Spring Mantel

I have issues with my mantel.  It has been barren for some time now.  Just four lonely mirrors to reflect the empty room.  Well, maybe not empty, but since the puppy's arrival when we had to rescue the rug from potential desecration, at its perpetual lack of any occasional tables, it feels pretty empty.

And due to my impossibly slow decorating technique, things don't change quickly. . . until today.  Here is what I had this morning. . .

A few months ago I added the finial on the left. . . then on my birthday eight days ago I bought the little dove and put it next to the finial, and the wreath, which I hung on the nail still there from my Christmas wreath. . . then a few days after that I decided the other side looked empty so I added a pitcher.  It didn't really help.  But I knew I just needed to think up more stuff to add that didn't look like I was just adding stuff.

Then the other day I was at the Good Will looking for more pitchers and some frames I could make over for another project--and I scored the second pitcher (the one on the inside left).  It is Ironstone. . . and I got it for $3. Yea!  (Signe is demonstrating my joy with a twirl--decked out in St. Patrick's Day green.)

Then I spent part of my day painting and lightly distressing the frames (I will show you what for tomorrow).  But when I got done I suddenly got an idea. . .

And I went crazy on my mantel.

 I "borrowed" the frame I had just painted and found another in a storage closet that I WAS going to paint white, but I kind of like it not white in this case.

And then I nabbed three of my herb pots from my kitchen window--making that little arrangement of five pots in various height glass pedestals look a little thin :).

Does it work?  Is it too busy, or just ugly?

I mentioned to Rob the other day I was contemplating layering some frames on the mantel and he looked at me like I was crazy and said, "Why would you mess with the mirrors? They look good."

And they did--not that he is partial, seeing as how he made me those mirrors six or seven years ago. Besides, they STILL look good. And the combination of black, white and tan fits the aesthetic that the room has going already--only with green accents instead of the blue (which is fitting since it is St. Patrick's Day!).

It will probably change again soon.  I had another idea in mind that included some of the blue I have used as an accent in the family room and kitchen.  Plus the frames are going to be serving another purpose tomorrow. . . and the herbs might need to go back to the kitchen window.  But I kind of like it.

What do you think?