Today Is...: Fall Mantel (or mantel like..)

Today is: Day 25 of Pass IT On!

I am enjoying everything about our new home so much. Everything.. but one thing. NO Mantel. I actually had never had a mantel until our last home, in Nevada. And with the cold winter months in full gear I challenged myself to change it at least monthly. Loved it. A friend once told me "I don't think I have ever come to your house with your mantel looking exactly the same as the last time I was here." Ultimate compliment!! So I am not sure how I over looked the fact that this house doesn't have a fireplace.. and thus no mantel. In fact, I swore it did! After we got back to Nevada from our house hunting trip to Florida we were out to eat with some friends and we were telling them about the house. It was there that I learned we in fact, did not have a mantel. It was quite traumatic for me.. and knowing me so well, my friend Jessie realized immediately this was going to be a moment to remember. She whipped out her phone and took a series of pictures of my facial expressions as I realized I was going to be "mantelless". (oh i wish i had those pics now.. funny!) I believe I took a long sip of my margarita .... sigh.

Fast forward to today in said no mantel home. Luckily (?) for me we needed a new entertainment center for the tv and knowing my desire for a central decor spot.. my husband found the perfect one. Drawers for some storage under the tv and above is a mantel replacement. There.. happy wife.. happy life ;) lol.

So for fall I was ready to make something fun and colorful (the entertainment center is white and the wall behind it is still the boring light beige .. and it is driving me crazy!). I'm happy to say I think I accomplished my goal. I sometimes find my self looking at it instead of the tv!!

fall mantel

These pumpkins were so easy and turned out really great.

***Mod Podge Alert!!! It's so fun :)
I had some fallish fabrics that i wanted to do something with. So I went to the Dollar Tree to find some really cheap hideous pumpkins. I didn't want to use real ones in case they turned out fabulous so I could save them. And if they weren't a hit, at least I didn't pay a lot for them. Check out these bright things!

I took my fabric and cut it into strips that would fit from stem to bottom of the really ugly pumpkins. Then I brushed on the Mod Podge. That's it. Totally simple After it dried I filled in a few spots and painted the stems brown.

The Autumn Blessings was a gift from a sweet friend... it made me smile.

And How Bout Those CUTE OWLS?!

Another Total dollar store find.. transformed! I knew the kids would like to paint them.

Cute Owls and added a glittered curly thing (technical craft term) to the pumpkin

So these little friends started out maybe more hideous than the sad pumpkins... but lucky for them, I saw something more. I buffed them with a sander so the paint would adhere better and buffed them again after they were dry to dull them.

Here's something funny.. last night I was checking out some links to the craft parties where I linked my Halloween Mesh wreath

and i stumbled upon another cute little owl! Great minds think alike...check out Katie's cute little green owl at The Crafty Blog Stalker

Love that it's finally looking a little like fall here.. even if my mums aren't taking the heat so well out front :(