It's beginning to look a bit like Christmas

While my Christmas decorating may have gotten off to a slow start, it's finally starting to come together - just in time for my parents' first visit to my new home!

Wednesday night was spent baking, decorating and eating (far too many) cookies with a good friend. Our tasty treats will be displayed on white platters when guests arrive (currently they're safely stowed away in containers, with the hopes that out of sight really is out of mind!).

I also dressed up my dining room console/rad cover/wine rack with this cheery, and shiny, little guy, who I saw in a shop window one afternoon and just couldn't pass up. I do keep trying to resist the urge to hang things from his antlers!

And my favourite, and far most labour-intensive, project was the first phase of my mantel makeover. Our mantel was designed (by the previous owners) to hold a TV, and we have yet to hang one there. So, up until this week, it looked like this:

 

Not exactly a stunner, is it? All those holes up top are designed to accommodate the TV and peripherals, while the one below leads to another outlet. Totally convenient, but less than pretty. And certainly not the polished look I'm going for! Someday, it will host our TV and Wii, but in the meantime, we needed a cover-up!

So, with a picture frame left over from a previous project and a few bits of glassware, we get this:

 
We framed some pretty snowy wrapping paper for a seasonal touch (and it perfectly disguises the TV mount), then added some candles and a vase filled with mini ornaments. Finding pieces that fit on the mantel was actually pretty tricky because it's very narrow!

Despite hours of searching, I couldn't find any stocking hooks that I actually liked, so we ended up hanging our stockings on peel and stick hooks, which thankfully blend in fairly well with the white backdrop.

Presents will fill the "fireplace" area, which I think is a great festive touch (and honestly, where else would we put them?), plus it hides the hole.

Like all things in our house, it is still a work in progress. I need to pick up some greenery to help fill out the space, after I wrap the ledge in clingwrap to keep it from getting all sappy and sticky (thanks to Better Homes and Garden's Twitter feed for the tip!).

But, despite my still-growing holiday to do-list, every ornament I put up helps get me a little bit more in the spirit! Plus, isn't half the fun in decorating slowly, until everything's just right?

Comments

[NewHomeOwner]

I love the colour of the wall that is in the picture with the reindeer! What colour is that and who makes it?

[Craig B]

Hi Jennifer,

That radcover/storage unit looks amazing and exactly what we are looking to do in our new home for the living room. Any chance you could post more pictures of it or email me some?

Thanks,
Craig

[Jennifer Wilson-Speedy]

Hi NewHomeOwner - I'll double check the colour name for you tonight (just catching up after a brief vacation!), it's from Behr.

And Craig - thanks, we love it too! I'd be happy to send you some photos, just drop me a line at jwilson(at)thestar(dot)ca with your contact info!

[Jennifer Wilson-Speedy]

The dining room is painted Pinedale Shores from Behr

[NewHomeOwner]

Thank you so much! I'll definitely look into that colour! Happy Holidays!