A Cozy Spring When It Still Feels Like Winter

Spring is just days away! In Maine, though, it still looks and feels like winter. Here’s how I keep my cozy on, while still embracing early spring!

Spring?!

As I start to write this blog post, we are in the midst of a nor’easter.

Heavy snow is falling and the winds are whipping up.

The view out our windows looks like a snow globe. You can hardly see the shoreline!

And yet, spring is just a week away.

To be honest, I struggle this time of year.

I love winter in December, January, and February. But by the time I get to March, I am ready for some signs of spring.

We won’t really see those until the end of April. Yes, that is next month. The end of next month.

So, while others are filling their homes with spring flowers and bunnies, I am just not there yet. As much as I long for spring, I find it hard to be inspired for it when it still looks and feels like winter outside..

I guess this makes sense, since I draw so much of my inspiration in the home from my surroundings outside the home. I like to live with the seasons, not in anticipation of them.

So what’s a spring-loving gal like me supposed to do this time of year?

Here are some ways I keep my cozy on, while still embracing spring!

Keeping it Simple

The easiest way to start to bring some spring feelings into your home is to simplify.

Fall and winter are all about adding layers.

Spring is a time for a fresh new start!

I recently got rid of the last of the winter decor — the pinecones, greenery, snowy scenes, and bare branches.

And in many spots, instead of replacing it with something else seasonal, I just left it plain.

That doesn’t mean I have gone minimalist on you! I just got rid of some of the additional layers and decor.

For example, on the dining room hutch, I left the wooden bowls on top empty. The oranges and greenery I had for the holidays and winter are also gone. The only decoration in addition to the dishes is some simple faux pussy willows in a vase.

Following a similar pattern in the rest of the home makes everything feel fresh!

Read more about how I freshened up the living room, while still keeping things cozy in my post My February Home: A Little Cozy & A Little Fresh.

Living Room Mantel Refresh

I also changed up the mantel for early spring.

Gone are all the winter touches — the vintage print of the snowy scene, the greenery, branches, and pinecones.

Now over the mantel there hangs a hooked rug with the graphic image of sailing ships and a lighthouse. The design is simple and clean, but the texture of the rug maintains a cozy feel.

I kept the mantel decor simple too — an old ship hull and mast, a primitive carved seagull, and a small cast iron urn filled with blue coral and a sea fan. The simple lines of each element allow the eyes to rest a bit, not feeling the need to process small details.

I chose the ship and seagull to mirror those same motifs in the hooked rug. And the urn with the sea treasures because I always like to have something natural in an arrangement.

Foraging

Speaking of natural, I love to decorate my home with things that I have foraged!

After all, who can say no to free decor, right?!

Additionally, using something that you have brought in from nature ties your home directly to the current season.

Unfortunately, during this still-sorta-winter not-quite-spring season, that means there is not much other than bare branches. And I am so over bare branches!

There is, however, a fairly large tree/bush on our property that puts out fuzzy pussy-willow type buds this time of year. So, I have cut some branches for use in the home. I also have some artificial pussy willow branches.

Recently when I was out and about, I was struck by a small tree covered in bright yellow. It looked so out of season against the white snow. When I asked what it was, I was told it is a witch hazel. It blooms between January and April. That is something I definitely need to look into planting in our yard!

Soon, it will be time to force some forsythia and other flowering branches. I look forward to that true bit of spring in the home!

Spring Blooms

While I do like to keep things mostly seasonal, I can’t resist rushing the season a bit with a few spring blooms.

It was so easy to plant this bowl of Muscari for the dining room table!

• Choose a bowl or other container.
• Put a layer of rocks in the bottom for drainage.
• Gently remove the plants from their plastic pots and place in the container. I used three for this medium sized bowl.
• Fill in with potting soil and top with moss.
• Enjoy your little spring flower garden!

By the way, have you all noticed that I pretty much always have this stack of wooden bowls on the table?? I just fill them with something seasonal, and I am good to go! The key to keeping it interesting is to choose bowls that are different wood tones and sizes and to angle the bowls in different directions as you stack them. I think they look great even when empty!

If I lived nearer to Trader Joe’s (the only one in the entire state of Maine is about 2 hours from our house), I would fill our home with more cut flowers this time of year. I love tulips and I can’t get enough daffodils when they are available. Unfortunately our local grocery store doesn’t have the best cut flower selection.

So for now, I have to settle for some faux narcissus in one of the pitchers on the dining room mantel.

They may not be real blooms, but they still make me happy when I look at them!

Cozy Spring

Here are some other ways I like to embrace “cozy spring” in my home and life!

I am a big fan of flannel sheets. I have been known to keep them on the bed well into April! This time of year, though, I choose ones with a pretty spring floral pattern. They feel warm, but look fresh!

It is definitely still sweater season here in Maine. For early spring I look for cozy sweaters in pastel tones. I swap out navy for pale blue. And for me, a pink sweater just says spring!

Or check out how my friend Kim from NorthernCalStyle.com has been inspired by fashion icon Princess Diana to wear a pretty spring blouse or floral skirt with a warm puffer vest! Even better if the vest is a pastel color! Read about it HERE!

I think soup is hands down the coziest food. The creamy goodness of this Lemony Orzo Chickpea Soup from Gimmesomeoven.com will warm your insides, while the bright lemon flavor keeps it fresh! This soup is a vegetarian take on the traditional Greek avgolemono soup, which would also be yummy if you eat poultry.

As I was working on this blog post and the snow fell outside my windows, I was enjoying this Spring Classical Mix playlist on Spotify.

That was until we lost power.

And our home was silent for 24 hours.

Fortunately we invested in a whole-house generator, but we still lose our internet service.

I am grateful this blog post saved when the internet came back! Phew!

Go To Spring

The ultimate way to find spring when it is not coming to you, is to travel someplace warm!

I am doing just that this weekend.

When I moved north to Maine, one of my good friends moved south to Florida. I had a plane ticket to visit her back in April 2020. But we all know what happened then…

So another friend and I are finally making the trip! Not only will I get to enjoy some springlike weather, but I will also get to bask in the warmth of time spent with old friends.

That is sure to put some spring in my step!

Likewise, I hope this post has put some spring in your home and life — even if it doesn’t feel like spring where you live!

Thanks for joining me here today!

See you when I get back!