I’m back in the mantel saddle kids!

Did you see my Christmas mantel? It was of epic reclaimed junk proportions.

I needed to simplify this time around.  Afterall isn’t that what January tends to be about?  Simplifying.  Organizing.  I think I nailed that concept with a display that I, well, I love!  With Valentine’s Day less than a month away, how could I resist?

It all started with a vintage orchard ladder that I had been using as a blanket rack. I turned it horizontally to create shadow boxes. From there, it was easy! I shopped the house for junk to spell the message.  Shop your homes people!  The ‘I’ and ‘Y’ are the only “new” items but I picked them up at a thrift store on the cheap.  I am sure I could have gotten creative making those letters too but since I already had them, why not use ’em?  The heart is a dolie. The ‘O’ is a nearly tarnished candle plate. And the ‘U’ is my favorite! It is one of Ryan’s horseshoes. I needed a rusty one. The options to spell a message out of junk are pretty much endless!

I rounded out either end with a touch of nature and whimsy. On the left is a tree stump planter that is actually displaying my bouquet from last weekend’s wedding. It is holding up rather well in the water supply.  And how much do you love that tree stump planter?  I gave it to Ryan for Christmas.  Woops, so what if I used it already?

The other end of the mantel is a huge painted grain scoop that was left over from the Christmas decor. I used it as a vase and snipped some branches with red berries to display.  Shop your gardens people!  Any season.

And finally the mantel got some heart confetti from the dollar store and natural birch confetti from my yard.  I collect all of the birch bark that our trees drop.

Did you see my latest firewood holder? It is an old red medical box that does the job perfectly.  Birch is just so pretty.

I’ve been talking about painting the brick hearth for nearly a year since we inherited the red paint job. I am not a big fan but I have to admit that it works well for Valentine’s Day. The red brick wins again.  I’m coming for you brick.  Me and my paint brush are coming.

Love!

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