Cheery Up These Dreary Days
Lovely items that make your life prettier!
Happy February my friends,
I've spent the last two weekends painting our once dark-green living room into a glossy light-yellow. Though Sherwin Williams calls it “popcorn kernel”, I suppose one could easily also call it “limone”. Patching holes, moving stacks of books, brushing down cobwebs, and removing light-switches isn’t something I take a ton of joy in at this stage of life, choosing to lean a bit more into the tidy than the chaotic. What I do delight in, however, is the results of painting. It still remains one of the most impactful ways to lift a space.
Now, when I walk into our living room, it feels wonderfully refreshed and cheery. In the process of painting, the couches were shifted to better suit our growing family, the rugs were rotated and vacuumed, and the art was re-hung in new places on the walls. All of these efforts acted as a face-lift to an aggressively used space in our small home.
The children took note, making sure I knew how much they enjoyed the new color and appreciated the fresh feel of the space. Even the beta-fish that we moved into the room seemed pleased with our efforts. (As did the cats… they received a designated “kitty basket” on top of the piano.)
As it goes in the home, that surge of positive energy carried through from room to room. Soon after, the coffee bar in the dining room was cleaned out and re-situated for easier use, the bathroom plants re-potted and refreshed. And then came the kitchen.
In an effort to cheer up these dreary, winter days, I made effort in the kitchen to keep it as uplifting and lovely as possible. Good food is essential to a vibrant kitchen. But an intentional, welcoming space is equally important!
I’m not talking about fancy kitchens. I’m talking about real kitchens, your kitchen, lifted up with small treasures that bring joy and pleasure to your daily efforts.
In my kitchen, I started small:
… trading out a washcloth (yes, a washcloth) for a proper soap holder. Oh - and a fresh, beautiful soap to place on it. This time, I chose almond.
… putting away some darker kitchen linens and replacing them with some bright, garden-inspired ones instead.
… and finally, making sure there were fresh candles on each table and buffet. The fresh, lavender scent carries through the home so gently.
As I often remind our wonderful readers, it’s important to remember the power we hold over our spaces. Whether we are adding pieces we find beautiful, delicious and natural fragrances, or products that make our life a bit tidier or easier, they are all pieces that lift and bless our spaces. To bring them life, beauty, and order is powerful indeed!
In February, it’s cold here - shockingly so. The sun often tucks behind thick layers of clouds in the sky, piles of snow still linger in the pasture, and the blooms in the garden seem still far-off. But inside our home? By God’s grace, it is cheery indeed!
Here’s what I would slip into your basket if I could…
Whatever your reset process is for a new year, our goal is always the same… to slow down and enjoy this chosen journey of cultivating the good life, one moment at a time.
Cheers,
