A Warm Project

Since Knut finished the fireplace mantel this winter, I’ve been having fun decorating.  I’m still playing around with it, so it might change often while I find my favorite ways to do it.  I thought I’d show you a picture of how it was for Christmas:

I found on Pintrest some chalk boards as decoration on a mantle, and then remembered there was some old slate boards salvaged from an old one room school house around here and left in the summer kitchen before we moved here.  Knut got one of them cut down to fit nicely, and it’s my backdrop for decorating. 

I am SO in love with the slate board.  It’s so easy to write on compared to a modern chalk board, and the fact it’s a salvaged antique just makes me love it even more. 

The window is one I got at a garage sale about 3 years ago for $2.  Knut rolled his eyes when I brought it home but he really likes it here.  I got a little wreath to hang from the knob on there, but the red was too strong and clashes with all the other reds in the room, so I am looking for a replacement for it. 

Last night I finally erased the Christmas message, and have started work on a new board:

I think we may try to get our Christmas things down today.  I’ll have to figure out something new for the mantel.  For now I’m putting up new writing, and on this cold, cold day (-20 F air temp!  Yikes!) I’m going to draw a little snow flake, step back so my pants don’t set on fire, wait until I get cold again, and brave the extreme hot for a few minutes more.  (It’s heavy slate, and not something I’ll brave taking down and moving away from the fire to draw on.)

It’s a wonderfully warm job for such a cold day.  I’m thinking of moving off the Christmas-y things and moving over some more snowmen things, maybe some silver candlesticks.  The wreath needs to go in a different room, and I’m on the lookout for a new mini wreath.  Shopping will be for another day, though.  That is not a warm project.