 I took this photo while in Mystic, CT in May, 2006.
Happy Spring!
I hope that wherever you live, you're being blessed with signs of spring. I know some of you have endured a lot of harsh winter weather this year, and although I've lived year-round in sunny Southern California for 15 years now, growing up in the Midwest and living there until I was 40, I do indeed recall what hard winters are like so when we lived back there, my hubby and I made a very conscious effort to surround ourselves indoors with colorful nature and "signs of spring" at every turn. There is nothing novel or new about this m.o. really, but sometimes we need reminding, or a nudge! You can do this in at least a few ways, whatever your budget. It just takes a little creative thinking, and some creative action after that. So if spring hasn't quite made it to your cold climate just yet, here are some examples of:
How you can live in the spring-frame-of-mind year round...
When we lived in wintery Omaha, Nebraska, to keep our spring-time spirits up, we collected floral greeting cards and garden coffee table books, we bought floral upholstered furnishings and art, and we attended events like the indoor Kansas City Flower, Lawn, & Garden Show and the Omaha Orchid Show. Many cities have inexpensive day-trip bus tours to these kind of events. Google your city + spring garden show etc. Another thing I used to love doing in the dead of winter was to have lunch at my local Embassy Suites Hotel because they had a pool with surrounding beautiful indoor landscaping of lush flora and fauna. Dreamy! Many large hotel chains in cold climates do this; seek them out! Of course, you can always buy a colorful floral plant online and have it delivered to your snowy winter location--a service that was not available only a few years ago. Or read the garden blogs, or better yet, start a garden blog of your own. Once our budget got bigger as we were married longer, we began taking our "summer vacation" that we previously took in June, in February instead, traveling to warm sunny places like California, Florida, and Arizona. I fondly recall one winter when my heart and soul longed for spring so badly in the midst of frozen February that I serendipitously booked a trip to a Phoenix Bed & Breakfast Inn, where I had the most delightful stay with a charming elderly German woman who had once been a model in New York and had traveled the world over. She and I had fascinating breakfast table chats and I was able to rest in the sun by her lovely Scottsdale B&B pool. The next year, my hubby went with me to meet her and stay at her B&B too and they hit it off famously. Try the "winter vaca" vs. "summer vaca" m.o.--it works! And if you'd like to stay at an inn, searching I Love Inns to find a reputable and beautiful inn.
Giving back from my book sales...
I recently added a new page to my website/blog: Giving Back. It is my honor to give back from my book sales to Christian charity. This is something I promised in my heart to God that I would do when I signed my Small Space Organizing book contract a few years ago. My book became an Amazon international bestseller, selling thousands of copies all around the world and being featured in many media outlets. This past week it was on the Amazon China bestselling decorating books list, and has continued to stay on the Amazon decorating, lifestyle, and motivational bestseller lists in several other countries since its publication over two years ago. Recently, I serendipitously learned of a charity in Haiti to help impoverished mothers and babies and I quickly made a donation from my book royalties bank account. You can read more about that serendipitous story and why I chose to donate to this cause, and you can also donate too if you wish, here.
Small Space Savvy...
I told you in my last newsletter that I'd be sharing about our one year anniversary of living together as a long-time married couple in just 710 SF since we downsized a year ago, and the pros and cons of that lifestyle m.o. Sharing that is still on my list of things to do, and my hubby will be sharing his thoughts too, to give you the guy viewpoint! We still love our little "honeymoon suite" but this is the first time in nearly 34 years of marriage that we have ever shared the same bathroom at home. Every day! So if I had to do that over again, in a perfect world, I like having separate bathrooms since I'm admittedly a primper, and my hubs likes to take LONG baths. :) We're in the process of getting ready to paint our kitchen soffit and our dining room wall with a lavender accent color, just in time for spring, so I will share that too, if it all turns out as I envision. But of course, as life goes, it may or may not turn out as I envision, so maybe if it doesn't, I'll share that too. :) My favorite non-toxic wall paint by far is Bioshield's solvent-free wall paint in satin finish.
Seek out a spring garden tour wherever you live to bring sunshine to your soul!
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