The months of January through March are always hard for me. I’m not a winter person and I suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). I find myself craving longer days, natural light, and warmth. Thankfully the days are getting longer but it’s still cold and snowy here in Illinois. By March I’m ready to be done with Old Man Winter once and for all. To help beat the winter blues I like to bring in lots of fresh flowers and pink ones are always a favorite.

I tucked these grocery store carnations in a blue Ball Mason jar.

I purchased a festive new table cloth from The Ruffled Nest. It reminds me of a Swedish style textile.

The soft pastels put me in the mood to decorate for Easter. I’ve always loved the colors of Easter and used them to decorate both my daughters’ bedrooms when they were little. Stephanie’s room was yellow and lavender, and Bridget’s room was pink and blue.

Now my daughters are grown and married and I miss when they were little. Being a mom is the best job I’ve ever had. In addition to the two girls, I also have a son. Cory just graduated from college and I’m so grateful he had two job offers before he graduated.

When the winter blues start to settle in, I try to count my blessings and enjoy the simple things in life, like a petite chocolate cupcake with pretty pink frosting, served beside dainty pink carnations.

Just for the record, these are store bought cupcakes. Normally I would bake them from scratch, but I was busy cooking up other stuff this weekend, which I’ll reveal in my next post later this week. For some reason, cooking seems to help me beat the winter blues.

I love the way the sunlight streams through the window in the dining room. This is such a cheerful room for me so it’s no surprise that I take a lot of photos in here during the winter months.

For you winter lovers, what do you enjoy about the winter months? Does it make you feel cozy? Do you like the frosty snow? Do you enjoy winter sports like skating and skiing?

Do the winter months motivate you to get more nesting activities completed inside your home?

I’ve been using this time to plan our outdoor projects for the house. The exterior needs to be painted, and I’d like to add an arbor somewhere in the yard. I’d like to add a new shed too, but we’ll see.

Planting lots of flowers in the garden is always a priority. My favorite outdoor flower is impatiens. They’re so colorful and dainty. And they’re so easy to grow! They love the shade and we have tons of shade due to the big trees on the property. I love to plant hanging baskets full of them!

These carnations were really boosting my spirits so I took a lot of pictures. Hopefully they’re cheering you, too.

Spring will be here soon … maybe not soon enough but until then, I’ll enjoy the carnations.

How about you? Do you bring fresh flowers into the house when you’re itching for spring to arrive? If you need a little help arranging flowers, read my post about easy tips for arranging fresh flowers.