Changes

Change is hard.  (But not always.)

I have always been a strong believer in the adage You gotta love your space.  Actually, that's not an adage; I think it's just something I say.  It has always been important to me to live in a space that I find visually appealing, but that doesn't mean hiring an interior decorator or purchasing expensive furniture.  It means creating an environment where the colors are comforting and the arrangement of pieces is appealing to the eye.  But like anything else, a stagnant decor can be less than inspiring.  So I like to change it up every once in awhile, make it new again.

Maybe it's obsessive-compulsive, but I change my dishes every season.  Yes, that's right.  I have spring/summer dishes (bright, colorful flowers), autumn dishes (leaves and berries), Christmas dishes (subtle; no Santa Clauses), and winter dishes (my favorite, in blue and silver on white).  Changing these dishes alters my mood and helps me embrace the changing weather as well as the shift in food preferences.  Salads give way to soups, and I have the dishes to accommodate the change!

But I also change window treatments, pillows, seat cushions, placemats, and bedding with the seasons.  Today, I changed out my bedroom, putting away the dark and heavy cranberry drapes and comforter for cream and mauve valances and an ivory duvet cover.  And just like that, my bedroom retreat goes from cozy winter into light and airy spring.  I find myself standing in the doorway, taking in the changes, and feeling unburdened and (dare I say it?) optimistic.  Within the next week, my windows will add a brilliant green to my color scheme, adding even more spring to my decor.  I can't wait until it's warm enough to open the windows!

So change can be good.  It allows me to fall in love with my space again.  Talk about a mood enhancer!  What have you changed lately?