Okay, the calendar tells us it's Spring - but if you're still suffering chilly winds, gray skies, frequent rain and yes, occasional snow - you might not believe it. Even so, the birds are speaking up as the sun rises earlier each day, and the unmistakable smell of mud will evoke Spring to anyone!

Now, by this time you are probably thoroughly tired of your home's “Winter” looks. How can you transform “Winter” to “Spring” without spending a small fortune? Therefore there are some ideas to convert “Winter” to “Spring”:

• Clean! Get out the freshest-smelling household cleaners, your duster, and broom. Get rid of the musty smell by opening your windows on a balmy day. Take area rugs outside & shake or sweep the accumulated dust of the last few months off of them. Remove your curtains & wash them or take them to the dry-cleaners. Already you'll feel a difference!

• Cut a few pussy willow or forsythia branches, and put them into a pretty container with water. Within a few days they will bud and then bloom.

• Freshen your foyer, back stairway or entrance way with a coat of paint in the same color. It will look clean and bright, but you won't have to invest in new accessories. Every time you come in the door, you'll feel good about your home.

• When you re-hang those clean curtains, replace the curtain rods with sturdy tree branches of the right length and thickness. You might find these in the yard after Winter's destruction, or on a daily walk to observe the awakening neighborhood!

• Use vintage birdcages, faux birds' nests, birdhouses, etc. filled with silk greenery to brighten up a tabletop or a bookshelf. Add painted wooden eggs, a pretty shell or rock, and small family photos to create a vignette.

• Make sure that your mirrors and picture-frame glass are also clean! Dust and fingerprints do accumulate over the winter. When sparkling clean, they will increase the effect of sunlight reappearing through the windows (which you've also cleaned, of course!)

• Imported daffodils & tulips are appearing in the supermarkets and flower markets, & usually are inexpensive at this time of year. Remember never to combine these two cut flowers in the same container - daffodils give off a chemical that is toxic to tulips. I always put a couple of copper pennies in the tulips' water, which seems to extend their freshness.

• If you have some extra money, look to your fabric store's Spring sales on remnants and pillow forms - make new toss pillows for your sofa, bed or porch. And if you are really ambitious, consider changing the color scheme or furniture placement in your main rooms. Just rearranging the furniture, removing what no longer "fits", and adding a few new and inexpensive accessories will have you whistling Spring!