ASCP Mantle Makeover and More Summer Additions

"Doesn't it seem to you," asked Madame Bovary, "that the mind moves more freely in the presence of that boundless expanse, that the sight of it elevates the soul and gives rise to thoughts of the infinite and the ideal?"

-Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary

Yes Madame Bovary, Yes it does!

If you've been around for my last few posts, you know my family just returned home from a week at the beach.

And after coming home from all that sand and sun, my living room was lookin' just a wee bit dark and dreary.


I shared my entry way table makeover with yall HERE
(btw, i'm taking all my photos with my iphone now while i investigate new cameras.....mine died while we were on vacation)

See what I mean.....our big dark fireplace wall.....yes, it takes up one entire vaulted ceiling wall of our living room. I do love having the brick there, kinda reminds me of the exposed brick in old homes and downtown buildings. However, it's too dark and someday I plan to whitewash it. Today is NOT that day!

Originally I wanted to replace the smallish mantle with an antique one that has "legs". As you can see from the photos though, we have blowers and intake vents built into the wall of the fireplace and so far I haven't found a mantle with an opening that big. Oh well!

Soooooo........what I've done for now is just paint the mantle and dress her up for summer

I literally spent 20 minutes painting with ASCP in Old Ochre and distressing it by rubbing a little of the paint off with a damp paper towel. Old Ochre is my favorite white as it is a soft warm white. It still needs to be waxed but you know how you have a vision and you can't seem to get anything else done until it's completed.....uuuuum....yeeeeaaaa.....I was supposed to be finishing up jewelry pieces for Canton. :) 

This sweet canvas print was my inspiration piece. I bought this at TJ Maxx years ago when my oldest two were about the size of these little boys and before our little guy was born.

 We had just spent a week building sand castles and collecting shells in Gulf Shores, Alabama and when I found this picture it just perfectly captured my little guys at that precious moment in their lives. So innocent, so full of adventure and wonder. Watching them play on the beach as teenagers last week was a stark contrast to the little ones they were when I bought this print. Still precious, but nearly grown, 6 ft tall and rowdy!! Gotta love teenage boys :)

A couple books to elevate a bowl of collected shells. Didn't even remember having a book with an anchor on it. What a sweet surprise!

A chippy old piece of architectural trim that I picked up at Canton last month. Cathy had this for sale in our Girls Gone Junkin booth and I couldn't keep my eyes off of it all weekend. Finally, I said "ok thats it! It's going home with me!"

Sweet and simple

Small flags in an old blue mason jar and a close up of the freshly painted mantle.....love it now!!

You could barely see this detail when it was stained.

I asked my husband if he liked the makeover and his exact words were "i like the flags"......thankfully he is of the philosophy "if i don't have to paint it, i love it". Haha!! I think he just realized early on that I can't leave anything "as is" for very long. There's always something that needs to be tweeked. :)

Oh yea, I also dry brushed a little Old Ochre on the swirly iron piece up top. I think it really needs to be painted solid though, maybe later.....it's a little high for my short self to take down very often.

The shutters were a $5 junk store find and the piece of "rope garland" draped across them is actually the seam from the canvas drop cloth that I made my dining room curtains from. I ripped it out in order to make two panels and since I never seem to throw anything away, it ended up here. I think it'd be cute to clip photos or something on it......maybe thats another post!

I pray yall had a blessed weekend and your Monday is a good one. Time to get back in the studio and crank out a little bling!!

xoxo

jenny

Linking up to the following parties

SNS Patriotic Projects @ Funky Junk Interiors

DIY Project Parade @ The DIY Showoff

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

White Wednesday @ Faded Charm

4th of July Party @ Honey We're Home