Thursday, March 20, 2014

Styling our Spring Mantel

Happy first day of SPRING!

Thank you ALL so very much for your thoughtful comments about our recent photo shoot with Gridley + Graves!  

Because Anne and Gary wanted a more "neutral" decor for the shoot, I wasn't able to splash bunnies and eggs around until after they left.  And, since I get quite a few emails asking about the method to my madness when it comes to decorating our mantel and other vignettes, I thought I'd drag you guys along for the ride as I dress our fireplace for Spring.

Sooo, here's where I start ... with one big ol' boring, blank slate:


Admittedly, when I'm styling, I like to start in the middle first.  That's when I dug out this iron piece from under my son's bed!  After blowing off the dust, I decided to paint the dark wood frame AS Duck Egg Blue and paint the interior iron pieces AS Pure White to fit in better with the lighter look I'm going for!  I then added our poor, "beat up" egg wreath (from HomeGoods) for a fun and seasonal centerpiece:


Next, I like to balance my focal point with "neighbors" (usually, twins)!  Ha.  Yes, those who know me best understand how sickeningly symmetrical I am.  My feng shui just feels better this way ...


Now, it's time to add a centerpiece to sit on the mantel ... that's when this cute, little bunny family hopped on over.  And, since my OCD tendencies for odd numbers is always present, I decided to prop Father Bunny on a yellow stand to tie in with the pretty yellow flowers:


Next, it's time to fill in a bit of the "dead space" on either side of the bunnies ... that's where my silver candlesticks (from IKEA and HomeGoods) come into play ... twins, again (surprise, surprise)!  


Hmmmm ... our bunnies need a few eggs scattered around!


Almost done!  We're just missing one, last, whimsical element.  

THERE we go ... that's a little better (thanks to our cute "SPRING" banner from Target, which is making a return appearance for the 3rd year).


If our mantel could sing right now, I think it just might be belting out my favorite song "HAPPY," by Pharrell!






And, there ya' have it ... from sad to SPRING!


Our little ol' fireplace is a bit happier now that it's dressed for the season, although, admittedly, I need to add a pop of yellow on the hearth to make it "just right!"  Come back soon!


Thanks so much for stopping by ... 

Becca

Saturday, March 15, 2014

A Decorating Dream Come True ...

As a crazy girl, with a true passion for decorating, admittedly, my dream has always been to have our home featured in a national publication.

So, imagine my shock when, last Fall, the very kind and amazingly talented Anne Gridley, from Gridley + Graves Photographers, contacted me and asked if she and her husband, Gary, could come to our home to take pictures for ... wait for it ... a national publication!

I was thrilled ... to say the least!  After the holidays and nasty Winter weather, this past Thursday, they trekked down to SC from PA and knocked on our door.

They brought their fancy equipment ...


lots of "fresh" props ...



and, took lots and LOTS of pictures!


It was awesome to watch them style the shots and analyze, right then and there on their computer, what needed to be adjusted for the next frame!


They also brought lots of great stories, which I loved hearing!  They couldn't have been nicer or more professional.

And, while I'm not sure when or which publication our home will be a featured, I'm honored and excited just to have had the experience of having Anne and Gary in our home! 

So, keep up your blogging because, you never know, they may be knocking on your door next!

As always, thanks for stopping by,
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Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Simply Spring Gathering ...

That's right, friends ... even though it still feels like Winter lots of places,  according to our mantel, the warmer temps have arrived ... the bunnies are hopping ... the *faux* florals are blooming ... annnnnd, the fake eggs are out in full force!  


And, because I'm joining some of my blogging buddies and sharing Spring inspiration, I just know that our combined forces will chase Winter away once and for all!


Yes, certainly our Spring touches will grab Mother Nature's attention and encourage her to move the season along!


I mean, after all ... pretty, faux plants from IKEA should help scare the cold temps away, right?!


And, this sweet "bunny in a basket" ornament and faux flowers from Michael's should make old man winter go into hiding! 


And, naturally, these seasonal pastel malted milk balls will entice Spring to come closer, right?!


Look ... even our little bunnies have had enough by showing that they "shalt" not "hear, see or speak" of winter ANY more!


If that still doesn't send the cold away, hopefully, our egg wreath (from Home Goods) will help to do the trick!


If not, our banner (from Target) announcing SPRING will certainly let Mother Nature know that enough is enough!


I say that you join forces with us by pulling out your eggs, bunnies, florals and anything SPRING to help make winter disappear(!) ... whaddaya think?  No way will it want to stick around if we all ban together.  I'll be eagerly waiting to see all that you do!

Until then, I'll just stare at our mantel a bit longer and see what happens!  LOL


Be sure and take a peek at the others (links below picture):

As always, thanks so much for stopping by!

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Monday, March 3, 2014

Our Refreshed Dining Room

Happy March !!

It's sunny and beautiful 70 degrees today here in South Carolina ... could Spring truly be on the horizon?

I'm continuing to add touches of the new season around our home, with our dining room being the latest "stop."

Because I love adding blue to my color palette in our other main rooms, I thought it'd be fun to add it to our dining room, as well, to mix with the yellow that I tend to keep bringing back in here:


Candlesticks that were once bronze, turned grey are now enjoying a layer of AS Duck Egg on the buffet!  I then took away bulky matching lamps and opted for a taller, skinnier lamp on one side ...


and, balanced it on the other side with a beautiful demi john filled with faux branches:


I spread the love of blue over to our shelves, as well ... these vibrant plates from TJ Maxx work easily with just about any other colors!


The tiny pops of "gold-ish" yellow in the plates work well with our "frenchy" yellow plates from Home Goods:


And, you know I'm a fan of "faux" because of my lack of a green thumb ... these "pretties" from Michael's help add a lovely touch of Spring to our table.


These jeweled napkin rings remind me of the big ol' jewelry I love to wear ... when I spotted them at Pier One, I knew that they'd be a fun addition to our table, as well!


Thanks so much for stopping by our refreshed dining room ...


Come back soon, as I'm sure bunnies and birds will be popping in, too!


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