Frozen Inspiration

Nothing gets me more inspired and the creative juices flowing than cold and snowy weather. I don’t know if it’s Cabin Fever and being stuck inside staring at the same things. Or maybe it’s the thought of the first day of Spring rolling around and me throwing open the windows and doors to the Daffodils and Robins to reveal a Fresh and Sparkling House full of Upgrades. (It’s probably the latter – I like to daydream in movie-like sequences…)

A Sunday morning trip to IKEA with a great girlfriend also does wonders for Inspiration. There is nothing like wandering a huge cement warehouse full of Swedish goods and that eureka moment of: “Oh YES! This is exactly what I have been looking for!!!!” Even if ‘this’ is a 39 cent spatula or a 4-pack of frames.

My creative juices come from many different places and I keep what I call a ‘House Look Book’ of some of these little inspirations. I cut pictures from magazines or catalogues and put in little notes of websites or colors or whatever else is worthy of taking the time to actually write down. My 2 particular favorites are the Pottery Barn catalogues for their light fixtures (I have 3 that I have vowed to replace by year end) and Better Homes and Gardens for everything really but especially fireplaces and garden ideas.

Speaking of fireplaces, I don’t like mine. I am so grateful to have one, don’t get me wrong but it is just ugly. Poor thing has gold grates - it’s electric so it has a front panel-grate thing on it - and tile around it that looks like it belongs on the bathroom floor. But what else can you expect from a house built in the mid-90s? (Bathrooms with…gasp…carpet! and a fireplace with tile that should have been placed in the bathroom and lots of shiny gold Liberace-esque fixtures…that’s what you can expect).

I keep staring at my calendar longingly because I have a 4-day weekend coming up over President’s Day and guess what I will be doing? Attacking my Fireplace Project and making it GORGEOUS! I have been itching to rip off the bathroom tile for so long now that I daydream about it at work. This weekend I am going to pick out my supplies and then countdown until next weekend. I can’t wait until it’s done and I can just sit back, build a fire (I mean flip the switch...) and enjoy my handiwork! I will document my process so stay tuned – it should be fun.

What makes you itch during the Winter? Do you have any projects that you just can’t wait to get done?