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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

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December 13, 2017

Take Your Mantel From Fall to Christmas

I know, I know, it’s kind of late in the game to be sharing with you how I transitioned my mantel from Fall to Christmas, but maybe you still haven’t decorated your mantel for Christmas (I KNOW there are a few of you out there!) or maybe you want to tuck the ideas away for next year, or maybe you’re just going to enjoy the reassurance that you aren’t the only one who is trying to do things as simply and cost effectively as possible in your home.

Waaaayyyy back in September when I began to plan out how I wanted to decorate my mantel for Fall, I realized that I could save myself a lot of time and energy if I would take an intentional and strategic approach so that I could easily transition the decor into the next season.

Here is how it looked for Fall…

I layered it with faux greenery like eucalyptus, lambs ear and other foliage in similar colors. Then I added in red apples and white pumpkins. In the urn, dried lavender is simple and natural.

This literally only took me a few minutes to pull together and I loved the simple beauty of this look. Which is why I really wanted to keep it going right on into the holidays.

Here is how it looks for Christmas…

All I did was take out the pumpkins and add in some bleached pinecones, some white berry sprigs, a few faux juniper berry branches and a strand of twinkling lights. In the urn, I simply replaced the dried lavender with winter-y looking greenery.

It doesn’t get any easier than that folks!

And, it doesn’t get any more thrifty than that either! Not only did I save myself a ton of time but I saved money as well having one mantel design cover two seasons.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and again, I’m never going back to stressful seasonal decorating. It felt so liberating this year to take an approach that was much more simplified and relaxed.

You can see more of how I implemented this approach in my full Christmas home tour.

And for more thrifty ideas and inspiration just in time for Christmas check out all of these from the Thrifty Style Team!


An InLinkz Link-up


I hope you are all having a wonderful, not-too-stressful Christmas season so far!

8 Comments Filed Under: Christmas, Decorating, Good Ideas, Holidays Tagged With: Christmas, Christmas decorating

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Previous Post: « Winter Decorating in the Dining Room
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Comments

  1. Bliss says

    December 13, 2017 at 4:29 AM

    Soooooo…. I trimmed some cedar from the yard, even had my husband lightly flock it when he did the tree. Where did it go, I haven’t seen it since! I have a tray of ornaments at the foot of my bed and how pretty yours looks with the cedar hanging over the edges. I must have meant to do that right?

    Reply
  2. Deborah says

    December 13, 2017 at 9:24 AM

    Just so elegant! Love it

    Reply
  3. Norma Rolader says

    December 13, 2017 at 11:27 AM

    Oh my just beautiful and thank you for sharing

    Reply
  4. Cindy says

    December 13, 2017 at 1:41 PM

    It’s so beautiful Vanessa, and I love the simplified approach to decorating. Merry Christmas!

    Reply
  5. Julie says

    December 13, 2017 at 8:27 PM

    Vanessa…I think it’s so cool how you took the exact photo twice so we could compare the 2 seasons. You gave me some ideas for next year! Your last photo of the tree & dresser is stunning. XO

    Reply
  6. Kristi says

    December 13, 2017 at 8:33 PM

    So beautiful Vanessa! Simple but totally elegant. Happy Holidays!

    Reply
  7. Lisa Mothersead says

    December 16, 2017 at 5:08 PM

    I really like that and so smart. I was actually thinking about my fall mantle the other day and how with minor changes, I could have easily transitioned it to Christmas. I think because we just repainted all our main interior rooms, I got it in my head I needed to do some new things. But, new things cost money, and I didn’t overspend but probably didn’t need spend as much as I did. I enjoyed this post and thanks for encouraging us to keep it simple and be smart.

    Reply
  8. laura janning says

    December 17, 2017 at 5:15 AM

    Vanessa im with you. the simplified approach makes me think that I lost 10 lbs as well!! your mantel is just lovely and to think how easy it was to transform from one season to the next. merry christmas to you and your precious family.

    Reply

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And yesterday, as I was staring at the gorgeous blossoms for the umpteenth time, I couldn't help but think that I hope this is how I feel when our lives return to some semblance of normalcy.

I hope that the predictable feels special and that the typical feels anything but. I hope that I ohhh and ahhh over the simple things I've realized I've taken for granted. And, most of all, I hope that feeling doesn't go away for a very, very long time! 💗
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Happy Easter from my home to yours!
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What could be good about the unspeakable pain he suffered? What could be good about the shame and betrayal?

Easter Sunday is so joyful, bright and cheery. Shouldn’t that be the day we call “good”? It just feels so much better!

But, I don’t know how to rejoice over His resurrection, unless I have felt the pain of His death. I have realized that in life the sweetest victories are the ones which were realized after a pain-filled journey.

And, so it is with Good Friday. I know there will be victory over death, but I can’t skip ahead in the story.

Jesus knew what was coming. He knew what he would experience. And he knew why he would go through it. He did it for me. He did it for you.

Do you know that? Have you felt it down in the very core of your soul? 
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Well, because, I can’t do it for myself!

There is nothing I can do to earn that kind of love and mercy.

That is why it is called GRACE.

His grace is freely given. We don’t have to pay for it. He paid the price for us already.

Do you remember that movie from years ago called “Ransom”? A couple’s young son was kidnapped and the parents went to hell and back trying to find him and pay the “ransom” demanded by the kidnappers.

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