It feels as though I have traveled through time now that I am back on Maine soil! I left winter and came back to spring! (At least in southern seaside Maine...) The snow drifts are gone, the red wing blackbirds, robins and yes the funny looking woodcock have all returned in droves! My backyard is alive with the creaks, bleeps, and songs of these warm weather visitors. My gardens are humming with bees visiting my early snow bells and crocus. I am sure the witch hazel is in bloom in the wood swamps.

  Now that we are in the first few days of March, my mind's eye turns eagerly to finding any and all details that indicate that spring in Maine in on my doorstep. One of the trademarks of a good gardener is an eye for detail. Detail enables us to see what is what! Have the buds started to swell on the fruit trees at the right time, or is it too early? What caused the bark on the berry bushes to be scraped away? Are the small black cases nested in the grooves of the bark insects? What caused these holes in my leaves?

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I roam the second hand shops and thrift stores when looking for new decorative pieces for my home. I had two home projects that I had in mind to complete and with all the snow days that we have experienced, sewing and painting fit the bill.

 

 My first project was to make some new toss pillows for my couches in the great room. People have asked for back support and all we had were  two small pillows that were worn and lumpy at best. Project number two was to paint the two  "married" side tables in our entry way, as well as a shelf for our nearly completed downstairs Lavatory.

As we enter the New Year, it's always a time of reflection and for me, reconnecting with my best intentions!

I mull over my various 'mission statements', yes, I have more than one! There is my business mission statement and my personal mission statement, both of which are similar in thought. Being of an artistic inclination, both my 'missions' are concerned with beauty, simplicity and our individual experiences that create our view of life, or our 'reality'.

My main mission is to share beauty, in all it's forms, with my clients, friends and family.

Now that the Holidays are on the wane, how do we refresh our horizons?

Enjoy the beauty of Winter! Use it as an inspiration for color, texture and appreciate the different ways the low light affects everything visually outside and in.

Cozy up your rooms with your new throws and pillows you put away for the holidays. Replace the Holiday decore with the serene look of minimalism.  Refresh your look with colors inspired by nature, the blazing reds of the sunset, the cool, clean colors of snow, the browns, taupes, grays and textures of the trees.