Fall In My Yard

I love my backyard...especially in the fall.  While my overall decor style is more contemporary and less primitive, I do like to use more rustic, weathered things in my back yard.  I've been fortunate to inherrit a few things that had belonged to my grandparents and my parents that I have incorporated into the yard.

I thought I'd share a few pics of my backyard in the fall.

The Many Faces Of My Fireplace

I have always wanted a fireplace...not to actually have a fire but because I've always wanted a mantel to decorate.  My house is really small and floor space is an issue when it comes to putting very much in my rooms.  I have some long-time family friends from church that had a nice fake corner unit that they had for years.  They finally decided that it was time to get rid of it and knew I had always wanted one.  I was excited to get it.  It was a stained oak, which isn't really my style and doesn't match anything in my house.  I decided to give it a makeover.  I painted it white to match the moldings and trim in my living room.  It's been some years now and I don't have a before pic, but here's one of the decorated fireplace that year.

I really loved having a mantel to decorate that year but was really missing all the space that it took.  I had originally hoped to find just the face and mantel piece to use...then it hit me.  I could dis-mantel (ha ha) the fireplace.  I unscrewed all the insides, removed the faux brick and then cut the back part of the mantel, flush with the back of the face. 

Then I ran to Menards (one of my favorite stores in the world) and bought two pieces of lumber.  I think one plank was six inches wide and the other eight.  I measured and cut them to add to the existing mantel so that I had a larger ledge space.  I gave it all a quick brush of paint and then screwed it flush to wall.  It was one of the best things I've ever installed into my living room.  Here are some pics.

Christmas 2009

Everyday 2010

 This year I was wanting a big change in the room when I decorated for Christmas.  I had started off planning a color palette of purple, gold and black.  I decided that it was time my mantel get another makeover.  So I painted it black.  This was a great idea since that round accent mirror and the TV console are black.  I love the new look.

Fall 2011

Wait until you see how it looks this year for Christmas.  I purchased an AMAZING new garland and it looks spectacular.  You'll have to check back later to see those pictures.  And of course I went with a completely different color palette...Gold & Silver.

Figured That I'd Share

I've spent years doing some very elaborate Christmas decorating.  I do something new and different every year and constantly have people leaving me house saying things like, "I would have never thought of doing that" or "I would love to do something like that in my house."  Friends often leave with a few ideas that they would like to incorporate into their own holiday decor.

I was deep in a Christmas decorating discussion with a coworker last year and she insisted that I begin blogging about how I do Christmas (thank you Ashley Murphy).  She thought that would be a great way for people to see exactly how I create the holiday magic in my home.  That's when The Christmas Guy blog came to be.  It's there where you can find me blogging all things Christmas.

I've had a good time blogging but have come to realize that I do some pretty cool non-Christmas things all year.  I'll still be blogging at The Christmas Guy while tangled in tinsel but I'll share the rest of my decor projects and ideas here.