I’ve said it before and it definitely hasn’t changed: I’m a spring and summer gal, and I always feel a little blah when I sense summer slipping away. But I also hate the phrase, “I’m looking forward to…” because by it’s very nature, you are looking past the present rather than living in it. I hate the feeling that I’m wishing my life away.
So even though I still adore my warm weather and my spring and summer months, I’ve learned to find things to love about every month and time of year. In the winter, I love the way the way the bare trees let more sun shine through and streams and ponds can sparkle. And I’ve come to appreciate the beautiful, intricate shape of tree branches, especially crape myrtles. The bare trees also give me beautiful views of the sunrise, like the picture below. I love fresh green wheat fields, soft and hopeful against so much brown. And I love fresh snowfalls, which seem to clean everything instantly and bring a peace to the world.
Beyond all of this, I adore January for its simplicity. After all the craziness Christmas brings, both in terms of things to do and the explosion of decorations, toys, and culinary treats, I love to pare down, purge, organize and clean in January. After all, with the cold weather, I feel no guilt about not getting outside. I also don’t have any landscaping or other outdoor duties taking up my time. I can focus on streamlined simplicity. For someone whose brain is constantly getting off track (hello ADD!), I crave simplicity and order, but have the utmost trouble achieving it. January helps me work towards that. And the peace it brings is wonderful!
So this month, I have some “simple” projects planned, including a clean, modern photo collage frame, some fun organizational clipboards, and a simple way to decorate cakes for the those like myself who have zero cake decorating skills. In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying the peace of January!
Happy New Year!
-Marianne
I love the photography! Such beautiful pictures! I enjoyed my visit to your website and reading several of your entries. It has been a while since I have take the time to visit here, and I am glad I did! I got a few laughs reading about your vanity experience. Good luck finishing it. I know you will. And, I am thinking about new curtains, so I was very interested in your entry about curtain rods. It was very helpful.