Luminaries Postponed to Next Weekend

Due to the high chances of rain today, the "sandbaggers" (it's a new word or is it?) have decided last night to postpone the bagging, and the actual Luminaries to next Saturday, weather permitting. :( Anyhow, that's ok. Maybe weather will even be nicer next weekend.

Stay tuned for email blast update.

TOO FUNNY!!! You just gotta see this!

Sara McDonald just sent us this little clip where we've been elfed!!! Watch and laugh! Click here. Now, let the holidays begin! Thanks, Sara.

Roser Park Tees for Sale!

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Another gift idea: be a proud inhabitant of the Roser Park neighborhood and wear your RP t-shirt with pride just like Cindy and Catherine! Only $10 this holiday season. It's the perfect garb for shopping at Publix, walking the dog in the park, or watching the movies at Muvico!

Also, we have the 2008 Roser Bark calendars featuring the neighborhood pets and their homes for $5.

Call our dear prez Michael Manlowe for purchases – 727-641-9557

Trivia: Guess who that guy is sandwiched between Cindy and Catherine at the Roser Park Art Fest event. Post your guess on the comments below.

Zen Glass Studio Holiday Sale

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If you haven't found the gifts you need to send out for the holidays and don't want to go through the chaos of the mall, make sure you check out Zen Glass Studio when they have their 6th annual Holiday sale on Friday, December 21st, from 5 to 9PM. These may just turn out to be the best and most original gifts you can give away! They have jewelry, glassware, home accents, paintings, and all sorts of stuff.

Zen Glass Studio
900 9th Street S.
727.894.2371

The Annual Luminaries on Booker Creek

.Saturday, December 15th. Be there to see the Booker Creek lit up with hundreds of candles from 4th Street to MLK. This is a sight to behold! Make sure to bring your cameras and tell ALL your friends about this annual event put together by Roser Park neighbors. It starts at 6PM. Make sure to get there in time before all the candles start dying!

Forward this post to your friends and neighbors who might want to see it.

Question: How did this tradition start again? And what is the essence? To anyone in the neighborhood who has the answers, please post it on the comments section at the end of this post. It would definitely be enlightening?!

Another Small Step to Being Greener

This is just something worth looking into especially if we're trying to make small steps to being more green and minimizing/getting rid of those annoying "junk mail." A few factoids they mention on their website that you should know:

• Your name is typically worth 3- 20 cents each time it is sold for a direct mailing
• 100 million trees are cut down each year to create the approximately 4.5 million tons of junk mail in the United States
• 28 billion gallons of water go into the production of American junk mail annually

That should be enough to make you want to do something about it. Click on the logo below to find out more about GreenDimes.com


For just $15, it's probably the best holiday gift you can give yourself. Also, they have a link on their site that allows you to gift this to others as well! Isn't that pretty cool for a gift idea?!

PS. Please forward this blog entry to friends and family and as many people as you want if you think it's worth it. (See that little envelope at the end of this post? Just click on that.)

PPS. If you have not signed up for recycle pick up in the neighborhood and want to do so, just call or email Michael Manlowe for details.

Post Thanksgiving

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend celebration with family, friends and/or neighbors. :)

Now, time to go back to the gym and burn off all that turkey and stuffing!

Rewind: Burns' Baby Shower

Sorry it's been busy. We just uploaded pics from the Emily, Jerrod and Baby Charlotte Burns' baby shower! Of course, since it was hosted by Roser Park's celebrity chef Michael Baugh and Mama Roser Park Jane Shaw, it was a smorgasbord of amazing food and desserts at Casa Chocolata. I think everyone enjoyed that wonderful brunch and the fun games that only Catherine and Michele can come up with (just like that soiled diaper! YUM!)


Click here for more pics.

Emily and Jerrod...almost there!!!

Art Festival 07: Another huge success!

With the weather mostly cool and mild over the weekend, it turned out to be just perfect for the 4th Annual Historic Roser Park Art Festival 2007.

We had double the number of vendors from last year, hundreds of visitors, old and new, amazing bands entertaining the crowd for the entire weekend, lots of art and installations, a free outdoor museum tour....what more can you ask for?!

Of course, it couldn't have been possible without all our sponsors that have supported us. We hope that they will continue to support us next year and in the years to follow. Thank you! WaMu, St. Pete Times, Creative Loafing, Watermark, Planning Works, and the City of St. Pete. Also our minor sponsors, we thank you as well.

Last but not the least, thanks to Catherine and the committee (do you want me to enumerate? nah.) who have worked hard for the past 6 months to put all this together and make it even better than expected. Let's drink to that! (Oh, we did already...then let's drink some more!) Also, to all the neighbors who volunteered over the weekend, especially the host homes (Gary and Kim & Chris) and Ron for taking care of the outdoor tour every year, thank you for your time and effort!

Ok this is the last. It's getting long. Thanks to all the visitors who made it to the event. That's what really makes an event a success. Your presence. Hope you all had a great time. :)

Here's a link to some pics we took over the weekend. Click here. (Thanks Deb for lending your cam :) If you have other pics you wish to share, you can place a link on your comment to direct everyone to your pics.

Historic Roser Park Art Fest this Weekend!

Don't forget to tell everyone you know about this weekend's upcoming 4th Annual Historic Roser Park Art Festival! Mark your calendar, November 10 (Sat. 10am-5pm) and 11 (Sun. 10am-4pm), because this is going to be bigger and better than ever. Free Parking at Bayfront Medical Center.

What's Happening?
Outdoor Historical Tour: Sat and Sun, 11am, 1pm, 3pm
Porch and Garden Installations: look for the yellow flags
Stage Schedule:
Saturday
10am - 1230pm: Jun Bustamonte
1pm - 330pm: Gary Brown Blues Band
Sunday
10am - 1230pm: The Tom Stewart Trio
1pm - 330pm: Lounge Cat

We would like to thank our major sponsors for the big help in making our neghborhood event happen: The City of St. Petersburg, WaMu, St. Petersburg Times, Creative Loafing, Planning Works and Watermark Publications. Please support our sponsors and also visit their websites.

Also, we would like to thank our other minor sponsors for the event: Craftsman Gallery House, Uncorked, Cardinal Pool Care, First Advantage, Joe Blanton for Raymond James, Doodle Dog and Zephyrhills Spring Water.

Click on the image below to see the details.

A Taste of Texas (and then some)

Russ and Rita Peterman invited the neighborhood over to their house last Saturday evening for a some brisket (Russ' specialty) and other foods. It was a themed Texas party where most everyone had their cowboy (or farmer -- you know who you are!) hat on. Rita even gave out special gifts to those who came in with their hat. Isn't that nice.

Everyone had a tour of their two homes. It was quite impressive considering all the hands on work they've put in themselves. They sure have a lot of patience. The big house was also lit up all over with Rita's PartyLite candles that had some of us sniffing different scents and getting high on vanilla the whole evening. Make sure to check out some of her very cute candles and accessories.

And to top it all off, they had a little auction of candles, a snow globe, Larry's book, etc. that benefited the SPCA, their charity of choice.

Thanks again for the party, RnR! We all had a good time. Good to see Sara visiting too. And Ben resurrected.

Coffee at The Globe

Needing some afternoon coffee and craving for a piece of cake, we decided to actually visit the Globe Coffee Lounge downtown. We've always been talking about going there for sangria (they have an evening for real good sangria!) and never really committed to it. But now, we we're psyched!

It's a quaint little coffee place. The type you'll more likely see in downtown New York with all the eclectic furniture (seemingly salvaged from yard sales or second hand shops?) and walls peppered with just as varied types of works of art that are also for sale. It's very cozy and comfy...plus the "regulars" just make you feel like your an artiste just by virtue of osmosis.

Anyway, the coffee was actually good (the guy at the counter actually reminded me that it's NO Starbuck's coffee, how very anti-establishment LOL) and the cake called "Luv" was just as good! (It wasn't spiked...I think) And while you have your machiato, you can sit down on one of their couches and play whatever board game they offered (to kill time.) How all-in-one is that!

So try something different...and support your local coffee place!

The Globe Coffee Lounge is located at:
532 1st Ave North
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 898-JAVA

An Evening with David Sedaris

It was a last minute thing. Who knew David Sedaris, author of several New York Times and National bestsellers such as Naked, Barrel Fever, and Me Talk Pretty One Day, was in town for a one night speaking engagement at the Mahaffey Theater?!

We've never seen anything at the Mahaffey since it was built at the Progress Energy Center for the Arts in downtown St. Pete. It's a very well built and nicely designed theater that is definitely in the leagues of the theaters in Tampa.

The event was very well atteded with more than 1,000 people filling the venue. I didn't expect that he would have such a huge following in the area. But David Sedaris surely delivered! He was funny with all his anecdotes as he has always been with his writing. Suffice to say he had the crowd in perpetual hysteria. (Especially since he never fails to include a "poop"-related story as his novels.) If you're needing a good dose of non-stop chuckles, make sure to pick up one of his books online or the local Barnes and Noble downtown. Highly recommended!

Unfortunately, we couldn't stay for an autograph or photo op with David Sedaris...it was almost 10 by the time it ended and we've only had wine! Thank god Wendy's was still open. Ugh.

Snapshots: Sunrise, Sunset

Just sharing a couple of nature pics taken:

Love and Other Disasters

Saw a movie last night at Tampa Theater (very beautiful, historic theater!) for the TIGLFF entitled Love and Other Disasters. It was just hilarious and anyone, I mean anyone, would just enjoy this movie. It's got some celebs in it (Brittany Murphy and Matthew Rhys (Brothers & Sisters on ABC) and Catherine Tate (check out BBC on cable)). Anyway here's a trailer of the movie so you can have a sneak peek. Hopefully it gets to wide release. If not, you'll just have to order it on Netflix. :)

September Porch Party: Kim and Chris

Ah yes, another porch party just finished. It was a very good turn out of neighbors, old and new. There definitely was plenty o' food to go around and more importantly, even more beer and wine for the always festive residents. ;) So big thanks to the hosts, Kim and Chris for taking us all in and letting us see all the amazing and "quick" work they've put into making that house just warm and lovely.

Here are some snapshots from last night.



























I have to say that those were some good food we had...mighty spicy too (c/o Jerrod & Emily Burns -- you can always count on that!) Dessert was yummy too. Share your recipes if you wish.

Review: Elements Global Cuisine

If you have anything to celebrate, this may just be the right place to do it.

We've always thought about dining at this place everytime we'd pass through Gulfport and look for somewhere to eat at on the weekends. However, it seems like we were never in luck and the place is always closed. (Maybe because we always went on Sundays when most everything is closed in St. Petersburg. They need to change that. Don't people eat on Sundays, too?)

Anyway, this time it was a weeknight and T&L had a very good reason to celebrate (plus, nobody made dinner or wanted to make dinner...AGAIN!). We went to Gulfport and took our chance...and to our surprise, it was OPEN! Woohoo!

It was almost like fine dining except for the fact that we weren't dressed for the place. They didn't mind though and still served us quite exceptionally. They had very good wine (2 bottles of Artesi should make you feel very happy). And the meal we had was lovely. We had calamari and a salad for starters, a couple of roasted ducks (mmmm...duck), a nice piece of steak, some garlic mashed potatoes for entree and we just couldn't resist getting desserts that the owner just described with a French twang which made it even more tempting I guess. We got a chocolate cake that was like a lava cake since it had warm fudge inside and then since she liked us so much, we got a slice of tiramisu as a bonus! Isn't that spesh?

Anyway, try it out when you decide to dine at the lovely strip in Gulfport. Just dont go on Sunday.


Elements Global Cuisine
3121 Beach Blvd. South
Gulfport, FL 33707

Arm Loans or Harm Loans

Don Kohler and Matt McKillen wanted to share this informative article with the neighbors of Roser Park. (Sorry for the bit of delay, Don and Matt. :)) So here you are.

As everyone is almost certainly aware, mortgage markets in the United States are in severe turmoil this year. All types of media, TV, financial reports and news commentaries, are talking about the mortgage crisis triggered by the Subprime Mortgage meltdown. Many of our larger nationwide mortgage banking institutions have been closing their doors due to liquidity issues in funding new loans or being unable to sell the loans on the secondary market, which is how they normally continue to fund their operations. There is a non-profit website that is tracking the mortgage lending crisis called www.lenderimplode.com. As of the date of this article, 149 lenders this year alone have shut down operations, plus there is a list of ailing financial institutions that are being closely watched.

Loans that are primarily involved in the turmoil are short term fixed adjustable rate loans. These types of loans are usually fixed with a teaser rate for 2, 3, and 5 yr periods then convert to either a 6 month arm or a monthly changing arm. Upon conversion, some homeowners are seeing as much as 2-3% increases from their initial lower fixed teaser rates. For example, if a borrower had an initial rate of 5.75% that converted to a fully indexed rate at 7.50 % on a $275,000 dollar loan, the payment would increase from $1604 P&I (principle and interest) to $1,922 P&I. After the initial conversion, the homeowner is subject to periodic rate increases that can be monthly, bi-annually, or once a year for the remaining term of the loan. Throw in rising home-owner insurance costs, the re-assessment of property taxes, and you can see the potential financial impact these conditions can cause on a families budget.

Bear in mind, not all ARM’s are bad loans. They serve a purpose in the right situations. If a family knows the home is an interim living situation for a few years, or will be selling later down the road to downsize etc., the ARM loan is a good solution. Interest only loans have also been popular products for a home-owner that is trying to maximize monthly cash flow, knowing they can pay extra every month to principle if they desire. Fannie Mae is now offering a 30 yr fixed that allows for interest only for the first 10 yrs. This product basically gives you the best of both worlds. Long term fixed stability, plus the convenience of interest only to maximize cash flow for the first 10 yrs.

With the present change in market conditions, the rising of interest rates, and the tightening of credit guidelines, even for borrowers with perfect credit histories, everyone that has an ARM loan has to consider the short and long term consequences of their existing financing. At Preferred Mortgage (we are a direct lender), we specialize in providing an in-depth mortgage analysis of a homeowner’s existing loan based upon short and long-term plans for the property. If you are interested in this free service, I invite you to call Don Kohler or Matt McKillen at our office # 727 388-9874, and allow us to advise you on what options are available to solve your short term and long term financing needs.

Matthew McKillen and Don Kohler of Preferred Mortgage Services have over 20 yrs experience in residential lending. Preferred Mortgage offers 1st and 2nd mortgages for refinancing and purchasing of properties from 1-4 units. We are pleased to offer a special for all Roser Park residents that do business with us, a free appraisal refunded at closing.

Discuss.

For those who want to share anything from photos, events, articles, jokes, news, promos, etc. just send it to us through this email.

Review: Island Flavors

This is a little bit of delayed post but nevertheless worth porting about. We found a new resto to try with Mr. Manlowe's suggestion based on his find from a neighbnorhood newsletter. The place is called Island Flavors (and Tings?).

It all started with a rainy evening and it was going to be a late dinner. To make a long story short, we got there just in time before they closed the kitchen which is 8pm. We were the only ones there but they gladly took us in anyway.

What it turned out to be was a very sumptuous and very authentic (from what we know) Carribean/Jamaican cuisine. Everything they served out table was just beautifully presented on funky tropical plates. We had jerk pork, jerk chicken, ox tail and brown-stewed chicken. All very tasty! (We had to have a bite of each other's plates :)) And since they didn't serve alcohol, they allowed us to BYOB and got us some Red Stripe to just complete the Jamaican meal!

Anyway, it's a place you should try out and see for yourself. It's definitely something to keep on going back to. By the way, service is just superb.

1411 49th Street South
Gulfport, Florida 33707
www.islandflavorsandtings.com

Garage Sale Success

Congratulations to the neighbors who participated and sold their stuff in Roser Park's first annual garage sale that turned out to be a success. Thank you to all the buyers who came in from all over (as early as 7AM!) and hopefully got their money's worth! Here's looking forward to the next garage sale...it may not have to be an annual thing...we'll see. :)

UPDATE: Garage Sale

Here are the deets for this Saturday's first ever RP Annual Garage Sale.

714 Roser Park Drive S
behind Bayfront Medical Center
August 25, Saturday @ 7AM to Noon

If interested to join, email Philippe.

Below are a couple of items that will be sold at the garage sale. Other items include a washer/dryer, kayak carriers, etc.:


Please send this announcement/post to all your friends and neighbors who might be interested to do some garage sale shopping this weekend.

See you there!

Celebrity Sighting at Jannus

Inspired by the Anne Hathaway photo op, Wayne and Stacia share their own celeb sighting with cool pics. Read below:



The Prada post reminded me of the "Lost 80's" concert Stacia and I went to back on Sat July 28 @ Jannus Landing. On the bill were: A Flock of Seagulls, When In Rome, Gene Loves Jezebel, and Dramarama. The show was horribly under-promoted and the venue was consequently filled to less than half capacity. On the upside, the intimate atmosphere encouraged the rock stars to come down after the show and hang with the fans. We met Michael Floreal of When In Rome (an absolutely great guy), John Easdale of Dramarama, and Michael Aston of Gene Loves Jezebel (Stacia's absolute fav). We managed to snag quite a few autographs, including Michael Score's of AFOS, but we were mostly just enamored of rubbing elbows with our 80's idols. Here's Stacia recounting her international flight attendant days for an intrigued Michael Aston, thanking him for providing the soundtrack.

...a little bit of heartache never hurt anyone. Cheers, Wayne & Stacia

So make sure you bring your digital camera or camera phone or even your video cam when your out and about cause who knows who you'll bump into...Be your own paparazzi!!!

Garage Sale on August 25

Look into the depths of your closets and cabinets and unearth your invaluable treasures and you might just get lucky and get a few bucks out of them!

Just bring whatever you want to get rid of (hopefully, not just trash) to the vacant lot (to be announced) on August 25 between 7AM and 12noon. Philippe P. and Michele C. are the organizers of the event. Send your queries to pmpiquet71@aol.com should you have any.

The Devil Wears American Apparel

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A shopping visit to American Apparel in NY a couple of weeks ago got Dexter this close to celebrity status, a photo op with Anne Hathaway. Who would've thought she'd even venture there with the commoners. She was very sweet as she was gorgeous in person without make up (we're like coffee and cream beside each other.) Anywho, a new claim to fame. Sorry for the quality of pic...it was just a camera phone. :)

It's a GIRL

Newsflash, Emily and Jerrod are having a girl.

Annual Historic Roser Park Art Festival

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The 2007 Historic Roser Park Art Festival is scheduled for Saturday & Sunday, November 10th & 11th from 10AM - 5PM along the banks of scenic, Booker Creek in the heart of Downtown Saint Petersburg.

Click here to see some photos from last year's event.

Proceeds benefit a local charity and to preserve one of St. Petersburg's oldest historic neighborhoods. Sponsorships start at $250.

Click here to download sponsorship information.

Twigs & Leaves Shows the City how it's Done

A great opportunity to set an example for neighborhoods around the country and show support for a local business owned by our neighbors.


Dear Historic Roser Park Neighbors,

Beginning August 02, Twigs & Leaves will make Historic Roser Park a greener part of Saint Petersburg. Twigs & Leaves is now offering curbside recycling in Historic Roser Park.

Weekly pick up will include clean glass (brown, clear, and green), plastic containers, aluminum cans, broken down cardboard and bundled newspaper for a donation of $20/month. Right at your doorstep!

You may use your own containers or we will provide you with them for a fully refundable $20 deposit.

Start your service today by replying to the email mlmanlowe@hotmail.com with your name, home address and phone number or contact Michael directly at 727 - 822- 5400. Let's make St. Petersburg and Historic Roser Park a greener Place!

Sincerely, The Team at Twigs & Leaves

The People in Our Neighborhood: Twigs & Leaves

In March of 2006, Roser Park residents Michael Manlowe and Phillippe Piquet opened the doors to their Florida native nursery, Twigs & Leaves, located just across from the neighborhood.

Their nursery provides the perfect solution to St. Petersburg’s micro-climate which often makes for a cool, yet dry fall, spring and winter conditions. It is during these seasons when St. Petersburg can seem much more like Southern California than Southern Florida.

We talked to them about their business and how their selection of plants and eco friendly gardening products can make for a landscape that’s easy to manage and maintain.

Located on the corner of Martin Luther King Street, or 9th Street, and 10th Avenue South, Twigs & Leaves is open Thursday through Tuesday, and closed Wednesdays.

Visit them online at www.twigsnleaves.com
727.492.9906
1013 Dr. Martin Luther King St. South (9th Street)
(Between 10th and 11th Ave. S)
St. Petersburg, FL

Homes & Land in Roser Park

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This rare red brick bungalow in historic Roser Park offers 3 bedrooms and 1 bath on a quiet street with alleyway access.

Moments away from downtown, USF and Bayfront and All Children’s Hospitals. Recent updates include a new kitchen with granite countertops, maple cabinets, stainless steel appliances, ceramic tile floors and a center-island. Spacious lot provides plenty of room for an addition and/or a two-car garage with mother-in-law.

Features refinished hardwood floors, a new two-ton central heat and A/C unit and is beautifully landscaped with new irrigation.

Offered for$279,900 Amanda M. Houston
Keller Williams Gulf Coast
727-686-4456

Homes & Land in Roser Park

.Right on the corner of 9th Avenue S and 8th Street, this spacious corner lot will make for the perfect home with good neighbors.

This classic red brick road location is just steps away from the “secret path” leading to Booker Creek, features alleyway access and sits among the neighborhood’s most striking historic homes.

Offered for $119,000 by Eric Bedgood
Exit Realty Suncoast
727-692-9866

Savannah’s Cafe: I do declare!

From here or not, anyone would enjoy this southern style menu—that is anyone but the vegan that joined us. All oops on chosen company aside, the buttermilk fried chicken breast was yummy. Imagine how it would have been on dark meat! Served with garlic mashed potatoes, collared greens and corn and pineapple bread made right on the premises, the meal was as divine as the atmosphere.

I got a kick knowing we were eating in one of St. Petersburg’s first car dealership showrooms that still sports its original copper ceiling and marble floors.

Of course the biggest treat was my Long Island julep, which was as tasty as it was, eh hem, deadly. My friends sampled the pomegranate and vodka juleps.

For the three of us with drinks, it was just around $99 with tip.
Address: 1113 Central Ave St
Web: www.savannahsstpete.com (encourage owners to add menu at info@savannahsstpete.com)
Reservations: 727.388.4371

Roser Park at Pridefest 2007

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There is no doubt that Roser Park is a welcoming neighborhood with quite the diverse group of residents. We come from all walks of life and all around the world.



This year, we took the inexpensive opportunity to participate in Florida’s largest pride event, promoting our Art Festival and neighborhood to 30,000 of those who would be proud to call it home.

Photos from the Hood

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2007 Tour of Homes

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Our most recent tour of homes was the best to date with over 350 visitors. It was proof positive that, as a neighborhood, we manage to really come together-- even if it's just to party.



Chef Michael, Roser Park resident and owner of Let Them Eat Cake, served some treats from his bakery.



Our neighborhood is home to the City's original Mayor's Mansion. Now a private residence, Tom and Len of Ingleside at Bayboro have done a great job at restoring it to its old grandeur and then some.

Welcome to Roser Park

Located just south of downtown Roser Park (w) is considered one of the city’s first suburbs. Though it would hardly be considered a suburb by modern day standards. Just minutes from all of the major conveniences of life, including a Starbucks, our small community contains 146 historic structures and spans down from 6th to 11th Avenues S and across 4th to 9th Streets.



The neighborhood sits a high 30 feet above sea level and is home to Booker Creek, which runs the picturesque Roser Park Drive and feeds into the bay. All Children’s and Bayfront (w) Hospitals sit on the other side of Booker Creek and are in the midst of a multi-million dollar renovation. That combined with the neighborhood’s proximity to I-275, makes us all feel pretty good about where our little neighborhood is going.



We have an eclectic mix of people that, for the most part, enjoy each other’s company. We have monthly porch parties, a bi-annual progressive dinner and an annual art festival and home tour.



This is our house, where we live and work. Stay tuned here to find out what’s going on with our little neighborhood and City. Plus, we’re just about to paint, and I know you want to see the new colors.