"A" Little Change is Good

If you have been reading my blog, you probably know how I like to change it up around the house.  I am CRAZY about interior decorating but since I am my only my only client, our house gets to be the practice zone.

The other day it was the fireplace mantel.  Our home has a lovely cast stone fireplace that screams old world traditional... but I like to dress it in other styles from time to time.

 

Years ago our fireplace was attired in flowers and ivy.  That was also the time that we housed the television in the fireplace box itself.  I liked how designers were mounting TVs above fireplaces, allowing options for furniture placement.  I have always disliked the television being a focal point in our living room, especially when you have a beautiful window or fireplace that desires attention.  But with our television inside the fireplace, we couldn't enjoy the ambiance of a real flame.  We did have one of those virtual fireplace images we would use from time to time.... but there is nothing like the real thing.  I honestly can't believe I even went for the faux fire. Yuck!

 Not too long ago I found letters representing the directions in a compass that he-man had made for a ceiling we had painted in a Colorado apartment.   We mounted the letters at the end of each of the four points and then decided that they added nothing to the painted ceiling.  They actually cheapened the effect.  So off they came and went into my "something-to-use-latter" box.




I pulled those letter out of their box some months ago and mounted them to the recessed stone panel above our mantel. That's when the redo began......  and continued on.


First there were books, birds and pottery,  but, West kept going South.


 





Second, same birds, no books, pottery gone  --glass containers filled with coffee beans and raffia balls take their place.












Third, same flowers, same birds, gone are the glass containers, in come the candle sticks.






 






Fourth, same birds and flowers once again, but different candle sticks... a bit chunkier and taller.













And today we have no birds, no books, no cherry blossoms.  Pottery and copper hold winding branches and tiny buds.  A grouping of "As", symbolizing the varied characters of our family replaced the candle sticks. 

The large wooden A was made from children's building blocks and old hardware.  The turquoise A, which was once gold, was painted and distressed.  The ruler A is a block paper mache form with rulers glued on top.  The small black A is old bolts wired together.  The lower case a was purchased from Hobby Lobby and painted a bright red.  The green A is an enlarged font printed on card stock from my home computer.

This is how our mantel looks for now. But "A" little change is good.... so who knows what it will hold next month or next year.

I hope your day is good to you.  I hope it gives you birds to hear, books to read and flowers to smell.  I hope you enjoy all the characters in your family and have "A" wonderful day!