So last week I mentioned the other projects I decided I needed to do in the midst of holiday preparations. You know, all the things you’ve been putting off or didn’t even notice before they suddenly seem urgent. One of them was repainting my former kitchen cupboard door turned shutter above my fireplace.
You might remember that I had originally painted it blue because I didn’t have any primer. We were having company over that night and that was all I had on hand that would stick to the cabinet like primer. As luck would have it, I ran out of time to paint the third shutter a top coat of white like the others so it had to stay blue. Whatever.
So, while the middle shutter was a lovely shade of blue, after a few weeks of living with its blueness it just wasn’t working for me. I did like the idea of the third shutter being a color instead of white though. So, I got out my new favorite green paint mixed with some brown toner and voila, I now have an aged green shutter.
Still haven’t painted my swine walls (OINK!) and I am still considering fabric to possibly slipcover my chairs and ottomans, but I am much happier overall now just having my green shutter. It doesn’t take much to make me happy. Decorating is definitely a slow process of pulling together what I have around my house. Picking out everything from scratch before I even began would be easier, but I enjoy the challenge of making things work as I go.
So, there you have it, the mantel and its touch of Christmas. To keep it inexpensive and simple, I used mostly things I already had…my HomeGoods lanterns, old garland, my Pier One apples from fall, and clear glass candlesticks to hold up my blue glass ornaments. And I finished it off with a natural twig wreath to balance out the pretty and round out the rectangular shapes. That wreath will work all winter.
Some of you asked about the stockings when I showed them last week. They are Pottery Barn but I added some of my grandma’s doilies to the girls’ stockings to pretty them up and make them unique. Easy peasy. No sewing either, just tucked them around the cuff.
Coming up, home tour and more Christmas decorating from around the house and around the web!
It looks lovely, Melissa
So glad you’re “home” for the holidays this year! It’s nice to own.
.-= Myrnie´s last blog ..Bending The Rules =-.
Beautiful! I love the green on the shutter and the colors used in the mantle decor. The stockings are wonderful ~
.-= Pat´s last blog ..~ Third Graders Sing for The Troops! ~ =-.
gorgeous!…I don’t have a mantel, so I posted about my Christmas $60 Target bookcase!
.-= Aaron´s last blog ..Putting It All Together =-.
It’s lovely, Melissa. I love that color you finally landed on for your shutter. And I’m like you: working things in as I go. This wall knockout in our living room has the whole house upside down as I borrow from each room to try to make this one right. It isn’t there yet…but we’re getting closer!
.-= emily´s last blog ..tomorrow =-.
Love it! I love the idea of dressing up the pottery barn stockings with Grandma’s doilies. Mixing the new with the old….perfect!
.-= desiree@lookiloos´s last blog ..A Christmas Wreath with Mad Men Style =-.
Melissa..
I’m liking those (oink) walls!
~warm smile, wink~
The mantle swag, the wreath (!!), the stockings — truly, your ingenuity and creatitivy make a beautiful home…. and inspire us all!
*Thank you!*
Grateful for you,
Ann
.-= Ann Voskamp@Holy Experience´s last blog ..Filling the Sky of Twitter with God-Praise? =-.
My question is this: Where do you purchase a stocking hanger like the one you have?
I love your blog, by the way.
~a
.-= annie´s last blog .. =-.
That looks fantastic! So fresh. Well done!!!
beautiful.
our house is missing the festiveness this year. i have just been too darn busy. maybe i can get a few things out today? we’ll see.
love the green shutter.
.-= meg duerksen´s last blog ..funny =-.
Love the pieces of wood you added behind everything!
.-= gina´s last blog ..cute "ice cream" ornament =-.