A new color palette for winter

Because January is such a gray, dreary-looking month, I've been in the habit of leaving up some "winter white" décor during this month. My late husband gave me the idea, as we had agreed that it was jarring to go from the bright lights and cheerful colors of Christmas to the dark-gray tones we usually see out of the window in January. So now, I hold back some "winter whites" and think of this as Christmas Decorating 2.0 to keep things cheery. I recommend it!

My young friends came over for tea yesterday, and we used these blue-and-white Rosita snack sets, four of which I found for under five dollars at Goodwill a few years ago. My friends asked why I still have one Christmas tree up (I'd taken down all the others), and I explained that this was a wintertime tree. Basically, it's the same aluminum tree from Christmas but with only blue, silver, and gold ornaments. 

My friend Deberah gave me this pretty vintage tea set one Christmas, and it is perfect for my winter decorating.

And I added a few winter whites here as well. I hope to add a new tea trolley and that longed-for perfect hutch to my dining room this year, and if that happens, I anticipate a lot more seasonal decorating!