winter transition

Less than a week into January and the Christmas tree was packed away... must be some kind of record for me.  I know we had our issues, but once I lowered my expectations to realistic, the Christmas tree and I got along just fine, and there might have been a little Christmas magic working, because I even managed to fall just a little in love with that tree.  But he's gone to the mulcher by now... and I'm left with the pile of what was under the tree... stray needles included.  Now... my decorations that shout-Christmas-from-the-rooftops are nestled, once again, in layers of tissue.  And the others?  The snow men, stacked three high... the little town that peers down from the shelf... and the nativities I can't bear to tuck away, well, they have become part of winter. 

Winter is... my decorating loophole. 

My justification to have both peppermint and holly and blue & white with rainbow striped scarves.

My excuse to enjoy just a little longer. 

The tiny white triangles speckled across my floor outnumbered the evergreen needles... but my scissors kept snipping and dancing away with my imagination until there were enough to string across the shelves and hang from the lights.  The only snow I'll see here in Florida...

And all the while, trading red glass for blue, green candles for white, I called myself crazy.  In less than a month I'll be hauling the red back out to mix with the pink for Valentine's Day!  But the lacey white and smiling faces drew me right back in and I couldn't help myself. 

Oh, let the crazy blow in the breeze...