…take one of every single martha stewart paint chip at the home depot.  i think when you have a small child with you, people are distracted by the cuteness and will let you do pretty much anything you want.  my particular small child says ‘hi’ to everyone walking by, and they are subsequently paralyzed at my mercy for anything.  mwah ha ha!  if you don’t have a small child, i’d look into borrowing one.

really, i just wanted something at home that will give me a tangible hunk of color that i can bring around the house, shopping, etc.  i think martha’s (we’re on a first name basis now) colors are pretty great.  none of them are too jarring, and they seem to all have a hint of gray in them, which softens them just a touch.  since there are two hundred and some colors (which makes for a fat book) i haven’t come up with a great way to keep them organized, but for now, they’re in a vase on my desk, which is actually kind of pretty.  most importantly, they were free, and those are my favorite kinds of things.