Suzanne Carillo

So we got another foot of snow today.

I want to cry.

This is the worst, most depressing winter I can remember.

It doesn't help that my husband is away in Australia soaking up the sun FaceTiming me with a burnt nose complaining it is "too hot".

Oh sure he says it's for work…but really?

Meanwhile my neighbours are nice enough to come and snow-blow my driveway. Thank heavens. Otherwise I would literally be buried under the snow.

So to cheer myself up I decided to decorate my new fireplace and mantle for Valentine's and Spring. It may be the only Spring I get for months to come.

My Valentine to you is this printable text block. It is designed for an 8" x 8" frame but I decided to put it in an 8" x 10" frame and added the decorative masking tape to hold it in place.

I picked up the little silver vase and grape vine heart wreath from HomeSense (like TJ Maxx but for the home).

The fake flowers and frame are from Michaels. Believe me, if I had real ones I'd be using those instead. Sadly I don't expect that to happen for a long time yet here.

I planned on putting a few more decorative items up that I'd made but in the end I like it sparse and clean. It feels fresh.

If you don't remember this is what my fireplace looked like before…

Part of the bricks had fallen down and then I torn down the rest. I debated for a long time about trying to tile it on my own and finally broke down and got someone else to come and do it. I'm glad I did. It was TONS of work.

I think it has brightened up the room tremendously.

I'm excited to have a blank canvas of the white.

I wanted to buy this wallpaper for the other wall in the room, but when it turned out to cost $800 I said to the saleswoman, "What??? Are you serious? What is it made out of, spun gold?"

So I am trying to source it elsewhere. Either that or I will simply paint the wall white. I had my heart set on those darn barn planks. I love that look. Rustic but clean.

What do you think of my fireplace makeover?

Will you be decorating at all for Valentine's Day?

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After my pontificating yesterday about how best to shop vintage stores it is only appropriate that today I am showing off my newest acquisition… the gold cocktail dress.

What isn't to love about this little cocktail dress?

From the curved front seam to the side bow.

Vintage 1950's

To the iridescent shine and hint of sparkle.

It's everything a gal could want and more.

I picked it up last week on our day of fun gallivanting downtown at a little (and I mean little, like 20 ft long and 10 ft wide!) new shop I'd never visited before called Print Vintage. They happened to have a big sale going on and this baby some how made it out the door with me for $45.

It is pristine and fit…

well you can see how well it fits.

It was a bit of a struggle because the store was so tiny, there were five other people in there, six if you include the sales assistant and we literally could not move. For a few moments there I felt my claustrophobia creeping up on me.

Don't worry folks…I wouldn't let panic and the inability to breathe impede my overwhelming compulsion to buy a vintage dress for my collection.

Breathing is so overrated.