It's not a real mantel, technically speaking, it's just a credenza. So shoot me now! Life is too short to be soaking in tears just because you've got no fireplace and no mantel. So I thought I should try a little Christmas arrangement anyway. A shelf would have been more appropriate for the display, but there isn't one shelf in the entire house :)) ...except for the ones above the sinks in the kitchen and in the bathroom. So all I had left was .... the Christmas credenza!
The first thing I did was to choose a color theme: classic red and white as seen before here in my little Christmas exercise. In order to respect the chosen colors and to create a clean look, I moved the books from the credenza and filled the latter with white storage units and fluffy pillows. The white cubes come from my desk area and are filled with scrapbooking supplies, so I hope my two cats won't eat the ribbons too soon (fingers crossed!).
I'm a little upset that he light wasn't quite enough for taking photos, but at least we can see the Christmas tree lights! Featured above are a bunch of red twigs we call "immortal", because they are left to dry and then they stay like this forever. Not very good Feng Shui, I know. I just put them in the white chalk paint vases I made earlier in spring.
The little angel is the star of my Christmas mantel wannabe, holding a golden star garland. I've got many angels of all sorts and I love them all, but this one sure does have a special place in my heart. And on the credenza.
This year, the tiny Christmas tree is decorated with a string of blinking lights and straw ornaments in their natural color. Only the red string is peeking out from time to time, letting the tree show its simple beauty. The urge to decorate the tree was too strong so I gave in yesterday. I hope that tomorrow I will be able to show you all the details and the ornaments I've used.
Just a little update to tell you how happy I was to have the Christmas mantel featured at Alderberry Hill, Five days... 5 Ways, The 36th Avenue and Design, Dining And Diapers. Thanks a million!
Hi Meeha! That's so lovely!!! welcome to the club, we don't have a mantel either, but of course we can have fun anyway! It look so wonderful bright og joyfull. Thank you for another beautiful idea! Hope your over the flue :-) have a happy day :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the beautiful words, this is the first time that I improvise a "mantel" and I don't know why I never did this before... Next year I will buy a shelf! I am felling much better, too (and it turned out that my fever came from a food poisoning, really unpleasant)
DeleteBello, bianco e rosso è molto elegante!
ReplyDeleteGrazie, Fikreta :)
DeleteWhat a fantastic combination! Lovely with red and white together, and with a bit of golden/yellow! Many great details! :D
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Lisa, you were the first one to notice the little drops of yellow (I don't like gold, so I replaced it with yellow)
DeleteSo fun! I love the poster as the backdrop, too.
ReplyDeleteVickie, thanks a million for visiting and for noticing the vintage poster. I've had it for a year and I was saving it especially for Christmas :)
DeleteI love the red! and I love that it doesn't scream Christmas, but is so festive!
ReplyDeleteKatie, thanks, you are so sweet! I was stressed out that my improvised mantel would be TOO much Christmas, thanks for saying otherwise :)
DeleteEeee I love your little Christmas arrangement! I too lack a fireplace and a mantel so I have had to come up with creative ways like this to display all of my holiday decor!
ReplyDeleteThanks a million, Yelle :) You gotta decorate with and on what you've got ;)
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ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic combination! Lovely with red and white together, and with a bit of golden/yellow! Many great details!
christmastime is definitely when i wish i had a fireplace too. this looks lovely and bright. i think the lighting for your photos is great! (but i understand the frustration of lighting and photo taking all too well : )) hope your kitties don't eat up all your ribbons.
ReplyDeleteI just love your style!
ReplyDeleteBravo to the modern take on Xmas decor!
Ana
http://babbledabbledo.com
Beautiful!
ReplyDeletePretty!
ReplyDeleteThe red & white combo is always my favorite for Christmas, and those red twigs are amazing!
ReplyDeletehttp://amrsandamama.wordpress.com/
Why the need of a mantel when you can create such beautiful displays anywhere in your home! You said "the light wasn't quite enough", oh boy, for me the pictures are perfect! I love it all!
ReplyDeleteChristina, you are so kind:) This is giving me a burst of energy to try new things and new displays :)
DeleteHOw pretty! I do love red and white for Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThanks a million, Danni, I'm so happy that you like it!
DeleteOh I love it, red and white is always so pretty, but I like it that your mantel is not too traditional but has a more fresh style.
ReplyDeleteAnd I was thinking I can't get more traditional than this, with the tree and all:))) Thank you for the sweet words :)
DeleteLOVING your red & white, and do I see some IKEA in the mix girl friend:) Stop by. I posted http://www.sewsweetvintage.com/search/label/Let%20it%20Snow and http://www.sewsweetvintage.com/2012/12/impossibly-sweet-ikea-and-trujoy-gluten.html
ReplyDeleteto the picket fence:) Merry Christmas!
Thank you for the lovely words! Only the white lamp and the red lamp are from Ikea, but I love their clean and simple style which is how I want to live:)
DeleteI've wanted a real fireplace for years but had to made do. I bought a faux fireplace at an antique shop years ago and just go to town on it!!!I love your credenza all decorated for Christmas. The red and white theme is so pretty. Your little angel has such a sweet face and expression.
ReplyDeleteHappy decorating.
Ann
So simple and cute friend! I just love your style! Thank you so much for inspiring me!
ReplyDeleteJaime from CSH
Oh, Jaime, you don't know how happy it makes me to have you visit :)
DeleteVery pretty!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Deb
ooo pretty! I love how it turned out! Thought you might be interesting in entering my Photobook giveaway.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nap-timecreations.com/2012/12/smilebooks-giveaway-over-500-combined.html
Thank you so much for visiting, Emily, I can't enter the giveaway because I live in Europe but thank you so much for inviting me!
DeleteYou did a fabulous job it looks so pretty! We have no mantel either, making something else work in its place is part of the fun! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting, Kristine, it is my first fake mantel but it makes the room happy, so I think I might do it again in spring :)
DeleteThank you so much, Jill!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for linking to Make the Scene Monday @ Alderberry Hill. You are being featured later this evening!
ReplyDeleteHave a fantastic new year!
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