The Winter Garden

Bleak?

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No the winter garden is not bleak...it's beautiful.

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That's a lovely image...not practical at all...but oh......so pretty!

So today is the 5th Anniversary of the day I started this little blog.

I almost let it go by unnoticed.

I was busy working last night on a new design for the whole blog....decided after four years

it was badly in need of a makeover.

Have to say...I think I did pretty well...that a design I created...worked well for me for four years.

But I am feeling like I want something fresh and new.

So I was working on a new design last night and thinking...I'll have this up 

for my Blogiversary when I realized my Blogiversary is tomorrow...being TODAY!

Oh...well...

I really thought it was still a week away!

Anyway....new design to come.

Actually, last thing I should be working on... but us creative types work on the thing

we feel like doing rather than the thing we should be doing.

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A Winter's Mantel

 I was so slow in getting a new display up on the mantel after Christmas.

I loved my Christmas Mantel and wasn't anxious to take it down.

And since it was all trees and snow...I thought it ok to leave it a little while.

See it here.

 But last week I decided enough was enough...and down it had to come.

I really had no idea what I was going to put up.

But then I remembered I'd recently been given a few more silver things...and I decided silver 

was a good theme.

I kept out a couple of glitter snowflakes.

The silver coffee pot was a Christmas gift from my sister. 

She knows to pick up anything silver for me at the flea market.

When she called to tell me she'd found me something. 

I told her..."You shouldn't be buying me anything. I don't need a thing."

"But...but..", she said, "It's a silver coffee pot!"

"Oh", I said "In that case, yes I need it and I'm so glad you bought it for me!"

 After Christmas my friend Petra was doing a big clean out of her kitchen.

You know getting into those bottom cupboards that stuff just gets shoved into?

She had bags and bags of things going to Goodwill.

 But she had a few things set aside that she knew I'd want.

That included two silver trays.

Yes, please!

The frame I painted awhile ago but I don't like the color. I'll be repainting it.

But the color works well in  this arrangement. 

 At Christmas I had icicles hanging from my scones and loved how they made the sconces appear larger.

Don't know why I didn't do this before...but I dug some old crystal garland and prisms out

and dressed my 1930 sconces up. I added the aqua colored beads for now too.

They will probably change when I do the Valentine Mantel. 

I'm loving the dangling sparkle on my old sconces.

 Small faux succulents add a little color.

This silver has just the right amount of tarnish....but then it will get to be too much 

and I'll have to polish. 

I can't believe Petra gave me her silver trays but she does have lots of other nice things. 

She really didn't need them...but I do!

 Took a shot of the chandelier in the room...

I am having so much fun photographing in here ever since I painted the room. 

Everything looks better with the new wall color.

See that burnt out bulb? I hid it in the above photo...

That bulb had been burned out for awhile but not the others.

So before Christmas, I climb on a step stool to change it out.

When I put the new bulb in....there was a popping sound and all the lights went out in the living room.

Ugh....

I checked my breakers and one had blown.

I have two breaker boxes....a big one outside and a little one in the kitchen.

The big one was fine but the little one had a burnt fuse.

Thankfully that fixed the lights in the living room but now my dimmer switch does not work 

for the chandelier and I assume that socket still doesn't work.

I put the old bulb back in.

I'm scared to try a new bulb again.

This chandelier is very heavy. It's the only light in the house that I had professional installed.

It was just too much for me to do alone.

Now I guess it will have to come down....be checked over and rehung.

Which sounds like a big job.

So it's probably going to stay like this for awhile.

So expect to always see one dark bulb in my chandi for awhile.

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A Winter Mantel

Sweet Tweet!

I have discovered the joys of after Christmas shopping. I must say...I've never done it much before.

I'm always too busy working to have time to shop the After Christmas Sales.

But this year...since I'm working a lot in Pier 1...

I can't seem to resist those can't pass them up bargains.

Hence...my little winter mantel scape shown here today.

It all started with those sweet little fat birds.

They were cute at full price but I didn't need them.

At 75% off plus my discount....they just had to come home with me.

Same for the little bird's nest. 

I don't decorate for Christmas in a natural way....no real branches and stuff in my Christmas decor.

So it's fun to break out the natural stuff for January.

I had the bits of greenery bought at Michaels before Xmas cause they were just too pretty to not get.

I added some of my mercury glass and...

twigs I brought in from the yard.

I splattered some white paint on them and snowy glitter...and they became the perfect thing 

for my little fat birds to rest upon.

But of course...now I'm thinking of Valentine Decor so this will change up soon.

Speaking of bargains....

I bought these the other day at 90% off

They were less than $1 each!

I bought 8. They will turn up on my Thanksgiving table next year.

But I have to say it was not much fun buying pumpkins when the store was full of 

glorious Easter stuff.

But I'll be glad I got them next fall.

Mainly, I bought candles at 90% off.

That is fun....because you can burn them without an inkling of guilt.

So...Mom went back to the surgeon today and she got a passing grade.

She is doing fine. She had fluid around her lungs and that had to be drained off but 

that is a pretty common thing...according to the doctor.

But after going to the Heart Hospital, having the little procedure and running around a little.

(We made a quick stop at Ross)

She was very worn out and ready to get back in bed.

She didn't feel so hot.

Her recovery continues.....

pretty good considering the surgery was only three weeks ago.

She has agreed to stay with me awhile longer.

She thought she wanted to go home very soon but today convinced her she needs to take it easy 

for another two weeks at least.

The surgeon said really 8 weeks before she'd feel decent enough to be on her own.

That's ok. 

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Jennifer Rizzo: Fabulously Creative Friday

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