Tag Archives: fireplace

Summery Mantel

summertime mantel

Ever since I took down our Easter decor, I’ve been completely stuck on how to decorate our mantel. And it’s been pretty vacant for the past couple months, save for the white lantern full of potpourri. I decided last week that this needed to change. I was tired of looking at nothing, plus, we were hosting a dinner party over the weekend. And I couldn’t have a naked mantel in front of our guests!

So I turned to trusty Pinterest for inspiration… and found mostly beach-inspired decor. I like the beach. I like walks on the beach and seaside-inspired beverages. But… we’re not beach decor people. I know a lot of people are, and I always admire the calm, casual feel it puts out. But, it’s just not our style.

Which begs the question… what’s a girl gotta do to get a summery mantel up in here?

Answer… go to Pier 1!

summertime mantel

Where one will find oodles of options. Like hydrangeas and more lanterns.

summertime mantel

And lemons. Not sure if we’re fake-fruit people, either… but we got ’em!

What does your summer mantel look like? Are you a beach decor person? Or a fake-fruit decor person? Or something else entirely?

Autumn Mantel Makeover

Thought I’d pop in today to share the seasonal spruce-up I gave to my mantle (and a bookshelf) last night! I was inspired by some of the ideas I found yesterday through The Lettered Cottage Fall Decorating Link Party. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you should! There are plenty of cute, clever and creative ideas to be found!

I literally cut these sticks out of a smaller, dead tree in our backyard. We’re planning on taking it out, so we might as well put it to use for decorating! The vase fillers were in a set decorative fillers I bought a few years ago. I think I got them at Michaels.

If you haven’t already guessed. I LIKE SPARKLY THINGS! The mercury glass candle holder was part of a set of 3 from Kohl’s earlier this year (snagged ’em on clearance for $6! So I got 2 sets). The brown tealight holder probably came from Michaels (I’ve had it for a few years).

Most of the items I used are things I already had, like the hurricane vase (Bed, Bath & Beyond, circa 2007). I just switched out the usual candle for acorns. The metallic pumpkin is new – Michaels had all of their fall accents for 50% off last week! Booyah! The gold pumpkin and glittery crow above (I’m calling it a raven in honor of Edgar Allan Poe) were also sale finds from Michaels! The purple glass spikey things were made by my cousin, who’s a glass artist.

Here’s one last shot of the whole mantle:

Now, on to the bookcase! I’ve been struggling with what to do with this space. I think I’m happy with this arrangement. But that doesn’t mean it won’t change 😉

Aren’t those flowers pretty? The color palette is so perfect for this time of the year, and I think they do a nice job of complementing my Subway Canvas. Check out how I made it here.

I just love that Scentsy owl warmer! And the Caramel Pear Crisp scent inside isn’t bad either!

Well, that about covers my mantle and bookshelf makeover! Hope you like it!

PS- Sorry that these photos are a bit grainy – I took them with my phone… and it was dusk, so the lighting wasn’t the best. I was too anxious to blog about my makeover to wait for the weekend, i.e. the benefit of natural daylight. Sorry. I’m impatient. I’m trying to work on it. Especially since my impatience is constantly at odds with the care and detail that needs to go into things like drilling holes in walls and painting…

*Update – I linked this post up to Centsational Girl’s Autumn Mantle Party. There are soooo many great ideas! I wish I had more mantles in my house!