~ Valentine's Day Mantel 2014 - The Decorated House

 The mantel is dressed very simply for Valentine's Day this year. One of my favorite art prints that we have illustrating one of my favorite stories, Beauty and the Beast, is at the center. I spent so many hours in elementary school reading fairy tales. This is one of those stories
that really stayed with me.

------------------------------------------------ 

Beauty and the Beast: From Wikipedia

("Beauty and the Beast" (French: La Belle et la Bête) is a traditional fairy tale. The first published version was a rendition by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, published in La jeune américaine, et les contes marins in 1740.^[1] The best-known written version was an abridgement of her work published in 1756 by Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont, in Magasin des enfants, ou dialogues entre une sage gouvernante et plusieurs de ses élèves; an English translation appeared in 1757.^[2]

Variants of the tale are known across Europe.^[3] In France, for example, Zémire et Azor is an operatic version of the story, written by Marmontel and composed by Grétry in 1771, which had enormous success well into the 19th century;^[4] it is based on the second version of the tale. Amour pour amour, by Nivelle de la Chaussée, is a 1742 play based on Villeneuve's version.)

------------------------------------------------

 I love the version of the story that was shown on TV many years ago with George C. Scott and his wife. He is a most magnificent beast. I guess he may not have been quite what some would think of as the most dashing prince-type looking person as the beast became over time. But his portrayal of both beast and man was as great as you might expect from someone so well known for his acting skills. 

So it stayed quite simple this year. Red still didn't make the cut this year, but pink returned. Just as much of  surprise to me.  The black and white of the art is echoed  in the Love banner strung across the front of the  mantel. There are two Silver Mercury Glass Hearts to add more light and sparkle, and to still  keep it very light, there are two white milk glass vases. A touch of pink in the azaleas, and the simple mantel is done.

Winter finally shows his face a bit down here by February and it is close to that transition from cool to warm temperatures. The azaleas were blooming and the their beautiful shades of pink were the perfect complement to black and white while bringing the feeling of Valentine's Day as well.

~ Happy Valentine's Day ~

See Y'All Soon~