My Favorite Things: A Day For Daisies, My Cat Lilybelle, and My circa 1900s Mantel!

Happy Friday All!  Oh my goodness, December is whizzing by and I'm still not finished with my Christmas shopping - YIKES!!  Dan and I have been working like mad around the house and it is crazy how much time goes into even the littlest project.   But it's so rewarding when a room comes together so it keeps us moving onto the next!  We are now working in dining/living room and I cannot wait to share the pictures of that room.  I am so excited about one of the improvements we are putting in there that I have to show you!!  But first, I want to share a card I made using this A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E. A Day For Daisies image (from the wonderful new release today).  I couldn't resist using Tammy's "Kitty Gift" image because it reminded of my LilyBelle - see her crazy little frizzy fur!?  She is a Himalayan mix and her coat has really gone through some phases - hee hee!

Here she is the day I brought her home July 13, 2009:

 and here she is now:

She is my constant companion and is always crafting with me...you know, chasing ribbon or sleeping on my table or batting about a bead she found on the floor :)  So.darn.cute!

Ok, enough of my going on about Lil; now it's time to get on with GUSHING about my latest Craigslist find! *giggle* I am so excited about this -- an antique Victorian double mantel!!!  

She is a beauty  - see for yourself:

SWOOONNN!  Look at those columns and that mirror!!!!  and you will never guess what I paid for her!   ONE HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE smackeroos - WHAT WAS THAT!?  yeppers $125.00 -  I couldn't believe it - I did one of those cartoon moves when I saw it:

I did not pass go, I did not collect $200, I moved directly to the phone and (1) called the owners, (2) arranged pick-up, (3)  rented a U-haul (cause she's 7 feet tall and 4 feet wide), and (4) changed out of my jammy jeans (no, I'm not kidding, my sister got them for me for Christmas last year) and was on the road less than 15 minutes later to Bowling Green to pick 'er up.   As it turned out, it had been listed previously for three times as much and it wasn't selling.  The owners were moving and it needed to go ASAP so they dropped the price.   Here's another look:

This amazing piece of history was removed from one of the historic homes in Bowling Green during renovation.   We actually passed the house it came from on Main Street on our way to get her!  I have written down these details and am placing them inside the mantel when it's installed (hopefully soon).  

Happy Crafting! <3 Lisa