I’ll be the first to admit that I was never really a genius when it comes to Macs. And honestly, that doesn’t bother me. I know enough to get around the system and use it for what I need to, plus some random things here and there. I don’t know everything, but I’m working on it.

As an example, when I first got my MacBook Pro I noticed my menu bar was a different color than the ones on other machines I had used. It took me some time to realize that it was because that bar is slightly opaque, by choice, and that it was the different background that was showing through and changing the color. I also knew that you could have the desktop image randomly change.

But I never thought to put two and two together. Until today.

Here’s a fun trick to have your menu bar change colors but still keep the same cute picture of your dog, favorite vacation spot, girlfriend, (or maybe all of the above together) displayed on your desktop:

Find an image that you want to use as your desktop background. Figure out how tall your menu bar is and put a colored strip that size on top of your image. Do the same thing, but with another color. And another. And another, until you’ve used every color you want to see.

Put each of these images in their own folder. Open your desktop settings under System Preferences. Click the plus button on the left column to add your new folder to the list of available items and then select that folder as the source for images. Check the box at the bottom to change the picture and set the timer to whatever interval works best for you. Be sure to check the box labeled “translucent menu bar” so that you can actually see your color.

It is something small, but if you have windows open all day and never get to see your desktop, this is a great way to spice things up a bit. Enjoy!

Need help getting started? Use this PSD template as a guide!