Den Fall Mantel

I do realize that it is late October and most of you have move on towards Christmas.  I am slow - I like to enjoy each season.  The calendar here may have read October, but it was more like August.

So I enjoyed my spring/summer mantel with just a few adjustments until last week when I dragged out the bins of fall decorations.

And I created this. (See photo left.)

From this (See photo right.)

Now do not start to judge my housekeeping skills.  Well,  actually you can - they are practically non-existent!

I spy with my little eye: a bag of Hobby Lobby stuff, paper towels, old hymnals, fabric scraps, and paper.  And that is just on that small vanity.

This is the den wall.  I have not forgotten about the dining room reveal, but I had to put up these fall decorations to get them out of the dining room.

This is the back side of our fireplace.  We put the cherry mantel up and added a cherry firescreen that you can see if you squint hard enough.  Then an ornate iron gate was placed in front of that.  Next the small vanity and stool were put into place.  

I am all for layering in clothing and in my decor.  If there is a flat wall somewhere, there needs to be at least five different layers of things on that wall and maybe more - maybe a lot more.  Now many of you subscribe to this theory.  I know because I have seen with my little spy eye the layers you add.

Okay, off the soapbox and back to the mantel.

 You will be happy to know everything was removed from this area and there was a great flurry of dusting, vacuuming, mopping, polishing, and packing away.

I even vacuumed the brick!

I will leave this stuff up until the day after Thanksgiving when it will be replaced by Christmas stuff.

Gourd pumpkins - check

Box of cookie cutters - check

Fake fall bower attached to the gate - check

Piece of vintage lace - check

The small vanity is complete.

Tool caddy turned on its side - check

Two fake vintage cat candy holders - check

One clay pumpkin - check

One $1 raven - check


Left side of the mantel is complete.

White iron cat - check

Green mirror - check

Pumpkins sign (painted by me on a shutter slat) - check

Faded silk leaves - check

Center of mantel is complete.

Metal pumpkin with a $1 raven  - check

Goblin dressed as a cat - check

Another mirror losing its glaze - check

Faded silk leaves - check

(I seem to have a lot of these faded silk leaves.  I think some will be making the trip to Goodwill soon!)

Right side of the mantel is complete.

 Large grapevine wreath over the mirror - check

"I'd turn back if I were you!" pillow - check

This pillow was a gift - was that person (you know who you are) trying to tell me something?

$1 raven - check

Top of mantel is complete.

 One witch riding a propeller-driven broom - check

More faded silk leaves - check

(Yes, they are definitely making that farewell trip.)

Top of the tool caddy is complete.

Any more fall decorations - NO!!!

There are a few in the dining room you have not seen yet.  I will reveal soon -there seems to be a traffic jam occurring with the supplies all going to their proper spaces.





I wish to thank all of you who were kind enough to care about the feather pillows I bought at an estate sale.  If you remember correctly, I was going to toss the feathers and clean the tickings because those were what I wanted anyway.  See pillow pile here.

BUT NO!  There were a few of you who sent suggestions of potions and special brews that would assure the smell would disappear.  I decided to try it.

I chose three pillows and tugged at the seams - all secure.  I gathered several bottles and jars of different cleaning products and mixed with warm water in the washer.

I gently placed the pillows in the water on the delicate cycle.  When I went back to add another freshener to the rinse water, WHAT DO I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE!?!

Let me tell you.  My washer looked as if the entire cast of The Birds had died in there and it smelled like it too!

I am too short to reach the bottom of the washer so Chucks earned some major points today for patiently getting all the feathers out.  All he said was, "You know not to trust what you read on the Internet!"

Does he not know I AM ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO GIVE ADVICE ON THE INTERNET!?!

So, I am apologizing now for past and future problems I have caused you with my distressing tips. 

And I promise I will not come after the feather pillow savers!


See y'all!

 


PARTY JUNK #207 AT FUNKY JUNK! 



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