Mantle: Rescued

 Hello Friends

I had seen this mantle a while ago.

 I recently decided it could be rescued.

 One leg of it was shorter than the other. 

Some well meaning person had added a board to it. 

Joe removed the board and trimmed the other side.

It is old and has hand forged square nails in it. 

 It has to lean because I am not willing to move the French coat of arms

 or put nails in the stone of the fireplace. Yikes y'all I need to dust.

I added couple of other chippy items under it. 

Yes, the cactus is blooming now. 

In Olive Out news I have been diagnosed with a frozen shoulder. 

I am busily engaged with Physical Therapy biweekly. Joe and I are still cleaning up after the ice storm. The FEMA guys did arrive last week and picked up our curb limbs and cut trees. I unfortunately have lifted too many tree limbs since the storm.

Linking@Wow Us Wednesday's

joy and peace

Olive

Spring Blooms

Spring is bursting forth with all it's colorful impatience. 

This is a magnolia. We call it a tulip tree in these parts.

Forsythia

A lone Lily of The Valley on our sweet Clovis's grave. 

Our cat who died last year for new followers.

Sedum

 Patio Peach Tree

happy gardening

Olive

Camellia

Our pink camellia bloomed despite much adversity this winter. 

The first blooms were a bit burned by ice but the next set of blooms are not bad.

This bloom was up in a dark recess of the shrub and so I have put it in cross process effect. 

I like it better this way.

Definitely not a camellia but a strawberry pot of angelina sedum and another sedum I cannot recall the name of. This pot of sedums made it through the winter outside. 

I went out early this morning and captured many new spring blooms popping out. 

That will be the next post.

 It has been in the high 70's in the afternoons and it is

 time to plant.

happy gardening

Olive

Display What Is Important To You

Architectural elements like columns and posts add textural interest to a room.

 I found these two posts at a resale shop. They were expensive. 

Sometimes Olive falls hard and fast from her frugal ways.

 If I really like something I will buy it though.

The sweetgrass basket was purchased for me by my darling father at the Charleston, S.C. Market.

 It is filled with funny little bits that I like.

I do not over think vignettes. 

The word vignettes is over used by us bloggers these days.

 I put on the coffee table what is important to me and pleases my eye. 

I love the small Sunday School chair. 

It reminds me of an innocent and simpler time.

I bought the chippy bird from a good friend who has been on my mind lately.

Display What Is Important To You

Decorate for yourself and not for what you think "others" might like whoever "they" may be.

Use your favorite items, family mementos, quirky items that only you may "get."

 If you love flowers and nature bring them inside as well.

 I decorate with books because I love to read. 

I have read all the books you see in my home. 

Make your spaces reflect who you are. 

joy and peace

Olive

Olive Out News

Hello friends.

Above our Broome Closet window booth at Ridge Antiques in Ridge Spring, S.C.  is pictured with our beloved blue mantle. Frankly if we do not sell that mantle any time soon I will not mind. We have filled it with bunnies and items that bring spring to mind.

 I also have this affinity for galvanized metal so watering cans and radiator water cans have made their way into the booth. Buckets are populating the floor. Right now all items are 50% off unless marked firm. We are cleaning house for spring.

In Olive Out news we are at 30 truck loads of limbs and trees to our second lot from the ice storm. Along with that clean up I have been doing my February gardening. February is a huge gardening month for me. I am getting behind as it is March! Joe helped me plant three David Austin roses.   Spring is upon us whether I am ready or not.

Joe mowed that large section of  green monkey grass (lilirope) on Saturday. It must be done before the green shoots pop out. You can see some debris in the foreground. Small stuff like that we are leaving for now.

Saturday I was resting in the chaise for a minute and heard a chain saw very close. A man was in our oak tree sawing away and throwing limbs in our clean yard. It was a FEMA crew. They said someone would be here in two days to pick up the limbs. Our neighbor astutely said "And I believe in the Tooth Fairy."No pick up crew yet and they cut limbs that did not need cutting. Oh and they cut an electric line and our power was off for five hours that night. It is exciting here but not in a good way.

I cannot recall a time when I was this fatigued except perhaps after childbirth. Maybe that analogy does not hold. However I am sore all over and fear I have torn my left rotator cuff. Not to mention my back is hurting and I seldom have back pain.  I know you are not here to hear my whining but this is our life at the moment. Joe is about the same and has to go to work.

I miss blogging and wish I could get into some sort of routine once more. I thank my new and loyal followers. I am thankful for the kinship found here.

joy and peace

Olive