I Have A Big Story To Tell: Once Upon a Mantel...

By the middle of February, I am itching for spring to arrive. I am sick of winter and want some springtime. Although this winter has been completely mild in my part of the world, I have not even worn a coat a single time. Still, it was mid-February and my thoughts and actions were far from winter. So I changed my mantel.

That means that anything remotely "winterish" in my home was put away. I wasn't ready to pull out bunnies and eggs, so I tried to think of spring ideas. I looked around the house and I saw lots of pictures of babies and lots of books. And because my mind works in mysterious ways, seeing books and babies made me think of my collection of children's books.

Then I thought, "Why not?" You get it don't you? Springtime....babies and children's book? I knew you'd understand!

So the mantel got a facelift. Again.

I filled it with some of my books, some of my pictures of babies and a few other little gems. The colors of the antique children's books are just beautiful. Bold colors that are muted from years of enjoyment.

What else says springtime? Well, in my world..puppies. So I added two special puppies to the mix. This one sits on a copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales and flanks a copy of the book. Several of the classic children's books in my collection, I have multiple copies of, yet they are all different.

This cute little pup came to me via Harrods

in London. My daughters went to Ireland one summer with my mother and this is one of the things they brought me back. Isn't he cute? His leash even says Harrods.

Here's an example of the same book looking completely different. All three of my Three Little Pigs books have very cute graphics inside.

I put the pocket watch up there for symbolism. No one will get it but me. Heck, I don't know if anyone will even get any of this mantel idea! Anyway, the watch is to symbolize time....and how quickly the springtimes and babies and puppies pass through our life, and all of a sudden they are grown. (That's why I teach English, I can symbolize the heck out of anything!)

And the babies in the pictures? This one is our sweet Leightyn. She will be 1 in two weeks. That's what I am talking about with that pocket watch!!! How did one year go by so quickly????

The picture on the left are my two daughters when they were probably 2 and 3. Where did all those years go? I'm telling 'ya, I can almost hear that watch ticking time away!!! The picture on the right is my Grammie holding my dad. How sweet is that? She was in her 40's when he was born, and her other children were teenagers. (Surprise!!!)

The baby on the the right is my niece Caroline. She is 10 now. It seems like she "posed" for this picture about 6 months ago!

Finally, look at that cute puppy. He was sitting out on my piano when I was trying to think of a pre-spring Springtime mantel. He was one of the reasons I thought of the whimsical mantelscape. He came to live at my house last week when a dear friend of ours died. She had him in her living room on a shelf and I got to bring him to my home. Every time I see him I will think of that wonderful friend and family. How appropriate that he is front and center on the mantel.