Changing of the Mantle

Okay, so it's a few months too late to have snowmen on my fireplace mantle. Even my husband started making a weekly comment about it being okay to take the snowman down now that it is officially spring. Am I the only person who stops seeing things in a room?

I am a paper waster and love to get catalogs in the mail. There is nothing more satisfying than sitting on the love seat next to the window during naptime and casually flipping through my catalogs and magazines. When the latest Potter Barn catalog comes in, I start envisioning all of the different things I would purchase out of that catalog and how they could decorate my house - if only I didn't have this basic disdain for spending too much on things that simply aren't worth it. Take the following...

Wall Bells - $129 for the set. At most I would pay $60 if I was feeling extravagant. A deal for me would be $25 for the set.

Wall Organizer - $149. What??? It's a corkboard covered in burlap!! If I had time to make it myself, I would. But if I had to purchase it, I'd pay...eh...$30.

Lanterns - $29 to $99 currently on sale for $20 to $79. I love lanterns. I don't love their price here.

VERY similar lanters at Pier One - $15 to $50.

I bought two of the smaller Pier One lanterns (actually taller than PB's smallest lantern) and three little accent lanterns. And then I went to work on replacing the snowmen.

Behold! The snowmen on the mantle in April.

Our lantern mantle. I bought LED candles with timers (did you know they came with timers?) for the inserts. My next quest is to take that small picture off the of brick and replace it with a mirror - I think. And also de-clutter some of the stuff up there. I need more ideas. And the black fireplace screen? It's a goner. I took it off and revamped my candle collection in the firebox - real candles in there!