Welcome to the first day of spring!

Everyone in Virginia tells me this was one of the coldest, longest winters in recent history. Seems like that’s true for a lot of the country. While my family enjoyed all the wonders of our first snowfall and bundling in new scarves, we’re more than anxious for the return of warm weather.

A new season is a great reason for fresh mantel decor! Dressing up our ledge might be my new creative outlet, but I’ve set some ground rules. Namely, a $20 budget. It’s easy to put together gorgeous decor when you’ve got unlimited funds. But, I find it more adventurous (and thrifty) to “shop” my home for things I can reuse, repurpose, or make from scratch.

In case you missed it, the paper feather garland tutorial can be found here.

Hydrangea blues and sunny yellows having me dreaming of spring breezes, even though it’s been raining non-stop here.

I took this photo while sailing in the British Virgin Islands with Handsome after college. Love their cheerful exterior color schemes.

We made the mistake of buying Bug a kite this winter. A kite in the winter, you say? Well, it’s a fighter jet kite we brought home from our DC vacation. Of course he wanted to fly it immediately – in the snow. So, my spring mantel has a subtle flight theme because spring will bring better kite-flying weather.

Cost breakdown:
hydrangeas (50% off at Michaels) – $10.50 for 3
bird, nest & egg – $5
moss – $3
dowel for kites – $.30
terra cotta pots (used coupon) – $1 for 2
Total – $19.80
vase, river rock, frames, prints, colored paper, spraypaint, twine, candlesticks, faux greenery, & clothespins – on hand!