A look back at my China Hutch

Did you enjoy my year of mantels from yesterday? Well today I'll share my china hutch for the past year.

We will start off with my winter hutch.

I just started decorating strictly for winter in the past couple of years. It's a great transition from Christmas when it is still too early to decorate for Valentine's Day.

Speaking of Valentine's Day....

Here is my "Love & Cherubs" hutch.

In March you have to decorate for St Patrick's Day. Especially if you have Irish blood in your veins.

I'm feeling a wee bit Irish.

Then April rolled around and we all know that Easter is coming. But it came late in the month this year. Which gave me plenty of time to get ready.


Welcome to my Easter parade.

For the month of May and June my hutch was more neutral. With birdhouses and birds.

I called this one "The Birds". Luckily these birds don't attack like in that Hitchcock film from the 60's. That one still scares me.

In the middle of June I decided to get patriotic.


My "Red, White and Blue" hutch.


Seems by the time I decorated for Summer, it is more than half over. That is why I left it up for all of August and all of September.

School starts here in August, so I couldn't decide if I should decorate for "School or Summer". Looks like Summer won. But then, thinking of school gives me a stomach ache. So it wasn't a hard decision.

Next came October and Halloween.

And my "Trick or Treat" hutch. I usually start decorating for Halloween in September. But I didn't start until a week or so before Halloween. I really need to stop procrastinating.

Next came November and Thanksgiving. Each year I keep thinking that I'll go straight from Halloween decorating straight to Christmas. But I just love, love, love Thanksgiving.

"Be Thankful I still decorate for Thanksgiving".

And finally we have reached December.

I was so original in naming this hutch. I called it.......Are you ready?.........Are you sure?....

My "Christmas hutch". Aren't you amazed I can think up such fabulous titles?

I don't know what is up with me. I can't seem to get out of my funk. I thought for sure by Christmas I would get into the Christmas spirit. But no!

I did finally get a Christmas tree up. If you can call it that.

I just ran out of time to decorate it.

My family thought it was pretty funny.

The best part is that I don't have to take down a tree this year. More time to shop.




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A Year of Mantels

Dear 2011,

Where in the heck did you go? You went by so quickly. I hardly even knew you were here.

But I know you were here for 12 months. I have the pictures to prove it.

Well, I can prove 11 of the 12 months from my mantel.

Exhibit 1: January

I actually had 2 different mantels in January. First was my New Years Mantel.

And then I did My Winter mantel. This is as close to winter as we get in SoCal. Brrrr! I can feel the cold.

Exhibit 2: February


My mantel full of LOVE. This was the month I was feeling the most "crafty". I had BHG.com contact me about showing my mantel on their website. But the procrastinator in me never responded to their email. So you aint gonna see my mantel there.

When I am ever going to learn not to procrastinate? Maybe in a few years. I have time.

Exhibit 3: March

It's good to be green aka: St Paddy's day mantel. At least I'm pretty sure it was since there is a lot of green.

Exhibit 4: April

Easter mantel. Easter came late in the month this year. I actually had a couple of different versions of this mantel. I had lots of time to keep tweaking it. This was my first attempt at growing wheat grass. It won't be my last.

And yes, there is still a lot of green on this mantel. But the rabbits and the word "Easter" kind of gave it away that it was indeed my Easter mantel and not St Paddy's day mantel.

Exhibit 5: May

My late Spring mantel. I only had this way for a couple of weeks. Since I decided to decorate for Memorial Day.

Hence....

Exhibit 6: Late May, Early June


Memorial Day mantel. The flag in the box belongs to my hubby. It was the flag that was presented to his mom at his dad's funeral. His dad is buried in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego.

Exhibit 7: June through middle of July

Old Glory. My 4th of July mantel. I only had to tweak it slightly from the Memorial Day mantel.

Exhibit 8: The end of July, August & September

Ode to Summer mantel. I was pretty "crafty" with this mantel as well. Love the "Summer" banner that I made with a road map. My rusty mermaid usually sits out by the pool. But she had to be on my Summer mantel.

Exhibit 9: Late September through October

Spooky Halloween Mantel! One of my most favorite holidays. And probably the one I decorated for most this year. I was really in a "Spooky" mood this year.

Exhibit 10:

"Give Thanks" Thanksgiving mantel. Yes, I decorate for Thanksgiving. I usually host Thanksgiving at my house.

And finally Exhibit 11: December

Bottle Brush Christmas mantel. I really wasn't feeling Christmas this year. At least you can't tell from my mantel. I really like how it turned out. And the fake snow globes were fun to make as well. I just didn't get any really great photos of the mantel. I'll have to try & take some more before I take it down this weekend.

So take that, 2011. I just proved you were here for 12 months. If only I had done a "fall" mantel in September. Then I would have had all 12 months. But I loved my "Summer" mantel so much, I couldn't bear to take it down. Plus, September is usually one of the hottest months of the year. So I wasn't feeling the "fall". Only "summer".

I just wish you had taken your time this year. Not be in such a rush. I wanted to enjoy you a little longer.

So now that 2012 is almost here. Can you please tell 2012 to slow down. She needs to stop and smell the roses. Plus, then I won't get old so fast. You know how we woman hate getting old.

Plus it is time to start the cycle all over and put up a "winter" mantel again. Hopefully I'll get some motivation to do it this weekend. But knowing me and my lack of motivation right now. I'll probably just go shopping instead. Or maybe I'll stop and smell the roses and try to turn back time.



P.S. Come back tomorrow & I'll share a years worth of my china hutch. That is, if I don't run out of time.

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