Spring is probably one of the most welcomed of all the seasons.  The long cold darkness of winter is behind us. We open our windows and doors to the fresh air and  the sounds of birds. We feel a new energy and a renewal of spirit.  All because we have survived yet another winter!

     This is the time of year when our grandmothers and great-grandmothers would have the area rugs outside to beat the dirt out of them. Today we call the carpet cleaners.  But the underlying desire is the same - Spring cleaning!  

     This is also the time of year when I like to switch out the photos on my walls to something lighter.  To me Daffodils just shout Spring.  I grew up surrounded by far fields of Daffodils.  There was even a parade called the Daffodil Parade where the floats were decorated with the flowers.

     What does Spring mean to you?  Do you change out your decor to reflect the season?

     Done in a square format this photograph of Daffodils dancing on the wind is perfect for a fresh look to any decor.  Spring is here - celebrate it!

     Staying true.  Those are powerful words.  In this age of instant access, the internet, Pinterest, etc., it is easy to lose your focus and veer off your course.

     My home has always been my haven.  It is the one place that has always been a reflection of me.  So how do I stay true to myself in my home when there is so much instant outside influence?

1.      Don't follow every trend.  If you see something you like, but you're just not sure, sit on it for a while.  Come back to it in a few weeks and see if it really shouts your name.
2.      Try it out in a small way.  Have you seen a color trend that looks good in a photo?  Is it a color you like enough to wear?  Include it in your home in a small way.  Perhaps a photo with that color or a throw pillow.  Does it make you feel good when you walk into the room?  Then this might be a new color to include in your homes palette.
3.      One size does not fit all.  Everyone you know might be going with the latest trend in their home, but you don't have to follow the crowd.  Always choose what make you feel good.

     At the end of the day when you close the door on the outside world, your home should feel like a warm hug.

     A friend recently told me that she is feeling the winter blues this year.  The lack of  sunlight is giving her a mild case of SAD (seasonal affective disorder).  Her symptoms are mild so she doesn't need medication or a special light.  After a bit of research she decided to use some bright colors in her home to trick her brain into a happier mood.

     She is adding splashes of bright colors.  Adding color to boost your mood is something that has been covered before in this blog.  It does have some relevance for this time of year in the northern hemisphere where our days are shorter with less sunlight.  Adding throw pillows to your rooms in bright colors is one way to brighten the room.  Bright photographs on the walls also bring in those happy colors.  Don't forget to try flowering houseplants.  Flowers always make us feel better.

     Do you have any tricks that you use to overcome those winter blues?  Share them in the comments!

     Some things just say happy or joy.  When you see them they communicate that feeling to you. Suddenly, within an instant or viewing them, you begin to feel happiness grow within you.

     The featured photograph is one that makes me feel happy every time I see it.  First it is yellow.  Yellow is a warm color and is most often associated with the happier emotions.  Second this flower just looks like someone is spreading their arms and jumping for joy.  The flower is a Gladiolus.  Their name has the word Glad in it.  Which is another way of saying happy.

​     I think it is important to surround yourself with things that have the power to bring a smile to your face.  What artwork do you have in your home that makes you happy when you see it?

     Too much of a bright high energy color can be exhausting.  Which is why you need to think about balancing the energy of your colors used in the various rooms in your home.

     I find it helps to think about how a room is going to be used when picking colors.  Consider your vision for how you want to feel in that room.  For example I generally equate my living room with relaxing and interaction with family and friends.  So I wouldn't choose a bright, primary orange.  I like orange so if I want to use it in the living room I would choose a darker more muted shade and probably only use it on one wall.  But in the kitchen I would choose a lighter, more vibrant orange as that room is a high energy room.

     Bedrooms are generally quieter, more passive spaces where we want to get a good nights sleep.  Blues and greens have a calm soothing effect that works well in rooms like this.  But you still need to balance out that passive energy.  Use your lower energy color as your main color and then bring in some splashes of color like yellow to add a happy, sunny feeling to the room.  Your accent colors can add the balance the room needs.

     If you've ever looked at a color wheel you will notice that the colors opposite each other, which compliment each other, balances a warm color with a cool color.  If you want a balance holistic feeling to your home take a cue from the color wheel and think balance while incorporating your favorite colors into your home.

    The deliciousness of yellow.  It makes you think of sunny days, happy times and of being warm.  Using yellow in your home can give the room that feel good experience that yellow invokes in us.

     There are many degrees or hues of yellow.  So how do you decide which one to use?  Think about the room and who will be using it.  Studies show that babies in bright yellow rooms tend to cry more.  So for a nursery you might want to use a soft muted hue.  But a windowless hallway can handle brighter yellows.

     What kind of exposure does the room have?  Do you live  in a warm sunny climate with few gray days?  If you live where the winters are cold and gray using a brighter, warmer yellow can help to brighten the room and your mood.  Yellow might be a good winter color for you if you suffer from SAD.

     Yellow is the most reflective color in our visible spectrum.  So if you are choosing yellow as your wall color you need to consider its visual intensity or how bright it will look on the wall.  I think that with yellow it is very important to test paint ares of your wall before you decide.  See how it looks in the light and how it makes you feel when you walk in the room.  Because of its reflective value people make more mistakes with yellow than any other color.  Make use of those test sample paint cans whenever you are choosing a new color of paint for you walls, but especially so when choosing a color like yellow.

     If you want that feel good experience of yellow without painting your walls you can always use it as an accent.  Paintings, photographs, throw pillows or a vase of yellow flowers are good ways to bring yellow into your home.  Don't dismiss yellow because you think it is too bright.  Find a hue that makes you feel good when you look at it and bring that into your home.

     Yes, there are some blessings to be found in the task of moving from one home to another.

     1.  You find little things you forgot about.  This can be a fun trip down memory lane.

     2.  It's like Spring cleaning on a grand scale.  Everything is fresh and clean when you move in.

     3.  You can do a mini-redecorate.  My last move I changed colors in my bedroom with a new bedspread and pillows.  Small things that gave my room a new fresh look.

     4.  Great discounts from local stores.  When you change your address with the US Post Office many local stores send you 'Welcome to the neighborhood' coupons and discounts.

     5.  You can lighten your load.  Moving gives you the opportunity to donate items you no longer use to a local charity.

     While none of us enjoy the act of moving we can find some benefits and blessings of touching everything we own as we carefully pack it for the move.  What hidden blessing have you encountered while moving?  Share them in the comments.

 
     Have you ever realized how much yellow there is in nature.  Spring, Summer and Fall all seem to have their own signature shades of yellow.  So in honor of Spring, yellow is my color of the week, maybe even the month!

     Yellow is the most reflective color there is.  Which would make it a great color for a dark hallway or any dark area in your home that you want to brighten.

     Even on gray cloudy days the yellow flowers in the garden just seem to pop.  In the home gray can help calm down some of the brightness of yellow that makes people shy away from using it.  For that reason you will see gray, yellow and cream used together often in fashion and home decor.  The colors balance out each other.

     Enjoy the bounty of yellow flowers that Spring has to offer.  Trust Mother Nature and bring a field of Yellow Cone Flowers in to adorn your walls.  All the beauty of nature without any allergies!

     Have you noticed how much yellow you are seeing lately?  I am seeing it in nature, clothing, fashion accessories, furniture and other decorative items.

     Yellow has some wonderful positive qualities like happiness, confidence and optimism. But with anything too much of a good thing can have an adverse affect.  When there is too much yellow the negative qualities of anxiety or irrationality can show up.

     Choose the shade of yellow that really makes you feel good.  That is the hue that you should use in your decor or clothing. Combine it with other colors such as blue or plum for a striking contrast.

     It's spring and yellow is every where!