A bit of colour on a snowy day

This winter is the snowiest we've had around our neighbourhood in years, and while I haven't been a fan of getting out and about in it, I cannot stop taking pictures of snowy scenes and wishing I had the watercolour skills to paint them.  Like - a thick icing wedge on our lilac tree?  I am so much in love.

And the textured fluff of slightly soggy snow on our chair?  I could gaze at it for hours. 

In the morning there was a pretty layer of white over everything out back, but by the afternoon the view was white with just enough dark contrast to make it mesmerizing:

And little pompoms on the top of the posts!  It's a miracle I managed to make supper tonight, with all the snowgazing going on here.

Inside, the world is a little different.  Back when I was choosing the most neutral possible wall and cabinet and countertop colours, it was with a view to throwing a little red into every possible corner, and here is one example:

As I type this, the marble lamp is lit and there's a warm glow over Gwen and her rolling pin friend.

What do you think of the sheep on our wreath - a little silly, or kinda cute?  I put it up for Christmas over our fireplace mantel and it seemed so happy there, I let it stay.  Ditto the boxwood wreath.  We never took down last year's wreath, at first because I didn't have a painting that really worked there, and then because it faded so attractively, week by week and month by month.  By late November, it was a beautiful shade of green gold.  Why toss something so lovely?  So when we bought the new one, we put it out on our front porch as a faux back cushion on the chair where I set my bags when I'm unlocking the door.  I love it so much, and am so impressed by its staying power.

I really think it's those little things that make a day special, don't you?  And if you're reading this on the morning of Valentine's day... I hope you come across lots of little things just like it.