Rearranging My Mantle

Quick update - using exactly what I had, I rearranged my mangle after purchasing this cool red lantern/candle holder from TJ Maxx last week. Looks much better, don't you think?

Mantle Before

After

I think having the candles grouped together in the center just makes it seem stronger whereas everything was weaker all spread out evenly the way it was. I will be on the look out for a few darker things of various heights to add to the mix. Some day my husband and I want to redo the face of the fireplace and add a darker wood mantle. That will be down the road.

Have a great Tuesday!

I'll Buy My Own Spring, Thank You

I guess I will put down roots here!

I came home from work today and started unloading some of the items I bought for the house today at TJ Maxx. This winter seemed especially long, and I wanted to brighten it up a bit since it is STILL raining. I wondered to myself if everyone does this. I always like to change the scenery by buying new accessories, moving things around a little. A couple months ago, I rearranged my furniture in the great room. I think it has been in the new configuration before, but I needed a change. Places like TJ Maxx or Home Goods have such great stuff, especially if you don't want to spend a lot of money.

The room doesn't get a ton of natural light except for the morning. We have huge windows, but they also have shutters on them, and outside the window are some tall trees. The color scheme I originally went with is tied into this rug below. Our style is kind of a Napa Style-meets-Pottery Barn sort of look. These are colors I love, as they are so warm and homey. Rust red, mustard, olive green and browns. Sometimes in the spring and summer I wish I could brighten it up, but don't know how.

Probably should have vacuumed it first, oh well

I decided to make some really bold moves by getting accessories with the right colors, but just a bit lighter, and A LOT brighter, and adding a little white into the mix. Here are the pillows I bought below - just the ones with the prints, I have our existing pillows behind so you can see how they compliment each other and what we have to work with. I am not normally a "print" person, especially not a "floral" person, so I don't see these having real staying power here, but at least through the summer. They definitely achieve what I was striving for.

Here are also some darling little pots I bought at Walmart a couple months back, I put 3 of them in our kitchen garden window. They really do add brightness and life into the house!

I also picked up this adorable metal candle holder, which comes with an LED candle inside. Not sure if its going to stay here, with the green candles I got at Ikea recently and the cute little potted plant my Mom brought over the other day. Red and green is a funny combo, it seems ok in patterns but when placed near each other in solids, not so much.

This mantle decor is currently a work in progress.

I realized today that I have lived in this house longer than I have lived anywhere since I left home for college in 1987. My husband and I got married in 2004 and moved here in 2005, so that makes 6 years. Isn't that just CRAZY? I guess this wild child is finally putting down roots.

Monkey wanted to take blog pictures too, with his Fisher-Price

Do you ever rearrange your furniture or change accessories just because you feel like it? You would think that with all I have going on between kids and work it would be the last thing on my mind, but strangely, I think about it all the time!