Spring

It's lovely weather outside! Sunny....fresh....puddles on the ground....mud....how can it get better than this right now! I love the seasons God has made, and it's always wonderful when spring comes. I've seen pots of daffodils and boquets of tulips in windows and on counters....makes me think that my flowers will come up soon.

We are getting ready for our Winter Retreat at church, and we've been brainstorming on decorating ideas. Here is a neat list of ideas I found while browsing around....

1. Lighten Up!Do you have velvet drapes or a heavy corduroy sofa? Spring is the time to change them out for lighter looking alternatives. Remove the drapes and replace them with airy sheers. Slipcover the sofa or chairs with paler tones or florals.
2. Rethink the RugsWonderfully cozy area rugs look just right in winter. But when the temperature rises it may be time to roll them up and replace them for summer with sisal or cotton rugs in light, cool colors. (Summer is also be a good time to have heavy rugs cleaned or repaired.)
3. Orient Toward a View If your furniture is centered in front of a fireplace, think about ways to rearrange the look for summer. Change the focal point away from the mantel to a view of a garden, placing the conversation grouping to take advantage of the garden scene just outside.
4. Create an Inviting PorchSummer living often moves out to a porch or deck, but even if your home does not have these amenities you can get the look and feel of a porch inside. Introduce a few garden chairs, accessories, and floral fabrics into a family room, for example. You’ll get the feel of the outdoors every time you’re in the room.
5. Store the SilksRemove dusty silk flower arrangements from your rooms and store them away for a few months. Instead, bring in fresh green plants, flowering pots, or elegant orchids. These lively touches can breathe life into winter-weary spaces.
6. Re-Accessorize Time to rework your accessories and makeover your shelves. Clean winter dust off the shelves and begin to replace objects with an eye toward keeping the look light. Bring out your floral china or white ironstone, set up a collection of pitchers or glass, and include plants and picture frames as well.
7. Think Sheer Sheer curtains, sheer tablecloths, sheer bedskirts, and pillows – all of these say “summer” louder than almost any other element. Look for plain, embroidered, or printed sheer designs that complement your interiors.
8. De-Clutter Now Look for organizing solutions for your home. Any spot that is overcrowded or unorganized can drain your energies as it swallows objects and fill your life with clutter. A visit to a home store can yield products to contain clutter wherever it exists.
9. Clean out the Fireplace Now is the perfect time to sweep away the ashes of winter fires and start fresh. Fill your firebox with silk plants, an arrangement of candles, or an attractive display of beautiful birch logs. Or, cover the box with an attractive folding screen decoupaged with summer florals.
10. Sweep Off the Steps Bring the look of summer to your front door by cleaning up the area. Wash the door and windows and touch up the paint if needed. Hang a silk flower wreath on the front door too. If you have a large porch you may also have room for pots of colorful spring flowers.