A Fall Mantel for when you don't know what else to do...

Things don't look much different this year than last year, here on the Living Room mantel. No matter what I've tried, I just like this look the best, so "that's my story, and I'm sticking with it". I did do a little tweaking though, and changed out one small thing. These are the "after photos", you'll see the "before photos" a little further down. Originally, I had tried a small white ironstone tureen, but things looked a little boring, so I replaced it with the old oval tray. It added a little more "Fall" to the mix, and was a little larger focal point.

I need to keep things symmetrical in here, otherwise things look off kilter. I've tried experimenting early on and it just didn't work. So these big Wolff Pottery vases are pretty much a fixture here, no matter what the season. I love their height, especially stacked on book bundles.

The Hydrangeas are a mix of dried and faux, 

with some real bittersweet and faux berry branches.

I always love to layer the mirrors...

Right now this is a faux pumpkin in the Pottery Barn urn. I'm behind on more real pumpkins due to the fact that my roof is being replaced this week, and it looks and sounds like a war zone outside.

 Prepare yourself, these next pics are scary...

this is just a small fraction of the chaos.

Yikes...it's just day one.

and the fur girls are traumatized already.

 Now back to something less crazy.

On the end tables I have these little bifold frames from the 40's and 50's.

This one has some Fall graphics from old postcards.

and on the other one...

Potpourri and a small glass accent dish from my bud, Julie.

And if you remember we found this big heavy iron relief in St. Louis earlier in the year. I think it must have come from an old parlor stove. I guess it will have to stay here, I can barely drag the sucker around.

OK, so here is the first attempt, I took these photos a couple of days ago. There are basically some of the same shots and angles of the room and coffee table, I just thought I'd include them anyway. Call me predictable, I can take it...

So much for the "Early Fall Mantel".

I'll bring back my snow owls in October.

They're antsy to make their appearance!

I'll be joining in on these great Fall Parties:

Blissful Whites at Timewashed

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

It's Fall Y'all Mantels at Thrifty Decor Chick

Inspiration Exchange at Yellow Bliss Road

HomeWork at Everydayhome

DIY by Design

Open House at No Minimalist Here

Treasure Hunt at From My Front Porch to Yours

Daily Cup at Mrs. Olson's

TTT at Stone Gable

French Country Cottage

Shabby Art Boutique

The Charm of Home

Jennifer Rizzo

xoxo,

If you see a crazy woman running down the street

it will be me trying to escape the construction noise.

Dressed for Autumn in the Dining Room

Today I wanted to share the rest of my Autumn Dining Room with you. I always think the house is the happiest in the Fall. The warm Fall hues are my favorite, and when the house is decked out in all it's Autumnal Glory, it's like slipping in to a new comfy sweater.

The one thing I wanted to do new this Fall 

was to wrap my heavy chandelier in vines and twigs.

(I also just need to straighten up those little lampshades!)

I fell in love with Kimberly's rustic burlap and vine wrapped chandy from last year at Serendipity Refined. And while mine isn't nearly as involved with the burlap and moss, I DID want it to have that same "feel" of "rustic and woodsy".

Kimberly's wonderful dining room transformation.

I just started out with 3 of these preserved twig garlands. These happen to have small red berries, so I can leave them for Christmas and winter.

Then to add some "Fall",

 I added in just a few preserved leaves for some color.

My chippy white window box centerpiece didn't change much from last year, I just used a mix of real and faux hydrangeas, and white faux pumpkins. I found a stash of faux hydrangea bushes at Michael's in the clearance bin so I went crazy. I think I bought about 10 bushes, at about 6 dollars each. They were a little off color being a greeny-brown, so I just took them outside and lightly spray painted them in antique white. It gave a softer, more "dried" look to them. Then I added some orange-y berries for some more Fall color.

I've found that if I crumple up brown paper bags and put them in the window box first, then add the flowers and pumpkins my pumpkins don't "disappear". This is a super big windowbox and needs a lot of "stuff" to look full and lush.

You can see the paint and wallpaper have a creamy "glow" to them;

that's one reason this room is perfect for Fall.

This is the wonderful ironstone tureen

 I found at Leola's Fall Open House a couple of weeks ago.

I just can't pass up a beautiful tureen, especially at a great price.

My cupcake pedestals made from vintage transferware plates

from last month's sideboard are in here for now.
(I put together a fun Halloween Sideboard that I'll show you soon.)

I'm thinking the deeper it gets into Fall

that more leaves, vines, berries and pumpkins will be added.

Click Here to see part 1 of my Dressed for Autumn Dining Room.

So what new things are you trying this Fall?

Be sure and come join in the Fall Fun, 

here each Thursday and Friday.

I'll be joining these great weekly parties:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

It's a Party at DIY by Design

Inspiration Gallery at Ella Claire

Homework at the Everyday Home

Blissful Whites at Timewashed

Treasure Hunt at From My Front Porch to Yours

TTT at Stone Gable

Share Your Cup at Mrs. Olson's

House Party at No Minimalist Here

Fall Nesting at The Inspired Room

The Charm of Home

French Country Cottage

Inspiration Gallery at Craftberry Bush

Jennifer Rizzo

Shabby Art Boutique

Fall Home Tour at White Lace Cottage

xoxo,

Easy as 1-2-3 Custom Look Wreath

It's September, and you know what I'm doing...

This last week I started decorating for Fall, and one thing I wanted to do was put together a new wreath for the Dining Room mirror. I love a lush twiggy grapevine wreath with lot's of naturals and florals, but I don't want to pay a "custom" price for it. So, no matter what the season, I have an easy method to get a custom look.

Here it is out on the Sunporch. I'll be showing you the Dining Room a little later, but for now it's on one of my old "Fall" quilts on a wicker chair.

As you can see it's pretty wild, and pretty big;

Fall berries, leaves and Hydrangeas.

I've been making my own wreaths for years, and I almost always use this quick method.  One of the best things about it, besides that it's quick, is that this method is easy to take apart, redo, refresh, or reuse at another time.

 Start with your basic grapevine twig wreath. 

The more crazy twigs the better...

I like a wild, natural, just picked look.

Since I'm a bad DIY blogger, I didn't even think to get pics until I had that wreath hanging up on the mirror, and at that point I wasn't going to take it apart again to show the steps.

sooo...

I just used a few other elements to show how easy it is..

please don't get confused because there are two different wreaths.

I know...I know....

bad blogger.

End of Season sales are a great time to pick up those basic garlands and candle rings. I think this one was a large candle ring that came from Michaels a few years ago. The basic garland ring is of just little Lady Apples. I added the sunflowers a while back so I could use it on my front door, which requires a "skinny" wreath.

Then start layering. I left the Sunflowers and Black-Eyed Susans on the basic apple wreath then added in some Hydrangeas. You can add any blossom mix you like for your season. A Spring wreath might have Tulips and Lilacs on a Forsythia garland. This one I used faux Hydrangea stems, but on my Dining Room wreath I used real dried Hydrangeas. With faux Hydrangeas I sometimes trim the large blooms down.

Now you can see we're adding layers and depth and a lot of interest

 with the Apples, Sunflowers and Hydrangeas.

This grapvine twig wreath is actually a little small for this garland, but I wanted to show you how it all goes together. Just use some gardener's twine or floral wire to secure the garland wreath to the twig wreath. 

Here's the finished product. I just randomly put this together because

I'll be taking it apart again, but you get the idea.

1. A grapevine wreath for the base.
2. A garland or large candle ring on top, just tied on with gardener's twine.
3. Florals to tuck in for added interst and depth. Sometimes I hot glue them on, other times I just tuck them inside and through the vines.

This one is a little wonky since I didn't secure all the layers... just wanted to show you how easy it is to put a wreath together. I didn't need any special tools, and it doesn't make a big mess.
So here's my original again. It's a little more "Fall", whereas the "step by step" version is a little more "Summer".

You can put together a wreath like this in about 15 minutes.

Super quick and versatile.

If you want to change up your basic wreath each season it's easily done.

Just 1-2-3!

Now, have some fun making your own!

I'll be joining in on these great weekly parties:

Whipperberry
A Stroll Thru Life
Tuesday Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

WOW Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Inspiration Exchange at Ella Claire
DIY by Design
Homework at The Everyday Home
Stone Gable Blog
From My Front Porch to Yours
Share Your Cup Thursday
The Shabby Creek Cottage
Shabby Art Boutique
Jennifer Rizzo
French Country Cottage
The Charm of Home
Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings

xoxo,