Seasonal Shifts

Happy Monday!  Matt and I just returned from a weekend getaway in Boulder, CO.  It was a lovely time, although sadly we didn’t snap any pictures of the super cute town to share on the blog.  Maybe next time?  For the record though, we ate like kings and were able to top off our  trip by sharing a dessert crepe loaded with berries, chocolate, and cream.  Yum.  And we definitely enjoyed exploring the locally owned shops and indulging in a street show where a comedian juggled fire, in addition to a knife and hatchet.  Kind of creepy, but really cool.  Good times. 

For some reason, it feels a bit like there’s been a shift in seasons.  I know it’s still winter—and will be for awhile—but it’s the second half of winter and it begs to be treated differently from the holiday half.  And what better way to welcome winter’s other half—the long, dreary half (sorry for the pessimism…)—than by cheering up some bookshelves?  My thoughts exactly. 

Since we were gifted some new decorative items over Christmas, I thought it would be nice to put them on display, in addition to several items that I keep around in case of a rainy day. 

I picked up the owl for “free” at Kohl’s after using their $10 off one item coupon—I think it might have cost me 25 cents in the end.  (Ignore the fat paint drip behind Mr. Owl.  The back of this built-in bookcase is crying out for some TLC…perhaps wallpaper, paint, wallpaper bead board…someday.)  The domino boat was one of our Christmas gifts, and yes, it’s a real game of dominoes!  If you’re wondering what’s in the background, I spray painted empty picture frames white with the intention of creating a gallery wall like this one from Style Handler.

That idea never came to fruition, so I used them on the shelves to add depth and texture.

The full effect.

We’ve since added a weekly Scripture verse to the empty corkboard, which we’ve been memorizing together.  For those of you who love details, we’re currently memorizing Psalm 1, and this week we’re on verse 3.  It just felt like an appropriate passage as we prepare for parenthood. 

While I was at it, I made some makeshift moss balls by using star-shaped candle holders found at a garage sale, leftover sheets of moss, and my very favorite hot glue gun. 

Warning—it’s messy!

They may not look pretty at first glance, but when they’re covered in their mini-terrariums (which I plucked up for a song at a thrift store), no one is the wiser. 

If I start itching for star-shaped candle holders next Christmas, I’ll just pull off the moss covering and give them a few coats of spray paint to chipper them up.  For now, they’re the perfect size for makeshift moss balls. 

Has anyone else been feeling the seasonal changes?  How do you decorate for the other  half of winter?  The often agonizingly slow part…