Mantle Linky Day at The Nester's

I'm participating in The Nester's Mantle Link-up today.

Although I don't have the most interesting of mantle scapes, I do enjoy it.  Dislike for dusting prevents me from going overboard on total number of objects (that would then require removing for the dreading dusting process), so I have to select and edit carefully.

The two bronze crosses and the little bronze thingy in between are fairly new to the mantle.  I put one of the crosses on the mantle for Christmas and liked it so much, I decided to hunt down another one for a vignette.  The little thingy I had somewhere else in the house.  I like things in odd numbers so the little guy completed the look for me.

On the opposite end of the mantle, the candle lamp has been there forever because I just love how it sparkles when the candle inside is lit.  David's head has been there off and on for a long time too just because I think he's very handsome. 

The fresh flowers are not usually there, but when I saw them pop up in the backyard I couldn't wait to bring them inside to enjoy them before the temp dropped down again and  frosted them.

Thanks so much for stopping by to see my mantle.  I'm off to check out everyone's beautiful mantle scapes.

Downtown Chic Makes an Appearance on BRAVO

At some point this past weekend, I caught a preview of the new BRAVO show, 9 By Design, that features Robert and Cortney Novogratz and their 6 children (she was pregnant in the preview so not sure if #9 in the family has made an appearance since the filming).

I first became aware of them when I picked up their book, Downtown Chic, in the clearance section at Home Goods. 

 He was a stockbroker and she was pursuing an acting career 15+ years ago when they met.  They discovered, when looking for their home, that what they  both really had a passion for was finding run down wrecks and bringing them back to life.  Once the mission is accomplished, them sell them for a tidy profit. 

Somewhere along the way, they found time to do some serious procreating.  Here are a few of their gorgeous babes:

A few more of my favorite images from the book:

Their wedding invitation was painted by a close friend and artist, Pat Palomino:

Love this vanity...

The book is full of quirky images, some I love, some not so much.  All of the kids pictures are adorable though.

I would show you more, but the book is too large to fit well on my scanner and that makes it difficult to capture the images clearly.

As for whether I'll tune in to the show...no idea.  My self enforced hibernation period is ending now that it's SPRING.  I don't watch so much of the beloved TV once the weather turns.

If you tune in, let me know what you think.