Accessorizing a Cottage Fireplace Mantel

Hello everybody!!!!!

Bear with me, I'm in a good mood.

Nothing hurts today!!!!!

Boy, getting old is a bitch.....

anyway.....

on to my blog post.....

We left off my last post with Miriam and Ross's footstools settling in to their new home.

Since the room is nearing completion.....

I knew that if I left the accessorizing to my dear niece Miriam, 

there would be a lotta krap  items spread around that I wouldn't like.

To avoid this situation, I went to Micheal's and found some things, as well as rummaged through my stuff and chose a few items that I felt I could part with.....

as long as the two youngsters appreciated them and never lost them or gave them away or stored them in the basement or attic.......

I gave them a water color that I had used over my fireplace in my cape cottage.

Remember this picture from my cottage?????

I just wrote about this a little while ago.

Ross and Miriam refuse to let me hang plates on the wall.......

so I am still trying to find things for their walls that we all will like.

Anyway,,,,

Below is their living room with the water color in its new residence.

So, let's see.....

Ov Vey!!!!!

Everything on the mantel is from me!!!!!

I had given them the candlestick alabaster lamps, but they didn't have any light bulbs....or lampshades.....

I'm one of those dorks who likes a symmetrically arranged mantel.

I know it's chic to have it asymmetrical,

 but that's not how I roll.

I wasn't thrilled with the fake fern on the mantel.

Miriam liked it.

WHOSE HOUSE IS THIS ANYWAY?????

So it was moved to a table, and I gave them my collection of Bristol glass blue vases.

Still no light bulbs.....

Miriam and Ross must have been very busy....

There is an electrical outlet in the center of the mantle for when folks used to keep a clock on the shelf.

 when you need to know the time.....everyone in this house looks at their iPhone......

I plugged the lamps in there, it was very convenient, but we needed to leave the painting leaning against the wall to hide the plugs.

The mantel still looked too bare to me.....

what good are vases without sumptin inum?????

6 months later, they still hadn't gotten any light bulbs, so I swung by Lowe's and picked up the appropriate size and wattage, as well as the pair of lampshades.

Lowe's rocks!!!!!

I was in and out in 10 minutes!!!!!

This was after I had spent an inordinate amount of time at Micheal's.

We were getting ready for Miriam's baby shower.

We wanted the house to look beeootiful.

When I shop for accessories, I choose a lot of stuff to try out, and return what I don't use.

Tons of silk flowers.....

Tons of baskets.....

Tons of miscellaneous stuff!!!!!

So I gathered arm loads of white flowers, as realistic as I could find.

I chose all different sizes, as that makes for a better bouquet.

Then I hauled it over to the youngster's abode and cut them down to fit into the vases.

I think the lampshades make a tremendous difference too, to adding shape and texture to the grouping.

Here's one of my fabulous side by sides for comparison!!!!!

The room looks all glowey when the lamps are turned on.

I am a lover of lamp light as opposed to over head recessed lights. 

It's just so inviting and comfy.

I have lights in most of my ceilings, but seldom use them except in my kitchen, although I even have a lamp in that room as well which I keep on in the winter nights,...

I realize that I'm not posting as often as I used to.....

but bear with me.....

I am crazily submerged in designing fabric.

It may not amount to anything, but I am having a really good time.

I've also been gardening, as that is what I have to do in the spring.....

but that isn't as much fun.

Actually, that isn't any fun.....

No!!!!

wait a second!!!!!

before I go.....

I want to do a side by side of the way the room looked when I started and the way it is now!!!!!

OK, now I'm done.....

On that note,

Latah, Gatah