Holiday Mantle Style

Plans a Plenty

Does anyone have their holiday decorations up yet? Wish I could say I did, but I don't. Haven't even started. Not even outside lights.  Ah well, we can't have it all, can we? It will get done eventually.

Currently, I'm trying to decide on a theme for my mantle. Last year was the first year I did that and I was pleased with the way it came out. I went with winter white and used a lot of my crystal and silver stretching the theme just a bit.

This year, I'm leaning toward a more natural look. Think pine cones and the like, in a bigger way than last year.  I want it to have a warmer feel, which in all honesty will go better with the rest of my holiday decor. Though I swoon over those all white scandinavian interiors you see all over the internet and in magazines, it's just hard for me to pull off. I guess I'm a color girl at heart.

I can't say I've been finding a huge amount of inspiration on the 'from nature' theme. Sure, you can find mantles with lots of evergreen boughs hanging from them, but trust me gang- that is not going to work above our 'heat you like a summer heatwave' woodstove. (I am not joking, it might be the dead of winter, but if the stove is cranking you are likely to find us in shorts and tank tops). I want the mantle to look pretty, but I don't want it to be a fire hazzard.

I have found a few mantles that give me bits of inspiration. Ignore the evergreen bough please for the reason I outlined above.

via rockstar diaries

Love the little tree (is it rosemary?) in the champagne bucket. The evergreen above the mirror. The touch of burlap. Lovely.

Here's another problem. My mantle is skinny. It's just a 2 x 6. In fact, it's pretty lame, but we won't go there. I'd love for it to be wider, but not sure it's in the cards presently. What to do, what to do.

I'm thinking I need to extend the visual presence of the mantle upwards to create more impact. We'll just have to wait and see how I make out with that.

Do you have areas of your home that you take special care in decorating? This year I've redecorated the mantle for each season and it's been a fun way to change things up.  I mean, I wouldn't want to get bored.

If you can believe it, two weeks have gone by since the last Gotta Have It/Gotta Blog It Link Up, so tomorrow put your party clothes on and stop by. It was a FULL HOUSE last time which totally rocks. I'm going to do my best to promote shopping with small businesses during this special season which includes lots of shopping for many of you. I think big businesses have enough of the cake, and it's time for us to cut a larger piece for ourselves by supporting each other. What do you think? If you agree, be sure to stop by tomorrow and if you have a shop, link up and help me spread the word. I know with your help we can make it bigger and better and present our stuff to even more people.  If you are a shopper, it would be awesome if you stopped by to browse. See all the wonderful things that small shop owners have to offer and consider putting your two cents into the small business well.

What's shaking for your today?  It snowed the lightest of snows again this morning. It's done. The fire is still going, the hound is sleeping and I'm in full throttle office mode. I sold a print of my brand new Vonnegut typography illustration overnight. In less than 24 hours. Can I get a whoop, whoop? So, I'll be running that off and packaging it up. Sure was a great way to start the day.

Happy Hump Day

Ciao for now,

PS- It's What Inspires You Wednesday on the Bates Mercantile Co. facebook page. Stop by and either share or get some inspiration!



In The Works

via bates mercantile co.

Remember That List I Told You About?

You guessed it, it keeps on getting longer and longer, even though I am diligently crossing things off. I will say this, it's getting longer with really, really good stuff so that makes it 'not so bad' after all.

I've been busy designing and was able to add two new typography illustrations to Bates Mercantile Co. in the last two days.

The first, is a quote by me, myself and I. I've been thinking about home a lot lately, what with friends moving near and far, and others being displaced by Sandy. It's just been something that's been rattling around my brain. All of these friends, though they are not currently in 'their old homes or new homes', seem to find a way to be at peace with that. Perhaps this is why.

via Bates Mercantile Co.

People's resilience never ceases to amaze me.

The second was inspired by a fabulous quote by Kurt Vonnegut. 

via Bates Mercantile Co.

LOVE that quote.

I'm really excited about a couple of things happening on the Muse in coming weeks.  I am currently pulling the next giveaway together. In case you missed the last couple, they garnered more than 27,00 entry points which means lots and lots of people entered, and they were so enthused about the giveaway that they earned extra entries by sharing on pinterest, tweeting, facebooking and visiting sponsor shops multiple times. This makes me happy, because it means you like what's in the giveaways and my sponsors get the exposure they deserve for their shops. It also makes me happy that I am once again blessed with the most wonderful sponsors. As expected, there will be a fine selection of items for you to try and win. I hope to launch the giveaway at the end of this week or beginning of next week, and I want you all to be here to have a chance of winning of course.  If you have a shop and are interested in becoming a sponsor, there are couple of spots left.  [Keep in mind that you get an ad on the Muse for the duration of the giveaway, as well as being featured in two sponsor spotlights, and many social media mentions too.] People have been jumping on the bandwagon, so don't hesitate to let me know that you are interested. We're going to make someone's holiday season a whole lot brighter. What's not to love about that?

You can also expect some tutorials for the holidays. I'm working with my blogging pal Kristen from Milo & Molly on some tutorial swaps and I am psyched. It sprung from an idea she had that I just had to steal...which was rerunning some past tutorials.  I think the holidays are the perfect time to do a little crafting to either create new decorations and get in the proper 'tis the season mood, or to create gifts that mean so much more because they're 'made by you'.  So keep your eyes out for the tutorials (I'll give you a more detailed heads up when my tutorial plans are fleshed out a big more).  If you have a blog and would like to participate in the tutorial post swap, drop me a line, while I'm still organizing things on this end. It's a way to give our followers more how-tos and fun information, while introducting them to each other's blogs. Win/win situation peeps. 

OK. I think that's it. I've got a few things to package up and ship off to customers.  Got the North, South, East and West of the US covered and New South Wales. Coolamundo.

Make it a good one in your corner of the world, and I'll do the same.

Ciao for now,