Every year we like to change our house colors for the winter season. It helps to eliminate the winter blahs and gives us a more cheerful way to inhabit the spaces. The spaces in which we live have so much to do with the moods we bring to life each day.
Each year there seems to be a different theme to share, and each time is unique unto itself and full of its own observances. My notes from each year reflect how the changes made the personality of our home change a bit for the season we were living through each time.
We have already shared many of these winter decorating themes (and there are also many more to come); but here is yet another one, complete with my thoughts for that year that we decided to use navy blue:
Here we are a few days after Epiphany and I have the need to find the “normal” state of my home again.
In these days of chaos and pandemic, anything normal sounds so good! I’m anxious to get on with this new year and hoping for the best.
How can I continue to write decorating articles like this when our nation is in such cultural turmoil?
NAVY BLUE DISTRACTIONS ARE HEALTHY
I seem to need distractions; times when there are no politics; and times when there are no deep thoughts, just fun and creativity and rewarding activity are all I need for a short-term escape.
The seasonal decorating gives me a focus that is rewarding instead of stressful; and I know if I fail or make a mistake, the next season will simply wipe it all out and a new page will open up for the best choices ever. Decorating can be so merciful and forgiving!
By doing these things I am NOT totally coping out and ignoring the frightful state of the world, I’m just giving it all time to percolate in the back-burner of my brain. You could say I’m leaving it in God’s much more capable hands. I’m letting what I have learned over the last few days take a rest. My soul desires times of peace and quiet and calmness. This above all, should be the state of what we all call “home.”
A NAVY BLUE ESCAPE FROM TOO MUCH REALITY
Already, as I’m moving on with taking down Christmas decor and restoring the house to ordinary times; I feel a new sense of clarity forming in my troubled thoughts; and memories of past history are helping me to grasp some profound possibilities of understanding that I could not get in the constant verbiage and chaos of the culture until indulging in this little escape.
I’m so happy for the little break; to be doing something that isn’t stressful or world-threating to other’s world-views. I think of that old song sung in the musical called “Paint Your Wagon.” It is sung by Anita Gordon and the title is called “A Million Miles Away Behind The Door.” Here is a YouTube video from the movie; if you are interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNrKh43XARU . I have to warn you though; if you like this song as much as I do; you MIGHT be an introvert.
Enough with unnecessary distractions though; on with the smaller, more cheerful and less significant changes of the year.
So far the hobby of decorating for the seasons seems to be a relatively peaceful and fulfilling past time. One of the few pleasures in life that other’s can’t grab away from you or tear apart with their own prejudices. They can enjoy theirs and you can enjoy yours; and the whole world will keep on turning and no one will be the wiser.
NORMAL IS MERELY A SETTING ON THE DRYER
Did you cook any star cookies for Epiphany?
If you need a recipe; our Monday Night Menus category has the one I like to use: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/follow-the-star-cookies/. Let’s just munch on a few of these left-overs as we clear away the old and bring on a fresh new environment in which to live, dream, love and play.
I was so busy and distracted during the Christmas season that I didn’t even have any time to post the usual article I like to post in THE HOUSE DOCTOR column that explains and shares the decorating theme we chose for Christmas in 2020.
This year the inside of our house turned Navy Blue.
GOING NAVY BLUE
I’ll just have to fill you in on all of that now, even though the new year is already well underway. I did promise to share – better late than never!
One reason that I’m comfortable with writing about it now is that I’ve chosen to keep the navy blue theme going on all the way to springtime. I’ll just take out the Christmas things and leave the basic decor navy and white.
This great color called “navy” is so flexible. It works like a loud neutral and almost any other color blends in when needed, as long as it is not too much of a mix. Keeping true to the blue and white gives a cool, crisp, winter look to a room.
I’m using white to off-set the deep dark navy tones, and I love the effect that we get when they mix.
THE FLIXIBILITY OF NAVY BLUE DECOR
Navy blue will be perfectly suited to all that we are doing here; all the way through the time of Passover, Unleavened Bread and Early Firstfruits. The special things we use for the Passover season will blend in well with the new navy theme.
I will say that it was all very beautiful at Christmas time. We decided to use the white tree in the living room, and at first I only added navy blue ornaments. Later I offset some of those with silver and gold and white and the effect was lovey.
My couch table held the silver beaded table runner that I’ve used so often. On top of that I added the silver stag that always feels appropriate with my winter décor. He gave candlelight to us on Christmas Eve through the candle-holders made in his antlers. I placed a blue flower beside him and it offset all of the silver and white.
I’m thinking a lot of white roses will help this theme when the Christmas decor is all cleared away. I LOVE white roses; especially in the winter. They always cheer me up!
A LITTLE BIT OF SILVER IS A NICE TOUCH
The blue ocean painting in our entrance worked well with all of the darker blues around it. I set a silver bowl on the desk underneath and filled the bowl up with navy blue ornaments.
The floor screamed for attention and I bought a rather busy navy blue patterned rug for the entry way. This completely shouted of the changes to navy blue, emphasizing the blues and whites that I had already planted with the tree.
I took down the light blue/aqua curtains that I had used all through the summer and fall combined with whites. This left the white in the middle which was then outlined with navy blue curtains on each side. This perked up the windows in the living room. The yellow and white curtains in the adjoining dining area were left in place so we could still have a little color contrast.
Then we flanked the sofas and chairs with navy blue pillows that had gold Christmas trees designed into their surfaces. I backed them up with plain navy blue larger pillows and these are the ones that I will leave in the room, along with the navy blue drapes even when the Christmas décor is put away.
The black coffee table had a mostly white advent wreath with blue and white candles. I used small tea candles for the four outside flames, but the blue and white larger candle was placed in the center. The greenery with heavy white snow looked just right when I used little blue birds here and there on top of it.
ADVENT DOES NOT ALWAYS HAVE TO USE TRADITIONAL COLORS
So many people think Advent has to adhere to a color chart – not at all! The white and blue candle gave us just as much spiritual enlightenment; It is the prayers and the meditations that count, and we did our contemplating on the conception of Christ and thought of Mary and the world waiting on the arrival of Emmanuel. Then we pondered how we too await His second coming. The time was special and encouraging.
The candle light of the wreath and the lights of the tree emphasized the fact that we were anticipating the coming of Messiah yet again! During Advent and Hanukah the living area became our “waiting room.”
The blues played beautifully into our Hanukah-from-a-Christian-point-of- view celebrations too. Eight days of the Hanukah themes were meditated upon as we placed the lovely blue and white menorah that one of our daughters had given us long ago on the same coffee table next to the advent wreath. This might have been confusing for some; but for our family – it simply tells the whole story in more detail.
Everything referred to Jesus being The Light of the World and the Greatest Miracle of All.
Surely a great thing happened here – right here in this simple little living room as we contemplated the delightful events of the season, past, present and future.
A NAVY BLUE TABLE SETTING
Our dining room table continued with the navy blue theme. I used an old fashioned looking blue and white table-runner and placed woven navy-blue coasters under alternating patterns of china plates. The alternations were between my blueflur china plates (that had a touch of deep red but mostly several shades of blue,) and some solid white china plates with silver rims.
These complimented the crystal and silver candle holders that we added to the center and at each end of the dining table. Half of the time I used these gold coasters to go along with the golden ornaments I added for a spark of change. They accented the gold Christmas trees on the couch pillows.
Part of the time I used our navy blue cloth napkins and in the less formal times, I picked some blue and white seasonal paper napkins.
It all came together in such a lovely way, especially during our Christmas Eve family celebration. We even used matching blue and white wrap with navy and blue ribbons. I loved the mess it made in the floor with the colors swirling into each other as we opened our presents to one another..
THE KITCHEN FUN
We deviated a bit in the kitchen, by using a few red pillows in the bar stools, and adding a silly troll in a Santa hat. He was the inspiration for the table décor. I placed a black and white troll in the middle of the table and surrounded it with a gold cone Christmas tree in the back and two black and white checked cloth Christmas trees on each side.
This cheerful little guy hid among the food on the table all through the season. We all got fatter; but he never gained an ounce for some reason.
The food WAS amazing; both for Christmas and New Years.
Did you fill up on greens and black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day? You know we did. Here are a few of our New Year’s recipes from the past: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/new-year-recipes/. You never know when you might get a craving for these again.
My black glass-topped side-table/bar kept the usual family tradition with the family tree holding the star of Bethlehem (navy blue this time) and the manger scene holding a three-month-old baby Jesus. My grand-daughter still loves playing with all of these figures. It is her favorite decoration. I’ve decided to take these same figures to the Feast of Tabernacles trip next year instead of the different set I’ve previously used. Jesus never changes; so mine should reflect this fact.
So; that should catch you up on our navy blue Christmas.
LOVING NAVY BLUE ALL YEAR LONG
Now, today I’m packing everything “seasonal” away; but I’m happy to say that I love leaving so much navy blue and white in the room. They are cheerful winter colors.
I’m undecided as to whether I like the warm and cozy (red) mountain cabin look we did last year or this elegant navy blue and white theme the best. I guess it is good to use them both in different years; so we don’t ever get tired of either theme.
This winter has some hard elements to it. Our nation still seems to be in turmoil from an election gone wrong and the local community here has been hit again (much harder this time) with the pandemic of COVID 19. The navy blues will help to distract us and keep our hearts focused on happy things instead of sad things that we can’t eliminate or do anything about
HAPPY SOMETIMES WEARS NAVY BLUE
We celebrated the new civil year for America right before Epiphany; so all of the blue was still out.
Then we celebrated Epiphany too. With so many things good; how can we possibly be sad? We are grateful to still be in our home and have a warm roof over us and a lovely way to enjoy our time here.
As I finish putting away Christmas, New Year’s and Epiphany, I am silently thanking God for bringing us through to another season of ordinary days in which to be thankful just to sit quietly by the fire and enjoy our cooking and tell our stories to one another.
Since we are still social distancing more and more of my stories are being written and tucked away to be read later when we all can gather together again.
NAVY BLUE THANKFULNESS
I’ve had some cozy days off and enjoyed reading some of the words of Jonathan Cahn. He has noted in The Harbinger II that sometimes we have to live in the dark in order to begin to recognize the light. I pray that our county isn’t that hard-headed and that we do not have to go through the darkness in order to turn and return to God.
So it is that I sit in my lovely-to-me home and feel thankful for another year. I do not take anything for granted.
We are more than happy to share the warmth and comfort we have been blessed with anyone willing to come for a visit. (Just wear a mask and we will have to save the hugs for another day.) The cold winds blow outside the windows and they seem to have a message that I’m not used to hearing.
What will unfold next?
My prayers are doubled these days as I continue to bask in comfort without need. I know that COULD be a very different story at any given moment, and for many there is already a much different reality. I pray for God to help us to turn our hearts to Him and each other and continue to keep the amazing seasons that are so near and dear to us.
ENJOYIING THE LITTLE THINGS IN NAVY BLUE
The times we must stay apart should only increase our sharing in other little ways.
I sit in the navy blue and I write notes to friends and relatives.
Some days I try to pick up the phone and call those who are all alone in this.
Often I smile behind the masks we are forced to wear and hope that people realize it.
Well; we can’t always solve all the problems of the world; but we CAN rearrange our house into a comfortable and meditative, peaceful place to rest from the cries of the weary world.
WHEN YOU HAVE GOD IN YOUR HEART YOU HAVE EVERYTHING
Navy blue reminds me of old friend named Janet who lived penniless in a rotting mobile home on the outskirts of town.
I went to visit her and she served me hot tea in a navy blue china cup that looked like it was meant for royalty. Janet got the message that we all need to remember as we live through this year.
When you have God in your heart you have everything that you truly need.
She shared that with me; and I will pass it on to you It is a mysterious secret that brings us joy in all circumstances.
If your circumstances are poor; drink your tea from a navy-blue royal china cup!
Things will begin to look different.
That will be my goal today; to keep the focus on the joy and the love of Christ and to be thankful and humbly realize all the ways we have been blessed.
I look at the Christmas cards from loved ones and I see the scattered photos of our family gatherings.
In my navy-blue rooms; I drink in God’s love.
THE REST OF A NAVY BLUE YEAR
If by now you have had your fill of memories and reflections; I will simply show you how we carried out the rest of this year in navy blue style:
I filled that silver vase on the coffee table with dark and light blue items and this scene went over very well for our New Year’s celebrations.
It was amazing to me how the navy blue theme worked for every single month of the next year.
There were blues with roses in February for Valentine’s Day.
And, of course, all of the blues went perfectly with our Passover week.
The blues of a Pentecost celebration. (We added a little bit of red fire.)
Here are the November blues of our Thanksgiving celebration.
Well; I guess I just wanted to let you know how good navy blue is for cheering you up right in the middle of the coldest of winter days – even in the darkest and coldest of winters.
Even in times of pandemic.
Navy Blues can keep you from being blue!
Try it for yourself; I know you will love it too!