Wednesday, December 9, 2009

mantel party

i always struggle to find the right mantel decor at christmas time. it's either good on paper bad in real life or i just can't make up my mind. i like it simple best, not a fan of the red and green usually. and i mostly dislike candy colored christmas too, unless anna spiro does it. but even still it wouldn't be right for me. for me i usually get some spruce and juniper garland from the nursery and plop it up there, add some candles and call it a day. i will more than likely do that this year too and i'm ok with that b/c it works for me. my real issue is those damn stockings. i hate them quite frankly. they are usually heinous anyway..all puffy with penguins, santa's or frosty's. i am going to do something different this year, like stocking buckets. or some such coolness. here are some mantel's that caught my eye..




this only needs slight modification to make it festive and my vote is for fluffy piles of fake snow and a few green branches:

lookit jen ramos's mantel...i love what she did this year. it's so simple and so gorgeous. her tree kicks ass too. those lights work so well b/c of the modern lines of her fireplace and the golden goodness of that mirror. i think this is my favorite mantel i have seen in blog land this year. way to go jen ramos!




i love this tree...why do not the homey D trees look like this? but that stocking-on-a-clothesline bullshit would be way too ghetto in my house. it would be ghetto in your house too, so don't do it. it only works in laura ingalls' house here:


simple, sweet...love:



meh...it's cute. probably really pretty in person. it seems like it's trying too hard.




holister hovey's frontier christmas:



here's a before and after from country living:
this is too cutesy for me. i liked it better before...maybe with some greenery added or some big globe lights.



this is pretty for red and green:

sweet jesus!! where did the fireplace go?!!



rita konig decorated this for the waverly inn in NYC. it's all fake. it looks cool though, like a secret garden.




not christmasy at all but i love it ever so much. the magenta logs are super duper:

this is a crowd favorite...simple, not so christmasy and should an intruder try to steal your christmas presents you can impale them with one of those horns:



maybe i'll just throw this up there and call it a day:






i am working on this today so i will most likely have reveal shots tomorrow. don't get your hopes up though.
***this just in...lonny part deux launches (lonnches??) in 18 hours. there better be a mantle for me to copy miCHELLE!!!!!!

26 comments:

Abbie said...

You had me laughing at loud with your Sweet Jesus comment. Too funny!

the paris apartment said...

I'm loving your blog after just one post! Can't wait to dig in and see what trouble you've been stirring up!
By the by, I came through Dumbwit Tellher and wanted to say happy 40 to you!

BonBon Rose Girls Kristin said...

That navy fireplace is killer! I had to visit your blog after seeing a couple of your bday tributes!

Rachel said...

Sweet Jesus is right!!!! I always wonder how long it takes some people to decorate, and whether their time might be better spent doing something else.... anything else!!

I kept my mantle pretty simple. Some (fake but good) garland with a couple pinecones nestled in. And that's it.
I did do the somewhat candy-colored ornaments (they're not so bright as to be candy-colored), but I've had a monochromatic tree for years and I just got tired of it.
And my stockings have Santa and Rudolph and snowmen on them.... but my grandmother sewed it for me when I was born (my sisters each have one too)- it's all hand done, and because of that it's special to me. But normally I don't like all that cutesy stuff!

Can't wait to see the big reveal!

Anonymous said...

i agree with you about most christmas stockings but Hable has some really cute ones. they're a little expensive though.

erica

Anna White said...

I went the Jen Ramos style christmas tree this year and it was super easy...less messy and looks fab..go with it girl!!
PS Loathe the christmas stockings...just yuuurkkkk....prefer baskets...coloured tubs...or boxes wrapped in funky christmas paper.
Either way..Im sure you mantel is going to look just fab..and agree...less is best ;) obviously not for family that decided to go all sweet jesus..for sweet jesus!

kristin said...

God I wish I had a mantle! My kids have to hang their stockings on a coat rack. sniff sniff.

seriously though can you help me with my candle problem bloggers? http:/appletreestaging.blogspot.com

Angie Muresan said...

Can't wait to see yours!

Unknown said...

I battle with the mantle every year too! I hate it! I personally love the white pottery filled with greens. Clean and simple and understated.

Thanks for the Lonny update, I've been patiently WAITING!

Sharon Brown said...

I triple dog dare you to do the Sweet Jesus mantle in your house.

Anonymous said...

Please tell me the Edward stocking is real and that I can force my husband to buy it for me.

Junque Rethunque said...

oooooh... I want Laura Ingalls' floors SOOOOO BAD!!!!

Are those logs made out of FangTonio's ducks? Hmmm....

Southern Aspirations said...

Ironically I posted on the stocking situation today. Struggling with the mantle piece here... cracking up on some of your descriptors...

ticklishfromadistance said...

Loving that first image. Any the navy is delish.

MFAMB said...

thanks abbie and paris apt. and all other first timers...welcome to cool country.

the stocking is totally for real and there is so much more at http://www.squidoo.com/twilight-christmas

southern asp..going to your blog now.

Anonymous said...

funny shit

best of luck on the christmas mickey mantle action

Simply Mel {Reverie} said...

The one with "where did the fireplace go" - that's my mother's house in a nutshell! I swear there should be some sort of therapy for people who feel compelled to decorate like that!

Anonymous said...

I took your suggestion and it made me look like a dickhead when I said, "....the buckets were hung by the chimney with care."

MFAMB said...

anon..if the bucket fits....

Brooke @ Blueprint Bliss said...

I found you via Haven and Home. This post was great. Great photos but such funny commentary.

Rachel said...

Hey there! I nominated you for a bloggy award on my blog. ;-)

Anonymous said...

Thank you for saving me from myself! I have no mantel to hang our stockings on and every year it's a hassle to find a place to hang them that I am satisfied with. When I saw the clothesline I thought "what a cute idea!" Your comment reminded me that, sadly, no it would not be cute. Only ghetto. I would have attempted it had it not been for your words of wisdom. Back to the drawing board. Thank you Ode of Design.

Nashay

Niki P. said...

those hot pink logs just made my heart flutter. off to go buy spray paint!

LindsB said...

Why not hang some christmas undies up there, you know just for shits and giggles

nelya said...

Guess who's getting herself some magenta logs...hellz yeah, me, that's who. I LOVE that fireplace!

Dumbwit Tellher said...

Fav - magenta logs and edward on a stocking♥