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...

 The past six months or so have felt incredibly fast. Feels like it was May, and then I was decorating for fall, then Christmas was here, and now it's almost spring again.  I am a winter girl -- I come alive in autumn, and love the "ber" months with the festive vibes and holidays. And then I love January and February, with their reprieve from the holiday hustle and slow winter coziness -- curling up on the couch with a chenille blanket with my dog with my electric fireplace going. Living in Florida as I do, however, I dread the coming heat and humidity and look forward to spring about as much as a root canal. When Christmas is over, I pack up the things that are chiefly Christmas -- the tree, ornaments, and anything red or with Christmas sayings. But I leave out plain garlands and greenery and pine cones, and replace red candles with white ones so that the house doesn't feel bare. For Valentine's Day this year, I've been inspired to host my first-ever afternoo...