Fall Mantle

I was so happy when it was finally September so I could have the excuse to pull out my fall stuff. Are you as done with hot weather as I am?

We've gotten a small dose of fall this week and it has been glorious!

I have made some other changes to the living room, like paint (total shock I know) and I'll share that with you all next week.

For now, let's take a look at the mantle.

If you remember, my both my fireplaces have ginormous hearths that I have to include in the decorations. (I say have to, I guess I don't have to. But, well I just have to!)

For some reason I am wanted more simplicity in some of my accessories. I have been drawn to white but with the white fireplace (remember that whole decision making process?) I needed them to pop just a little more so I picked some ribbon to add to some of them.


On the other side I added some pillows for additional seating. The crown pillow I made by creating a stencil with my cricut onto freezer paper and painting it on a drop cloth.



These boxes I think are old sewing machine drawers. I thought about painting them (another shocker) but then I kind of liked them wood. And they have a worn gold detail on the front that is kind of nice. So, for now they are staying sans paint.
The sign that my decorating is a trial and error process is the white ribbon that is tied to the drawers. The price tags hung from them and I just hadn't taken them off because I hadn't settled on a home for the drawers yet.

And now I guess I'm just too lazy to cut it off. Seriously, every time I look at the boxes I think "I really should go get the scissors and cut that ribbon off."

But then I see a squirrel.

(You know like on "UP" where the dog is talking then says "SQUIRREL!!" and gets all distracted? That's me.)

By the way is anyone like me, in that, I can't have people watching me when I am styling a room. Many times I move things several times and switch things in and out, around and around until I am satisfied. I don't like people watching me through this process because it makes me self-conscious that they are making judgements about what I am doing while I am still unsure myself. Anyone? Maybe it's just me.

Anyway, moving on...

Just the mantle (that I am still thinking about painting black)

And finally the whole fireplace:

I have another post scheduled later this week featuring the bookshelves surrounding the fireplace. Big and small changes around here.

Hubby is still at the school where they teach you to fold your clothes in ridiculously small ways so I am trying to pass the time until he is done. He gets to come home on weekends and there have been a few weeks where the house he left on Sunday was not the same house he came to Friday night. But he's okay with that. At least he let's me think he is :)

Linking up...