The Christmas Mantle

 I never plan ahead on what my Christmas mantle will look like, I just go with the flow and see how it turns out.  Seems this year is turning out silver.

                                     Vintage blue beads added a touch of color.

  A variety of silver balls and silver spires nestled in antique silver tinsel garland.

     The lights add a bit of warmth and a little touch of gold.

 I acquired so many decorations throughout the years that I never need to buy anything to decorate.  Everything can be used in different ways to give a different effect.

    In the daylight without the lights on, it has a totally different look.

     A little history on the snowflake panels on the mantel.  I acquired these decades ago, a whole bin full of blue glitter, mirror and frosted snowflakes along with the cutouts from a store in a mall in Atlanta.  It's just one of the crazy things I would do.  I loved the decorated windows and would ask the managers if no one wanted the decorations after Christmas would I be able to come get them, and most of the time the answer was yes!

 

                         The cutouts.  All have a small hole to hang them.

    In the garden:  A good year for berries!

       I planted these nandinas when we moved here, and they are now mature and loaded with bunches of berries.

        They line the front porch and fence at the Tiny Farmhouse.

                                  Bittersweet is woven through all the trees.

                               These bushes line the driveway.

      These trees are throughout our property.

  With the leaves down, I now have a view of the mountains from our bedroom.

 In Rescue:  Cookie was an unexpected guest this weekend.  Bob drove her to the SC/GA line on Saturday.  Only 6 months old and a LOT of energy!

                        TinTin came to NC from TN after being in the shelter for almost a year.  It's a long story, but he was not doing well with his rescue and went back with one of the shelter girls that fell in love with him. They drove 4 1/2 hours to get him here and stayed at the boathouse only to come back last weekend to pick him up and take him back!  Hopefully a little quieter this week (except for our anniversary tomorrow) and back to finishing the tree, glittering my cards, wrapping, packing and mailing the gifts!