This is my first Valentine's Day with a fireplace mantel. Though I love a creative challenge, I was quite surprised at how long it took me to decide on where to hang four little banners.
Four banners. Moving this, adjusting that. I felt like I was nesting. Something I so easily used to do all day everyday. Maybe not that much but there were many of days getting things right. While I have loved the simplicity of finding contentment in where my furniture and decor have settled, it was a refreshing experience to have to start fresh. It reminded me that sometimes it takes awhile to get your house to feel right. To feel like home. I don't want to rush my home into perfection. Rather I have grown to enjoy the process of letting it become a part of who I am.
I wanted the space to feel sprinkled with Valentine's Day. Not overwhelmed. I played off of the graphic black and white print and gold details for a sophisticated v-day vignette.
It always feels like spring when I start bringing in cut branches from the yard. It is such an easy way to bring life to a space that I often forget.
I love the new year when the house feels spacious after the holidays. Since it took me awhile to recuperate after Christmas I am finally feeling my "January home" with a little Valentine's Day sprinkled in.
My other two banners got hung by our entryway. I also wanted to add something new and fun to the decor so I printed out some pictures of my sweetheart and I.
While I frame a lot of photos and create photo books, it was fun to print some "just because" photos to hang up temporarily.
I already have a handful of heart themed art around the house that especially shines this time of year.
While the black and white photos of Brent and I were cute in the photos, they felt claustrophobic in real life on a mirror that gets used to check my hair on the way out the door. So I moved them over to a frame so they (and I) could breathe a little.
It feels better here to me.
I hung these doily hearts by the window that I have used for a couple of years now.
They feel like an extension of the window treatments and flutter in front of the natural life.
And on my front door is a simple floral heart wreath I found at Target years ago. I love that it catches your eye in an otherwise bare winter front yard. Sometimes I like my door to be bare but many people have told me that they enjoy driving by our house and seeing my holiday decor. Lovely house stalker friends, this wreath is for you.
