Color Your Spirits for the Holidays
December 12, 2008 § 3 Comments
Remember when the Grinch stole Christmas? All the trees, lights, stockings, and gifts — the trappings associated with a wonderful holiday celebration– were suddenly gone? They had vanished during the night while everyone down in Whoville slept. What happened next in this wonderful Dr. Seuss tale was even more remarkable for its simplicity. Despite losing everything, Whoville didn’t seem to care. All the Whos down in Whoville celebrated anyway.
Of course, the story has a happy ending, but for many people this year, the heartwarming bedtime story has led to a nightmare from which they cannot awaken fast enough. This year it truly feels a little like the Grinch has been here again. With the world-wide recession, job loss, and home foreclosures, many of us around the country are struggling to find that holiday spirit that we used to have and that we desperately want our children to experience in the midst of all this mess.
If you’ve had to cut back this year from your more typical shopping, decorating, and holiday festivities, you are not alone. Keep in mind that gifts can be simple (like homemade cookies), acts of kindness can mean more to people than more stuff, and spending time with our kids is ultimately the gift they’ll remember long past any particular disappointments on Christmas morning.
And to lift our spirits and with the festival of colors inspired by a child’s gingerbread house, let’s all go a little crazy with color this Christmas.
Dig out that snowman sweater from the back of the closet and wear it. Often. It’s going to bring a smile to somebody’s face and that’s a good thing.
String a row of colorful neckties, like garland, from one end of the wall to the other. Your kids will think you’re nuts but who cares?
Fill a big bowl with scraps of colorful ribbons and little balls of leftover yarn and a few silvery mismatched ornaments and display it in the middle of the coffee table. Now you’re getting the idea.
The holidays don’t have to be the way we knew them as kids. Times are different now. But you don’t have to spend much, if any, money at all if you dig deep into your hope chest of creativity for some colorful decorating ideas that will raise your spirits and everyone else’s too.
Your Home & Color Coach 
This Christmas was particularly fun seeing Winterthur, the Lew Ginter Botanic Gardens and the train gardens show how they celebrate Christmas. Carlisle at CarlisleFlowers.net
Hi, I need some help with house colors. I live in St. Petersburg Fl. My small house has a medium color brown roof and white windows. I have red caladiums planted in my front yard, alot of shade from two enormous oaks. I want it to look good and coordinated color wise when I plunge into paint colors. I have purchased a new black mailbox and black porch light. I plan to put shutters on the windows.
I like the rust/red color idea for the front door with black hardware. Should the shutters and the front door be the same color, or different. If I follow your suggestion to match the shutters to the roof (brown) and do the rust/red door what color would be best for the body of the house. I favor the putty/taupe colors but they have those in green hues, purple hues, grey and brown hues. How do I pull it all together with the brown roof??? Thanks so much.
Hi Nancy,
Have a look at Ben Moore’s historical colors like Bennington Gray HC-82, a very soft green, and Lenox Tan, HC-44. I would play up the white trim on the house instead of shutters, but if you have double-hung windows, then shutters (dark brown) are fine. The front door can be your rust/red color (Georgian Brick? HC-50).
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach