Fall Mantel 2013

I've been thinking about decorating for the season for a while now-I'm always inspired by Fall! By the time the season gets here, I have a pretty good idea what I want to do. I even do some sketches as ideas come to me.

I didn't even get around to showing you my Summer mantel...this is how it's looked for several months.

When Justin and I were at Ikea last week, we bought this botanical canvas. I didn't know how much I would love it until I got it up on the wall.

 It's a large piece and it matches in scale the sconces that I have....It really makes a statement and I let it guide me in the rest of the living room. I wanted to do something different for Fall. I use all the colors anyway...green, brown, black, orange, and even blue....but the deeper green-that I've never used.

With my energy level being super low-the fireplace is the only area I'm going to decorate this year. I'll probably work on the porch as well, but we'll see. I made this little apple wreath to hang down the face of the fireplace. I've always admired the fresh apple versions but these are little artificial apples and will last year after year. All I did was cut a wire clothes hanger and push the styrofoam apples on one at a time and finished off the top with some burlap.

 Along with the emerald green, I decided to do a more muted palette vs. shocking orange which I've done in the past. I'm really liking it for this year.

 The lanterns I bought last year during Christmas time, so I am really happy to use them for fall this year.

 I seem to always anchor the mantel with an arrangement and this year is no different....it's what I do and I love doing them -so why not! This one is pretty tall, reaching all the way to the ceiling with the branches. Maple leaves, millet, hydrangea, berries and curly willow-all things I love to work with.

 Little mushroom images (from the Graphics Fairy), I printed them here at home, cut them and literally taped them to the mirror with washi tape.

 The little revamped garden stool from yesterday. Click HERE to see the before. It's the same shade of green as in the canvas and it looks fantastic up against the walnut buffet. This makes me happy about my decision to do a bold green!

 I'm still enjoying my ikat curtains and haven't changed them in several months-that's always a good sign.

 An evening shot-so cozy with the battery operated candles! ;)

I hope you are inspired and Happy Fall!

Joining Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick

Christmas Mantle 2012

 Well, I finally brought all the fall down from the mantle...it was a little sad...but I threw on some Christmas tunes and went to work. I stripped the mantle completely down to the mirror. I keep thinking I'm going to try my Mom's mirror over the mantle for a change but I just love the round one so much, I never do.

 Since I'm trying to keep it plain and simple, this is what I came up with. The rustic lanterns (you might remember seeing one of these in THIS tablescape) are one of my favorite elements. As soon as I saw them, I knew I wanted them for my Christmas mantle...and lanterns just say comfy-cozy to me.

 I haven't even started on the tree yet, in fact I'm not even going to talk about the tree yet....we'll talk about that as soon as I get it decorated.

 Do you remember when Justin made my 'Fall' letters? See the tutorial HERE. He made me a 'Noel' while he was at it...well, he made an N, E and L and I thought it would be rather fun to come up with an abstract O. I tried a few things before I remembered this tree topper, a moss ball, one of the twig balls...but I thought the more light the better.

 For the arrangement, which is my favorite element, I used the vase that I recently sprayed black (I used it last for Halloween, take a look HERE). You might not think of black with Christmas, but I thought it was ok with the room as a whole. Branches and long needle pine with some snowy branches to tie in the white.

 Inexpensive snowflake garland hung across the face of the fireplace.

 Egads, it looks a little Vanilla...but decorating the tree will help bring in some color.

 I'm sure I'll do some tweaking as I get further along.

 It is a lot different from last year's mantle, no ladders involved or massive swag over the mirror....but I do like it.

 Evening shots:

 See? Doesn't it just make you feel warm and fuzzy? :)

 I hope you are inspired!
Joining Layla

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Thank you for all your love and support in my last post, I really can't express how much your words encourage me and help me keep moving forward! I'm so glad I'm not alone.

Another Fall Mantle (My MIL's!)

My MIL's birthday was yesterday so as a gift, I went over to her house and decorated her mantle for Fall (free decorating is a good gift, right?:). She was at work while I did it so it was a really big surprise when she got home. 

 Remember when I made the 'Give Thanks' banner for her (Click HERE to see the tutorial)...well that's what started the whole idea....I could have just given her the garland...but wouldn't it be even better if I hung it for her and did a little foo-fooing too?

 While I live in Suburbia, she lives in a nice old country farmhouse. This brick fireplace is right in the middle of the living room. The unfortunate thing about the fireplace is the placement of the vents. Right smack dab in the middle of prime decorating real estate.

 Anyway, I knew that the banner would do a great job disguising the vents. Plus, it's not fire burning season quite yet. I can't wait to hang my Happy Halloween garland at my house!

 I also picked up these velvet pumpkins for her at Hobby Lobby and thought they would look really great on her rustic wooden mantle. I plopped the big one in her amber compote that I robbed out of her china cabinet. The little one is coming off pretty dark in the pictures, but he is a pretty chocolate brown.

 A couple of candles in a pretty caramel color, and pictures of the boys. I nabbed some branches from outside and laid it all along the mantle for some interest and used some silk hydrangea for additional color.

I hope you are inspired! This is quite different than mine, but I love it all the same.

I waited and waited until I thought she was home and finally got the phone call I'd been waiting for...she was really surprised and happy with her 'gift'. It was the least I could do with all she does for me.



Christmas Mantle 2011

Don't you just love this time of year? We have really been enjoying our 'New' tree (read how I acquired it HERE) and even Justin has commented on how much he likes it, and he's usually pretty neutral.

I did the mantle differently than I did last year, simply because of the size of the tree. When the tree got bigger, the mantlescape had to go bigger too. Really though, I have been wanting to do a swag like this for sometime. For such a long time in fact that I bought this swag a loooong time ago. It's a beautiful mixed pine swag and I "offset" it with additional greenery to keep it from looking too perfect.


I added real branches for some interest and also to hang my glass icicles. I hope you can see them in the photo here. Some are from Martha Stewart and some are from Dept. 56.

Two large cylinder vases full of glass ornaments anchor each end of the mantle, my handcrafted pine cone topiaries, and candles in the center


I used a cedar garland with lights across the mantle, it really softens up around the vases and topiaries

Tying brown satin ribbon around everyday white candles help them feel more Christmasy. :)

I've been getting some questions on the burlap Noel Banner that I made. I haven't done a tutorial on it, but Jen has a great one HERE. I love the little rusty jingle bells tied on the ends.

A view of the tree, you can catch the details HERE.

Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you're inspired!

Joining Rhoda

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Halloween Mantle 2011

Hallow's Eve is fast approaching and I finally got around to doing some spookyfication around the living room. This years mantle look similar to last years, mainly because, um, well, I'm using the same stuff...but I did change it up a bit and I hope you're inspired!

Hopefully you remember the painted pumpkins, well two of them never made it out to the porch. I decided to use them up on the mantle instead (I really loved the b&w ones!:).

The two tall white vases I've had for years are perfect for permanent leaves and real branches. For a fun addition I printed some Halloween images (from the Graphics Fairy) onto book paper and randomly hung them on the branches (I just poked the branches through the paper). Cheesecloth spiderwebs really add to the spooky effect.

I get a lot of questions about my owl silhouette. I got it years ago at TJ Maxx and I have never seen another like it or even similar. I really wish they would make them again.

For the chair, I just used a white knit blanket to give it that 'ghostly' look, so easy to do.

To finish off the mantle, I clustered several in the center, repeating the candles in the fire box...you'll see it all lit below.

The Trick or Treat banner if from Martha Stewart Crafts

I love my little collection of pumpkin men, they come out every year

This is my fave. :)

If you liked the pumpkins on a stick, I made a different size, this one is a glittered one inch pumpkin on a stick, so cute!!

This was a new piece for this year, I found him at Home Goods. Since I've got a thing for owls, he certainly made it home with me! I think the little white owl behind him is a little jealous. :)

And since a Halloween mantle wouldn't be right without some evening shots with all the candles lit.

This is a non-working fireplace, so I love having the candles in there, nothing earth-shaking, but I still like the look. I used a combination of tealights and column candles. I get questions about the mirrors in the background, I bought four inch mirror tiles and hot glued them to the inside of the fire box. A non-permanenet solution to an ugly fire box.

A spider crawling across my book of Shakespeare which happens to be opened to Macbeth...Double, double, toil and trouble fire burn and cauldron bubble.......:) Love it.

I hope you are inspired !

I'll be back next week!

Get the look:

Painted Pumpkins

Pumpkins on a Stick

Glittered Spiders

Halloween Mantle 2010

Need a design boost? For advice and guidance on style, contact me!