My fireplace

I was looking through some old photos this morning, and I thought I would share one of my favorite parts of our house with you. This stone fireplace was built for me by my brother-in-law (and father of the Princess) Dan.

Dan does wonderful tile and stonework, as well as some really beautiful woodwork. He is truly an artist with tile and stone and takes great pride in ensuring that each element of the piece is perfect. He handpicked each stone for its precise location on the fireplace, and I think the result is simply stunning. A thing of beauty, isn't it?


Below is a close-up of the mantle. Ron and Dan selected the wood and Dan cut it to size and sanded and stained it. I love it. It's large enough to hold photos and candles, but not so large that I can't stand close to the fire on a cold day!















And what do you think of my wall color? It's called "Hawk's Nest" - does it bring to mind a hawk's nest? Nope - not to me, anyway. But, I love the fact that it is a neutral color that is a bit stronger than a mushroom or a beige. I am now wishing, in fact, that I'd added a red wall somewhere into the mix, and I saw a sponge technique the other day that would look fabulous over these walls! It's probably a good thing that I don't have time right now for painting!

Dan hates the color, by the way. He also hates my yellow kitchen, and my green and blue bedrooms. He is too nice to say so outright, but I can tell by the occasional comments that the colors are just too much for him. Melissa gets my love of colors, though - hers is even stronger than mine. I can't wait to see what color she chooses for her craft room!

Terri