Top o' the Mantle, to Ya

Just like that, Valentines is gone and suddenly my very feminine Valentine mantle seems out of place.

I got all revved up to change my mantle for St. Patricks day, but once I really thought about it, I realized I never cared one iota about St. Patricks Day. In fact sometimes I purposefully don't wear green just to see the look of shock on peoples faces. And I also think that is one holiday that can look cheesy and commercial pretty quickly.

So instead, I decided to do a spring Mantle, with all white and green. I challenged myself to stick to a $10 budget and try to mostly use the accessories I already have. Cuz y'all, I have a lot of accessories.

To start the process, as I tend to do, I went through the house to see if there was anything that might work. I already had the white mirror, as well as a few other white and green accessories, but I was hoping for an interesting white vase and a few other things to complete the mantle.

So my shopping buddy (and favorite three year old) and I went to Goodwill and Salvation Army in Plano to see what we could find. I didn't find a white vase, but I did find this um, interesting vase for $1, that I decided to paint.

And I found this amazing vintage candy dish for $5 as well as two pieces of milk glass for $1 each. I don't always make out so well on my thrift store hunts, so I was really happy with my finds, and happy that I spent only $8!

I primed and spray painted the vase with gloss white, and I put everything up on the mantle and played around with it until I found an arrangement that I liked.

It may not be the most perfect mantle, but It's crisp and cheerful, and it makes me happy. And isn't that what matters most when decorating your home?

Have you started decorating your mantle for spring yet? I'd love to see a picture! You can post a pic on my facebook page.