Got rust?

Have I?!  I've got rust all over....rust indoors, rust outdoors, specks of rust, rust-covered, new rust, old rust, even fake rust.  Donna over at Funky Junk is featuring rust as her themed link party this week.  I have a lot of pictures to show of some of my rust so I'm not going to comment on all the pictures.  Let's just see if you can guess which picture shows the fake rust.  Do you know?  I provided a clue ;)

rusty old tiller

old buckboard seat from Austin

french laundry basket

french clock

garden sign

old camping tables for the porch

rusty birdhouse

rusty folk art

tin ceiling used under bar

Valentine's week emotion and dilemma

Here we are with Valentine's Day a few days away and it's been an emotional week already.  My blog is about my adventures working on home decorating projects for my house.  I decided I would not focus really on my family and our day to day adventures.  But I had to share this.  My son, who just turned 13 in December, had his first date this evening. Did you hear me?  First Date!  We picked up his date at her house and then dropped them off at their first school dance.  When we arrived at the school, he got out of the car, went around to her side, opened her door for her, waited until she was out of the car and shut the door for her.  Then they walked (about three feet apart) up to the doors of the school.  Where did the time go?  It seems like yesterday I was waiting anxiously for his first words and now he's a little gentlemen on his first date.  I see all of your blogs and pictures and stories of your precious little toddlers.  Blink and you will be writing about them on their first date.  It really does go by that fast. 

So, to distract myself from my son's blossoming social life (did I mention his date is a cheerleader...and very pretty? I'm actually waiting right now for him to come home from the dance), I need to focus on something fun like a project (or eat) but I'm not sure what to do.  I need help.

Can you tell what this is?

Here's a close up.

How about now?  Can you tell what it is?

It's a large rusty heart made out of old mattress or sofa springs. 

I didn't make it.  I found it at a little antique store.  It was one of those things I just had to have.  I don't know why.  It's certainly different.  Now here's my dilemma. My first thought when I bought it was to paint it cream and hang it on my front porch.  Below, you can see my front porch and see a sad little grapevine wreath hanging on the brick wall.  This little grapevine wreath is quite elderly and probably would enjoy a break. So, I thought my new mattress-spring-turned-rusty-heart-wall-decoration would look great painted cream, chipped a bit and then hung against the dark red brick.

But when I put the heart against the wall in my house (just as a resting place until I got around to paint it), I sort of liked the rusty look and thought maybe I shouldn't paint it...maybe I should leave it like it is and put it somewhere inside the house. 

What do you think?  Should I leave it like it is or paint it creamy white?

Oh, my son just got home, gotta go!