What a beeee.uuuuu.ti.fullll day.....

Baby Shoe Nest courtesy of Barbara Jean of Treasure's From The Heart. 
I won this at a giveaway she had last year.

Oh, man. What a tease today has been. Still a bit on the chilly side, 60-ish, but the SUN was shining....

and we have to 


take joy in the simple things

I opened up some windows and doors for a few, then after things aired out a bit, brought in some wood and started me up a fire to take the chill away. Nothing like a fire when it's NOT freezing outside. Just cozy.

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The other night, after work, I decided to Spring-Up our fireplace mantel. I found a few goodies I just happened to already have (duh! smiles my honey..."with all that treasure hunting you do, you could probably Spring-Up a whole city of mantels!")

O.K., truth be told, he didn't say anything, except, "Whatcha doin?", as I was wearing a path between the  dining room and the catch-all storage room that will someday be the guest room...

He never really complains about anything I do or how much stuff treasure I collect. He's the best that way!!!

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Earlier that day, I was at Goodwill by my work (errands are so fun to run during the day!) **you did not just read that, honey! :-) wink; and I spotted this gorgeous framed picture. It's just a print, but it's matted and it just SCREAMS Springtime!!! $6.00. ** My friend, Ginger, called me today and said she found the exact same print today for $18....score....

What a perfect match for the wall in the dining room...

It was hanging on the wall. I took it down. Examined it for stains, broken frame, scratched glass, etc...contemplated it. Hung it back up. Shopped the other areas of the store. Came back to it. Took it down again. Put it in my cart. Took it back out again...

Birds. Hmmmm. I don't decorate with birds. Hmmmm. It is yellow. I have lots of yellow in the house. Hmmmm. It's Spring. Birds are Spring-y. That blue bird is awfully cute. Hmmmm. Yeah, o.k. I can put it on the mantel. Then I can decorate the mantel for Spring. Now I'll need some bird houses. And maybe that little pink bird book I have. And, I do have those little yellow rain boots. Oh, and frogs. I have LOTS of frogs. And, I have those little seasonal blocks I made. And, there's forsythia and daffodils in bloom in the yard right now...Oh and....

The list in my head just kept getting longer and longer...

So, once I got home. I started on the mantel project.

One of my cast metal frogs AND an assortment of books I've collected because of their genre, color, and/or titles. This little birdhouse came with the house when we bought it 7 years ago, but has never had any little birdies, but don't ya just love the little roof line? 


Bird houses from the back porch. I simply added a #5 house number with a nail and "painted" the head with a black Sharpie.

Truth be told...these DID have residents, only NOT the kind I wanted in the house...good old Summertime leftovers....not bird poopie, silly-willy. This one has NO bottom.....dried up hornets nest!

Both houses will have "residents" tomorrow, as Ginger is kindly bringing me some mushroom birdies to add...

Just a little of my collection....I SO wish Daffodils smelled as good as they looked...Don't you??? Lilac season will be here soon, and then....Oh, those babies smell SO, SO yummy!!!


A couple pieces of my creamy white collection as vases with the flowers.

Loving the Forsythia, but I think it was happier outside! Saw this idea today, though....Very, very cute idea! 
Dang it! I need to go find the post and link it....I can't find it...check back, cause it's SO cute!!!  Found it! I love me some Google!!!


A little wooden drawer turned on edge with some scrapbook paper cut to fit to house the most adorable yellow rain boots.

Darling little rain boots I found a few years ago for a song. Bought the bird book last year, for..well, things like this!


Add a little bit of this and a little bit of that and Voila!

Frogs or toads, if you like, at the base of one of my vintage white, 3-paned windows; and my fave - a cast metal "S". I found THREE matching letters at one time....only three...T, P, S. I love it when things are meant to be....!

This years Spring mantel. ***Insert confession here....I did NOT take a photo of the entire mantel...BAD, Tina....

 

Simple little wooden blocks painted and stamped with each season on the sides. Perfect for changing things up....at least four times a year. 

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Now if I could only get that UGLY 70's orange/black/white brick to GO AWAY like WINTER!!!

I have an idea....I'll keep you posted....and it's NOT painting the brick white. That's the ONE thing that won't work in the house....we use the fireplace way too often to contend with ugly brick chipping through the paint...NO matter how tough it is...

I hope it's as great in real life as it is in my head....that ever happen to you? Where it's perfectly perfect in your head movies, but then a complete and utter flop in real life? I've read about a few of those in the Land of Blog lately...glad I'm not the only one that happens to...

These stacked vintage suitcases topped with an old chippy wire basket reside at the end of the mantel. Ours is "L" shaped and the end faces the back hallway entry doorway.

Happy Spring Saturday!!!

Linking up to Donna up North at Funky Junk Interiors....

Linking up to The Stories of A to Z: Spring Mantel Linky Party...