Summer Mantel

By the Sea

I'm a little late getting my summer mantel up....I know.

But I have a confession to make....I have not changed out my mantel in the living room

since last summer. I just did not have it in me.

So this is a good sign that I'm moving forward because I actually felt like changing it out.

My mantel is inspired by this large print of the painting called "The Giant" painted by 

N.C. Wyeth long ago.

It is a very favorite of mine. It usually hangs in my den/office but it's perfect for a summer

beach theme.

I kept the mantel simple since there is so much going on in the painting.

A closeup of the children on the beach.

And the giant strolling through the clouds...I imagine he's searching for Jack.

I filled a small cloche with shells and added silk hydrangeas to a mercury glass vase.

Needing more sea inspired accessories and having long admired beach glass bottles

adorned with seashell toppers.

I set out to make some of my own.

The two bottles to the right are new but I added a cloudy color wash to the inside.

The other I found at the flea market last week for only $2.

It already had the perfect patina.

These were so easy to make. 

I could have done a better job on the toppers but did not want to go out and buy supplies.

I used what I had on hand. Styrafoam for the corks...and hot glue to attach, then I painted with silver

paint over the hot glue. 

The seashell candleholder I've had quite awhile...a gift from my Mother.

***********UPDATE***********

Because several have asked - I'll do a tutorial on how to make the seashell bottles.

They are super easy.

sharing here too...

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Valentine's Mantel

Be Mine...

I've decorated my fireplace mantel for Valentine's Day.

A bit of a challenge...because I wanted to do it without buying anything new.

I know fake flowers are tacky, but if I did real...this could only be up a few days.

Plus I can't afford real ones.

So I gathered all the roses that have been packed away for months and put them out.

The focal point of this display is this stone heart with a key.

My sister gave it to me several years ago.

I don't know how many times I've taken it out of storage and tried to think of something to do with it.

Then the other day...when I was trying to think of some way of decorating for Valentine's

without buying a bunch of stuff -

I all of a sudden remembered this heart. 

I also pulled out some tarnished silver candlesticks I've had for a very long time.

Hearts ornaments hang from the chandelier.

sharing at

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New Mantel Decor {aka Shrine to Clara Bow}

It's a Mantel Party!

Yipee! There's a Mantel Party going on over at Nesting Place. I'm a little late to the party but made myself redo my mantel so that I could join in. Because if I didn't, my Easter stuff might be up for another month. So thank you Nesting Place for motivating me. Here's my newly decorated fireplace mantel. Which really turned out to be a shrine to Clara Bow. 

You know, it's a nice relief to not be decorating the mantel for a Holiday. That has been going on since Halloween. I'm ready for a break from holiday decorations. But come late July, I'll start getting that Halloween feeling and will be anxious again to decorate around a holiday. 

Join in the party over at

Nesting Place

and as usual...I'm linking up at 

My Romantic Home

another mantel extravaganza at

Funky Junk Interiors

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