UncategorizedMy Mantle Evolution October 4, 2012I mentioned in yesterday’s post about my fall mantle that this one seemed sort of a departure for me from my usual pattern for decorating mantles and I couldn’t really pinpoint why. Then last night, my husband saw it and his comment made a lot of sense and made me laugh. I had to share! First, let’s take a look back at my previous mantles and see if we notice a pattern. Fall 2011: Christmas 2011: Winter 2012: Spring 2012: Summer 2012: Notice any patterns? Dont’ get me wrong, I have loved each of these mantles so much when they’re up. The mantle really is the focal point of this long living room and I spend a lot of time deciding how I will decorate it each season. But I really got into a pattern, didn’t I? Up until last summer, I always had the window and burlap wreath hanging in the center, which I still love. But even after I said goodbye to it, there was still something hanging dead center. And then the branches…I always had a pitcher full of branches (I must admit, I was so tempted to do this again this fall, but wanted to make a change). I started in the first few, you’ll see, with just one pitcher at one end of the mantle. But over time, that looked lop-sided and I added one on each end. I’m a girl who loves symmetry, I gotta tell ya. Even this past summer, I had the mantle all done with no branches on each end and it just looked incomplete. I didn’t think the regular branches felt like summer, so we cut up some driftwood. But this fall, I ended up doing something a bit different. I didn’t really realize it at first, but now looking at it, it is. No branches on each end and nothing hung in the center. The sign and painting are leaned off center. The other major difference that my husband brought to my attention is I normally fill in with tons of stuff. Last night, he looked at my mantle when I was taking pictures and said, “It’s not done, is it?” You can imagine how I responded. Since I was taking picture it obviously was. I might’ve been a little sad. It felt done to me 🙁 But over the course of conversation (him trying to explain himself) I understood. He said, “It looks good, you just normally put so much more stuff up there.” I laughed out loud. He’s right! If you look back at all the other pictures, there is so much more little stuff. This one feels filled up, but it’s with fewer, bigger items. It just struck me as funny. I guess I’m breaking out of my usual patterns and exploring new things, even if it is just on a mantle. Do you find yourself going back to the same tried and true method in decorating? Oh, and P.S., notice the change in my header? It makes me happy 🙂
Angie says October 4, 2012 at 10:31 pm Haha! I totally, 100% hear you! I’m always decorating the same way, year after year, season after season. At least we know what we like! Reply