...Celebratory "Happy 10th Anniversary, Color Me...!"

Starting my personal blog "Color Me..." was a true dream come true. It was December 2015. And while I had an "idea" of what I wanted this blog to be, and a "quasi-plan" of how I wanted to go about achieving this seemingly mammoth endeavor, the real motivation didn't come until I watched that iconic, dreamy, oldie romance film called "An Affair to Remember" (1957). Yes, I kid you not. Call it the pink fizz in my champagne glass that, once imbibed, truly brought my dream to life. It lifted my little art-loving soul up to those beautiful celestial clouds. How wonderful!

Now fast forward ten long years, and what are my thoughts on this blog today? Well, quite simply, I couldn't be happier! This blog has been my creative touchstone, my literary playground, and sometimes even my experimental science lab! It's been my diary, my treasured scrapbook. But of course, and most importantly, it's been my favorite place to hang out with my "three loves" of travel, food, and film.

I have ADORED recounting stories from my early travelin' years, where I frolicked with Latin American Presidents and shimmied through colorful Dutch tulip fields. Oh, the amazing places I went, and called home! If only for a few days, a week, or month. But writing these memories down as blog posts has helped me to feel confident that these important interludes of my life will stay with me forever.

What's more, I have loved sharing the "histories" of these places with my readers. Having a "historical" bent to this blog was very important to me. I will always believe in the power of honoring who and what came before us. History matters!

I'll always hold dear to my heart my angel-friend, who once told me, "You MUST write about your travels. People will want to know about this! All the places you have been and everyone you have met!" She was right. So, thank you to awesome indie publisher, inTravel Magazine, for publishing a few of my travel articles these past years. Their decision to publish me has meant "the world" to me (pun intended). I also won a few "Fan Favorite" titles. Spectacular!

Moving on, I have also RELISHED in sharing stories about my favorite food experiences, and most notably, my favorite restaurant experiences. Notice I say "experiences," because for me, a restaurant outing will always be about the total experience, not just the food, decor, or staff service. It will always be about the people I am with, the conversations that we share, and the happy memories that we make.

Notable outings include Paloma (my inaugural food article, aka "It's not called Palerma!"), Dinosaur Bar-b-que, and of course, my "birthday double-header" with Italian food on Arthur Ave in the Bronx and Peruvian cuisine in Port Chester. Delish!

It also goes without saying that my love of film really blossomed here in Color Me... "An Affair to Remember" (1957) got me hooked on classic film (and Deborah Kerr!) and so it was awesomely fun to explore this whole new world of movies through this blog. I'd always loved film, and had always been a "classics connoisseur," but I certainly went "next-level" starting in December 2015. How special it was for me to share this cinephile exploration here in these welcoming white pages.

And while on the topic of lovely Ms. Kerr, I'll always remember that feeling of accomplishment after I had completed my viewing of ALL of her 40+ magical films. My catalog was complete. No way. I did it! (Truth by told, I still have yet to see her final film, 1985's "The Assam Garden," but I don't believe it's available anymore?) Anyway, the glitz, the glamour, the phenomenal thespian skills, I was there for it all. Setting my alarm for 2am TCM viewings? Check. Dashing home from a day-trip to watch her lovely cameo-like role in "Julius Caesar" (1953)? Check. I was in dusty black and white heaven.

And, when all was said and done, my love of films (and my love of writing about them in this blog) brought me to Flickside. Yes, that hip, cool, intelligent, inclusive online global film appreciation publisher. It's been an AMAZING six years. I am eternally grateful for my two entertainment writing series of "The Toast" (movie star tributes) and "Legend Has It" (film trivia). What an exciting ride it has been. Thank you, Flickside.

So, here at the start of 2026, a whopping ten years after starting this blog, I would like to say "thank you" for taking this literary journey with me. Outside of these blog posts meaning something special to me, I hope that they have meant something special to you, too. After all, you as my family and friends are the bulk of my readers, which is exactly what I have wanted. I want us to stay close through this blog, and I want us to always smile together in memory of the good times. So many of those good times are chronicled right here. You're welcome (wink).

On a serious note, this blog has seen us through a lot. From tough political elections, to one devastating pandemic, sad break-ups, the death of beloved family members and friends, and more. Life can be tough. Life can be hard. But I hope that this blog has been a colorful place for us to return to after a difficult day. Through these creature comforts of travel, food, and film, I swear, we can weather any storm. The world is full of beauty. So, as I finish waxing nostalgic, and I step down from that lovely 1940s lavender-lemon-scented soapbox, thank you again, eternally, and from the bottom of my vintage heart, for reading. And there's still more to come.