Mantel in Black and White

My newest re-do of the mantel decor, going from late Christmas, to the black and white of winter.

I left only my great-grandmother's watercolor painting hanging on the wall; all the other elements I pulled from cupboards and closets throughout the house. The two large glass apothecary jars on each end are fairly new. I especially like the bubble glass jar below, sitting on an old Bible and Homer's Illiad. Behind it, I have a thrifted white mirror. I would prefer having a black piece here instead of white, but I don't have anything else in black.

In the center are silhouettes of my children cut in the Kristkindlmarkt in Munich in 2001. I was fascinated watching the artist cut them in just a few moments, using only his eyes and scissors. Also from Europe are the lace-edge linen napkins from Bruge, Belgium, draped over the mantel edge. The little Eiffel tower tealight holders are not from France; they are from Target. The pierced white plate from Williamsburg is one of my favorites in my plate collection.

I usually struggle to build successful table and mantel arrangements, but I'm quite happy with this one, and I think I can live with it for a while.

Something Borrowed

Wreath photo courtesy of snippet and ink

Greta found this beautiful photo online. She has two wreaths almost identical to this that she will be using in the church...borrowed from her sister's wedding four years ago. Something borrowed for the bride!

Invites

Invitations are ordered. We found great prices online, and since Greta didn't want anything in a contemporary style, we went with a very traditional invitation and wording. I also ordered an interesting monogram return address stamp. The great thing about it is it can be used for all our correspondence as long as we live at this address.

Mission Accomplished: Dress

I think I tried on hundreds of MOB dresses at the local bridal shops and I came up empty. Next I looked online for hours. Finally I found something promising at Nordstrom's site, but I couldn't print it out. Heather and I decided to go to a real Nordstrom's to look around, so off we went to Northpoint Mall. But... Nordstrom's isn't at Northpoint Mall! Dillard's was handy though, so we took a look. I bought the only long blue dress they had, not because they had only one, but because I liked it. Above is a blurry shoulder shot. (The little ribbon for hanging is poking out the back. Oops!)

Wedding Website

Greta and I finished some details on their wedding website tonight. It's not completely finished yet, but it is ready for viewing. Go visit if you would like, at:

http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/DanielStreet&GretaNoren

Fabric Found

With time out for my father-in-law passing away, I hope to be back in wedding mode soon. While I was out of town for 10 days, Greta found her perfect shade of green for the bridesmaids dresses. She has plans afoot now for the design and construction of the dresses. I'm not yet up on all the details, but I hope to be shortly.

Later: We ordered 2 bolts of one of these light green fabrics, called "bamboo green". Each girl has chosen her own pattern, and a friend will be making the dresses.

By Post

A package arrived today, a little cardboard box filled with sheer organza table toppers and sashes. Sage green, almost the shade of the ribbon snippet Greta gave me.

I found them for a song online.

Searching, Searching

The Professor and I spent most of the day browsing antique malls looking for a fluted silver basket (or two!), appropriate for Greta's young flowergirl(s) to carry up the aisle and toss rose petals. No luck so far, but May is four months away. We'll keep looking.

New/Old Furniture

In the past week Greta has come into possession of several major pieces of furniture. The first piece: Daniel's parents found a very nice bed (headboard, footboard, frame) on the side of the road. A few days later Greta bought a nice sturdy, solid wood kitchen table at the thrift store. Displayed with it were two matching chairs, but only two. Greta said, "We only need two at first". And she's right. She bought all three pieces for $85.

A week later, back at the thrift store, she found an armchair with upholstered seat. The fabric is ugly, but replaceable. The chair is sturdy. It will go in their living room.

Somewhere along the line Greta bought a table lamp at an antique mall. She also has a cherry-look coffee table in storage in the attic.

We promised them our big green sofa in the family room. The fabric has innumerable rips in the seat and the arms, but it is sturdy and Daniel loves it. They can throw a sheet or something over it. If they can haul it off, they can have it!

We donated our garage to storing all this until they rent an apartment later in the spring. In total, including their own dressers and desks, they are well on their way to furnishing their first apartment.