Karen Clare

 After Christmas I do "winter" decorating -- basically, remove anything red, glittery, or chiefly Christmas and leave out greenery, candles, and blankets. So I was inspired to replace the vintage Saturday Evening Post magazines and magazine covers on the coffee table with a tray of candles and greenery.  As you might know if you read last week's post, I've resolved to stop buying unnecessary things and pay off my credit card debt. To that end, I used a tray that I already had ($12 at Shein, I think), greenery and battery-powered candles that were already in my office closet.   You don't have to buy new stuff to redecorate or refresh a room, contrary to what many social media "influencers" try to tell us. You can look around your own home, change things around, or even move furniture around. So if you want to cut back on spending, I'd suggest getting creative with items you already own.  I'm going to keep "winter" up till March, when I c...

 I can’t believe that it’s the middle of January already… feels like Christmas was just last week! Much as I adore the holidays, and as sad as I am to take down the Christmas decor, there is something so satisfying about it. After a month or so of having your home having so much extra color and decoration, it’s something of a relief to have the visual calm and space back. For post-Christmas winter, I pack away anything specifically Christmas — anything red, glittery, or that has Christmas sayings on it, but keep out plain greenery, pinecones, white candles, and blankets. Still cozy, but neutral and simpler, inviting us to rest and relax.  Maybe that’s why winter is my favorite season; it’s a season where we can slow down and enjoy being cozy. Here in Florida, the weather is really mild, and unless we’re having a cold snap, we can be outside in comfort.  Well, this weekend, we’re having a nice cold snap, so it’s a perfect time to make chili and cornbread. Super easy, delic...

After almost two years, I'm bringing this blog back under another name: Karen Clare. The focus will be on homemaking, decor, and some cooking. I've come to hate social media and the way it presents an unrealistic look at other people's lives and makes us depressed. I'm also concerned that we're becoming a society of illiterates who are drawn more and more to visual media instead of written.  I had a blog back in the late 2000s and early 2010s, and it was so much fun. I miss it. I think that, unfortunately. social media have destroyed personal blogs. So I'm doing my part to change that. 2025 was a decent year, rather uneventful. I like my job and right now everything is pretty good, thankfully.  I don't usually do New Year's resolutions. Not because I don't believe in resolutions, but because I don't think you should wait till some random date to make them. But this year my goals are financial in nature, and related: to eliminate all of my credit ...