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.

The Marketplace: Etsy and Online Boutique Showcase

Hi Everyone

and welcome to The Marketplace

We're here to do a little browsing and shopping for some great vintage and seasonal goodies. It's time to come join in by linking up to three of your Etsy Shop or Online Boutique items. Please feel free to join the party, I love seeing new shops each week! Here are some great links from last week, that will get you in the mood for Fall.

Halloween Trick-or-Treat Cone

from the Gift Garden Shoppe

Mademoiselle Tresors

Monogrammed French Linen Set

Vintage Yellow Ware Bowl

from Gizmo and Hooha

Original Pumpkin Painting

from the Old Post Road

Handmade Sampler Quilt

from Custom Comforts

Vintage Pewter Owl Thimble

from the Lazy Peacock

This Week's Sponsor for The Marketplace ...

I wanted to share a few things today from Michele's Shop, Glass Bead Treasures. When I was a little girl, one of my favorite things to do was to look through my grandmother's jewelry boxes and drawers of mementos. Each time I visit Michele's Shop that's how I feel, just like I've opened up a box of wonderful "treasures". If you haven't been by recently, she has some precious handmade pieces you'll just love to discover!

thanks so much, Michele!

Hope you'll join in today, just link up to three of your individual Etsy or Online Boutique items. Please remember this linky is for items that are FOR SALE, only. If you have a blog post about your shop or items that's great too, just please have a way for people to purchase your items. This link-up will be open all week, so hope you drop back by to see what new items have been added! thanks a bunch!

Happy Shopping,

Early Fall Changes on the Sunporch

Happy Fall...for reals!

OK, it just hit me that we are coming in to the last full week of September, I can hardly believe it. And if I want to show you any changes that I made for an "Early Fall" sunporch vs. the "Late Summer" Sunporch of August, it had better be now.

Because things will change again in October and I'll bring out a few of my vintage Halloween things. I don't "do" Halloween up big like I did when my kids were little. Now, I just like to have a few little things that remind me of all the fun Halloween was when I was a kid. 

One of the changes was this old straggly suitcase here on my glass nesting tables in place of the Linen Picnic Hamper for Summer. I brought out my big orange Butterscotch Wafers tin and snuggled an ivy inside. I also found the O'Cedar tin awhile back. It's pretty rough, but then I just love the color.

One of my little birdies found a spot to perch.

It's pretty bright out here, you may need to put on your sunglasses.

But that's what I love about my sunporch, I can go color crazy!

I made a few Fall changes out here on the Baker's Rack too. My black kitchen scales are back, I added an old open garden book, there's an orange pottery tea pot and tray, an orange plaid Thermos, and then my "Make Your Own Seedbox" that I made with Fall colors has shown up. I'd been saving it for this month.

Then, one of my little owl friends wanted to come out to play.

He's hanging out with another little friend in the birdcage.

and speaking of owls, did you catch my last post about "owls"?

The settee will get a change up for October too, 

I'm planning it right now...

hmmm...

This may happen this afternoon.

an antique sign I found a few years ago

 gets the "Bittersweet" treatment

on the chippy picket fence gate.

The black tole tray is still here holding some brown transferware, and I had to add a yummy candle to the mix. I have a candle burning most days from here on out. This one is Leaves, but good grief, the one in the kitchen is Pumpkin Pecan Waffle. That smell can make you go nuts...pun intended.

sitting in a cute wire pumpkin

I found a few sunflowers last weekend while I was out , but their little heads are now hanging, and they are dropping their petals. I'll be saving the heads to dry for next year.

Hope you're having a wonderful 1st day of Autumn!

I just put together a link on the sidebar and a new "page" on the header of my past "Autumn Projects and Inspiration". Hope you enjoy a look at some of the fun from the last 4 years.

If you have an Etsy Shop or Online Boutique,

 hope you'll join in tomorrow for 

I also have a new post out on my Spiritual Journey blog about "Being Available". My posts have been few and far between this last year, but I'm hoping to do better. Sometimes "life" gets a little overwhelming...

Joining in on these great parties:

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House
The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch

Have a wonderful Sunday!

xoxo,

My Owl Obsession Continues...

Every once in a while I get an itch to do a little fun diy project. One of my favorite mediums is paper... then give me the scissors and glue, and I'll play for hours, just like a six year old. I've said before, that when I was little I had tons of paper dolls, and could play all day. Well, I guess this is just a hold over for that long ago playtime.

Last year I had a little obsession with owls.

 They were on the mantel.

They were in the Holiday Cupboard.

This year I wanted to put a few paper owls in some frames.

NOW...if you don't want to hear about where my images came from,

then you better go now.

I found two of these old Bird Books in a Flea Market for $5,

 so I'm enjoying them in the way that I really love, 

seeing them used in a paper collage.

(yikes, I better tell you all that I have one that's still intact

the other is "not so much")

And this is a door from an old clock.

I found two of these a few years ago,

just the doors.

I wasn't sure what I would ever do with them,

but I think it's perfect for this project.

The one I chose for my project had a gold design on the edging

that sort of reminded me of spider webs

with some swampy cat tails below it.

I used some black "sample" book wallpaper for the backing.

And while I was gluing the owls to the paper

a certain little fur girl had to help.

Actually she didn't like their eyes

so they got the stuff slapped out of them.

sheesh, bad blogger when you can't get action pet shots.

and yes, that's a dead mouse hanging from it's beak....

bleeeeeech!

Here are two other little frames that I've "be-owled".

(you've heard of be-jeweled, well this is be-owled)

I like that they're slightly creepy,

and a little like the old science illustrations.

The little ovals are in the Holiday Cupboard

and I think the bigger one is headed for a new Entry vignette,

just in time for October.

joining in on these great parties:

My Love 2 Create

Savvy Southern Style

Funky Junk

It's Overflowing

Dwellings

Cozy Little House

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Cedar Hill Ranch

From My Front Porch to Yours

No Minimalist Here

Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson

Stone Gable

Whipperberry

The Lettered Cottage

Yay, it's the weekend you all!!

Got some fun plans?

xoxo,