Our Spring Mantel…Sort of

As I have mentioned before, last year we completed some pretty major renovations on our home. 

I have finally gotten my act together to start sharing the before and afters of our own home, but, not yet.  I know, I am a tease. 

But this week I will share my family room.

One of the challenges has been that since we finished we have been in “holiday” mode.  Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Winter and Valentine’s Day. 

Now, I am finally ready to pull my house together for the day to day, not just for holidays. 

So, I have re-done my mantel.  It is kind of springy.  But, my real intention was to do a mantel, our mantel to enjoy and live with. 

I hope you like it, I do.

 

I didn’t add a lot of color, just some warm browns, creams, and green.

I found this tray online at Target last year and it has been on the coffee table in my living room.  I thought it added a nice touch and tie in with the clock faces.

 

For a little bit of Easter, there are two bunnies.  When Easter is over, they can be removed without too much disruption.  I also added a small ironstone pitcher with dried lavender and hydrangea.

I found the nesting basket at a yard sale last year and filled it with hydrangea.  It is hanging on a twig like ribbon some friends gave me.

 

 

The mirror reflects a lot of light in the room and the picture in the upstairs hall.  At a different angle it also reflects the grouping on top of the armoire.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!  Laura

Oh, and I will be sharing at some of the parties in my sidebar, stop on by!

A Mantel For a Friend

While I was visiting my friend, Julie, she asked me to put together her mantel for her. 

I already shared her guest bedroom and her master bedroom in her beautiful home.  I thought today I would show you her mantel.

She has a bookcase next to the fireplace where I helped organize her Dedham Pottery and Hadleyware that she, and her family, have been collecting for years.

Finding pieces to put on her mantel was easy, Julie has a ton of amazing things in her home.  It was just selecting what worked best.  

I really liked these flower pots, but instead of putting something in them, I layered them upside down to create some height.

I wanted to add a little height.  We tried several mirrors, but they were all too tall for the space.  The window was above her bed.  I didn’t feel safe with the glass, so we moved it down here. 

The other side is actually painted white and she had a really pretty piece of wall paper behind it.  We turned it around to the brown side and added the fabric.  The rest of the room, which I will share soon, is very colorful and we needed to balance that color up here.

  

I added a few other elements, love the bird picture on burlap, some pinecones, birch branch votives, a glass hurricane with a textured candle and some wine corks and some pinecones.  I swiped the red tray off her kitchen table.

I am off to finally get back to working out, it has been three weeks.  First, I was sick for a week and then the past two weeks have been canceled because of snow days and 2 hour delays for school.

It just occurred to me this morning, not working out for three weeks could be the reason I have been cranky and hibernating for three weeks!  At first, I was dreading going, but now I am beginning to think it is just what I need.  Wish me luck, this woman shows no mercy!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

The Key to My Heart Mantel

I am joining Beth’s Valentine mantel party over at The Stories of A to Z

I really wasn’t planning on doing a mantel, but then I realized in the back of my I already had been planning one.  The best part of doing this mantel was that I didn’t destroy my family room in the process.  My family was at a sports activity, so I took my time, watched some American Pickers, and didn’t get myself too crazy like I sometimes do.  I was really not feeling the red and pink thing, so I went for a more subtle, still wintery, rustic and a little bit of bling.

I found the piece of fence at an auction this weekend and I loved how it fit right into the mirror.

I had picked up this beautiful brown wool yarn recently and knew I wanted to use it.  I made a garland with some chandelier crystals and wrapped some hearts cut out of cardboard.  The centers are symmetrical, but I liked how they are kind of wonky.

I hung my key I found in Paris from a milk glass plate that actually has heart cutouts, a milk glass vase and two candlesticks.  I placed yarn balls on the candlesticks and added a few more crystals.

I loved this small key because the opening is a heart.

It is a little difficult to tell from the picture, but the birds are in an actual birds nest, placed inside the bowl, backed with an ironstone dish with some more keys hanging.  I added a few pinecones as well.  I placed the whole vignette in an old champagne crate to contrast the white and to give it all a little more presence and height.

I really love the contrast of the rustic fence with the mirror and the chandelier crystals.

It is a little difficult to see in the picture, but the fireplace surround is slate so I added a little love note to my family.

“You are so loved”

I feel very loved because my husband has a fire all staged for me in case I get cold!

There are two milk glass candle holders filled with crystal door knobs.  The bingo style letters are from a set I found a while ago at Marshalls.  I had been wanting the ones I had seen in catalogs, but they were so expensive.  I leaped at the chance to get these on clearance.

And what would a Valentine display be without some love birds.  These were randomly in a box from an auction box lot and they made a nice addition.

I will be sharing at some of the parties in my sidebar, stop by and see what everyone else is sharing.

Off to a busy day, I hope you are all well!

Take care,

Laura