How do you decorate after the holidays? Do you leave everything bare, or bring in natural elements? Or do you just dive into RED for Valentine’s Day?
I have never decorated for Valentine’s Day. Ever. When my kids were young they were lucky if I made it to the dollar store to pick up valentine’s for their classmates.
Wait a minute. They didn’t even have dollar stores in those days. Man, my kids are getting old. Man! I’m getting old!
I digress, as usual. My point is this – I’ve pinned some lovely decorations for Winter but I just wasn’t up to pulling it all together. Okay. Truth is, I don’t have any cute winter decorations and I wasn’t gonna buy any. There. I said it.
While I was organizing and packing up Christmas I looked at some pine garland with pinecones. You know, that doesn’t look half bad! Hang on though, is there some rule about using pine garland after Christmas? Like not wearing white after Labor Day, I mean.
I’ve never been one to break with tradition but if there is some rule, too bad. I used the garland and I like it.
I even added some twinkle lights. *how shocking!*
When you have a room paneled with whitewashed knotty pine, some green garland with pinecones just seems to work.
I even added ribbon. Yeah. I’m really out on a ledge, huh?
Nah. It’s just burlap ribbon and it broke up the dense green and added some lightness and texture.
And I was okay with living with this just as it was until the paperwhites poke their little heads up. (Not that I do anything different then. It just feels a little closer to spring then.) But everywhere I look online are hearts. Blogs. Pinterest. Magazines.
Hey – I’m a blogger. I’m on Pinterest. I read magazines. 
Surely I can come up with some sort of red heart.
Of course! *hand hitting forehead* Linoleum! Sure! Doesn’t everyone think of linoleum for Valentine’s Day? Hmmm, maybe not. Well, I do. Linoleum works for all kinds of things.
I’ve heard it’s even rolled out on floors.
For the hearts I flipped a piece over to the backside and drew a bunch of different sizes.
And, yes, I just cut them out with scissors. I used to use an Exacto knife for floorcloths but scissors work fine.
I had some Cherry Red Krylon spray paint + primer left over from the watermelon floorcloth. Good to go! Not so fast – I had to bring the linoleum into the house to warm up. I’d already moved all of my spray and house paints indoors before it turned cold.
Just a little tip if you want to spray paint in the winter – warm up both the paint and whatever you’re spraying.
Once they almost dried, I just stuck them in the garland and burlap.
Not bad, not bad.
Where else can I stick a few hearts . . .
ooooh – a red basket!
Look at me! I’m all dressed up for Valentine’s Day. Or Christmas, depending.
Please don’t tell the fashion police on me, ok?
Do you decorate for Winter? How about Valentine’s Day? Give me some ideas, would you?
At some point this weekend, I’ll post the next installment of My Story, just in case you’re wondering what happens next.
Also, starting Monday is our Clear Your Clutter Challenge – a full week organizing tips and ideas! If you have some tips of your own to share, or a room that you just organized, stop by and link up!
Linking up to Funky Junk’s party this weekend. Drop by and check out the fabulous links there. Ah-maz-ing!
Colleen
Hello Coleen,Betty here from Port Macquarie in Eeastern part of Australia.I enjoy your blog very much,I know grieving is a personal time, I do love the fact you can share this and the getting on with your Arts and crafts as well.I recently viewed the Watermelon mat idea,yummy I was tempted to go buy the actual fruit! God Bless and happy healthy healing as they say ,hugs Bet