Winter Mantel

Winter has decided to visit us again this week in SoCal. Last week was Summer weather, this week Winter.

I love when it actually feels like Winter here. I'd much rather it be cold than hot.

Don't get me wrong. I like the warmer weather too. I just like it in the Summer, not the Winter. Since we only seem to get either Summer or Winter temps where I live, I want it to be at the specific time of year those temps were meant for.

Since the weather has turned colder, I decided to dress up my mantel in celebration.

I love the neutral colors.


This is the closest I'm getting to snowflakes here.

I reused my mason jars from the Anthropologie knock off snow globes I made for Christmas. I didn't glue my bottle brush trees to the lid. I just used some "sticky" stuff to keep them in place. So when I took them apart, I thought, why not just turn over the jars and put some candles in them. So I did.

This mantle cost me "nothing" as I already had everything on hand.

I've been collecting "snowflakes" for years.

Reused my "Winter" garland from last year.

The only new purchase this year are the battery operated votive candles. They came from Costco in the fall when they had their coupon for $4.00 off.

Time to turn on the candles.

I think real candles give a better ambiance. But then, you can't beat the safety of the battery operated ones. And since I've had a couple of close calls with real candles, I'm sticking with the battery operated ones.

I made this "Winter" garland last year. I have these fancy letters on my computer that I have no idea now where they came from. I printed them out, cut them out, punched some holes, strung some twine and wa la I have me a garland.

I'll probably only leave it this way for a week or so. Time to start thinking of this years Valentine mantel. Techinically, I should have had it up for a couple of weeks already. But I'm the procrastinator, remember. I just barely took down my Christmas mantel yesterday. Still need to put the boxes up in the attic though. Hopefully tonight.

But then, The Bachelor is on, and then there is the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills to watch.

I guess there is always tomorrow.

Is it just me? Or can you hear Little Orphan Annie singing as well.

Do you decorate for winter? Are you a procrastinator like me? And is it to soon to decorate for Valentine's Day? I don't procrastinate the dreaming, or planning part. Just the execution part.



Linking to:

More Winter Decor

I know that most of you are tired of winter already. But not me. But then, we have been having temps in the low 80's for the past few days.

I kind of long for snow and cold temps. Isn't it funny how we always want something we don't have.

Here is some more of my "winter" decor. I think these photos will finish it up. This weekend I plan to decorate for Valentine's Day.

Here is the top of my TV armoire. I switched out the twig reindeer and sleigh from Christmas for some of my white pitcher collection. The pitchers sit on top most of the year.

I added the willow tree sticks to this vase back in November. I still like it. I kept the Dollar Tree snowflakes hanging from the branches from Christmas.

I added this plate my sister in law made for me a few years ago.

Here is the shelf in my family room.

I switched out the mercury glass trees for these bottles. The bottles have been here for the past few months, except for Christmas. I left the Dollar Tree snowflake leaning up against the window mirror.

I love this white bottle brush tree. I moved it from being in my nativity vignette (which is now put away) to here. I even kept the snow on the shelf from Christmas.

I changed up a few things in this vignette from Christmas.

I added another blue/silver acorn inside the cloche and a frosty blue leaf ornament to the outside. I got both on after Christmas clearance at Walmart. I found them at 75% off.

I switched out the jingle bells in the apothecary jar for my letter balls. And I changed the small ironstone pitcher for the mercury glass candle holder I had there previously. I also put away the Christmas angel that had been sitting here.

Added another frosty blue leaf from Walmart clearance to this jar. Don't you just love it? I bought two and now I am wishing I had bought more. I always do that, do you?


I removed the Christmas print from this frame & moved the book page wreath from my mantel to hanging from this frame.

I just love the colors in this vignette.


In this cloche, I took out the small Christmas cloche (the cloche within a cloche). Moved the white trees around and added some small rocks that say "Brrr".

Makes me want to put on a coat. Just kidding!


And finally we have my "winter" letter art sign that I made last year. This year I hung it on the wall instead of using it on my mantel. If you want to know how I made it, just click HERE.

I never did get my other cloches are made up for winter. Oh well, hopefully I'll get them done for Valentine's Day.

My plans this past weekend was to get everything made that I'm planning on doing for my Valentine's Day decor, but I got nothing accomplished. But that is par for me. I did watch Brideszilla and My Fair Wedding all day yesterday. I love those shows.

Hopefully I'll get something done during the week, or maybe next weekend. My goal is to buy nothing new. Just make stuff from things I have around the house. I may have to cheat & buy a piece of colored paper or two.

I need to get something done or I'll have nothing to post about. I've been super lazy. I can't seem to get motivated to do anything around my house. I still have a couple of Christmas boxes that have yet to make it up in the attic. Don't worry, they are packed up (mostly). I just need some muscle power to get them up the ladder.



Linking to:

My Winter China Hutch

It is still winter at my house, even though the temp is suppose to hit the low 80's this weekend.

Even if it will be saying "spring" or even "summer" outside. The inside still says "Winter".

I really hate it when all the Christmas decor comes down. It seems so depressing. And heaven knows I hate to be depressed. So I decided that I could keep out the snowflakes and the pine cones, the mercury glass and celebrate "Winter". Especially since we really don't get "winter" here in southern California.


I used the same letters that I used in my "winter" banner on my mantel, only smaller for this little vignette. I have no idea what the font is. I found the letters in the book Weddings. It is a Memories of a Lifetime book. I also added some wintry little prints.

I didn't like the photo display by itself, so I placed it inside one of my white pitchers.

I really like the black & white, silver color scheme. And it was not almost 9am when I took these photos. It was actually almost 8am. My clock is still on daylight savings time. I only have to wait a few more months & it will be the right time again.

I hung a snowflake ornament from a white ironstone platter.


I just love these bottle brush trees. I kept them out after Christmas as they say "winter" to me. I've had them for a few years. I'm not sure where I got them, my guess is, Home Goods, Marshalls or TJ Maxx.


These mercury glass votive candle holders are etched with snowflakes. They originally came from Target a few years back. I had them on my Christmas mantel. But exchanged them for larger mercury glass ones for my winter mantel. And moved these to my hutch.

I added this large snowflake to one of my white plates. The mercury glass birdies came from Target last year.

As you can see, I have a thing for white ironstone, plates and pitchers.


I used 2 of the apothecary jars left over from Christmas. They were already filled with glittered pine cones or pine cone ornaments. Still works for winter. The jar on the left had jingle bells at Christmas, I exchanged the bells for these number balls.

I have a thing for cloches as well.

I placed a small vintage feather tree under this cloche.

And another one under this cloche. But I forgot to add some snow to this one. The cheese dome cloche in the back is left over from Christmas. It is filled with pine cone ornaments.


And that concludes this portion of the "Winter" tour.


I still have a few more areas of my family room that I have decorated for winter. Hopefully you will get to see them before it's Valentine's Day. Keep your fingers crossed!




Linking to:

Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk's



Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage


Frugal Fridays @ The Shabby Nest

Show & Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home