Simple Autumn Love: My Fall Mantel.

Can you believe it is fall already?

Where did the days of summer fly off to?

 I didn't climb up to the attic to fetch the fall decorations this year.

I just decided to use some natural decorations

 like the little gourds a friend gave my kids,

the hydrangeas that I dried a few weeks back,

a small fresh tansy bouquet in an old jar,

and some red maple leaves

(these are in the leaf-painted jar I experimented with last week).
The old farm lantern belonged to my husband's grandfather.

The huge picture on the mantel was a crazy yard sale purchase this summer.

I thought the print was pretty,

its fall simplicity and simple life drew me into it,

although the gold strip on bleached wooden frame made it look a bit too 60's,

so I painted the frame white.

The lady holding the yard sale was doing it as a help to her sister

 whose husband had just passed away.  She needed new tires,

and all the proceeds of the sale were going to it.

I found a few things I liked,

and the picture happened to make it into that list.

This old looking slat box was very inexpensive at the Charity Store

because it had another slat coming down that was hanging off.

I pulled it out and found this image at the Graphic Fairy

that I thought might fit well.

 After printing it on tan paper,

I inked the edges with a yellow stamp pad 

and then a brown stamp pad,

with the help of a soft sponge.

 I colored in the wording with a permanent gold marker I had

and then crumpled the whole thing up.

 I was trying to get the paper to have an aged look to it.

 I picked a bouquet of purple beauty berry bush for another old jar.

I have dried them before and although the leaves will wither,

the berries still hold their color for the season.

The decorative candles were a gift from my husband's aunt

and bring fond memories when I pull them out of my candle box.

 It is a simple fall mantel,

but I think simple was a nice change for me.

(If you'd care to join me,
I will be posting my favorite/family recipes for the month of October,
a new recipe every day.)

Linking up to:

Time-warp-wife.blogspot.com 
Theprairiehomestead.com
Betweennapsontheporch Graphicsfairy.blogspot.com 

Themodestmomblog.com 

Cozylittlehouse.com 

Abowlfulloflemons.blogspot.com 

Centsationalgirl: fall mantels