diff --git a/ansicolors.lua b/ansicolors.lua
index 3e0ad31..8a1334a 100644
--- a/ansicolors.lua
+++ b/ansicolors.lua
@@ -19,9 +19,10 @@
 -- OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
 -- THE SOFTWARE.
 
-local ansicolors = {}
+local keys = {
+  -- reset
+  reset =      0,
 
-local codes = {
   -- misc
   bright     = 1,
   dim        = 2,
@@ -51,54 +52,39 @@ local codes = {
   whitebg   = 47
 }
 
-local codeNames = {}
-for name,_ in pairs(codes) do table.insert(codeNames, name) end
-table.sort(codeNames, function(a,b) return codes[a] > codes[b] end)
-
 local escapeString = string.char(27) .. '[%dm'
 local function escapeNumber(number)
   return escapeString:format(number)
 end
 
-local function escapeNumbers(numbers)
-  local buffer = {}
-  for i=1, #numbers do
-    table.insert(buffer, escapeNumber(numbers[i]))
-  end
-  return table.concat(buffer)
-end
+local reset = escapeNumber(keys.reset)
 
-local reset = escapeNumber(0)
+local function escapeKeys(text)
 
-local function options2numbers(options)
-  local numbers, substitutions, codeName = {}, 0
-  for i = 1, #codeNames do
-    codeName = codeNames[i]
-    options, substitutions = options:gsub(codeName, '')
-    if substitutions > 0 then
-      table.insert(numbers, codes[codeName])
-    end
+  local buffer = {}
+  local number
+  for word in text:gmatch("%w+") do
+    number = keys[word]
+    assert(number, "Unknown key: " .. word)
+    table.insert(buffer, escapeNumber(number) )
   end
-  return numbers
-end
 
-function ansicolors.colorize( options, text )
-  options = string.lower(options or '')
-  
-  local numbers = options2numbers(options)
+  return table.concat(buffer)
+end
 
-  if #numbers == 0 then return text end
-  
-  return escapeNumbers(numbers) .. text .. reset
+local function replaceCodes(text)
+  text = string.gsub(text,"(%%{(.-)})", function(_, text) return escapeKeys(text) end )
+  return reset .. text .. reset
 end
 
+-- public
 
-local mt = {}
+local function ansicolors( text )
+  text = tostring(text or '')
 
-function mt.__index(_, name)
-  return function(str) return ansicolors.colorize(name, str) end
+  return replaceCodes(text)
 end
 
-setmetatable(ansicolors, mt)
+
 
 return ansicolors
diff --git a/specs/ansicolors_spec.lua b/specs/ansicolors_spec.lua
index 6ebeed5..1ff3336 100644
--- a/specs/ansicolors_spec.lua
+++ b/specs/ansicolors_spec.lua
@@ -4,51 +4,24 @@ local c27 = string.char(27)
 
 describe('ansicolors', function()
   
-  describe('.colorize', function()
-    
-    it('should do nothing with no options', function()
-      assert_equal(ansicolors.colorize(nil, 'foo'), 'foo')
-    end)
-    
-    it('should add red color to text', function()
-      assert_equal(ansicolors.colorize('red', 'foo'), c27 .. '[31mfoo' .. c27 .. '[0m')
-    end)
-    
-    it('should add red color to text with uppercase', function()
-      assert_equal(ansicolors.colorize('Red', 'foo'), c27 .. '[31mfoo' .. c27 .. '[0m')
-    end)
-    
-    it('should add red underlined text', function()
-      assert_equal(ansicolors.colorize('UnderlineRed', 'foo'), c27 .. '[31m' .. c27 .. '[4mfoo' .. c27 .. '[0m')
-    end)
-    
-    it('should parse the red background before the red foreground', function()
-      assert_equal(ansicolors.colorize('RedBG', 'foo'), c27 .. '[41mfoo' .. c27 .. '[0m')
-    end)
-    
-    it('should allow multiple attributes and spureous chars', function()
-      assert_equal(ansicolors.colorize('underline_redbg_yellow_dim', 'foo'),  c27 .. '[41m' .. c27 .. '[33m' .. c27 .. '[4m' .. c27 .. '[2mfoo' .. c27 .. '[0m')
-    end)
-    
-    it('should ignore order', function()
-      assert_equal(ansicolors.colorize('underline_redbg_yellow', 'foo'), ansicolors.colorize('yellowRedBGUnderline', 'foo'))
-    end)
-
+  it('should add resets if no options given', function()
+    assert_equal(ansicolors('foo'), c27 .. '[0m' .. 'foo' .. c27 .. '[0m' )
   end)
 
-  describe('__call', function()
-   
-    it('should work with any method, throwing no errors', function()
-      assert_not_error(function() ansicolors.foo('foo') end)
-      assert_not_error(function() ansicolors.red('foo') end)
-    end)
+  it('should throw an error on invalid options', function()
+    assert_error(function() ansicolors('%{blah}foo') end)
+  end)
+  
+  it('should add red color to text', function()
+    assert_equal(ansicolors('%{red}foo'), c27 .. '[0m' .. c27 .. '[31mfoo' .. c27 .. '[0m')
+  end)
 
-    it('should work just like colorize', function()
-      assert_equal(ansicolors.red('foo'), ansicolors.colorize('red', 'foo') )
-      assert_equal(ansicolors.underline_redbg_yellow('foo'), ansicolors.colorize('yellowRedBGUnderline', 'foo'))
-    end)
+  it('should add red underlined text', function()
+    assert_equal(ansicolors('%{red underline}foo'),  c27 .. '[0m' .. c27 .. '[31m' .. c27 .. '[4mfoo' .. c27 .. '[0m')
+  end)
 
+  it('should with heterogeneous attributes', function()
+    assert_equal(ansicolors('%{bright white}*%{bright red}BEEP%{bright white}*'),  c27 .. '[0m' .. c27 .. '[1m' .. c27 .. '[37m*' .. c27 .. '[1m' .. c27 .. '[31mBEEP' .. c27 .. '[1m' .. c27 .. '[37m*' .. c27 .. '[0m')
   end)
-  
-  
+
 end)