Pantone COTY 2025 Mocha Mousse + A Story of Resilience

Hi Everyone,

I’ve written numerous times about the COTY from various companies. I thought I had written about Pantone’s COTY (Color of the Year) in the last three or four years, but I just looked at this article in House Beautiful that shares all of the Pantone COTY since its inception in 2000.

 

So, this being Pantone COTY 2025, that makes 26 times they’ve taken us through this exercise.

 

The last time I posted about Pantone’s COTY was OMG, nine years ago, in 2016. How is it possible that it’s been nine years since I reviewed the insipid twin babies Rose Quartz and Serenity?

Okay, let’s take a closer look at Mocha Mousse, Pantone’s COTY 2025.

 

 

This is not a mocha. A mocha is a blend of chocolate and coffee. Mousse is whipped, which makes it like milk chocolate.

If I’m being brutally honest, (when am I not?) ;] I would be forced to say this color reminds me of my darling Bassett Hound, Hushie. She was prone to frequent early morning bouts of soupy diarrhea. As Hushie’s “owner,” a child of 9 or 10, I was responsible for cleaning it up.

 

Yes, I know what you’re thinking.

 

This color has too much red and a bit too much blue. It veers towards purple or a very dusty terra cotta. It doesn’t have enough gray to be considered taupe. No, I would say it is more in the mauve family.

 

Above is Benjamin Moore Deep Mauve

This color is a little bluer and more towards purple.

 

However, it is not a rich brown shade, as Pantone claims.

Benjamin Moore Brown Horse is a classic shade of deep brown that would be a beautiful wall color. This color intensifies when on the wall.

For more beautiful brown rooms, please check out this post.

And, this post, too about masculine brown rooms.

I also love this post about how to work with brown furniture.

Now, I know the Pantone color of the year is used not only for interiors but also for many products, including cosmetics, apparel, automobiles, and more.

 

But, is Pantone COTY 2025, Mocha Mousse a good wall color?

 

I suppose it could be interesting if someone with a deft hand used it, but only if you live in Great Britain.

Yes, I’m being facetious. However, I have found English tastes veering toward what we Yankees would classify as a bit quirky at times.

@museumofthehome

This color is similar. Sorry, I don’t know what it is.

 

I think many other shades of brown work a lot better than this sticky, red-tinged light brown. Rooms with brown wall colors look best with an abundant amount of white or a pale, cool gray. This isn’t quite brown. However, shades of mauve look fantastic with an olive green with a hefty dose of brown, such as Cleveland Green.

 

I think it’s best use is as an accent color.

Okay, I have nothing more to say about the Pantone COTY 2025, Mocha Mousse.

I’m tired of the marketing BS that exists for what benefit, I’m not sure.

 

I am ending this post with a true story that is what social media should be used for.

 

This story is being played out on Instagram with an unlikely protagonist.

 

 

He’s 17-year-old Trevor Higgins, a senior in high school in the southwestern corner of Utah. Only Trevor stopped going to school after October 27, 2024.

No, he didn’t drop out. Trevor was riding his dirt bike home with his friends and was hit by a driver who made an illegal U-turn. As a result, Trevor was knocked unconscious for weeks and suffered a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), amongst others.

 

When I came across his page, @revfortrev, about three months ago, Trevor was out of his coma but not fully conscious.

 

He stared into space, and although not paralyzed, he could not move, talk, or eat. He was frighteningly skeletal.

Although Trevor’s mom, Christtina, knew nothing about Instagram, her sister-in-law, and others helped her with social accounts, including Venmo, GoFundMe, and an Amazon storefront. (links are at the bottom of the page)

Through her gut-wrenching ordeal, Christtina has been chronicling Trevor’s recovery, not knowing for sure if he would ever be able to talk or walk again.

 

Sadly, insurance doesn’t come close to covering the expenses needed to give Trevor back his life.

 

The Higgins family, eight years ago. Christtina had one more baby, a little girl who is incredibly fond of her big brother.
It is impossible not to fall in love with Trevor and his darling family, which makes this story all the more heartbreaking.

 

Despite a prognosis fraught with uncertainty, at best, Christtina has worked day and night doggedly to give Trevor the help and support he needs to survive and thrive. Her guts and determination are extraordinary. It’s not just the fights to get much-needed insurance dollars; she has stayed awake many a night with Trevor during his highly stressful fevers, brainstorms, seizures, sustained heart rates of up to 160 beats a minute, and bouts of pneumonia.

 

A parent’s worst nightmare is the death of a child. How about living with the threat of the death of a child for weeks on end? It’s an unimaginable hell.

 

Statistics vary, but the odds of making a full recovery with an injury as extensive as Trevor’s are more the exception than the rule. Many victims pass away early on, and maybe 20% or more remain in a vegetative state for the rest of their lives.

 

Trevor went into this disaster with two key elements on his side.

He was already in excellent health and he is very young.

Only about ten weeks ago, on January 10, Trevor was released from the hospital and returned home to a cheering crowd of friends and neighbors.

At that point, he was still very out of it, not speaking or showing signs of understanding. However, still staring out into space, shortly after, he began to close his eyes for “yes” on occasion.

If interested, there are hundreds of posts sharing every phase beginning in early November on Trevor’s Instagram, called 

 

#revfortrev.

 

During his first month home, Trevor became more alert in tiny increments and also began to fill out his formerly athletic but now severely emaciated physique.

Through all of this, you will see Christtina not only caring for Trevor and the rest of the family but also house painting, planning her garden, making crepes for the family, and even putting up batten board wainscoting in the primary bedroom.

 

What an amazing woman!

 

On February 7 (my birthday!) Christtina posted an incredibly poignant and raw post. Her intense fatigue was palpable. She had taken Trevor to one of their favorite spots where they used to enjoy hiking. She was crying. Trevor was still not talking, well, not with his mouth.

However, his eyes conveyed an expression I had not seen before. He was totally there. Although he was not crying, I could sense his welling up with emotion.

 

Do you see it? It prompted me to write the message above.

At the time, I’m not sure if she realized fully, or, if she did, perhaps there was a fear that she was only imagining his getting better because she wanted it so badly to be true.

But, it was true and thousands of people have chimed in for support.

 

You know what they say. “It’s always darkest before…”

 

Well, the dawn arrived long before daybreak, only two nights later, on February 9th, while attending the 18th birthday party of one his Trevor’s friends who was riding behind him on that fateful evening,

 

To everyone’s shock and delight, Trevor waved and smiled.

In fact, you can see Christtina in the background, not totally believing what she had just seen. He waved every time he was asked.

 

In addition to family and close friends, the support for Trevor from their tight-knit community has been immense.

 

Late in February, the local high school held a benefit dance concert to raise money for Trevor’s recovery.

Since the hand-waving night, and even more so after the dance concert, Trevor’s progress has begun to pick up steam at an astonishing rate. Every day, he has gotten better control of his hands and arms, and last Friday, a huge milestone was shared: He scarfed down a giant burger and fries.

The following day, Trevor took a swallow test. I’m not sure why since he was swallowing, and clearly, everything was going down the right pipe. However, he did it, and now it’s official. Trevor is cleared to pig out as much as he wants.

This past Monday, St. Patrick’s Day, Trevor conveyed to Christtina that he would be ready to talk again in four days.

Well, we didn’t have to wait more than about 30 hours.

Trevor began talking again the next day, March 18, 2025, less than five months after the accident.

Christtina caught it all on camera.

And here, he’s sharing a sandwich with his uncle.

 

“Take a bite,” he said.

 

Oh man, I cried buckets. Everyone who’s been following has.

Just posted, Trevor thanked everyone who’s been following and helping in whatever way they can.

I shared this today because I’ve been deeply touched by this miraculous story of love, hope, determination, and blind faith that Trevor would eventually relearn all that he once knew.

Trevor still has a long way to go, but he will get there. However, to get there, he still needs intensive speech and physical therapy.

 

Insurance is refusing to pay for it.

 

??? Do these poor people not have enough to contend with? I know that many of you can relate.

It is all out of pocket. I know the Higgins would be grateful for anything you can spare if you are inclined. Nobody put me up to this. I only promote what I love and believe in.

 

Speaking of which, the Serena & Lily sale ends at 3:00 AM ET – tonight!

 

Trevor Higgins funding pages are as follows: (They are also on the @RevForTrev Instagram page)

Venmo – goes to Christina Higgins. I have donated here and chatted with Christtina briefly.

GoFundMe for Trevor Higgins’ Recovery

Amazon Storefront Wishlist

xo,

 

***Please check out the recently updated HOT SALES

 

Go to Serena & Lily to make a purchase at a discount!

There is now an Amazon link on my home page and below.

 

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