Just Trying to Keep it Colorful.

December was fairly mild and we got no snow...so we actually had to "dream" of a white Christmas.  It would have been nice, but that aesthetic is no longer necessary to me.  The cold that comes with the snow makes me want to forego the pretty white stuff in exchange for the ability to walk without falling and skip wearing two sweaters under my coat.  

January came in like, well, January.  It's been super cold all month, and we are already experiencing sub-zero temps.  I really hate this.  I've given myself a two-year deadline to move someplace warmer.  Not hot, just not this.  Meanwhile, I try to stay "up" by crafting, cooking and of course, dressing up.  Winter isn't all plaids and tweeds and herringbones any more.  Pastels and flowers can warm up your winter wardrobe too.  Case in point:

My daughter got this huge peach flower necklace for Christmas. The peach and gold wool blazer was already in her closet, as was the gold sleeveless turtleneck.  Rather than wait for spring, she put it on the first day back at work after the holidays. Pretty!

Just before Christmas, I found this dress at SA.  I've been wanting more dresses since I discovered a Facebook page dedicated to them.  All day long people are posting their latest outfits featuring dresses and skirts.  I wore my $3 dress to church on Sunday and added it to the page.  I really liked this dress when I saw it, as it is unlike anything else that I own.  I don't do bows.  This dress has pleats, buttons and a bow, which would normally make me feel "stiff" since I hate to have anything touching my neck, but it's so soft that it really didn't bother me. The allover dark color made me feel comfortable, not conspicuous and bulky. The bow just blends in, so I was okay in this for most of the day.  

My thrifted pointy-toe pumps, black clutch and one of several new bracelets I got for Christmas completed the look.  Now, to be honest, the dress is too thin for this weather, and I should have worn tights or boots, but I was really over January as soon as it started.  I wanted to feel "light".  But as soon as I opened the door I caved and swapped the shoes for a pair of gray ones with a lower and chunkier heel and added a cardigan.  It's been about 25 years since I've been willing to sacrifice comfort for cuteness. (I used to wear stilettos on the ice, just so I could arrive at the dance club looking like a Glamour Do).

Christmas has been put away, and I'm already redecorating, mostly because I can't remember where everything was before.  I hung this shelf just for the stockings, but hadn't taken it down yet.  Enter a recent collection of brass candlesticks that I was planning to sell.  I started putting them on the shelf so I could take some listing pics, and liked what I saw.  I added a few more for variety, including the vintage amber lucite pair that I've never even been tempted to sell.  This is a total change from what this wall looked like a month ago:

This was unplanned and spontaneous.  It's also a keeper.

Next up, finally getting the home office set up.  I've been making steady progress, organizing, purging, and redecorating a little along the way.  I have a vision for what I'm going to do and it involves a little redo on my son's room because I need to steal his desk.  While I'm at it, I'm going to move things around a little, and get him some new seating pieces that can double as storage.  This will leave me with two more chairs that I need to find homes for.  The wheel just won't stop spinning.  I have shelves to hang in the kitchen to display my antique bottles.  This will involve rehanging a couple of pictures.  See what I mean? 

Well, it's time for me to go to bed.  I have outfits to put together and rooms to redecorate in my dreams.