Sunday, August 19, 2007

My Fireplace Revealed.

Thanks to John I won a prize for my sign so when he asked to see my mantelpiece I could only oblige. Before I go any further I must warn you that my fireplace is disgusting. I hate it. But it is way down the list of things that need doing.

So here it is in all it's glory. Gross, gross, gross. A horrible brick fireplace. Dillon took the photos for me and I see that he did not even straighten the candles! We have a gas fire thanks to my mum who paid for us to have the heating converted to gas after a terrible winter when I was pregnant with Mollie and the oil fired boiler kept packing up. I used to try and heat the house using the real fire and the back boiler. It was hard work and the house was not that warm so we used lots of hot water bottles instead. The painting above the fireplace I have blogged about before, my mother-in-law painted it of Mollie and myself.

These are all my nick knacks on top of the mantelpiece. None are antique or family heirlooms. Starting from the left:

A silver candlestick, (not real silver) I choose it because it went with the room.
Orange vase, given to me by friends I cooked dinner for with red fake poppy, I love poppies.
Small picture frame, Dillon bought me a few years ago but I haven't found small enough pictures to put in it (I can't print my digital photos as we only have a black and white printer).
A pig picture/jigsaw, Mollie found this recently and somehow it found its way up there.
A photo of a very young Dillon.
Here is a closer view of my clock. Mum brought it back from her first visit to Sam in San Francisco. She liked the plane because we all have to travel that way to visit each other.
Another photo of Dillon with a larger one of Mollie behind waiting to be framed.
A pretty candle, a gift from my aunt.
A photo of Mollie and Ben.
An angel candlestick, a gift from my granny who loves angels.
Ben's piggy bank, not sure what it's doing there but now I know where to go if I need a couple of euro!

Finally a close up of the hearth, more candles. The crystal candlesticks were a prize for runner up in singles and the crystal bowl (with fairy lights in it) was a runner up prize in doubles for a tennis tournament. The small painted candle cup in the foreground was painted by Dillon about six years ago (Mollie's is tucked away behind another candle). They made them as gifts one Christmas. The big black candlestick was another tennis prize. In the distance is Joules lava lamp and Ben's toy.

So what's your fireplace like?

22 comments:

Pat said...

Becky I came over from John's to see what you had done re fireplaces. I think you have done what he wanted and I think I haven't. I sent him photos of the fireplaces without details. Oh bugger! It's taken me all morning an i don't even know if he got them.
Happy Sunday:)

Anonymous said...

Beccy, sorry but I love your fireplace!
It looks just like a fireplace should be. I can't even use mine because the chimney is so dirty, and paying someone to clean it so we can use it 4 times a year seems wasteful (no gas) and as you said, it doesn't heat well.
Again, I love the green walls!

Jill said...

we don't have a fire place or fairy lights, we are so bad off! very cute stuff ya got there though!

Anonymous said...

Oh, my God! de-clutter and Feng Shui!

Ann

Marmite Breath said...

Your fireplace has lots of clues about how much your family loves eachother. That's the cool thing about it!

ChrisB said...

Beccy I bought that clock in Sausalito and I thought I would see if I could find the shop I think it must be this one.

Dea said...

I love your green colour Beckie - so vibrant! I see you are a candle and poppy fan. I'm in good company then! What a fantastic clock too... very cool!

Unknown said...

Beccy, you, like your Mum are a star! Great fire place, not too keen on the colour though! sorry.

Anonymous said...

Beccy, I love your fireplace. Very cool color green walls.

We had a fireplace growing up, that I remember my dad would chop the firewood and I would love to watch him start the fire. He even bought those logs that change colors.

Our friends have one here in AZ. Even though we don't really have cold enough winters for a fireplace, it's still fun to sit around.

Anonymous said...

We don't have fireplace here. It's not in our tradition; and I don't think we need one in the tropics.
Anyway yours is lovely.

Carla said...

Well, your fireplace seems so interesting compared to mine. Mine is plain with no nicknacks or anything. Just the fireplace. Perhaps I'll post a photo when I get back home.

Steffi said...

That´s a really nice fireplace,Beccy!I like it and I like your colores !

Anonymous said...

beccy - I love the green! It's fabulous.

I like your fireplace very much - mine is brick also, but it's painted white and it has this horrible insert made of some kind of black metal. It hasn't been used in 7 years - I'm not even sure it's in working order! It's unadorned because we have a wall-mounted TV above it.

I think your fireplace tells all kinds of stories about you with your knick knacks and family pictures. It looks like home. :)

my4kids said...

I don't have one at the moment but the last few I have had were similar to yours a lot of nik nacks that came from all over. I actually like you fireplace though!

katy said...

love the fire place and its gas but it sure looks real, is the picture above the fire the same as chrisb, is that your mum? and i love that clock

katy said...

i am back, no sorry its not the same picture but on the same there how nice they both are

Anonymous said...

Looks good to me, I grew up with one just like it. You have to be pretty ballsy to use that colour scheme, but you pulled it off.

Emma in Canada said...

No fireplace over here!

Though I would love a mantle for some of my knick knacks.

Kila said...

I don't have a fireplace, so yours looks wonderful to me!

That painting above the fireplace is so fabulous, no one will look at the fireplace anyway!

la bellina mammina said...

I love your mantelpiece Beccy, and so jealous of your fireplace!

~ej said...

i think your fireplace is wonderful. and you have lovely glass and candles around it and nothing is broken!! :)
mine has lots of framed photos and some cards on it. i had to move the candles cos the kids kept knocking them off (and broke the holders) :(

Anonymous said...

I wish I had one. But I love yours!