Saturday, October 12, 2013

Natural Fall Mantel


I am finally going to share my fall mantel. I wish I could say that I just threw some things together and called it a day. I wish I could say I just worked with what I had (that is partially true) and a few minutes later voilĂ  - A beautiful mantel was ready for the fall.  But..... I could not get this one to come together.  I have wished and wished for a mantel to decorate for the seasons.  We have typically had a huge television over our mantel, and that REALLY limits what you do to make the fireplace look festive.  However, we moved recently and we now have a "den" and a small living/sitting room. (To tell the truth, I am not sure what to call this room). The den is where we hang out and watch tv.  The "sitting room" is where we - hmmm, we don't do anything in here!! Well, we walk through it on the way to the kitchen and den!!  But, I digress!  Back to the story - I was finally able to decorate the mantel and it threw me for a loop.  I started, stopped, tweaked it,  tried again and finally decided it was complete.  What do you think?



I have had the picture for several years. It used to hang in our foyer.  I thought it was perfect now over the fireplace.  Prior to decorating for fall I had it
 propped up on the mantel. I asked Jon to hang it for me so I could place items 
underneath it without appearing too crowded. 


I love the little squirrels that I purchased at a florist near where I work in Mississippi.  


Their faces are precious!  I scattered around some of my tiny plush
 pumpkins, acorns and mushrooms.  

I pulled out some of the pumpkins that I have purchased over the last few years.  These were purchased at Hallmark and Hobby Lobby.  While I do collect Ironstone, this pitcher is inexpensive.  It is from Target and cost less than fifteen dollars.  I believe the burlap flowers are actually poinsettias.  I am sure they are meant for Christmas, but I fell in love with them.  I decided not to wait until December to use them.  


My friend, Lynda, made the burlap bow for me.  She is always willing to help me 
because I can not make a bow!!  


I picked up an oval grapevine wreath from Michael's.  
I added the sweet owl that also came from the florist 
in Hurley, MS. It is an ornament - I snipped off the hanger. 
 I plan on getting more of these for my Christmas tree! 
  I picked up the small burlap rosettes at Antiques at the Loop in Mobile. 
 It is the BEST antique store around!! 

An apothecary jar is filled with pine cones to add more natural elements. 

The antique wire basket on the right was also a recent 
purchase from Antiques at the Loop.  I am not sure what it was originally used for but I am picturing someone collecting eggs in this little gem. 
 Don't tell me if that is not what it was 
used for - I have such a sweet picture in my mind!!  

So there you have it: my fall mantel.   Now, I am off to watch my little one play football!! I am so thankful that the weather in Alabama has finally cooled off just a bit.  It was actually below 80 degrees this week.  Yippee!!  As always, thank you for visiting Buttercup Bliss! 

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Come join the fun! 

16 comments:

  1. Hi Lisa,

    So nice to meet you!

    I've been making myself comfortable, (which is easy to do here at Buttercup Bliss!), and taking a little tour around your beautiful home. Your natural fall mantel is very charming and whimsical! I love the little critters and all the earthy elements and I think you've done a splendid job creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

    Thanks so much for your lovely comments on my guest post at Kim's. See you soon!!

    Happy weekend!

    Poppy

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    1. Poppy, thanks so much for following me. I am thrilled to make friends through blogging!! :-)

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  2. Hi Lisa, You totally nailed it! I love the colors, the rustic elements and my oh my, those squirrels are gorgeous, they look real!
    I'm happy to follow your journey :)

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    1. Thank you so much for vising me!!! I am glad you liked the fireplace. I think the squirrels are just too cute!

      Thanks also for following me. :-))

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  3. The squirrels caught my eye at Tweak it Tuesday (Cozy Little House) and I had to come by and see more. I'm a big fan of squirrels. I have several trees in my back yard and the squirrels keep me amused and entertained all year long. I probably also have the fattest squirrels in SE WI because I feed them well. I think you did a great job decorating your mantel. I hope you will find a way to use the room with the lovely fireplace. A cozy sitting area doesn't need a t.v. present to be eminently usable! Bring in a cushy small sofa or large love seat, balance it out with a couple of plush chairs, a beautiful area rug, some afghans and throw pillows to snuggle things up, romantic back lighting, an ottoman with tray on top to hold a bottle of wine and some glasses, and invite your hubby for a late night rendezvous before the fire. Oooh la la!

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    1. Thank you so much for visiting my blog and for your sweet comment. I, too, love squirrels. I wish I could see your fat ones. I bet they are so cute! I just love their little faces!! I also love your ideas for our sitting room. It is definitely a room that I will work on. I would love to have a love seat and ottoman. Thanks again for visiting me. :-))

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    2. Hi, I added your list to my favorites and looked for a place to become a follower. I saw "followers" in your right hand margin but if there's a link it's not working. Would like to follow or subscribe to your blog. Thanks.

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    3. Jan, I don't know why it is not showing up. I can see it when I pull up the blog. There is a place that says "Join this site".... Try it again and see if it will let you. Thanks so much for following :-)

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  4. Your mantel looks great! I love those fun squirrels:@)

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  5. Oh so pretty. The squirrels are so cute and I love your wreath too. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty

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  6. I LOVE the squirrels and your acorns are beautiful. We have a room off our kitchen as well and we hang out in here all the time. I think for me it's because it's so close to the food! Beautiful blog!

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  7. Thank you so much for your sweet comments! Thanks also for following my blog. :-))

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  8. I love the mantel... Especially that white pitcher!!! What a great deal..... You did a really good job.

    Suzie @ Dorothy Sue and Millie B's too

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  9. I think those sweet squirrels and little velvet acorns, mushrooms and pumpkins are precious. I like the added burlap touches too. I think burlap makes a great Fall accent since it's rustic.

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  10. My dog would go "nuts" with those squirrels up on the mantel!

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  11. I love the texture of those squirrels! they're actually the bane of my existence, but why must they be so cute, lol!

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Thanks for visiting Buttercup Bliss! Your messages mean so much to me! Lisa