Styling Evolution

First of all, thank you SO much to everyone for weighing in on the <a href="http://myinteriorlife.blogspot.com/2011/10/back-to-black.html">mantel painting issue</a>. Pretty much unanimous for painting that sucker black. Can't wait to get on that project. Until then, I've turned my energy toward styling the mantel. It turns out that having a young puppy who requires you to stick close to home for hours on end + kids who want to OD on technology while on fall break = mantel styling antics galore. Don't worry lots of potty breaks (for the puppy) and technology breaks (for the kiddos) were taken during this process. First, a reminder of what it looked like sans styling . . .<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjft3Z19cVKlj2hP3j0vw5bJTFCK1BfNkoDHNf9TnvATnz9lo5_FDExKnGX4SvvRfYh26o-i7yXtp0RNseAMEmbA-UT6Gw85379QY7-fZQxwjx9r7gQh_4CXPD4-nEXMeYFls-hIpJotV7W/s1600/IMG_0954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjft3Z19cVKlj2hP3j0vw5bJTFCK1BfNkoDHNf9TnvATnz9lo5_FDExKnGX4SvvRfYh26o-i7yXtp0RNseAMEmbA-UT6Gw85379QY7-fZQxwjx9r7gQh_4CXPD4-nEXMeYFls-hIpJotV7W/s400/IMG_0954.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">As I may have alluded to <a href="http://myinteriorlife.blogspot.com/2011/10/back-to-black.html">before</a>, I was honestly just lazy about styling the mantel because I didn't like it. But with all your fabulous suggestions, I was inspired to get on it. So, here's where I started. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbblFLM0W_zMNBWt3D8zifTH1-ZDpN2KDglkhdXbtq97H2ve7xnW9GzKR0rq0KfDXRUG-SiM1N005QAy12WIhS0Esip5g8Bhtl2tf9_QiCCKS7StRjJRkGwwKoh4NMA-t1BO7-2kR8LtJ/s1600/IMG_0979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbblFLM0W_zMNBWt3D8zifTH1-ZDpN2KDglkhdXbtq97H2ve7xnW9GzKR0rq0KfDXRUG-SiM1N005QAy12WIhS0Esip5g8Bhtl2tf9_QiCCKS7StRjJRkGwwKoh4NMA-t1BO7-2kR8LtJ/s400/IMG_0979.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now, don't judge too quickly. This is a process, remember? I basically just started moving art and accessories around my room. I decided I needed some natural element, so I grabbed my shears and cut the closest oak branch I could reach. Then, I stole this bowl from here:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheivMW3X4ybDPHDQVDqzp1TQO5atMTt_uOTsLNwxatjAnXUe4mcdy_xbC3ckhp5-8vM6jEIGuaYkKGvEoQnOBkCjBV4XYlEElJvMZTTJJW026U3GHFz5RW0CsPLOTmYkN3RLT4NbCpgs9N/s1600/IMG_0987.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheivMW3X4ybDPHDQVDqzp1TQO5atMTt_uOTsLNwxatjAnXUe4mcdy_xbC3ckhp5-8vM6jEIGuaYkKGvEoQnOBkCjBV4XYlEElJvMZTTJJW026U3GHFz5RW0CsPLOTmYkN3RLT4NbCpgs9N/s400/IMG_0987.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">And this brass and stone tree from here:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggouOqgUvuTsqxZo6maPBoQ76xf_9gQHxtJHS-9tn5x41YgJcMkepDDgZmSQu6NybQnofAOUZNFhobXz899Z41d2V9VX_Ty2NdUiipZLrR-J5BNIK4cqDd08LbfjUzlg05qG5n_d9fAZ3x/s1600/IMG_0989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggouOqgUvuTsqxZo6maPBoQ76xf_9gQHxtJHS-9tn5x41YgJcMkepDDgZmSQu6NybQnofAOUZNFhobXz899Z41d2V9VX_Ty2NdUiipZLrR-J5BNIK4cqDd08LbfjUzlg05qG5n_d9fAZ3x/s400/IMG_0989.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">But, I wasn't quite feeling it. The bowl was too small unless paired with some other pieces. So, I kept on moving stuff around.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY576zGnzJy16absV3-rJybHlend_QgrHP5XG_7bSm-cy2oIf34nZNMopueebV7-nnc84WVjcodpbzSxyLHQQ163A9Iie_Vmo91sxy-l3kfpUds7qlELeLGCgq91pHfX7Ewvzxr88tu4UA/s1600/IMG_0990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY576zGnzJy16absV3-rJybHlend_QgrHP5XG_7bSm-cy2oIf34nZNMopueebV7-nnc84WVjcodpbzSxyLHQQ163A9Iie_Vmo91sxy-l3kfpUds7qlELeLGCgq91pHfX7Ewvzxr88tu4UA/s400/IMG_0990.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Another attempt. This time, I moved the small ikat bowl and tree off completely and put this faux bois bowl I recently bought from Homegoods in the center. I liked the scale of this bowl a lot better, and thought if I filled it with some pomegranates or something kind of pink-ish/red that would add more color. Of course, I didn't have any pomegranates just lying around. Does anyone? Except maybe photo stylists? Those people seem to have everything.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Then while taking a break from styling I read some blogs. While looking at <a href="http://completelytotallymadly.blogspot.com/2011/10/quirky-layered-and-red.html">Nelya's blog</a>, inspiration struck. Nelya's blog often has that effect. If you're not already reading it, you should be. Because guess what I saw . . . </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="line-height: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/345181212/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="334" src="http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/345181212_j8VkZmXs_c.jpg" width="498" /></a></div><div style="float: left; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px;">Source: <a href="http://completelytotallymadly.blogspot.com/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">completelytotallymadly.blogspot.com</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/myinteriorlife/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Kathy</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div></div></div><br />books! On the mantel. Why had I not thought of that? Of course, I loved a lot of the other stuff going on here too, but don't have any of it. Except the books. Books I have. Aha!<br /><br />Since books wouldn't fit under my TV upright, I turned them on their side . . .<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-4F-iQsW7IShypDtnY7aIMzByjGQ9kBauqYtwmotpOcey9NjJ3M1aA71CHe_a9ldZv0i5pyD_HpvuhHZSfk2XecKd1Ne6FXCjKbk5qHYrOiJXsaYrOdSnGc-GLC1bsZvZaMPQAr1GIxL/s1600/IMG_1007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-4F-iQsW7IShypDtnY7aIMzByjGQ9kBauqYtwmotpOcey9NjJ3M1aA71CHe_a9ldZv0i5pyD_HpvuhHZSfk2XecKd1Ne6FXCjKbk5qHYrOiJXsaYrOdSnGc-GLC1bsZvZaMPQAr1GIxL/s400/IMG_1007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Better, right? We interrupt this styling session for a gratuitous puppy shot:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkvXUqQ1pwwGlxqOKvZNdqMgejO0sWreRKSmmN-Jjg7587LEUNTZg7R3nk4g7QOkh7fWEcpSNkgoseayUCGZm7g2-7Uj7oAlqPgshpKfz-t4IuAVyxC7EJ3g_Mu6uCkRnMielVMC6k7-t/s1600/IMG_1008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkvXUqQ1pwwGlxqOKvZNdqMgejO0sWreRKSmmN-Jjg7587LEUNTZg7R3nk4g7QOkh7fWEcpSNkgoseayUCGZm7g2-7Uj7oAlqPgshpKfz-t4IuAVyxC7EJ3g_Mu6uCkRnMielVMC6k7-t/s400/IMG_1008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">So, after adding some more books and scavenging some apples from the kitchen (who needs stinking pomegranates anyway?), this is what I ended up with . . . </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz6pSriw_7mwPnv_i-qtGCWiJWk_d_3rGFkshSXHO6MifmPl4XfH26wKbjSbRUKQmlT3lNFFrU-n_igqT6Q1HFy6RfXBT7mhKo1VyuAWbmHqEoNqA-PO64bds21Xgx-kA7ljVdKM4I1KJ5/s1600/IMG_1018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz6pSriw_7mwPnv_i-qtGCWiJWk_d_3rGFkshSXHO6MifmPl4XfH26wKbjSbRUKQmlT3lNFFrU-n_igqT6Q1HFy6RfXBT7mhKo1VyuAWbmHqEoNqA-PO64bds21Xgx-kA7ljVdKM4I1KJ5/s400/IMG_1018.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Granted, it might undergo some slight tweaking later on (as I've been known to move stuff around), but for now I'm happy with it and think it looks a whole lot better than it did. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZqriS96vjgU4xkkoT7z_GJbcRvWWATCI6QehbkD5Hs_qaeVqVFjwnXRJTorGGu9zWUN8jppHjmUVQFRefAPa7NukftnRc8j0ml5-eMinSpaJ4MOxx_Pc_43o9O3UiVP-bEjUB2SImwfs/s1600/IMG_1022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZqriS96vjgU4xkkoT7z_GJbcRvWWATCI6QehbkD5Hs_qaeVqVFjwnXRJTorGGu9zWUN8jppHjmUVQFRefAPa7NukftnRc8j0ml5-eMinSpaJ4MOxx_Pc_43o9O3UiVP-bEjUB2SImwfs/s400/IMG_1022.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Have you re-styled areas of your home that make you happy?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Postscript: During the writing of this post, my wily puppy peed on my cowhide rug for what is now the 10th time I believe. She loves that thing. You lose sight of her for 2 seconds, and sure enough, there's a yellow puddle on the white hide. Luckily, it's amazingly easy to clean. </i></div>

Styling Evolution

First of all, thank you SO much to everyone for weighing in on the mantel painting issue . Pretty much unanimous for painting that sucker bl...

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