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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

MY first order of business...

First the sneak peek photo from the other day...a cinnamon broom dressed up with a sheer, sparkly fall bow, a couple of my previously blogged acorns and some copper colored wheat candle holders (and candles) from Cracker Barrel. Those were a "cabin warming" gift from my aunts and mom when they came to visit. If you like them, they changed them a bit this year, but they're still available. Instead of the leaves across them, they have copper sunflowers. They come in the set of 3 and the candles are separate, but also available. They were all 40% off when I was there a couple weeks ago ;-)


Remember the list? Not long before we left for this trip I decided I wanted a new mantle. I saw all these gorgeous mantles decorated for fall and all I had was a narrow, uneven stone mantle. Now I watch enough HGTV to have seen a hundred fireplace fixes and a new mantle is quick and easy (you do know HGTV is in Knoxville right? I SO want to work there!). Being that the cabin is sort of country, primitive, Americana - I didn't want fancy. I didn't even want it as finished as it ended up, but that's ok, I love it! So yes...a new mantle was at the top of my Honey Do list and I wanted it done ASAP so that I could decorate it for fall and actually ENJOY it while we were there. 

After breakfast at Cracker Barrel on Sunday morning, we went straight to Lowe's. It's right next door. 

1 10' - 1"x10" piece of pine
1 12' - 1"x4" piece of pine
a pocket hole jig
some screws
2 cans of flat black spray paint
1 can of clear spray paint
5 cup hooks
wood filler
wood plugs



Test fit

 Works...
 Mr. P is gettin' it done!
 Built!
 A few coats of black paint...
 Voila! Fabulous isn't it?
 The whole deal...since the new mantle cap is deeper than the old stone, I had Mr. P add 5 cup hooks on the backside of the front facing so I could hang my garlands...and the stockings of course. The black is such a HUGE help in breaking up all the "wood" tone.
 The picture frame I took out of my neighbor's trash - covered with pine cones, acorns and hickory nuts. Not bad for a bunch of free stuff plus some hot glue!
And yet another Dollar Tree hurricane vase - filled with (yep, you guessed it) free pine cones, hickory nuts and acorns...plus a couple of large fall leaves (also from the Dollar Tree).
The pumpkin candle holder was a $5 Big Lots find (it's actually copper colored), plus a Trick or Treat Yankee Votive that was in my stash at home.
Those are the acorns that I posted about HERE
Don't you LOVE that giant acorn?! $6 at TJ Maxx...

 New mantle...less than $50. Gotta love it!

Just for reference...here is a before shot...before as in when we first went to look at the place before we bought it.










Joining the Paint Party at Domestically Speaking!



And i'll Toot my Own Horn over at Silly Little Sparrow...




toolsareforwomentoo

And of course i'll brag over at Tools are for Women too! - I have no shame...

Transformation Thursday!



Thrifty Thursday too!

1 comments:

Wingnut said...

I am so jealous! That is so fabulous, every darn thing about it!