Reading · between country mews & midtown

If you ask me during any given year, I’ll always claim to be a “fall/winter” girl. In cliché fashion, I love everything the cold-weather months bring: sweaters and coats, lamplight and roaring fireplaces, comforting hot dishes, and even snow.

But this winter… this winter has been a doozy.

January and February brought multiple feet of snow to New England (so much so that I genuinely think we’ll have piles of it in parking lots until the Fourth of July), frozen and burst pipes, and the kind of cold that doesn’t care if you’re wearing five layers of wool indoors and drinking a steady stream of hot beverages—you’re still frozen to the bone.

That said, winter and I are officially on a break.

I can’t stop dreaming of spring and all that it brings with it, so here are five things I’m DEEPLY looking forward to in the coming weeks ahead as the daylight gets longer and the temperatures finally start to climb.

Daffodil season.
Here in Litchfield County, fields of daffodils erupt toward the end of April. Driving or walking along the stone wall–lined fields that overnight seem to turn a shade of green that almost feels unnatural, dotted with these bright, sunny flowers, honestly feels euphoric.

Thanks to a previous resident, the sunny side of my house also bursts with at least ten different varieties of daffodils. Clipping a few here and there to bring inside the house brings such a sense of joy after months of cold. If you’re planning a visit, early spring is a lovely time to come up and take in the flowers.

Bringing color and pattern back to my wardrobe.
I don’t think I’m alone when I say that in the winter my wardrobe is pretty much limited to shades of black, navy, grey, and maybe a hint of green. When you live in the country (or commute into the city), it’s amazing how quickly clothes show the winter grime—so it’s safer to stick with colors that hide it.

This dress from Doen has definitely caught my eye for a spring refresh in my wardrobe.

Come spring, pattern and color start sneaking their way back in, and that alone makes me suddenly feel like a rejuvenated person.

Open porch doors and windows.
It might still be chilly, but cracking open the windows and porch doors to let fresh spring air into the house suddenly makes me feel 100% less stir-crazy on days when I have to stay inside working from home.

The return of our local farm stands.
Ugh. As much as I love winter, when our local farm stands close around Christmas, a deep part of me gets a little depressed until they open again in the spring.

I’m so lucky to live somewhere that prioritizes local farmers who bring the most beautiful produce, flowers, and even sweet animals to visit. My weekend routine feels so much more complete when I can pop by a few of my favorites to pick up things for the week rather than shopping for everything at the grocery store.

A local favorite, Maple Bank Farm, hosts a “Meet the lambs” day in the spring (aka the best day of the year)

The casual after-work meet-up with a friend.
Something else I’m not so great at in the winter is accepting the impromptu invitation. When it gets dark around 5pm, all I want is to be home staying cozy. Usually I find myself in bed before 9—not even sleeping, just trying to stay warm under the covers (I live in an old house with no insulation), reading or watching a comfort show or movie for the millionth time. When the sun stays out later, I stay out later. Suddenly when it’s still light at 7pm, the after-work happy hour catch up suddenly doesn’t feel so daunting.

Getting my hands dirty in the garden.
I craaaave this. By February I usually start rewatching episodes of Gardener’s World and Martha Gardens because I miss being outside puttering around the yard.

While not great for my wallet, when the nurseries come alive with spring plants I can’t help but make multiple trips every weekend. It doesn’t help that we have so many good nurseries in the area. The famous White Flower Farm is just a few miles away from where I live, and it’s endlessly inspiring to walk around their gardens and then immediately want to bring home everything in the shop (or at least try to).