Ornamentally Challenged

My parents were in town this weekend for the first time in over a year... We had a great time showing off our new digs, and meandering around Old Sac with them for a Saturday afternoon. My mom ducked in to Z Gallerie with me, and I ended up walking out with this beautiful house warming gift. I picked it out, of course, but she snuck it up to the register while I was busy being whisked away with all of Z Gallerie's wonderous products... This painting just spoke to me!

I've been looking for months for something to fill that monumental gap in wall space above my living room couch. And originally, I planned to place this lovely little number above our fireplace, but I came across this in one of my many hours of browsing online for things I can't afford...

So NOW I've found the filler of the gap. One picture would never have worked alone... I also found this gorgeous mirror to hang above the fireplace. In my hypothetical world... I'd have it framed... I'm thinking a thick, black frame would do the trick.

My next mission is to master the case that all of this stuff is a necessity... And somehow convince my husband that a home needs proper decor... And it doesn't help that your wife is so picky that finding anything close to her taste comes with two and three month hiatuses of surfing the internet and scrunching her nose at anything and everything.

When I do finally find something I love, it usually means it's a slow week in the funds department. I just have this overwhelming sense that if I don't get it right here and right now, the store will surely discontinue it... And I will be back at square one... Digging through the piles crap postings on the web, trying to find something that speaks to me.