"Taking down Christmas" makes the cottage look somewhat bare.
All the red touches, which I admit I really enjoyed for a few weeks, are packed
away, the glitter has gone and all that remains to make the holidays a lovely memory,
is the faux tree and its decorations still in the gazebo - just too cold to spend time out
there. With the warmer days coming later in the week I'll have to make the effort
and get out there with the waiting green storage boxes! Meanwhile I'm loving the
lighted tree at night, and turn it on for a while these freezing mornings.
I've left a few of the faux pillar candles scattered around the rooms, timed to
come on at 6 pm they brighten up these cold evenings without any effort, prior
to lighting a roaring fire on the hearth.
I really don't have any etched in stone house projects in the works for this year.
I admit to having a little 'secret list' tucked away and, once it warms up in late Spring,
after our travels in March, I may decide to tackle - with help - an interior painting project.
Currently we have a leaking toilet tank plus the HVAC system needs checking - enough
to be concerned about right now.
Currently we have a leaking toilet tank plus the HVAC system needs checking - enough
to be concerned about right now.
Talk about 'a clean slate', the house does appear to be that way again.
The early morning watery sunlight is quite cleansing.
I'm still searching for the items I had to remove from places to make
room for Christmas decor.
room for Christmas decor.
Do you do that and then, like me, have to look high and low
(under beds for example) to find where you've hidden them?
(under beds for example) to find where you've hidden them?
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Such a pretty post, Mary. In our temps I would be inclined to leave the lights on the gazebo all winter. Anything to brighten our evenings. :) All of Christmas is put away here because we have such little space. I can breath again. lol Annie and Audrey both got a new toy just for not bringing the tree down. Have a lovely week.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely quote Mary .... and, it does look bare when the Christmas decorations come down and are packed away but, so much to look forward to in 2018. XXXX
ReplyDeleteLove your decorations all year long. At Christmas I am always excited to put all the glitter up, but then in January I love making the house lighter again. It feels fresh and rejuvenating. I did leave a bit of glitter above my fire place and candles about, plus one string of little white lights. I need the light in January and February. Probable about Valentine's I will replace some of that with flowers from the market.
ReplyDeleteOh yes Marilyn, I'm getting ready for some fresh flowers soon and must check Trader Joe's. I've hibernated for the past week with such biting cold - staying in the house is so much better. When I did sneak out Sat. to get my nails done - couldn't wait any longer - everyone was coughing and sneezing so I longed to get finished and away from people.
DeleteLovely post Mary. We put all of our decorations away on the day before New Years Eve. I do still have a beautiful red poinsettia sitting in a blue and white pot as well as a small cypress tree, that I hope to plant outside if the weather ever warms up. We were only in this house a few weeks before the holiday season, so now I am just figuring out how to decorate it normally.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Mary. I need to let my husband read this as I believe he thinks I am the only one who plays hide and seek with my décor items. I also play that game with paperwork and clutter when guests are coming. Ha!
ReplyDeleteYour clean slate looks very pretty and inviting. A wonderful way to begin the year. I've just scrolled back and read your previous posts and so enjoyed the beautiful bird photography.
I agree that de-Christmasing the house, while sad in a way, is also very refreshing. After years of hunting for the regular items to replace the Christmas decorations with, I began to place them in the Christmas storage boxes when Christmas things are brought out. When Christmas things are put back, there are my regular items! Wishing you warmer temperatures soon.
ReplyDeleteCathy, thanks so much for this very sensible idea - can't imagine not ever thinking of that! Today I did venture out to the potting shed as the temp. went above freezing - and lo and behold I found a few lost items lurking there on the shelves. I really must get rid of stuff, life as a minimalist must be so much easier!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMary -
As I did not do much Christmas decorating this season (even less than in past years), I was finished very quickly - take down two bauble wreaths from the walls, put away all the wonderful Christmas cards, and my flat looks like it does most of the year again. I like my clean, empty, shiny surfaces, but I loved looking at the cards, too. Now life is slowly getting back on track with work having started yesterday. That's fine by me, as I do like my life (work including).
ReplyDeleteLovely post, Mary and the quote is so apt I always view the year ahead as a clean slate waiting for me to write my stories on.
ReplyDeleteThis year because of illness my Christmas décor was kept to a minimum so I didn't have to displace too many items around the house, however I'm still scratching my head as to why a large bag of Christmas presents from the family went missing and then turned up, in the ironing basket in the airing cupboard, a week later!
Happy New Year from Normandy.
I know what you mean about things looking bare. I love the colors but I have a slight advantage since I have a red couch! Wanted to leave the tree up without decorations but decided against it. I really enjoyed my tree and all the decorations this yr, being retired I was able to appreciate them more. Have a great day.
ReplyDelete