JUST A FEW TINY CHANGES

I just love fresh starts, don't you? Whether it's the crisp, blank pages of a new notebook, a newly installed garden bed, or a freshly painted wall, I just adore the chance to start anew.

That's the best thing about January, isn't it? It's the perfect time for do-overs. Usually, once the tree has been stored away, and I'm trying to put things back in order and create space for various new stuff that has found its way into our lives, I can't help re-thinking the status quo. Do I really want to put the furniture back just the way it was pre-tree, or could there be a better way to arrange it? Maybe if I just moved this little chest to the other side of the wingback chair, then placed the sofa on the diagonal, everyone would finally be able to prop their feet on the coffee table. Yeah, that's the ticket!

And, do I really want to keep hauling out several crates of Christmas tree decor each year, even though I'm only using a few things from each one these days? Why not pack a box for Lex, full of all the glitzy frou-frou stuff she loves, and one for Austin, full of all the obnoxiously mechanical movie- and cartoon-themed stuff he loves, and store those away, ready for the day when they are finally settled into places of their own. That would leave me with just one little crate filled with all the beautiful nature themed ornaments I love. Alrighty then!

Of course, you know how this kinda stuff always goes. You start looking for a spot for something new, and one tiny change leads to another little change. Next thing you know, you've rearranged everything from lamps and picture groupings, right down to the contents of all your storage cabinets! I'm not complaining tho. After all, what better way to spend an icy-cold winters day? Care to join me for a cup of hot cocoa, whilst I prop my feet up and admire my handywork?