The Christmas Mantel

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around these parts! Rather than making this a GINORMOUS post, I thought I'd break things down a little, so I'd like to share with you the thorn in my side mantel. If you read my Fall Mantel post, you know how this mantel tends to drive me a bit batty. We have our tv mounted above it, which leaves me with a problem, oh, pretty much all the time. Can't block the tv of course (especially during football season! How would we ever read the stats?!), so I'm limited with what I can put up there. I am GREEN with envy whenever I see a beautiful mantel with nothing but space and options - oh the fun!! But I'm determined to figure this conundrum out, and at least for now, I think I have...

Ok, so I may have broken the height rule a little bit, but for the most part, our precious stats can be read. ;)

Remember that box from the fall mantel? My 50 cent treasure:) I simply erased Welcome Fall and changed it to Joy to the World. (Oh, I've been having some F-U-N with all the chalkboards around here these days! hehe...the choices are endless!). Then I filled it with stuff I had around the house - some pinecones, apples (those are fake in case you were wondering;), and some glasses filled with coffee beans and votives. The candles needed some height, so I flipped 2 small ramekins I have upside down, and they're sitting on those. Shh...our little secret.

I added some holly and berry garland (again, that I had), and some white poinsettia flowers here and there. I will probably be switching this out with the real deal, when we go to get our tree. Either that or hitting Michaels - they have some of the most beautiful real-looking garland right now! Have you been? If not, check it out! Amaaazing. I'm thinking of swagging it and/or lighting it up with little white lights - I'll keep you posted;)

Then I needed a teeny bit of height - it just drove me crazy to have it all so low - so I flanked the box with the glass hurricanes leftover from my Thanksgiving centerpiece (remember, I filled them with beans and lentils?). Pretty simple here- I filled one with pine cones and one with a strand of berry garland. Tied both with a string of jute and you're done.

I added that cute Santa on one side and a red candle holder/lantern-y thing on the other side. That about wraps it up!

I have a slight major tendency to switch things up, but this is the Christmas Mantel for now. I'll be posting again later this week (and throughout the month, I'm sure!) with some other Christmas Decor ideas for you. Stay tuned...and happy decorating!


*UPDATED PICS on Oh Christmas Tree post.*
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I linked up at The Mantel party at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia!