Old Book Pages Turned Valentine's Decor

I am a bit compulsive when it comes to decorating my own space, especially when the seasons and holidays change. Now that we have a mantel at our new place, I tend to make these minor changes more than ever! Nothing wrong with that...errrr right? Anyway, Christmas and New Years is over so the next holiday is...(BUM BUM BUM)...VALENTINES DAY! That's right the good ol' day of L-O-V-E.  And even more importantly it is our anniversary. This February 14th we will be married 3 years. Dawwwww...

Ok, here's what I did...

I am all about up-cycling and reusing old items rather than going out and purchasing cheesy decorations. I think it adds character, well maybe. Or maybe I'm just thrifty :) On a whim, I decided to cut out some medium sized and small sized hearts from book pages. But that's not all I decided to do. Whilst noticing that I never drink all of the coffee that is left in the coffee pot (or I would act like a total crackhead) I placed the hearts on a baking sheet, saturated each with the leftover brew, and baked them in the oven at 200 degrees for a few minutes to create a more aged look...

I also got a little craftier (if that is even a real word?) and decided to make some heart garland for the mantel. By attaching a needle to the end of some cooking string, I simply ran it through each paper heart. This is pretty much the extent of my sewing capability!

How's it look?

I also replaced the large clock that was previously here with one of my favorite shots from Time Square taken in 1945. I just love how the woman's toe is pointed. Oh the little details!

And here's the patio. Nothing too fancy but I wanted to feel the love in the air without being too corny. I will keep this up for a while...I think! :)