Your Post-Christmas Home

Yesterday I took down my tree, and all my holiday decorations. I vacuumed up pine needles, and bits of New Year’s confetti. I carefully packed away my delicate treasures until next year. As I stood in the middle of my family room, looking at the empty space where our tree had been, I was overcome by a sadness, that startled me for a moment. The room seemed to have lost it’s magic. Where there once had been strings of tiny white lights on the mantle, there was now nothing but bare wood. The front door was empty of it’s inviting holly and pine wreath. The stairway was back to its clean, but empty beauty, and the big, over-sized centerpiece was now absent from my dining room table. Every year, since I had become a wife, I was used to taking all the decorations down, and putting them away, without this feeling of loss. So why was I feeling blue this year?
I poured myself a cup of coffee, and sat cross-legged, in the middle of my family room, assessing the situation. It seemed that the room had been transformed from one of liveliness and celebration, to plain old, everyday, run-of-the-mill…room. Then I noticed the spot where the tree had been. I had moved an antique table from that spot a few weeks ago to accommodate the tree. What if, instead of returning the table back to it’s spot, I rearranged the entire room, to give it some new life…a new look. What if I kept some of those tiny white lights on the mantle? Why not? They brightened the room, and gave a soft glow to the fireplace area.
I jumped up so fast with my new idea in my head, I nearly spilled my coffee. I had a plan. I would incorporate some of the items I used at Christmas, into my everyday decor. I busily made a list of what I could make…a big, thick, beautiful gold “winter” style wreath for the front door, and a “winter” themed fireplace mantle complete with lights. My antique table would adorn the bottom of my stairway, complete with a lovely gold-rimmed mirror above it, and candles to light it up. I removed my old throw pillows, and instead, replaced them with vibrant ones which brightened the look of the entire room!
When I was finished, I looked around the house. Not only had I changed the look of the rooms, I changed the FEEL of them. The magic of Christmas had been replaced by the magic of “cozy winter home.” The wreath on the front door beckons friends and neighbors to come in, get warm, and lets chat. To me, that’s the spirit of Christmas being lived each and every day.
So don’t despair, Christmas lives on, in the beauty and charm of your everyday home! Rearrange, change it up, color it, wrap it in lights and call it it magic!! Imagine it, and do it!!
Tami Loves..a cozy winter home.