Fall is in the Air.

It seems like it would get easier to decorate a mantel when you move from a house with 3 mantels, to a house with 1.  But it didn't.  I have had such a difficult time decorating this mantel since we moved in.  I think it has something to do with the big black box in the middle of it.  Stupid T.V. ....

BUT ANYWAY.... I came up with a cheap and easy fall mantel this year and I couldn't be happier with it.

I started on the left side with an old window sash I got from a yard sale for a buck.  It's rustic charm is gorgeous.  I created a little fall pennant out of scrapbook paper and hot glued pennies on the back so it would hang nicely.

I got the candleholder on the left from goodwill for $1.50 and replaced the candle with a little pumpkin that came from the produce section at Wal-Mart.  Some Painted Acorns went into a wine carafe and a stick from the backyard gave it a little more pazzaz.

I used some really old books to hold up my favorite ceramic blue bird (well, I guess it's my only ceramic blue bird which makes it my favorite by default :)

On the other side of the giant box, I put my Pumpkin Acorn Wall Art along with my Family Sign that I made from an old cabinet door.  I used a method similar to the one I used to put the graphic on My Little Blue French Desk.

This little pitcher was $2 at goodwill and the pumpkins came from that same Wal-Mart bag (isn't the color on them great?  The berries came from an overgrown bush in my front yard.

The candle is a necessity this time of year.  I love to have a yummy smelling candle burning while the windows are open and the breeze is blowing.  I also included some silver painted acorns in a mason jar.

While the t.v. is a hindrance, it makes a good frame for my watermark.  I'll probably keep tweaking until it's time to take it down and put my christmas mantel up :)

This is what it looks like most of the time if I'm gonna be honest with you.  Caillou is bound to be a part of every mantel in this house!

And in honor of my new lens.  I created this :)

This was the first picture I took with my new AF-S 50mm 1:1.4G lens!!

I decided to link this last picture up with the weekly photography challenge at A Step in the Journey

The challenge this week just happens to be bokeh (blur) which this picture works perfectly for. 

Excited to link up to my first photography linky!

I still have some practicing to do because it's a big change, but some photography posts are bound to be coming soon :-D

Love,

Katie

Linky Party Love:

A Crafty Soiree at Yesterday on Tuesday

A Step in the Journey

Hookin Up with HoH at House of Hepworths

Fireflies and Jellybeans

DIY by Design

Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Show Me What Ya Got with Not Just a Housewife

Home Sweet Butterfly