Soon after this photo was taken, these railing lights were removed and the deck was again dark at night but, there is a transition that comes after Christmas that has a beauty of its own. There is a relief that comes with the end of the busyness of the holidays and an appreciation of the simplicity of winter, both inside and outside of the home.
There is a transition going on inside of my house after the holidays too. This is what my foyer looked like for the Christmas season. I loved all the many elements of the design during the holidays but, now it is time to simplify the look.
Truth be told, I left the tri-collection of glass trees on the end table too. I think they look OK in January too!
On to the dining room....
So, when the red and green of Christmas goes away and is replaced with white, there is a purity and calm about it that is appealing, at least for me.
Since this outdoor wreath was still pretty fresh I decided to simply change the red bow on it to a white one. This will give me a few more weeks of enjoying the wreath before removing it all together, something I wasn't quite ready to do.
As you may know, I love my new shed and I think it looked especially pretty after a little snow had fallen. I love the backdrop of my neighbor's red house too!
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I decided to leave the fur tree in place for January. It still seemed to fit. I simply removed all the other "stuff". After the holidays, it just starts to look like clutter.
I did bring the snowy white owl into the mix, however. He added "just enough" and, by the way,... he is adorable :},
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Back to the outdoors. I know most of the garden is taking a nap right about now and may be buried under snow but if you look hard enough, you can find beauty in your garden, even at this time of year.
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The living room has taken on a de-cluttering also. The tree, of course, has come down and the Christmas village in the background has been disassembled, as well.
The village was filled with houses, gondolas and ceramic people.
The trees remind me of being at a ski lodge.
Truth be told, I left the tri-collection of glass trees on the end table too. I think they look OK in January too!
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I hope going in and out of the house isn't giving you whiplash :)!! Don't you love the look of the red twigs against the gray of the shed?
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The fireplace with Christmas stockings and all
The stockings have come down along with the "M"-shaped green wreath. The lit evergreen trees still remain (minus their extra decorations) as a request from my husband. The big cream-colored wreath remains because I think it still looks nice there.
I think it can stay for a few more weeks :). It hasn't overstayed its welcome yet.
I also removed the holly and greenery from the basket at the end of the hearth.
Simplicity
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New fallen snow and more garden beauty
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The table at Christmas with its reds, greens and golds
The table now
with its cream and neutral colors
and simplified style
I incorporated the angel my mom gave me for Christmas in the design. She seemed to belong there.
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The weather is so crazy here in New England. Just a few days ago, when this picture was taken, we had gotten a few inches of snow, just enough to make everything white. Today it is almost 50 degrees and much of the snow is gone. Crazy! It was beautiful while it lasted, however.
Soon after the snowstorm, however, I was able to take this photograph of a pair of cardinals sitting on the tree outside my kitchen window. I apologize for the quality of the photo but, these guys are very skittish and I had to take this picture through the window. Otherwise, they would have flown away. It has happened many times before. As it was, I had to quietly and gently approach the window in order to get this photo. Aren't they a lovely pair?
Well, I hope you are enjoying the beauty of your surroundings also this January. It's not like we have a choice with the weather. We might as well enjoy it :-).
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