Warming up!

Apparently. I don't handle the cold very well. During the recent 5 days without heat we became nomads, eating at friends homes and roaming the town to buy large cups of hot chocolate. By the end of day five, me, and my disposition, were not at their prettiest!

When the electricity finally came back on, I knew that I needed to create an emergency plan, and, far more importantly, redecorate my home for Winter!

So, with a blissful weekend all to myself, in my warm home, this is what I plan to do:

Bring in the Red: Psychologically, it reminds us of fire, so I will add a few red things. A blanket is perfect, it will keep me warm and look warm when I'm not using it.

Create layers: Give myself license to add (even more) accessories. Add extra pictures on the wall, pillows on the sofa and cram books into any bare shelves that need to be filled up. More things will absorb the cold, and make it feel cozier. (I will declutter in the Spring).

Rearrange my Furniture: Any excuse to move my furniture is a good one. I will create closer, more intimate groupings where I can. Making sure there are tables for drinks, and lamps to read by. Think comfort - would I want to sit in that space, curl my feet up and read a book? Why, why not?

Add plaid, of course: Love it or hate it, it will always evokes a feeling of log cabins and warm days by the fire.

Find more lamps: Will go to second hand shops, looking for lamps (checking that they are safe to use, of course) or, might even buy a couple of inexpensive ones from discount stores. Change the shades if I need to, or re-paint the bases. Don't underestimate the impact of a lot more lighting, especially in Winter when the days are shorter.

Put my glass away: I love glass, but it is cold. I will minimize the amount of glass in the house, and replace it with pottery, children's art, books or something more substantial and dense.

Light candles: Seems obvious, but these are not just for decoration; the flame emotionally warms us up, and gives off a tiny bit of heat. I love to put small, metal-cup votives into my best china cups (especially good when you have a power outage) and scatter them around the house. Those delicate little cups have a translucency that will make the entire cup glow when you put a small candle in them, plus, they are safe and easy to carry around because of the handle. Buy some at a thrift store for a couple of dollars.

Well, with my weekend planned, I will sign off, and get started. Maybe you will be inspired to do the same...