We bought our house and soon after, both of us lost our jobs. Ryan now has a teaching job he loves, and I am getting to stay home with our boys. It truly was a blessing in disguise! We have had to cut back on our decorating budget because of the changes, which calls for a lot of creativity.
Our mantel sat empty for awhile, because I had pictured in my mind that I want a big family picture and a big "W" that I saw in "Junk Market Style" magazine.
My husband was getting frustrated, because our great room felt really empty of decorations and style. I thought men weren't supposed to care about that! I had to do something. I had pictures that I eventually want to hang, and until we find an entertainment center we like, I don't want to put holes in the walls. I decided to use those on the mantel in the meantime. I also added an old jug and some cotton branches. That's an easy decorating staple in the south. My mom and I collected those from a cotton field. That was an experience! We took them from the branches missed during the harvest.
I really like how it turned out! I can live with it until I am able to get my "dream mantel." Here's the before and after...
And I haven't heard my husband say anything else about the room not feeling finished... All from putting some pictures on the mantel!
