressive, passionate, and brave. And it’s vulnerable. A colour that demands your attention and forces you to look at it. Look at its strengths and weaknesses. How could it be anything but vulnerable? It is a colour that evokes emotion. And after several years of being kept inside and isolated from others, it pushes you to be daring and explore the world. It’s telling you to be adventurous, try something new, and fall in love.

So now that it’s about to be everywhere, what do we do with it? Can we pull off this colour? Looking around my home and in my closet, searching for snippets of this colour. I have two things, a greeting card I framed to put on my wall and a Christmas Cactus that only blooms for six weeks out of the year. I have only two magenta things. That just isn’t going to do.

Here are a few things we can do to bring some viva magic or glam (my apologies to MAC Cosmetics) into your life.

• Wear magenta shoes – especially when paired with a monochromatic outfit.
• Socks – they will be automatically considered whimsical.
• Artwork – and if that’s too pricy, frame the greeting cards.
• Lipstick – this is going to be the first thing I try
• Cozy home accessories – pillows, blankets, lampshades, coffee mugs, etc.
• Ink – for your refillable pen
• Hair dye.
• Wall colour – are you bold enough to do this?
• Slippers
• Nail polish
• The Motorola Edge 30 Fusion
• Bring flowers into your home and yard.
• Painted furniture
• Paint a mural on a surface in your home – I’m thinking of painting a bouquet of tulips in watercolours on the side of my fridge.

And if the colour isn’t going to do it for you – the message it brings might. So be like magenta – bold, courageous, unconventional, authentic, and vulnerable.

Are you here for the magenta? What will you do to bring more of this colour into your life? And if it’s going to be a decor element – how will you light it?
Will magenta be inspiring other things in your life – tell me how and why.

*Photo Source – Pantone.com

We are just about to hit the gross temperature/humidity levels at the West Coast office of LSW. And any intelligent persons left here are scrambling for a space next to a log at the beach. However, I am practically sitting upon a fan in a small room, at a tiny desk and trying to manifest a life that includes a lake house with a big deck and someone to serve me mocktails until quitting time.

So if you are in a similar situation, let me present some cool things I found on the internet over the last few weeks. Of course, they won’t keep you cool, but they will temporarily help you to stop obsessing over the heat and your lack of insight to get out of the city in the middle of summer.

Take a trip through time, and do some magical messaging with friends from another time (approx 800 years ago). This one is perfect for the kids. But make no mistake about this, I will be using this program perhaps while I revisit the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.

“Fauxvacados” – a more sustainable version of the avocado for all the Mexican food you are consuming this summer. Did you know it takes 320 litres of water to grow a single avocado? This version does not. The Ecovado is currently available in the UK – but I’m sure some genius Canadian is working on our version.

And if it’s good enough for potato chips, it’s good enough for popsicles.

If you are stuck inside – and are craving some nature, or at least some nature sounds – have a listen to Earth.fm – it’s like Spotify, but good for you.

Has your Instagram feed become as intolerable as mine lately? Would you instead look at your friend’s vacation photos rather than have to watch random people attempt the latest dance craze? This article from the Washington Post – helps you take back your Instagram feed from becoming the poor man’s Tiktok; my favourite tip is the last one – and I am working towards it right now.

An argument for solo walking. And a different take on the same subject from the lens of the flâneuse. And while we are on the subject of walking – here is a list of what you should take with you on your daily stroll. Of course, don’t forget the chocolate.

Everything old is new again. A productivity expert returns to analog tools – and shows just how addictive they can be.

Is Tom Cruise good at running? Scientists and athletes weigh in.

On your next coffee break, play some minigolf with dumplings. You absolutely will not regret this.

I suppose it wouldn’t be much of a lighting blog if I didn’t mention lighting occasionally. For example, look what lights up a tiger reserve in Tamil Nadu.

I hope you enjoy some of the silly, insightful, fun, and thought-provoking items I have found on the internet recently. I wish you a fun and relaxing rest of the summer. Please be safe. Wear sunscreen!

*Photo -the beach scene at English Bay in Vancouver – credit Vancouver Archives.

                                                                                                                                                  SCAN ME!

The addition of the QR codes in Lumec’s latest generation of light fixtures, will help streamline your maintenance calls. When you scan these codes in the Service Tag app, the following information on the fixtures you have installed will be at your fingertips:

Data from the Service Tag

• Location of the fixture on your site
• Photos
• Notes
• External ID
• Accessories
• Configuration
• List of Parts
• Documentation

Properties

• Designation (proper part number)
• Lumen Output
• Colour Temp
• Fixture Colour
• Optics
• Number of LEDs
• Power Consumption
• Safety Class
• CRI
• Ambient Temperature
• Voltage
• Supply Frequency
• Brand
• Family Name
• Manufacturing Date
• Sales Order Number
• 12nc
• Efficacy Rating
• IP Rating
• Brings up sales order information

Here is how you get started

1. Download the Service Tag app from the Google Play or iOS app store.
2. Create your account (its easy!)
3. Register the luminaire by scanning the QR code that is affixed to the fixture, or the box label
4. Scan the QR code for access to documentation, such as installation guides, specifications on the fixture, parts lists, direct contact to the manufacturer.

Saving the best for last

When you are on site, doing a maintenance call on your luminaire, you can program a spare driver, by using the Service Tag app.

1. Scan the QR code of the luminare
2. Place your device on the spare driver
3. Press “Program”

The spare driver will have received the correct settings for that luminaire.

For more information, along with a list of FAQ and answers go here.

*Scan the QR code at the top of this post in the Service Tag app, to see what it can do.

One of my most favourite things about winter, besides the hot chocolate festival and outdoor Christmas markets, is that Pantone announces their colour for the upcoming year.  It gets me thinking about decor, art, my closet, and really anything that has to do with colour.  I loved last year’s choices of Illuminating (yellow) and Ultimate Gray because they were familiar and made me feel both optimistic and cozy about the year we were walking into. Cozy, maybe a strange choice of words – but it did help me feel good about staying home again.  Gray brings images of wool blankets and socks and reading piles of books with a cup of tea in my hand.

However, Pantone is going in a different direction this year, and I can’t be more thrilled. Their colour choice is all about creativity, curiosity, and a world of possibilities. It’s almost like Pantone created this colour just for me.  Not just for me.  For you too. It’s such a whimsical choice.

Enough babbling.  Let me introduce you to Pantone’s colour for 2022. It’s Very Peri!

Here is a little something about what Pantone has to say about their choice.

We are living in transformative times. PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri is a symbol of the global zeitgeist of the moment and the transition we are going through. As we emerge from an intense period of isolation, our notions and standards are changing, and our physical and digital lives have merged in new ways. Digital design helps us to stretch the limits of reality, opening the door to a dynamic virtual world where we can explore and create new color possibilities. With trends in gaming, the expanding popularity of the metaverse and rising artistic community in the digital space PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri illustrates the fusion of modern life and how color trends in the digital world are being manifested in the physical world and vice versa.

Do you ever wonder how Pantone chooses their colour of the year – and how theylook at trends across all mediums, world events, aesthetics and culture.  I for one, am very interested in how they look at the world, and I plan to investigate into this further.

How are you going to incorporate this colour into your life?
Me -I am going sweater shopping.

Let me know what you think about their choice.  Does it excite you, or do you find it boring and something you have seen before? Does it instill a sense of curiosity in you?  Please tell me your thoughts!

ARRRRGHH!  The pixies are afoot, raining and raising havoc on my day. Rest assured, almost all of our staff is doing great, and we have workarounds in place to get things done. However, a few of us are being held captive by some annoying tech issues.  They are getting fixed, and we will be up and running in no time at all.

So, while I am held hostage in this chamber of idleness,  I thought this would be a great time to relaunch this blog. Technically, it didn’t go anywhere; I just got too busy to write regularly. However, a little forced downtime is suitable for creating content to make the most of my schedule interruptions.

What should I write about?  The rising costs of freight, and components and such? Nah! You know way too much about that stuff already. How about we talk about what we can do when tech issues create a delay in your workflow?

10 things to do when technology interferes

0.  Here is a freebie to start with – don’t bother the IT dept. They know there is an issue. And they are working on it. They will contact you with an update or a request to get involved. Just let them be. Have you ever heard of the saying, “too many cooks…”.  They don’t need any more sous chefs.

1. Make yourself a healthy breakfast/lunch.  Fruit Loops aren’t going to help you today. Eat something real to deal with the frustrations. Today calls for pancakes. My favourite breakfast recipe is this. I make them three times a week, and when I eat these pancakes, I can handle anything.

2.  Find a workaround; it may cause some duplicate work for a bit. But it’s a sacrifice we all have to make occasionally. My workaround consisted of email.  Something that our organization doesn’t use a lot.  When the chips were down – email saved the day.

3. Take an opportunity to learn from other companies. I had a chance this week to listen to a panel speak about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The topic was Creating an Inclusive Culture by Minerva BC and PWC.  It’s such an important topic, and I realized that I could affect change as much as anyone else.  And I have lots of ideas for future blog posts. This panel has me inspired.  You can watch the recording of the talk here.

4. Do you work from home?  Have you made your bed yet? How do you even work if your bed isn’t made? Make your bed!

5. Reevaluate, edit, and add new routines to your day. What are your goals? Are your habits working for you?  Need some inspiration – this article has helped me to redefine my day.

6.  Check in with some of your staff (especially those who are also having issues). It can be stressful when you have a lot of work to do and cannot tackle it. Listen to their frustrations.  Share a joke. I just asked Google to tell me a joke, and she gave me this gem.

Q: Why are vampires so easy to fool?
A: Because they are suckers.

7. Plan a “Hate Day” – Since today is my free day. Friday will be my hate day. Don’t even think about calling to chat with me. I will be catching up on all the stuff I didn’t get done today. (PS. I don’t hate these tasks – they are just piling up – and need my attention).

8. Breathe, meditate, say a mantra, manifest. Take a few minutes to put some good energy out into the world. Will it solve your tech issues?  Maybe. Maybe not. It will make you feel better.

9. Read this. Then maybe have a zoom/teams call with your favourite cat.

10.  Start a blog.

What kind of things do you do when your tools are working against you?