{drops of Spring in our house}

I’ve been ready for Spring to arrive for a while, probably a month, because Winter here in Minnesota is… a long one. I’m ready for it to pack up and for Spring to fly over and settle on the trees in our yard. The birds have already begun their song, which is so refreshing to hear. Our yard is muddy and so Bauer is averaging a quick bath/rinse off every 2.37 days. {This is only slightly funny, hehe.} The gardens in the yard are ready to be turned, the sticks ready to be picked up, the outdoor chairs ready to be placed on the patio.

Last week I had enough and headed to Pier 1. I had two gift cards from Christmas saved and it was time to shop for Spring. In January we put away the Christmas decorations but we still had Winter lingering. You know what I’m talking about here, right? Traces of red, green, silver, white, brown were staring at me when I needed to be seeing yellow, green, white and maybe some pink :]

I walked the house and gathered Winter in my arms, then placed every trace of it on the dining room table. I dusted, picked up the dog toys, and unwrapped my new Spring goodies. The mantle was easy to re-decorate and I love how it turned out. I’m trying to go for simple color {love the yellow/white dish below} since there’s so much brown woodwork in the house.

This fun bird cage is from Lisa Leonard’s market table at The Creative Connection last September {made by The Rusty Bird}. I used to have the birdcage sitting on a filing cabinet in my office but with removing Winter and adding Spring, I decided having it tucked in a corner was a waste of it’s cuteness. Hah! {I’m at a coffee shop writing this and totally just snorted while writing “hah” ~ lol}.

Now the bird cage greets you when you come into our house ~ how sweet & Spring-y is that?

Back to what I bought at Pier 1 ~
I shopped the house & added this wooden tray to the end table, then set a vase filled with pretty potpourri {both from Target} and a wicker ball from Pier 1. The yellow throw and floral rug add in the color I’ve been craving.

I would have picked up the blankets on the couch and floor and moved Bauer’s dog bed and toys — maybe stage the living room so it looks cuter? — but then it wouldn’t be a realistic shot of our home. It’s lived-in messy, and I like it. Our pup is 8 months old and he has toys everywhere {which is annoying at 8am when I roll outta bed but this post isn’t about that.} Know what I like about this photo? The yellow finger knitted garland draping on our mantle {click here for the finger knit garland tutorial}.

More Pier 1 finds ~
The clock tower is from one of my favorite gift shops in Michigan {Horrock’s Farm Market in Lansing}. The lemons & pears are from Pier 1, as is the glass hurricane {clearance} and wicker ball. The green vase is from Target {years ago}, the orange vase is hand-thrown by my friend Clare’s dad, the white candle + candle holder are from Ikea.

I also bought this floral wall hook from Pier 1 ~ not sure where to put it but don’t worry, I will :]

I’m on the hunt to add some pink, and then I think Spring will be officially inside our home. What are your suggestions? {Maybe you think another color would be better? ~ share it with me.}