First day of spring

It’s unseasonably cold here for this time of year, but I’m determined to make it spring in the house.

I found these beautiful silk flowers today at Marshall’s.

I have to admit, I’ve never been a Marshall’s/TJ Maxx fan.  My mind doesn’t work well around clutter and chaos, which is usually how those stores operate.  But a new Marshall’s recently opened close to us and it is much nicer than any I’ve ever seen—big, clean, and well-stocked (but not too well-stocked) with good finds.

Yesterday, my boyfriend and I found this sweet little picture at Target for all of $8.00.

I wasn’t quite sure what I would do with it when I bought it; I just knew I loved it.  And that it had colors from several of our rooms in the house—the den, the guest room, our bedroom.  And that it was 8 buckaroos.  It’s hard to find a frame for that cheap these days.

When I got home, I was greeted with our typical entrance from the mudroom…

…and I knew exactly where it would go.

I love these pictures from our Puerto Rico trip, but they’ve been in that spot for the last year and I had grown weary of looking at them each time I came inside the house.  I’ve moved them to another grouping of Puerto Rico pictures and in their place …

…is now a much-needed hint of spring.  Oh, and that’s my boyfriend in the background.  He’s quite a catch.

Speaking of George (and his millions of teeny, tiny toys), I found these great little storage boxes also at Target yesterday (I am just now realizing that it sounds like I shop a lot, which as my mother will tell you to her dismay is far from the truth). 

They were $4.00 each so I bought four, but I now wish I bought much more—easy on/off tops, about the size of a shoe box, transparent (so you can actually see what's inside of them without taking the entire bunch out), and they stack.  Little marvels, I tell you.

Am I the only one who gets a little flutter in her stomach when she sees stacked, organized toys?  The only thing that makes me happier is that the top right box is empty and patiently waiting for something to be neatly placed inside.  A puzzle?  A game with small, sharp pieces that are sure to be lost?  The ten tiaras that Frances has scattered about her bedroom?  The possibilities are endless : )

And with that I will sign off with a happy spring from our backyard.

The weatherman says it will snow again on Monday, but I am in complete denial.  I'm much happier assuming our backyard will look like this through summertime, scattered toys and all.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!