summer mantel.

When we made our "must-have" list when shopping for a new home, I put on it-- fireplace. Not because I wanted something extra to heat the house, but because of a mantel to decorate. I needed a place I could change up every season/holiday. Plus, I bought new handmade stockings this past January  for our next Christmas, a mantel was requirement for those purty things to be hung on.

Our new home has a fireplace. I wood burning one at that--I can't wait for the smell of wood to linger through our home this winter. The mantel was a typical wood colored one. Being that I'm obsessed with grey and white (and turquoise), I painted it white. Then added my summer touches.

Before:

After:

(I didn't paint the wall, it just appears different in the before-picture because I only had lamp lighting that made everything had a yellow glow. In the after-picture, I was able to use natural light. Natural light always wins.) 

I have plans to whitewash the stone and paint the walls a light grey, eventually. We have plans to change quite a bit more in our new home, but for now we are settled and enjoying it so, so much. When we first moved (about a month and a half ago), I had about three weeks of insanity. I seriously didn't know if I was going to make it between caring for a newborn, a 1.5 year old, and 3.5 year old, unpacking/cleaning/decorating, and taking care of sickness that we had over and over and over. BUT, things are good now. We have reached the light at the end of the tunnel and it feels good.