Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Finding Sunshine


Hello, sweet friends! 

These short winter days can 
find us dreaming of warm sunshine. 

Those of you living in the south 
are envied right now! 

The rest of us have to make do......

So come along with me and we
will search for some little 
rays of sunshine! 


Ramblin' Man knew I needed some 
sunshine in my life, 
so he brought home these 
gorgeous yellow roses. 


I can't tell you how much
they brightened my day! 

xoxo


The color yellow can do 
amazing things to lift your spirit! 


It just makes you smile :) 


And who doesn't love butter? 

My favorite yellow food :) 


A little touch of yellow here and there
can make you so happy! 


What could be better than 
chocolates in a yellow tin? 


A dark hallway can be 
transformed by the color yellow. 



Adding some humor brightens 
things up a little more:)

This little hallway connects
my kitchen with a powder room, 
laundry room, and the bedroom beyond. 

It is well traveled.....

I change the signs often. 


Vintage black and white photos 
of our little town 
at different points in history,
stand out on the bright yellow background. 

xoxo

When I was 14 years old I finally 
got my own bedroom. 
I was the eldest daughter of 5 girls, 
and always had to share a room. 

Finally, the baby of the family was
moved out of the tiny nursery 
and it became my own. 

I was so thrilled to choose my 
own colors and decorate this room myself. 

Of course I chose yellow! 
I sewed yellow and white striped curtains, 
and painted my second-hand vanity 
tangerine with a hand-sewn yellow and orange
 wildflower print skirt . 

My bed-linens had larger flowers in the same colors
and all the room accessories were
 in shades of yellow and tangerine. 

I wallpapered the inside of my little closet 
in a black and white flowered print 
and covered hatboxes and storage boxes in 
a black and white print of tiny flowers. 

I even hand-lettered some artwork for my walls
in black ink. 

I remember one of them......

It said, 
"When you wake up,
get up, 
and when you get up, 
do something!"

I was so happy in my bright yellow bedroom! 
It was my refuge from the demands of 
school, little sisters, and the rest of the world. 


I loved to read, sew, sketch and I even taught myself 
how to crochet from instructions in my Mother's 
Woman's Day magazine when I spent time in 
my sunny yellow room :)

It had two windows overlooking 
a New England mill-pond.
In the summertime 
the nights were filled with a chorus 
of frogs and crickets, lulling me to sleep. 

xoxo


Yellow houses bring a bit of sunshine 
to a winter landscape, too. 

This one is a favorite of mine. 
We pass it every time we venture out, 
 on the corner of our mountain road. 

A young couple bought it a few years ago
and have completely renovated
 this 100+ years old farmhouse. 

I love watching the changes every time we drive by. 


And who doesn't feel happy looking at 
this beautiful yellow barnyard? 


This yellow sign makes me happy, too! 

A cross-walk by a school.

This sign reminds everyone to 
slow down and take care. 


Even the double yellow lines in the
middle of the road
bring a little sunshine to a winter drive. 



Winter pansies blooming on my deck 
are like lovely drops of sunshine
to brighten a gloomy day. 




But it is my sweet little grands in their 
sunshine colors that bring the biggest 
smile to my face! 

xoxo

I hope I brought a little sunshine 
to your winter day,  my friends! 

49 comments:

  1. Yellow is a great colour alway brightens the world around it.
    Merle......................

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  2. Karen, it's cold here too and I'm looking for the sunshine.
    Beautifu pictures, as always.
    Love

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  3. You certainly did bring some sunshine to my life, such an uplifting post. The yellow really did make me smile.

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  4. My day feels brighter already Karen. Thank you for a happy post. I loved to hear how you were so inspired at such a young age to decorate your bedroom. It must have looked so cheery!!
    The wintry days can seem so dreary at times and we do need some bright cheerful colours to brighten and lift our moods. You have a wonderful Husband to bring you such gorgeous yellow roses :)
    Stay warm and enjoy every little bit of sunshine when it makes an appearance :)

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  5. Dearest Karen,
    I think that everything which is yellow seems to have caught the rays of the sun to bring us them all, when the sun doesn't shine in the sky, especially flowers !
    Your grands are truly outstanding, so, so cute, be blessed !

    Hope your week is off to a good start,
    I'm sending blessings of joy on your coming days,
    be a sweetie !

    Xx Dany

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  6. A great post full of sunshine, thank you. I notice the shops have items of yellow clothing this season, the thick coats are all in the sale and light raincoats are newly in, never mind that snow is on the cards for next week! x

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  7. you are a ray of sunshine sis ...but the yellow helps .. it wont be long before or hands are back in the earth ... but until then ill grab some of that sunshine of yours love you xxoo

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  8. Yellow always brightens my day and is a favorite colour of mine. I never pass by anything that colour without taking it in. My blue & white china cabinet looked drab so I added yellow...the bedroom in the mouse-house is yellow, too. This post is so cheerful on this cold, windy, snowy and miserable winter morning. I think I will take a second look. Enjoy your day, Karen and maybe have one of those cupcake/muffins with tea. ;-)

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  9. i closed my eyes - and i could visualize that yellow bedroom, we all remember our first, if we are lucky enough to get one!!

    i adore your hallway and your fun art/verses! i am a yellow lover, it looks beautiful with purple!!

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  10. Hello, I agree the color yellow is bright and cheerful. Your roses are lovely. The signs in your hallway are cute. I love the yellow house and barn. Seeing your grandchild is sure to brighten your day. Happy Wednesday, enjoy your day!

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  11. What a great post!! I love yellow too and my happy room is my new sitting room converted from our guest room.
    i too got to decorate my bedroom when I was a teenager. I painted it lavender and yellow and had floral curtains in both colors.
    And the furniture that was my mother's when she was 16 years old was antiqued by my Dad and it is now my bedroom furniture!! I inherited it when my Mom passed away...
    Thanks for sharing!!
    Hugs,
    Deb

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  12. Such a sweet, creative post! I love the yellow in every picture. My living room is painted a creamy yellow and it is where we spend most of our time. It is a very soothing color.

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  13. Amo il giallo! Mi hai reso felice!!!
    Savina

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  14. Yellow is definitely cheery. I like yellow, it's such a happy color. Spring is coming though. Yay!
    xx Beca

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  15. Oh my goodness, what a lovely post. Now I must admit, yellow has never really been a necessity in my life...until now! I am gonna run out after work and find something cheerfully yellow to brighten up the home! I may even grab some yellow paint and paint something, ha ha! A wonderful share, Karen! Thank you. Aloha!

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    1. and I have that very same set of mixing bowls...I am gonna whip up a batch of yellow cupcakes in the large yellow bowl tomorrow on my day off, while I play in my studio! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  16. Happy New Year Karen! I have to say I was enjoying your photos, particularly the gorgeous flowers, but when I came to your grand baby it stopped me in my tracks!! OMG, those cheeks are beyond precious! How do you stand it?!!

    I will send some sun your way. We are spending the winter down south. :)

    XXX

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  17. I can't even begin to say how much your "sunshine" went straight to my heart and melted some of the cold that was settled there from the winter blah's already. ;)

    Your roses are stunning! Just what the doctor ordered. I love all the bits you share of your lovely home. Always makes me feel so cozy. And I love the memories you share. You're such a beautiful writer. I could see your sweet bedroom perfectly. And as you've mentioned too, where you grew up sounds so like where I live now. ;) But those pics of your sweet grandbabies are the icing on the cake. They could brighten anyone's day!

    Again - thanks for the sunny thoughts! They were well received and appreciated. Blessings dear Karen!

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  18. Oh your grands are so cute! Thanks for the bits of "yellow" which certainly is a feel good color, especially for gloomy winter. I love it also. Oh those roses!!!

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  19. Yellow is such a cheerful color, isn't it? You even sewed back then when you were in school, wow! I can just imagine your yellow and tangerine bedroom, such pretty colors. I shared a room with my sister for a long time also, and it's kind of hard having your own style when you share a room. I know what you mean, there's just something about yellow houses. There is a yellow house in the downtown area, and I always gaze at it every time I drive by. Those black and white photos of your town are so cool. How thoughtful of your husband to bring you yellow roses. They are so pretty. aahh, Whitman's chocolates - I used to get them when I was a teenager. Your grandkids are precious, Karen. Thanks for the YELLOW post. It was much appreciated on this rainy day. :)

    ~Sheri

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    1. by the way, your new blog design is charming and lovely.

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  20. Oh yes, yellow is truly a delightful color! I have always dreamed of having a Victorian house that is yellow with white accents.

    Your post was full of sunshine, my friend, and it brought a sweet smile to my face.

    Have a glorious day! Hugs to you!

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  21. What a lovely post - you certainly brought some welcome sunshine into my day, Karen. I am the eldest of four sisters so your comment about "refuge from... little sisters" struck a chord. x

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  22. The grand babies are so delightfully sweet!!!!
    Love the first cupcake quote/board.

    And yellow...my sister's favorite color. It does bring a happy face to us all.

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  23. Love your hallway with their fun posters. I agree you have to feel cheerful in a yellow sunny world :) B x

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  24. What a sweet, happy post!

    Have a cheery January ~ FlowerLady

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  25. January is a bit strange down here. We have days filled with snow and bitter cold, then it gets so warm it feels like spring :)

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  26. Your posts always bring a smile to my face Karen, even before I get to the quotes or your cute grands, plenty of sunshine out our way!
    Have a great day
    Wren x

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  27. The splashes of yellow are so cheerful! I love the sign about licking the icing off the cupcake - it made me laugh out loud.

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  28. Pops of color can brighten any white scene.

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  29. I do love sunshine and yellow. Thanks for the ray of HOPE. Buried here in white fluffy stuff. We got more than we have had in 40 years overnight (about a foot). Though it is beautiful and more than ever will be searching for those rays of sunshine.

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  30. Hi dear Friend ,, es lindo que salga el sol , muy bellas y entretenidas fotos ,,que tengas un Buen Día
    Catiños

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  31. Yellow is such a comforting color these days and your yellow roses are beautiful. Thank you for the sunshine! That is just what I needed!

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  32. Hello, dear Karen,
    thank you for bringing a little sunshin in those grey and cold winterdays! what a lovely and wonderful post, sweet friend!
    I really enjoyed the walk through your home and landscape!
    Have a wonderful rest of the week,
    sending Love and hugs and blessings, Claudia xo

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  33. Yellow always gives a touch of light.
    Thanks for sharing your memories

    Marina

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  34. Hello Karen, your blog post has been the first I've read this morning and together with your visit to my blog has brought a smile and lifted my spirit. The gale force wind has died down, but it's dull, dark with a blanket of cloud overhead. How kind of your husband to give you a bouquet of yellow roses. They add a touch of sweetness to your yellow-themed décor. You were obviously artistic as a child and your creativity continues today in making your home lovely. I love the story of decorating your bedroom. It reminded me of our daughter no 2, who enjoyed doing the same when she eventually had a bedroom of her own after sharing with her sister for many years. We still talk and smile about that. Wishing you a good day. xx

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  35. Yes you're right! You bring sunshine to lower saxony :)) We have rainy days, but maybey we become tomorrow snow. I'm curious.
    Greetings from Germany and thank you for Visiting!
    Best wishes
    Kirsi

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  36. Yes, you put a smile of sunshine on my face this morning, Karen. I loved picturing you in your sweet, cozy, yellow haven, and decorating your own bedroom. Of your, your yellow roses brightened your home and your mood, and those darling baby boys make anyone smile! xo

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  37. I absolutely love yellow roses, they are my favorite! I couldn't agree more about yellow making everything a little brighter. Loving that old farmhouse too! I really enjoyed reading this post and it made me smile today. I hope you have a wonderful week!

    Blessings,
    Jill

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  38. Such a fun and pretty post, the yellow flowers do brighten the room that's for sure. So neat to hear about your yellow room as a girl growing up. I was the last girl in our family and my next older sister was 8 years older than me so I had my own room by the time I was a teenager. Loved the signs on your wall, the one about slapping reminded my hubby of his boss who hates when there is too much talking at work and the cleaning fairy is something I always say when something needs to be cleaned is I wish the fairy would stop by again :) Have a wonderful bright day!!

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  39. Thank you for sharing your little sunshine photos with us. Yellow roses are so pretty and so is the little yellow flowers. Your little grand kids sure brightens up your day and they are so cute!

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  40. Hi Karen, that bouquet of yellow roses is gorgeous, I can imagine that it brought a lot of joy to you. How nice of your husband to get it for you! I also love the settee with the pretty pillows and throw in the background. It is such a lovely little scene.
    You are totally right that yellow has such an uplifting effect on the mood. Interestingly I don't like it so much anymore in my house and garden and prefer other colors over it. I think it has something to do with the fact that we are so spoiled with sunshine here in Southern California. I don't "need" yellow so much anymore. But from time to time I love it as a temporary accent in form of cut flowers. I love, love, love, sunflowers!
    Hopefully the dull days are over soon and you get a lot of sunshine in your neck of the woods!
    Warm regards,
    Christina

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  41. I love the signs in your yellow corridor. They made me smile!

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  42. Thank you for the sunshine; yellow is such a beautiful color! and all of the aspects shown are amazing! Have a very lovely day!

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  43. Hello Karen, I loved reading your post, seeing those gorgeous yellow roses - such a thoughtful gift, and your sense of humour. Really delightful to visit your blog, thank you. Cheers now :D)

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  44. Such a lovely post.
    Yellow is a cheerful colour and those roses are just gorgeous.

    Best of all are your sweet little grands in their sunshine colours, they are simply adorable and if they could see me, they would see I'm smiling to them!

    All the best Jan

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  45. How sweet to get such a lovely surprise! Yellow is, indeed, a color that can brighten any day. Love your fun wall hangings.

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Thank you for stopping by! Your comments are important to me and are very much appreciated. xx Karen

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