Moving the Fall decorating inside....

I love to decorate the mantel. This is one area of the house that goes directly into my kitchen. When I'm hard at work making meals or cleaning up the dishes I get the opportunity to enjoy the twinkling lights of my fall decor. This is the first year that I added lights. I have always reserved the lights for Christmas, but what the heck. Let's get the party started early this year! Have I mentioned that CHRISTmas is my favorite time of year. I can't wait to share my Christmas decorations with you. Well I'm getting ahead of myself, let's stick to fall. It's it funny that once you put up the decorations, the everyday decor seems kinda ordinary....

BEFORE THE FALL TRANSFORMATION

The painting above my mantel is one of my favorite things in the house. I found the painting before I had decided upon the color scheme of the room. I knew that it was perfect, so I worked everything around the painting. It's been up for 3 years and I still love it. The colors of my decor lend itself to autumn. Warm golds, brick red and moss green. Sounds like fall doesn't it. So adding a few pumpkins works out well.

AFTER THE TRANSFORMATION

I really like these pumpkins. They have crystals on them and this makes them shimmer. I have had them for about 4 years. I got them at the end the season for a steal. That's the best time to get a bargain. It's just a bummer that you have to wait an entire year before you can put them out! I do leave my fall decor up until thanksgiving. I put away the scarecrows, but all the pumpkins stay till out till Thanksgiving, then out come Christmas. YHIPPIE!! I switched up the mantel a bit from last year. You may have read on a previous post when I told you about the bargain I got on these vases. They were $4.99 each. I knew I would find a use for them. Aren't they perfect! I just plopped some flowers from Michaels right into the vase. (Well it was a little more work then just plopping them in) I always fuss way to much with arranging flowers!

Notice the twinkle lights. I even put them inside the vases. I am really picky about hiding extension cords. I use the greens and pumpkins to hide them. I think it gives a much more finished look when you can't see how the lighting is plugged in.

I decided to leave the lamp on the mantel to add a bit more ambiance...

The lights continue up and around the base of the toperies.

I keep these topiaries on the mantel throughout the year except for Christmas. I saw them at a design shop. I found the balls at a floral shop and then just went searching in the backyard for some branches from a tree. I put some floral foam in the pots and stuck the branch into the foam and inserted it into the ball. I glued some moss onto the top and sides of the pot and VIOLA.... for a fraction of the cost of the designer pot, I made my own.

Just another "Creation From My Heart"!

Home for me is definitely where my heart is. I truly enjoy decorating my home, especially for the holidays. I love to spend time with my family at my home. I think decorating for the holidays is a way of creating memories. Memories that my children will tuck away and remember when someday they share the holidays with their children . "In heaven it is always Autumn.

His mercies are ever in the maturity".