All the Spring Fever Feels

Relishing the anticipation, preparation, and beauty of the in-between

Hello dear readers - welcome to the porch!

This in-between seasonal angst we sometimes feel right around mid-February? It’s real.

The shine of the New Year has softened. The days are stretching just enough to notice.

And yet… it’s still winter.

The spring equinox is still 3 weeks away.

Up here in the high-country of Northern Arizona, winter lets go in fits and spurts. The storms have a way of reminding us not to rush things. In April and May, just when the last bit of snow begins to melt and the roads feel clear again, another cold front rolls through as if to say, “Not so fast.”

Meanwhile, the smallest signs of spring are quietly pushing through. The bobbing heads of the snowdrops. The fluttering of all the song birds singing with glee.

Spring will come.

But this stretch - this doorway between seasons - in an invitation.

To relish in the anticipation, to prepare for the shift, and seek the beauty in the process.

I’ve come to love this late winter rhythm. There’s something deeply satisfying about this pause, while the world still moves a little slower. Not rushing into spring… but getting ready for it. Thoughtfully. Intentionally.

If you’re feeling that restless energy too, here are a few gentle ways to embrace this season - to harness all that spring fever without missing the beauty of this in-between moment.

Room to Breathe🧹

One of the gifts of late winter is that we’re still spending more time indoors. The pace is steadier. The light is changing, but we’re not yet pulled outside at every opportunity.

I’ve found this is the perfect time to make space.

Not in a frantic, tear-the-house-apart kind of way. Just a steady, thoughtful reset.

A Deep Clean (Before Spring Arrives)

I know - it’s not technically spring yet. But I’ve always wondered why we wait for the first warm day to begin that deep cleaning ritual.

Honestly? I would much rather be outside wandering the garden or exploring a trail when the weather finally softens.

So I like to get ahead of it.

A good, thorough refresh now - after the holidays, after the winter nesting - clears the air in a way that feels energizing. It doesn’t have to be dramatic. Even choosing one room, one cupboard, one forgotten corner can shift the mood of the whole house.

By the time spring truly arrives, the heavy lifting is already done.

A Gentle Declutter

There’s something about the holidays - all the décor, the layering, the cozy abundance - that eventually begins to feel… a little crowded.

And maybe even a little stale.

Late winter is a wonderful time to thin things out again. Pack away what no longer feels seasonal. Donate what you’re not using. Clear a surface. Edit a shelf.

I always start with our main living spaces. Just enough to feel lighter. Brighter. Like fresh air has moved through.

And it’s helpful to remember - it is just stuff.

The Linen Closet Reality Check

This one always surprises me.

How do we accumulate so many towels? So many sheet sets? So many “maybe someday” quilts? Honestly, even my basket of rags is exploding with too much.

Late winter is a practical and oddly satisfying time to pull everything out. Fold, wash, organize what you truly use. Let go of what you don’t. Wash and donate anything still in good condition.

There’s something freeing about knowing exactly what you have — and that it’s enough.

Making space now creates breathing room for whatever the next season brings.

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Crafting room to breathe is one of the practices within my Small, Not Tiny series — choosing sufficiency over excess, and learning how much lighter a space can feel when it simply holds what matters.

Garden Beginnings 🌱

If you’re anything like me, this is the time of year when the garden starts whispering again.

Not loudly. Not insistently. Just enough to stir the imagination.

Starting Seeds (With a Little Patience)

It may still be cold in the mornings. The soil may not be ready. But there’s something deeply satisfying about opening those seed packets and imagining what’s to come.

You don’t need a greenhouse or an elaborate setup. A small tray on a sunny windowsill. A few herbs. A tomato or two. Something to tend while we wait.

That said - this is still late winter.

Up here, at 6,000 ft elevation, the season often has a few more cold snaps tucked away for as late as May. So protect those tender starts. Pace yourself. Let anticipation build instead of rushing it.

The garden teaches patience better than almost anything.

Kitchen Garden Dreaming

I often hear people say they would love a proper kitchen garden… if only they had more space.

But the truth is, you’d be amazed what can thrive in a thoughtfully designed small area. A collection of pots on a deck. A raised bed in a courtyard. A narrow strip along a sunny fence.

Late winter is the perfect time to sketch ideas. Flip through inspiring images. Consider what you truly want to grow - and why.

When spring arrives, you’ll be ready.

The Garden Shed Reset

Confession: fall cleanup is never as graceful as I imagine it will be.

By the time the first deep freeze or snow threatens, tools are being tucked away quickly. Pots get stacked. Twine and gloves are shoved into corners with the best of intentions.

And then… we forget.

A quiet afternoon now, sorting and organizing, makes that first true spring day infinitely more satisfying. There’s nothing quite like opening the shed and finding everything ready.

It’s a small act of preparation - but it sets the tone for the entire season.

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For those who enjoy a more detailed seasonal rhythm, the Garden Keeping Journals go deeper into what to plant, tend, and prepare each month.

Elevating the Spaces We Live In 🏡

By late winter, I start noticing my surroundings differently.

The scuffs on the walls near the back door. The desk that’s become a holding zone instead of a workspace. The small irritations that didn’t matter in December but feel heavier now.

This is a wonderful season for thoughtful shifts at home - both small and significant.

The view from our front porch at Juniper Hill Cottage, looking west towards Thumb Butte.

Beautiful, Functional Desks

Many of us spend hours each day at a desk or kitchen table that’s… less than inspiring.

It doesn’t have to stay that way.

You don’t need a large office or a full remodel to create a space that feels calm and purposeful. Sometimes it’s as simple as clearing the surface completely. Moving the desk closer to the light. Adding one lamp that casts a warm glow during these still-early evenings.

Adding a trailing plant in a gorgeous pot and a pretty tray will bring warmth and color.

In mountain winters, where the light can feel both brilliant and fleeting, paying attention to how your workspace feels makes a real difference.

A thoughtfully arranged desk supports everything you’re building and managing.

A Gentle Color Re-Fresh

Color has an outsized effect on how we experience our homes - and yet it’s often the last thing we consider.

By late winter, I can usually tell if a room is feeling tired. Maybe the palette feels heavy after months of cozy layering. Maybe it just needs a subtle shift - a new pillow cover, a different throw, a fresh coat of paint in a space that’s been waiting - or well loved.

You don’t have to overhaul everything.

Sometimes it’s simply asking: Does this feel good to me?

A small, intentional color adjustment now can make a space feel renewed long before the garden begins to bloom. And once the nice weather hits, you won’t want to be indoors painting.

Beginning the Bigger Conversations

And then there are the larger dreams.

The kitchen that almost works.
The bathroom that needs more light.
The outdoor space you’ve been meaning to reimagine for years.

One thing I’ve learned - both personally and professionally in my design work - is that meaningful and thoughtful remodels always take longer than we think. Much longer.

The design conversations, the planning, the decisions… they deserve time.

Late winter is an ideal season to begin.

Not to rush.
Not to panic.
Just to start the discussion.

By the time autumn rolls around, you’ll be grateful you gave those ideas room to breathe.

Embrace That Hygge Time of Year

All this talk of preparation and freshening and dreaming… and, this is still winter.

And I don’t want to rush her out the door.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about hygge and my Swedish upbringing - that gentle, cozy contentment that carries us through the darker months. The candlelight. The layered blankets. The slower evenings. The permission to rest.

Late winter is a funny thing.

We feel spring tugging at us.

We feel the urge to clean and plant and rearrange and plan.

But there is still something sacred about these final weeks of stillness.

The soil is not quite ready. The nights can still surprise us.

Tender seedlings - and tender ideas - need protection.

Up here in the high country, I’ve learned not to be fooled by one warm afternoon. So we pace ourselves. We cover what needs covering. We let things unfold in their proper time.

Anticipation is part of the sweetness. Savour the in-between! Spring will come…

Stay warm.
Stay hopeful.
And let the anticipation do its sweet work.

With contentment & possibility,

P.S. I’d love to know what late winter looks like where you are. Are you already in bloom? Still tucked under blankets of snow? Dreaming of summer evenings on the porch? Hit reply and tell me.