Simple Fall Mantel

I thought I'd keep it simple this year with the Fall decorating. I love love LOVE decorating, but sometimes I can be all over the place with it and it doesn't seem to make sense. I think this is in part due to the fact that I haven't really figured out "my style" yet. I like so many different styles!! :) Hey, maybe that's my style?!! 


This year I've been inspired by making things a little more simple, and decorating in such a way that allows individual pieces to really shine. Not too fussy...but not sparse either. Just balanced. :) Of course I still have areas of my home that need to reform to this model of thinking!...but I'm in process...and slowly I'm getting there. :) 

This is a make-shift mantel I created because the house we are renting didn't have a mantel. (Who would build a fireplace and not put a mantel on it?!).  I've been brainstorming for some time how I could make this work (over a year now) but because I was working with painted stone, it's not like I could just hang a shelf above the fireplace...that is, without drilling into the stone. We tossed that idea around but I really didn't want to bother with having to fill in the holes after we left and also, never having worked with stone before and it not being our place and all...it just wasn't going to be worth it. So....here you have it...our make-shift mantel. :)

I really like the way it turned out. I bought the screen at Hobby Lobby on sale and the mantel piece (which is sitting directly on top of the screen) is made from a rough piece of cedar (bought at Home Depot) that I sanded and stained a dark Minwax stain and sealed with a Minwax gloss. I used heavy duty Scotch velcro fasteners for extra security to fasten the screen to the stone and the mantel piece to the screen. It would have been fine without them cause it's not about to fall over or anything, but I wasn't going to chance it with Cole. :)  I know it probably seems a little tacky to use the fasteners, but thankfully, they are not even visible. Oh, and for those of you wondering about how to use the fireplace since it's now boxed in? Well folks, it's Texas. We only build a handful of fires each year anyway, at which point I'll just move the screen, turn on the gas, and put it all back. No sweat! :)

For the decor I used an old Fall landscape oil painting that I found at a garage sale awhile back, 2 little pumpkins from the Dollar Tree, some fall leaves I had on hand, and 2 cinnamon-colored candles (from HL) inside 2 of my glass candlesticks.

And this little beauty? This is Cole's my newest vintage love. It was a birthday gift and I do say, he sure is handsome sitting next to the fireplace! And if a "certain little someone" just happens to want to give those ol' rockers a whirl....I guess it'd be alright. :)

Happy Fall Decorating

and Have a Wonderful Weekend!!

Gail


Linking up to:
My Romantic Home
The Shabby Nest