Easter mantel...just for fun

I had an hour or so to kill this morning before running some farm errands and I decided to make my mantel a little more "springy" and Easter-ish with things I have at the house. After my Valentine's mantel:

I put together something simple:

I pick up random plates at places like TJ Maxx, Pier One and Target because I think they're pretty to decorate with. I got the blue artichoke candleholder at TJ Maxx for around $6 and love it! The white ceramic candleholders were $3 each at our local Dollar General. (I'm kind of mad I didn't get more of them!) The photograph of the two boys on an oak-lined dirt road is a longtime family favorite; a print of a photo taken by a college friend's dad in the 1950s or early 1960s. Jesse and I always loved it and she was gracious enough to let us make a print of it over 25 years ago. It's almost always hanging over our mantel. And, of course, the books are some of the vintage ones I gathered up for Michael and Maranda's wedding. I knew I wanted to use some of the books for my Easter mantel, and I generally love the aged, funky look they have, but I decided I wanted something more colorful and fresh for spring. So I got some recycled scrapbook paper (also leftover from Michael and Maranda's wedding reception) and "covered" a few of the books...

Before:

(Don't you just love it? But it seemed a little too dull for spring.)

After:

The eggs I got several years ago at Paul Michael -- they are lightweight plastic and apparently indestructible because they have been used for juggling, dodge ball and just about anything else you can imagine unruly boys doing with a centerpiece! The crystal bowl was a wedding gift. I decided the tarnished silver base gave it, uh, patina. Yeah, that's it -- patina!

I put some more eggs under a cloche (also a wedding gift -- part of a cheese board, I think. Those were very popular wedding gifts 29 years ago. I got several!) on top of a few more books. The primitive bunnies are the most recent purchase...I think I got them two years ago at Pier One. I love them!

So, I thought I was done...

But when I was putting up the plates, I rediscovered this sweet bird plate (also a Pier One purchase, probably 5-6 years ago):

I couldn't resist adding it, so I stuck the other Dollar General candlestick on the other side and called it "done." 

I doubt it follows the "rules" -- I think you're supposed to have odd numbers, so if the book stack counts as "one" then I've got five things per side, but that makes for an even 10. Hmmm. Maybe the framed print makes 11? Who cares? I'm all about the happy factor more than the design factor. And from my perch:

It's all happy! (That's an egg garland I didn't use on the ottoman. I may find a place for it still!) Happy spring!