it's all about the hospitable home
For the most part, many of us have guests over the holidays.
It is always wonderful to have either family or friends gather together to celebrate
treasured traditions.
Therefore, it is a good thing to have your guest room ready for either the
expected or sometimes last minute guests.
After a couple of days of working on the mantel…I finally finished..
…..at 10:30 that evening, I sat down on the sofa with my cup of tea…admiring my mantel…
……….then crash!!…the left tree toppled over, taking part of the garland with it.
I did not cry or curse.
I just took a deep breath and with the help of my hubby and “all the king’s men”..
…..it was secured and back together again. (oh that rhymed!)
So here is my living room mantel for this year…
…..another woodland type theme.
Two winter trees flanking each side of the mantel..
…..one is lit with led lights..
……….with owls and birds happily perched.
The mantel has an evergreen garland for the base…
…..and two holly berry twig garlands intertwined.
I placed my wooden monogram over a cotton wreath that I had made.
I hung ornaments beneath the garland…
…..I found ornaments that coordinated with the holly berry garland.
Pretty owls and birds frolic in the trees and garland….
When seeing this photo…I am inclined to say “Peace On Earth”
And the squirrel keeps coming back every season for a visit….
A view from the left side of the mantel….
So there you have it…my Living Room 2012 Christmas Mantel..
Hope you enjoyed it !!!
And if you would like to see my mantels from 2011…click here…
I am joining:
A Homespun Christmas Link Party..at Savvy Southern Style
Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration
From My Front Porch to Yours Holiday Mantel Party
Sand and Sisal Countdown to Winter Party
The Lettered Cottage for a Mantel Party
The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays
I love having multiple trees in my home for Christmas. It is fun and rewarding decorating them and finding ways to make them different from year to year. Other than changing out ribbon and other decorative floral adornments, my large tree pretty much is the same as it is my sentimental family tree full of ornaments gathered over many years. I collected many Hallmark ornaments in the past and I have displayed many of them in the tree in the media room. Many I have stored away…
So the following are many (not all) of the trees I have throughout the house. I always say from year to year that I am not going to do as much..but I cannot seem to live up to that promise.
The Great Room Tree…It is 12 foot and we had to place the lower branches into the ballaters so that it would fit in the area..the lower branches hang over the stair well and you can see the ornaments dangle.
I placed my carolers around the tree as if they are singing around a tree in a town square.
Among my more sentimental ornaments, I love to use Christopher Radko ornaments.
I add a garland of ribbon, usually two (a metallic over a flocked) that will connect to a large bow and various ornamental picks.
My upside down tree in the sun room. It is flocked and I used red ornaments with glass crystal icicle ornaments. The red shows up so nicely against the white flocking. Owls are perfect for that woodland look. I place berry floral picks and garland at the front top edge.
The base of the tree with pine cones, holly sprigs and a “visitor” the infamous furry squirrel.
The kitchen tree with Santa take out chefs. This has been there for the past few years, so I will change that around a bit next year.
The small vintage cookie cutter tree that sits in an old A&P grocery shopping cart.
The media room tree decorated with Hallmark ornaments and a few handmade ones by my son many years ago..
The topper…with silk ferns and hydrangeas. I used a metallic glittered garland band that twists nicely amid the tree.
The corner wall mounted upside down tree…I used brown and copper ornaments to coordinate with the mantle. Floral and leaf inspired picks are inserted on the top portion of the tree.
A close up of the top portion of the tree
When decorating the top portion of the 12 foot tree, I place (actually my hubby does) it in a bench with a vice so that I can decorate it completely from the workbench. The hubby climbs up the ladder and places the top portion in the tree fully decorated. Saves me from being up on the very top of the ladder!
A Hallmark miniature tree purchased many years ago and a train goes around the base of the tree…a favorite of my granddaughters.
My granddaughter’s tree. It is a themed tree every year of her choice. This year it is Legos..
The toy shop village made of legos..The tree and village sits in an antique wagon
An old Dept 56 faux “feather tree” with white and gold acorns. A symbol of Raleigh, the City of Oaks. Sits on the dresser of the guest room.
The tree in the Master Bedroom. I wrapped a lighted white flocked garland around it and placed silver ornaments and decorations on it.
A close up..I also used up all the silver ornament hangers I had. I thought they were cute by themselves.
The guest room tree..A metal tree with a brass finish. I added the green berried twig garland through the middle to add a bit more texture. Used white, blue, and green ornaments to coordinate the colors with the room. Added a few owls for more texture…
Placed white glutted ferns and antique Japanese fishing net balls that are green and blue under the tree
A small nutcracker tree in my hubby’s office. Only able to take picture from one side as the window creates such glare…
A magnolia and pearl tree in the other guest room.
A closer look..I used magnolia floral stems and garlands with pearl picks. My friend Pam took those pearl picks, stuck them in a styrofoam wreath and turned out gorgeous..next project…
The dining room tree. Decorated with various fruits, fruit garland, and pineapples. It is raised off the floor and I placed an evergreen garland at the base.
Another close up view of the dining room tree.
And finally, one of the greatest trees of all..the tree on Main Street at Disney World. You can see some of the “snow” that they spray through the air in the evening. It was a beautiful enchanting night.
You may also view my Christmas foyer here…
When you live in South Florida, chances are that you do not have a fireplace. When we relocated to North Central Florida, I hit the jackpot in the new house as there were two fireplaces I could adorn for the holidays. Seven years ago, we relocated to North Carolina and when building our home, I made certain that I had to have at least two fireplaces so that I could decorate them!!..
Last year I decorated the Great Room fireplace in reds and greens, using many red poinsettias. This year I needed a change. I collected owls after Christmas last year (my granddaughter loves them and her room has an owl/woodland theme)..and decided to do softer colors with a woodland theme.
In the media room, I basically decorated the mantle in the same colors as last year using the same ribbon because I love it so much. I changed out the hurricanes and placed a white reindeer and white tree on each side the of the mantle.
My very accommodating husband agreed to place the grasscloth wallpaper on the back of the bookcases in the media room. What a guy..he had enough on his plate in getting the exterior ready for the tour and hung the wallpaper the night before the tour!!..I have seen this done in many places; however, when I saw STACY CURRAN OF CONSPICOUS STYLE DESIGN back her bookcases with the grasscloth, it was a no brainer.
I used a basic green garland and added the white and gold trimmed poinsettias, assorted white ornaments, assorted silk floral branches, birds, and my mom’s crocheted snowflakes. The cute owls are perched on the mantle, white branches in the glass cylinder and the green glittery grapevine trees.
A full view of the fireplace and mantle
I used white floral grade branches and perched some of the owls on them. I took glass ornaments that had a snowflake design on them and filled them with twigs. I weighted the glass cylinder and filled with snow and Raz glittered balls.
The mercury glass candle holders and globes are from Pottery Barn.
The beautiful mercury glass acorns purchased at an after Christmas sale. What a find and it is the symbol of Raleigh, The City of Oaks.
The crocheted snowflake my mom made years ago..She made at least a dozen of them for me and I have them throughout the house.
Glass pinecone ornaments filled with twigs for a more nature like feel…
The glass snowflake ornament on the branches that I filled with twigs
A beaded snowflake ornament that I made last year at our craft group in the neighborhood, “The Crafty Chicks”
The “tiger owl” perched on a mercury glass candle holder
The Media Room Mantle..full view. I used a simple pine inspired garland with a brown and copper ribbon along with copper ornaments and ornamentation. I replaced the glass hurricane candle holders with the more woodland themed reindeer and tree.
A side view…
The reindeer..a Pottery Barn inspired hanging topiary of wooden balls, moss balls and 3 coordinating ribbons are hung from the bottom of the mantle using my trusty 3M command hooks.
A closer look of the hanging topiary…
The tree…
Hope you enjoyed my mantles!
Joining Southern Hospitality
At the Picket Fence
Romantic Home
Embellishments by SLR
Katherine’s Corner
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At the Picket Fence – Inspiration Friday No. 45
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