I titled this post as such because I have a feeling that I'll play around with our mantle styling quite a bit. Not that I don't like the way it looks now but because I think it's fun to play around. Maybe I'll change it seasonally or just whenever the mood strikes. I have had this video of Emily Henderson bookmarked for ages because I love how she explains mantle styling. Unfortunately, none of her ideas include a big ol' flat screen hanging on the wall. I wish it weren't so but this really was the best place for it since we wanted our sectional to be directly across from our TV.
When Aaron first hung it, I thought it was way too high. I thought it should go just slightly above the mantle.Then, he pointed out that I would have more space to decorate and I have to say (although it pains me to do so) that he is right. So, here is the play-by-play of what I chose and why...
I knew I wanted some pictures of the kids up here. I love the idea of having photos that change seasonally and I just picked a couple of summer pics that I love. Will has his tongue out a lot in pictures and maybe I'm just partial but I think it is adorable. Audrey chose her picture herself. This was her reaction to the last day of school. My sentiments exactly! (Although I do miss my students and wonder what they've been up to.) The ceramic piece was another thing that was passed down to me from my grandma. I love mixing old and new things together. I think it's little unexpected, which is why I like it there.
I got both of the frames at Hobby Lobby. I think their frames are always 50% off! The white one was actually very different when I found it in the clearance section for $5. Here is what it looked like, at first. It was very cute but the orange was a little too bright for my taste and I couldn't handle the chevron frame layered on another chevron frame. So, I did what I had to do and I went at it with some spray paint. It just goes to show you that you can make anything work with spray paint!
Right in the middle of the mantle, are a few of my favorite books by my favorite bloggers. How lucky was I that the colors tied in so well with the rest of the look? The thrifted wooden bowl is the twin sister of the other one that is now in our powder room. I thought the look needed something rustic and old because everything else is super modern looking.
And then, I added some living things. This could be dangerous for this poor plant but I hear succulents are error-proof. We shall see. I got the plant at Lowes and the tin planter at Ikea.
This annoyingly blurry picture (I'm so over my camera these days because it's definitely the camera and not me...) shows the other side of the mantle with a cluster of vases. The teal and yellow ones are from Ikea and the clear dotted one was a clearance find at TJ Maxx. I added some fresh flowers that a friend gave to me but I may also add some branches down the road.
So, there is our mantle in a nutshell. I have wild and crazy dreams of adding a frame over our TV with a two-way mirror. So, it looks like a mirror until you turn it on. How amazing would that be? Until then, I hope more people say what my cousin said when he walked into this room. "Oh, I didn't even notice the TV there. It blends right in." Nice!
So glad that I managed an extra post this week. I am going to try hard to keep this up! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
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