White tulips, an update and a makeover

I've been unintentionally absent for a couple of weeks.  I'm not even sure why.  Maybe I couldn't bring myself to post one more photo of snow.  Maybe it's a case of the February blahs.  Maybe I couldn't think of anything to post - except for the previously mentioned photos of snow which, after awhile, begin to all look alike.  Or maybe it's been a combination of all of the above.

I've been immersed in design books and magazines, redefining my list of projects.  Most of them are a little more than I can handle right now.  As much as I want to tackle a huge room makeover, I'm just not ready.  But there are a lot of little projects that I can do like moving things around and changing things up ~ which is exactly what I'm doing.

I found these tulips at the grocery store last week - for $4.99.  You can't beat that price for a touch of Spring!  White flowers are very peaceful and I think make a nice transition from Winter to Spring.  Somehow red or yellow or purple just wouldn't work.  At least, not for me.

In an effort to change things around a bit, I popped them on this vintage chair instead of the dining room table or sideboard where I usually place flowers.  Sometimes it's the small things that make a big difference.

A little update ... I saw my oncologist earlier this month to (finally) get the results of my CT scan from last December.  My original appointment was rescheduled due to a pipe bursting at the cancer centre.  The tumours have grown marginally since October but Dr. H. said he isn't overly concerned and thinks we can still delay treatment for several months.  In fact, I don't have to have another scan until the end of April!  It might not be long before I'm ready to handle a major room renovation after all.  :)

One more thing ... my blog has had a little makeover.  I wanted to add a touch of colour and make the whole thing a little easier to navigate.  Let me know what you think! 

xo,
Lynda

Welcoming February

" I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields ... It covers them up snug, like a white quilt; and perhaps it says, 'Go to sleep, darlings, till the Summer comes again.' " - Lewis Carroll

February began much as January ended ... with more snow.  I like the idea of the snow covering the garden in a cosy white quilt.  Underneath all that white, the garden still lives and is preparing for Spring.

I've noticed a group of sparrows that have taken to nestling on our front porch for warmth and shelter.  I hear them every morning as they chirp and fluff their feathers.

Crystals of snow cling to branches and leaves that refuse to fall.  There's so much beauty in the subtle colours of nature.

The snow weighs heavy on evergreen branches, bending them lower and lower to the ground.  I'm still dreaming of Spring but I can't help grabbing my camera every time there's a fresh fall of snow.

xo,
Lynda

The colour of sunshine

Maybe it's because it's so cold outside (as I'm writing this the wind is rattling the windows and I can feel the draught) and sunshine has been scarce but I've been drawn to the colour yellow lately.  These lemons and yellow primrose found their way into my grocery cart this week and their colour has really brightened things up.

I had forgotten how much I like yellow.  Not a bright garish yellow but a soft buttery yellow.  I'm craving more colour in my home.  I've been cutting images from magazines and flipping through my stash of decor and garden books looking at combinations of colours.  One thing I've learned is that my colour preferences change seasonally.  Maybe yours do too.

But I am seeing a trend.  I prefer soft muted colours to bright ones.  And I like faded floral fabrics.  So why don't I have more of these colours and patterns in my home? 

Something else tugging at me is an urge to sew.  It's been a few years since my sewing machine has had a workout.  There are several quilting projects that have been pushed aside that are now finding their way to the top of my to do list.  Those will add some colour!

This is what I love about January.  It gives me time to step back from the doing, a chance to rest and reflect.  A cup of tea and a stack of Victoria magazines (the old issues please, not the new ones) have me decorating my home over and over in my head.  Some days I'm living in an old Georgian manor, other days have me living in a cottage by the sea. Through all this daydreaming, I discover what it is I really want for my home.  Warmth and comfort and love.

And flowers the colour of sunshine.  :)

xo,
Lynda

A touch of Summer

Until last year, I had never seen a citrus tree that could be grown indoors.  On one of my rare outings last Winter, I saw these trees at a local greenhouse and immediately knew that I wanted one for my living room.  I also knew that I wasn't up to looking after it so decided to wait until after I had surgery and finished chemo.  When I went back to buy one last June, they were all sold.

My mind was made up; I was going to have a lemon tree in my living room.  On Saturday, I finally got one ... and it was definitely worth the wait.  Apparently they do quite well indoors and can be taken outside during the warm Summer months.  They need a lot of light so it's beside a south facing window where it gets light pretty much all day.  It's covered with blooms which smell absolutely wonderful!  A touch of Summer in the middle of Winter!

There are even a few little lemons beginning to form.  It takes 7-9 months for the lemons to mature and in ideal conditions, the plants can grow as tall as 8 feet!  I doubt that mine will grow that tall - but you never know!

Notice who's peering around the corner?  Our little Maggie doesn't like to be photographed and runs away every time I have my camera out.  I was using my tripod with the timer so she never realized she was being photographed.  Now I know how to trick her!

We're heading into another deep freeze this week so I don't think I'll be venturing out anywhere.  I finished painting the mirror frame that I had wanted to finish before Christmas and will be sharing photos of it in an upcoming post.  I'm still doing a little organizing and decluttering too.  Most of the big stuff is finished but as I tidy things up, I'm tossing anything that I no longer use, want or need.  And whenever the cold gets to me, I go and sit beside my lemon tree and breathe deep.  :)

xo,
Lynda

Moving a desk

Christmas has been put away for another year.  We left almost everything up until yesterday, mainly because that's what we've always done, but I was really, really ready to take it down.  More than usual.  I'm thinking next year it might be gone by the new year.

I had rearranged the living room just before getting our Christmas tree.  Not a huge change but I decided to move the loveseat in front of the windows and put the chairs where the loveseat used to be.  Once I decide to move something, that's it - it's moved and I always forget to take before photos.  You'll just have to trust me that it looks better.  The loveseat used to divide the dining room from the living room but I wanted the two rooms to look more open.  Mission accomplished!  I like the new look and wondered why I haven't tried it this way before.

Once we took the tree down, I knew there was going to be a large empty space that would need something.  So I decided to move the little desk from the reading room there.  I haven't even put the drawer in yet but I think I'm going to like it.  I have to live with a change for a week or so before I decide to leave it.  I'm already thinking about what I can put on it and what to hang above it which is a good sign.  And yes, it will be painted whether it stays here or not.

Which got me to thinking about colours!  I basically know what colours I like and other than my red toile loveseat and chair, most of my home is in soft blues and creams.  I'm not sure what possessed me to choose red but ten years later, I still love it.  And because of the shade, it works with my blues.  When I hung my favourite wreath back up on the door, I realized that all my colours were right there in that wreath.

I'm not even going to mention the weather.  My door is closed and I'm ignoring it all.  I just hope you're all safe and coping as best you can.  Enough.

Bloglovin' has been playing tricks on me.  I thought you were all being very quiet, maybe because of power outages or getting back to post-holiday routines.  Turns out Bloglovin' just wasn't working.  Once I got it fixed, I found out you weren't being quiet.  There's a LOT of posts to catch up on!  I should have known better.  :)

And I'm wondering why I have projects that are a much higher priority on my to do list but I decide to move a desk and then want to redecorate the whole room.  Seriously, I have D.A.D.D. (decorating attention decifit disorder).  I don't think there's a cure.

xo,
Lynda