Monday, January 16, 2012

Merry Monday and Mantel Metamorphosis





It only takes one smile....and you know what it can do for the recipient.... (honestly, didn't you smile in return at the smile above????) ...so go give one or two or three...boocoodles away...It's a Good thing...Merry Monday!

Having a mantel seems to automatically inspire change...*seems that way in blogland.* There are those who decorate and change out for every season and holiday...I guess it's a small "display ledge or shelf" in the house to do just a little work, and in return, have a large, cheerful impact in a room.

Metamorphosis - transformation, the process of undergoing a marked change in form, texture and physical appearance.

My mantel only gets changed out at Christmas!... but I have found that in the process of moving, it has taken a "metamorphosis" journey to get it right, or to it's final year-round resting state. That means it is done and will remain so!

The Living Room Mantel has been coming out of it's cocoon:


Original stage...


Change from Picture to Mirror...


Temporary Christmas Cheer stage...


Current state...

The Living Room is basically my true Blue and White room...my favorite color combo.
It has been blue and white for as long as I can remember! But I never had a mantel in the Living Room until we came to Iowa and I "installed" this one. :-) I will admit it has been fun tweaking it and feathering it with Thrifted Treasure Finds...


This pair of vases was the Christmas gift I bought for myself. :-) *do you ever do that?! When I saw these had no chips or cracks and yet someone had gotten rid of them...I was ecstatic! I love them...just fit the mantel ...



Both the artichokes and the beautiful candles were what I call a "cheap thrill" find...something you were not looking for, but there they were - lying on a shelf just waiting for YOU.



When the picture got moved to the guest room, replaced by the white mirror, I moved the red and sage decor off of the mantel, because they had accented the colors in the print. The plates had remained on the wall, and I knew they would be replaced, but just didn't know with "what"! This weekend, I took the candelabras that were in my bedroom (black), gave them a whitewash, and finally got the plates replaced. so I believe the mantel has just about arrived...



Is it fully a butterfly ...ready to go?...or will there be another tweak?...oh my...who knows...those "cheap thrill" dollar finds can cause a commotion in a metamorphosis process...and you know and I know....a girl can change her mind...

Hugs to all who drop by today...It is the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday...so I have Da Man AND Da youngest peep home with me an extra day this weekend. RAH!

Have yourself a Very MERRY MONDAY, and thank you so much for saying a prayer for our military heroes...They are treasures...Never take them for granted. They do HARD things that no one else would ever want to do...


God Bless YOU!

7 comments:

Theresa said...

Oh how I love the mirror over the mantel! Isn't if funny how much it changes the look? Elegant!!!!!!

Enjoy your day dear Julie! I know you will... especially having those two handsomes at home with you today!

Blessings and hugs coming to you across the miles!

Staci said...

Love :) I have a fireplace, but no mantel. J is trolling the internet looking for plans that we can both agree on...proving to be a bit harder than he anticipated :)

Sandy said...

I grew up having beautiful fireplaces in most of our homes. I especially loved the white brick one in the house my parents owned where I did most of my growing up. I miss having a fireplace but at least I have a large shelf that I decorate seasonally. I do hope our next home has a fireplace. Your home is looking more and more beautiful and cozy with every visit! Love that little kiddo picture at the beginning of the post. And the mirror is perfect.
Have a beautiful week there in Iowa. It's cold here today and so very cloudy and dark.
xo

Tete said...

Love all your mantle looks, but I do like the mirror better than the picture above it. The mantle is wonderful.
Love that smiling face! Too sweet and it made me smile right away. Amazing how something is so contagious!
Hope you had a Merry Monday!

Manuela@A Cultivated Nest said...

I truly love it with the mirror (fabulous mirror btw)! I also love how you've filled in the "box" area of your mantel. I'm getting ready to move mine to a different wall and this gives me ideas.

Dianna said...

I love that mirror over the mantel...I know I've told you that before. What a difference in made in the room! The vases are beautiful! Like what you've done.

Dianna said...

Hey Julie...it's me again. I know this is Monday's post, but it is actually Wednesday night as I write this. I had to come back over here and tell you that when I pinned the little guy at the beginning of this post to my "Pictures of Children" board on Pinterest, within two minutes of pinning it, I had two notifications where others had repinned it! LOL I love it. The Lord uses you to spread those smiles all over the place! You are a treasure, my friend.