Country Living Found Arbor House Lane on Pinterest

A pleasant surprise.

I found my living room mantel was highlighted here on Countryliving.

This is the picture.

I found out accidentally while trying to show a co-worker some pictures of my home during Halloween.
 It was a pleasant surprise for sure!

If you did not already know, I kind of have a thing for Halloween!

I am getting excited to start bringing out the decorations soon. 

I hate to say.  

I only put out a little fall decorations,
a few pumpkins here and there.

I always start the beginning of September,
 thinking about if I am going to host a Halloween party.

I am tossing around the idea of a kids party.

The kids tell me it is their turn, since I had one for the parents last year.

I may have a few invitation ideas floating around in my head.



I know my skeletons are ready to come out of the closet.

I have not posted very much lately, work and busy with life.
Now that both are slowing down some.
 I am hoping to share the projects and finds of the summer.

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

My Mother's Books

When my mother died we all gathered at our childhood home to clean.

We learned many things those few weeks.

We laughed.

We cried.

We moved on.

We also took home some of my mother's things.

To remember.

To stay connected.

To Love.

I took some of my mother's books.

She loved to read.

She passed on that love to read to me.

But these were not that kind of books.

They were vintage books.

These were books for decorating.

I have many different colors, blues, greens, browns, blacks and reds.

I choose a color for each of the seasons.

Books look wonderful all piled up

This was last year's mantel for Valentine's Day.

St. Patrick's Day.

Books, lovely to look at all piled up.

We're Not Irish, but I Still Love Green

I worked on the living room mantel yesterday while home with a sick little guy.

I traded in the red books for some green ones.

Nope, we are not Irish.

But, I do love green.

For St. Patrick's day the kids find trails of gold chocolate coins.

This year I am going to try something a little different.

If you MOUSTACHE it will involve a green marker.

When I was a kid, my dad would paint shamrocks on our faces for the day.

I think my mom also made some kind of Irish dinner that I still don't like.

One of my favorite indoor garden angels.

Baby tears in ironstone.

Love the plant but it seems I tend to over water it, so each year I get a new one.

The moss M I made several years ago.

You can make one too with a letter and some sheet moss from Michael's.

You may have noticed I went with simple.

Books again, and other greens I could find around the house.

I went to a local nursery last week and stocked up on several new ivy for spring.

Green, white and silver.

One of my favorite combinations.

How about you? 

Do you decorate for St. Patrick's Day?

I am joining Courtney from French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday.  

Let me say, if you have never visited her blog, you must, you must.

I am also joining Debra from Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday, who is always has incredible displays in her home.

And my last party of the day is with Cindy from My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday.

If you can think of a party I am missing, please let me know.

When I get home, my cocktail glass will be waiting. 

Showing Love

Valentine's Day.

It is an extra special day in our house.

I started decorating the mantels in the living room and dinning room.

I went with simple in the living room.

All of these books are some from my mother's collection I inherited. 

I have them separated by color and they come in handy.

The book on the bottom stack under the pitcher is Worlds Greatest Letters.

Some of the books have dates back to 1912.

LOVE

Simple but it makes a statement.

Aren't the letters great. 

I found them at a craft show this past fall.

Lots of hugs and kisses here.

A sampling of the treats the kids will make for their teachers this Valentine's. 

Simple, that is my word for this year.

All of the snow we received this past weekend was put to great use.

Mr. M. and I took the kids and their friends sledding.

We all had lots of fun.

I hope all my East coast blogger friends were able to find a good way to enjoy the snow. 

Even if it meant staying inside relaxing.

You will have to stop back later in the week to find out why Valentine's Day is extra special for us if you don't already know.

The Scare is Nearly There

I can check the living room mantel off my list of things to do.

While watching cartoons with the kids last week, I was able to get the mantel decorated.

One mantel down, two to go.

I have more of a black and white theme going, with pops of red.

You can't go wrong with those dollar store crows.

Do you see the tag I need to cut off, funny how those things can be missed until you look at the big picture.

I love the Inn sign, a project from last year, trace and paint.

One of my favorite and simple decorations are the paper bats that I glue to the walls.

YES, I did say glue. 

 A little hot glue, most of the time it does not bother the walls.

They just pop off when I am ready to take down the Halloween decorations.

The kids are getting antsy for a Halloween craft project so I am hoping to finish my decorating this week.

How about you?

Are you all decorated for the season?

or 

Are you looking through all of the new magazines out there dreaming of Christmas.

Yep, I must say, I too have glanced at the magazines and already come up with a few decorating ideas for this year.

Summer Mantel

I had not changed my mantel since Spring.

 I guess it was in need of a little change.

A simple mantel.

More beach shells.

I am not quite done, I am thinking maybe some hydrangeas instead of the orchid. 

Oh my, a little more blue.

I found three of these frames and I just love the look of the faded worn blue edge.

A picture of my daughter and youngest son playing together on Long Beach in Canada.

Don't you just love the vintage blue mason jar filled to the top with buttons.

Buttons, buttons, you can never have too many.

A little ironstone pitcher.

To me they are the perfect accessory, they look great anywhere.

Here is the urn that matches the one in the previous post.

I will eventually fill it with sea shells also, but for now.

Baseball is life.

Thanks for visiting.

I am joining The Lettered Cottage for a Summer Mantel Party.