Winter Mantle

I figured I should post this on here before winter is over! I have had our winter mantle up for weeks and just have not gotten around to editing the photos. So without further adieu, here is our winter mantle. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it next to the new paint color and with the mirror windows!

Okay well this is not really the mantle, but the centerpiece on the coffee table. It sort of embodies everything that we are going for with the room for the winter. White and silvers with a slight rustic edge (hence, the pinecones, which I think are so cute).

 For the mantle, I wanted to keep it simple and balanced.

 I took the cute little glittery bird that I got at Michael's on Black Friday and set him on a silver and tan book. I also placed the quatrefoil vase (that I showed you here) behind that, filled my fav apothecary jar with faux diamonds and glittery silver ornaments and then put some cute little glittered pine cones (from Walmart on post-Christmas clearance!). The silver thing to the right is a shiny mug that I got on clearance and using Kohl's Cash so it was fa-reee!

 On this end, we have more pine cones, the little evergreen that I used for our Christmas mantle (I love the contrast of the burlap and rustic with the silver), my little tree forest that I showed you here, some silver ornaments and that awesome silver wood grain frame. I also got that on clearance at Kohl's using Kohl's cash so also free! It was originally a $40 frame but somehow it was dubbed "Christmas" so I got it for $6 (using Kohl's cash). Not complaining! I love it so much. I just need to get a photo for it. But I figured if we waited until I had a 5x7 photo printed you may never see it! ;)

 The crystal candlestick holders I have had on our mantle off and on since we moved in. The are Oleg Cassini and I L-o-v-e them. I fell in love with them at TJ Maxx years ago and my sister in law got them for us as a wedding present.

 So there it is, window mirrors and all. Such a bright, cheerful mantle! I am really so pleased with it! I want to leave it up year round. Who knows, I just may. Until I get tired of it. Which we all know will happen! :)

Vintage Book Stack

I have always loved the look of old stacks of coverless books sitting around on shelves and have been wanting to make them for a while now. Some of our rooms, I really could not fit this look into without it just feeling out of place. Last week, however, I decided to whip out my fall decor just a tad early. And it was the PERFECT time to introduce page stacks to the living room!

So I rustled around in my craft room and found this old soft-cover book that I had gotten at Goodwill for 75 cents. It was just old and distressed enough for what I wanted. (I really want to go back and get more. They ALWAYS have them!)

 Next, I simply ran a pair of scissors inside of the cover to remove it from the pages.

 And then I had this:

 I wrapped a piece of jute around it a couple of times and tied a bow. And there ya have it. A vintage book stack!

I really do want to get some other books of varying sizes to actually "stack" them, but I will not be doing it just yet. We are trying really hard to be frugal right now and its just not necessary.

 I can't wait to show you guys our fall living room decor! You will get to see where this littleguy ends up! And let me tell you....its perfect!