It's good, but is it The One??

I have struggled with the mantel in my new home, since, well, we moved into this house 9 months ago.

I need Laura, the Mantel Whisperer, or Kim's keen eye to help me out!! Care for a trip to Canada, ladies? =)

I have been on the search for a perfect mirror for all these months. My old mirror was waaaaay too small for this spot, and just a temporary el cheapo: 

I bought several mirrors for this space, only to return them as they weren't perfect.

This latest mirror I really like, but am not sure if it's the perfect one for this spot. Before I could decide, my Hubby had the anchors in the wall and had it hung-guess he was sick of my indecision. So for now, it stays. I like the mirror enough that if I find another perfect candidate, I'm sure I can find a different home in our house for this one:

What do you think? My concerns are, it may be a tad bit too small still (although a MUCH better scale than the last one), and it may not be the right colour. I actually like the dark wood of the frame, but am concerned that it clashes with the more reddish tones of the mantel. Painting it may be an option, but I am concerned the embossed pattern would be lost if I painted it. I've considered more of a dry brush with some chalk paint, but I'm too chicken to try it in case I ruin it.

I'm also planning to change the accessories, but again, will wait until I find the perfect things!

I'd love your opinions! Should the mirror stay for good, or should I continue my search for the perfect candidate?

Greenery in the Sunroom

The Sunroom is the perfect spot to add some greenery. I haven't had much success in the past with keeping indoor plants, but I attribute much of that to our previous home being light challenged. Not only did we move to a city which has far more sunshine, but the sunroom is perfectly positioned with southern exposure and a ton of windows.

Here are a few plants I've recently added:

My Mother bought me this Terrarium as a gift when she was out to help with the Baby Ella.  We placed ferns and violets inside. It is temporarily sitting on this old footstool (which is awaiting a new top and some paint). We have the perfect table for the sunroom, but it's at my Mom's house (15 hours away!), so we're waiting for someone to drive out until we get it =)

I found this gorgeous blue orchid at Costco for $19.99.  I adore orchids, and am acquiring quite the collection of them.  I have an orchid which I bought in September that still has blooms on it! You surely can't buy any cut flowers for under $20 that last that long or are that beautiful!

Isn't the colour amazing? Apparently it goes to it's 'natural colour' on the second bloom (presumably white).  I didn't read that fact until I bought it and checked the tag closer.

Irish Moss is perfect in this silver urn.

I bought this Bridal Veil plant at Home Depot for $12.97.  It has the prettiest delicate white flowers, and the underside of each leaf is purple-so pretty!

I'm going to have to show you a few more pictures of the sunroom as I've made some other changes in here also. Nothing major, but just a few nice additions here and there.

Have a wonderful day!

A Vintage Tapestry

I recently found a vintage tapestry for sale, that I thought would be perfect for this large blank wall in the sunroom. In between diaper changes and naps, we zipped out to check out several things for sale by the same vendor. I found some great things, which I will show you soon, but one of my favorite finds of that day was this tapestry depicting a hunting scene.The tapestry is large, at 5 ft by 3 ft. I hung it with Command Adhesive strips as this wall is Hardiplank siding, and the hubs is hesitant to drill any holes in it (guess I can't blame him, but it certainly limits my decorating options).

The colours and subject matter are perfect for this space.




I may frame it, but for now, I am enjoying it just the way it is. 

The same person had another beautiful tapestry for sale.  I desparately wanted to buy it and make it into a bolster for my bed, but alas, it was glued down to a board and framed.  Too bad!!

I've made several changes in the Sunroom and Master Bedroom recently, and I'll be sharing these with you in the next several posts.

ps Baby Ella and the family are all doing very well adjusting to our life with a new babe. She's such a sweet, easy baby, and we feel so blessed! My posts will still be sporadic, as my main focus is my girls, and of course, the baby, but lucky for me, she is a fabulous napper, so I do manage to get in a bit of blog time!!

The Pass it On Project

Have you ever been surprised by someones kindness?

Maybe someone brought you over a Starbuck's coffee. A fancy Venti, topped with whipped cream, no less (thanks Nikki!), or maybe an offer of assistance for a new mom who's barely slept and is a wee bit frazzled (thanks Lise!).

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Well, how about an amazing, kind, generous gesture from someone you've Never Even Met??

Having never met this wonderful, kind person, doesn't mean that I don't know her. In fact, I feel that I know her very well. I've admired her and her sister for a good long while now. They've inspired me. They've given me so many ideas. I've adored their beautiful homes. They've given me, and so many others, the gift of a gorgeous blog to read.

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Karianne from Thistlewood Farm is the person I speak of. Her and some of her blogging buddies have come up with a brilliant idea, The Pass it on Project, and I am honoured to be one of the recipients of Karianne's gift.

I already have the perfect person in mind for the second gift, and have my special gifts all made up to pass along to another special blogger. I will share all the details with you soon. In the meantime, please go to Karianne's amazingly beautiful blog and read about this special project.

Perhaps you could pass a gift of kindness along to someone special in your life today?

10 truths of New Motherhood

1. On March 1, 2012, we welcomed sweet baby Ella Violet. She weighed in at 7 lbs, 2 oz, and was 16 days early.

2. I have yet to produce an offspring who resembles her Mother. Luckily for my girls, they have their Father's nice dark complexion, hopefully sparing them from the Casper the Ghost jokes which plagued their Mother as a teen.

3. There is nothing sweeter than the smell of a freshly bathed baby. Ohhh, how I love those snuggles of a freshly bathed and lotioned babe!

4. I now have 3 daughters, and am incredibly lucky to have any children. Unknown to me, I have a very abnormal uterus, called a Unicornuate Uterus. This was discovered at C section and I was told to be very grateful for my 3 healthy girls.

5. Ella is such an amazingly good baby. She sleeps well, eats well, and is content to 'play' in her crib without a fuss. This is a far cry from my previous Diva babies, who while I adore, were a challenge for their Mother!

6. Her nursery is still not finished, but is very close. Somehow, finishing the room is soooo not a priority to us right now.

7. My cat, dog, and 8 year old daughter are taking the new baby in stride. My 4.5 year old, however, is rather put out by her new sister.

8. The 4.5 year old is particularly upset that she's not allowed to paint baby's toe nails, or apply lipstick to her.

9. I am now finished watching Downton Abbey. What's a new Mom to watch while nursing baby for hours on end? I am at a loss without my Downton fix.

10. I will be taking a wee break from posting while Ella and I and the rest of the family enjoy these fleeting early days. I will return soon (and in the meantime will be visiting you all as much as I can!).