SUNSHINE IN WINTER
Do you remember the Brady Bunch? You know, Mike, Carol, Greg, Marsha, Peter, Jan, Bobby, and Cindy? Gosh they were such a big part of my childhood. They’d come on every Friday night (yes, I’m that old) then of course on reruns like forever it seemed. But I loved when they got all variety show on us and sang, “It’s a Sunshine Day, everybody’s smilin’, sunshine day, everybody seems so happy today, it’s a sunshine day!”
So positive, so happy, so encouraging. Then there were the Flintstones (remember them) and that time Pebbles and Bam Bam sang, “So Let the Sun Shine In, face it with a grin, smiler’s never lose, and frowners never win.”
Yeah, I really like that one too.
Of course my all time favorite Sunshine song is, “You Are My Sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey,” which perfectly captures my January mood. Skies are grey my friends, it is winter you know and as we take the beautiful Christmas décor down, that was so full of lights that shone brightly during the winter nights, I try not to focus on Christmas being over and how it can be sad.
I saw some darling stories of friends’ children crying as the family put Christmas away for another year. So sweet. There is some real feelings of loss for sure but as my Daddy always said, when you take something away, you should replace it with something else.
And if you think about it, why do we doll everything up to welcome winter and Christmas? It’s kind of a preparation for the arrival of the world’s new born king! He came in such a humble way (born in a manger) but we know his royalty and we adorn our homes for this blessed day in acceptance of that.
But now, we know he’s truly here and dwells in our hearts and homes, so I like to rethink my décor in January of all things sun shiny and bright knowing that the son of God is the true light of the world and I like to reflect that here in my home.
SHINING BRIGHT UNDERNEATH GRAY SKIES
Oh the Christmas tree comes down but a three tiered lamp goes up in the window shining bright for all who pass by to see. Isn’t it sweet? We got it last January in an antique store in this cute town by us, Downtown Turlock. It’s a surveyor’s tripod that someone turned into a lamp. How creative!
Evergreen branches from the yard go out and fresh greenery goes up in vases of water reminding us of all the new life approaching in spring.
Then there’s all of the citrus fruit ready to harvest! Yaaay, all the lemons, oranges, and grapefruit are here and what a lovely time for their season too! Isn’t it such a great gift that in the midst of dark and grey winter that’s when the sun shiny citrus makes its appearance?
It’s almost as if God knew we needed a little brightness in nature to help us get through until spring c0mes.
So I like to bring that in my home and decorate with it in bowls of lemons and clove studded oranges which is a fun activity for children to help with so they can get in on the fun of letting Christmas go and welcoming January with a bit of fervor!
Citrus is all what I’m about cooking with this month too! Mmmm, Lemon Chicken, Lemon Cake, Orange Mochas, and Homemade Limoncello, yum – yum!!!
Candles are everywhere reflecting brightness where wintery shadows lurk.
And putting up sweet sentimental objects that remind me of the things in life that I treasure like these old books that were my mama’s when she was a little girl.
Then this was an inexpensive picture I had printed (Office Max for like $5 dollars because it’s just on paper – and I just grey washed some paint over an old frame that I got at a thrift store for cheap) that’s of our old farmhouse in 1930. While it’s just a building, a house, the original owners at this time raised their family here and loved this home. Now our family calls this home and we love it as well.
You know I love me some throw pillow covers and I always can’t wait to explore different cozy fabrics like these pretty colors and patterns here. I found the perfect shade of grays and yellows that I love and go with my sunshiny “You Make Me Happy When Skies Are Gray” attitude. for a tutorial on how you can make your own pillow covers click here.
And while these words: FARM still accurately describe where we live, in an old Farmhouse built in 1912 and in the heart of California’s agricultural farmlands, it also still reflects who we are and what our focus is. We’re just trying to live a simple life in tuned with nature and tryin to sow seeds to bare good fruit both literally and spiritually.
So as we hunker on down this winter into our warm and cozy homes I hope you find some sunshiny light during this gray season that gives you hope for the spring that will surely come.
XO Jerri