Welcome to the 97th Metamorphosis Monday!
Christmastime is such an easy time to find a Before and After to post with all the holiday decorating we have going on in our homes. This week I’m sharing some changes I made to my mantel in the family room today.
Here’s a Before pic I took earlier today:
I usually wait and decorate the mantel a bit closer to Christmas using scraps from a local tree lot since I now have artificial trees. Below you’ll see a pic of how my mantel looked last Christmas. I just decorated around the books and mantel clock that are on the mantel year around. Last year I used Christmas tree scraps, nandina berries from my yard, pine cones and a few gold ornaments. The wreath is one I bought about 15 years ago and continue to use each year. I love how the two “hunt” horns tucked down inside of it have aged over the years. They have a nice patina now.
Christmas 2009:
I decided this year to do something a little different. I took my inspiration from last week’s “wildlife/hunt themed” Thanksgiving tablescape .
Instead of using Christmas tree scraps for my greenery, I cut a branch off the magnolia in my front yard. I’ve been needing to cut this branch for some time because it sticks way out into the driveway making it hard to get by.
When I finished, this was all I had left…
And here’s the After: A Hunt-Themed Holiday Mantel
I left the clock on the mantel since I would miss it if it were gone.
We’re going to pretend like the horns in the wreath are hunting horns. 😉 There are two…one at the top and one at the bottom.
Deer from last week’s Thanksgiving Tablescape… nandina berries are from my yard…
Added a few of the glitter pine cones from last week’s tablescape…
A few weeks ago, a friend and I toured the Southern Living Idea House in Senoia, Georgia. On the way back home, we made a u-turn to head back to an antique shoppe we zipped right by. I found these little fox hunt guys there and couldn’t resist bringing them home. Had no idea what I’d do with them when I bought them…
I know these guys look like bears, but they are actually foxes. That Mr. Fox’s furry little tail across the top of the clock.
So, that’s my mantel for this year
Metamorphosis Monday:
If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday: Please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top, into the “url” box for the picture linky. You’ll also need to put your e-mail address in, but don’t worry, it will not be visible to anyone.
I’d love it if you would include the MM button in your post, to make it easy for others to find you MM post. To do that, just copy and paste the Met Monday button to your computer or grab the html code from underneath the MM logo on my sidebar.
Please include a link in your MM post back to the host blog, Between Naps on the Porch. Why is this important? When you include a link back to BNOTP, it ensures your regular readers/visitors will find the other awesome “Before and Afters” linked for this Metamorphosis Monday. If everyone links back, this maximizes the visits for all participants.
Please do not add your link below, until your MM post is actually published to your blog. Please DO NOT type in all caps…it spreads the links waaaay out. Thanks!
I love the deer in your decor! Everything is just so gorgeous – you are very talented!
Love your mantle pics, Susan! Such a great mantle to decorate, too! Thanks for hosting!
I love the magnolia leaves for your greenier. They not only add the green but the shinny as well. How lucky to have a tree right in your own yard.
Your mantel is stunning! I love how you incorporated the magnolia leaves into the design. The hunting theme looks like a wonderful fit with all the rich, beautiful wood in your room.
Jane
Simply Gorgeous! I love the fresh leaves. I have been bring some of the outdoors indoors this season and love it! Looks fabulous. Thanks for hosting and have a wonderful week! ~ Stephanie Lynn
First, did I tell you how much I loved your new logo?! =) And your home photos are just great! Two words: I wish! Or two more: two boys!
Jeanine
Your mantle is drop dead gorgeous!
Your mantel is great! How lucky you are to have a Magnolia tree. Love it!
Mary
From Virginia
Susan,
How delightful to see all the natural elements used in your Mantle Makeover! The deer are stunning! The clock reminds us that time is of the essence. . .quickening as we prepare for the Season of Christmas! Thank you for an inspiring post!
Fondly,
Pat
Your Christmas decor is just beautiful. I love the hunt theme! Thanks for hosting!
This is gorgeous, Susan. I would love to have a magnolia in our yard!
Beautiful, simply beautiful! Our fireplace is in the Family Room and it's housing our two new puppies in training so no Christmas dressing on the mantle just yet…
Hi Susan! Your mantel is lovely! I see that you finally found your foxes! They're so cute! Happy week!…hugs…Debbie
Beautiful!! I love the deer and the greenery! Just lovely! Thanks for hosting!!
Love your mantle! The fox hunt bears are so cute! I love how you used your magnolia leaves too. I have a magnolia also but have yet to use it indoors. Your mantle is very inspirational and so pretty! You really did a spectacular display!
Thanks for hosting and showing the beauty of Christmas at your house. I also love your new header! Have a great week!
Your mantle is beautiful! I love the outdoors theme! My boys would be all over this one. I may have to copy this to the best of my ability. Have a wonderful Christmas season!
Fantastic idea with the magnolia greenery. We have a ton around here as well. I am using live greenery myself, I never would have thought of that though. Thanks for sharing your inspiration. I really enjoyed the Home Alone segment as well.
Very festive Susan! I love your decorations!
Awh…..I love the live greenery. So pretty! Thanks for hosting!
Oh my! That was so much gorgeousness to take in I had to scroll up and down a few times! 🙂
You are truly talented and I got so much great inspiration from your lovely decor…I think I may just have to raid my Laurel bushes to get some fresh greenery to do around my chandelier. Thanks so much for hosting another fun party!
Vanessa
Susan,
This is just beautiful. I love using greenery on the table and mantle too. Magnolia tops it off.
Thank you for sharing.
Teresa
Susan, First of all your mantle is drop dead gorgeous even before you decorated it for Christmas~ I love the way you decorated with the natural elements , the magnolia leaves and the berries. Your two little fox hunters are so cute~~ and the wreath and the deer just improved upon perfection!!
Susan, I love the hunt theme look. I used magnolia leaves on our mantel last year and may do the same this season. I've not started on any Christmas decorating as yet. So thanks for the inspiration. It all looks gorgeous. I'm rather fond of your hunt room decor anyway. 😉
Sarah
Isn't it amazing how a little greenery makes everything look so festive? Love it!
Your mantel is stunning! I love your new HUNT bears! I have to upload some pictures and will post tomorrow or LATER tonight! I wish I had a magnolia tree….or a neighbor who wanted theirs trimmed:):) XO, Pinky
Your mantel is beautiful! Love the deer, and how you incorporated the magnolia branch into the design.
I need to get busy with my decorating!
Kelly
What a stunning mantel, Susan! Wow! Love the textures, the colors, just everything about it is so beautiful!! Your home looks like something out of a magazine…. 🙂
xoxo laurie
So pretty, Susan. Love it!..Christine
Hi Susan,
Your mantle looks beautiful again this year!
Thank you for hosting,
Carolyn
Hi, Susan. I love your mantel! I have been following your blog for about a year, and your style is amazing. It's so refreshing to see how you fearelessly embrace color, pattern, and traditional design. It's so nice to see that not everyone in blogland is converting to an all-white cottage-style home. You are truly an inspiration! Thank you.
Your hunting mantal is stunning!!
Love your mantel and the bears are so cute! I am such a fan of "use what you have" decorating. Beautiful!
I love your clock, I have one similar, I bought in Tennessee antique shop for $10.00, my boss wife and I were shopping for the same clock the same week on internet and they were running around $400.00 I found mine the next day and ran with it. lol The mantel is so pretty, love the deer there, and all the magnolia leaves. The bears are so darling. I found a jacket, and skirt in my closet today that is the same fabric. I forgot I had bought it. Never worn it. lol Love the mantel!
Your house is gorgeous, with or without decorations. Thank you for hosting this party. I linked up as number 80, and linked back to you, hope all is OK.
Carol
Absolutely gorgeous! Love the idea and how you used all your items! It suits your room perfectly!
What a beautiful mantel. I love that you used some things that you already had. It was all pulled together so nicely. Bummed that my mantel has a tv hanging above it!
Love your mantle. I absolutely adore the cardinal fire screen. We don't have cardinals here… I really, really miss them. I, too, am happy to see the continuation of a traditional home. Classic design never goes out of style.
Very pretty! It looks perfect with the rest of the room. The fox hunt dressed bears are too cute!
Hello! I am back! I have had some health issues but am back to visiting my favorite sites. I plan to participate on Monday. I love the mantel. The magnolia leaves are wonderful.
Warm and inviting…everything Christmas should be!
Looks good… my turns to get busy!
absolutely gorgeous. you do beautiful work!
Oh I love it! The magnolia leaves are so beautiful and a pleasant surprise.
Your blog is breathtaking!!!
XO
Beautiful mantel! I love a hunt scene. Your wreath is so very pretty. Thanks for hosting the party and a special thanks for your ornament garland tutorial. My post is about that!
Your mantle is gorgeous, Susan! I couldn't help but notice the jabot window treatment on the window on the right side of the mantle. I sewed the exact same ones from the exact same Waverly fabric for my four family room windows from we first built our house!!! I changed my color scheme a while back and took them down. Poor windows are still bare other than wood blinds…
Your mantle is so pretty! I love the real magnolia leaves and berries mixed with the sparkly pinecones. I love the deer too! You have a talent for pulling it all together. It is absolutely gorgeous!
Thank you for hosting the party 🙂
Thank you for hosting Susan! Beautiful mantle, love the magnolia leaves!
Dear Susan,
your mantle decoration is fabulous. Love the deers with the necklace and the hunting foxes are so nice. And this abundance of greenery, red berries and golden decor is wonderful.
Greetings, Johanna
Hi Susan
I love your mantle with the deer. And, I love your blog banner. It is soooo cute. Thanks for having so many wonderful post. I enjoy them very much.
xo
Betty
Beautiful mantle and your dinning room wreath is icy loveliness …
But the new headed brought a giant grin to my face…home run girl!
love it
Robin
All Things Heart and Home
I love your mantel, magnolia leaves are great looking! I need to get over to my son's place and grab some off his tree!
I love free decorations!
Here's my M/Monday…
http://www.cabinfever228.blogspot.com
about my laundry room.
Mel's Cabin
Hello, thanks for hosting. Lovely ideas here. The Bavarian Christmas linky party is now open-won’t you come and join us at http://dobermans-by-the-sea.blogspot.com/2010/11/1st-christmas-linky-party-at-dobermans.html
Hi Susan,
I'm loving your fabulous mantel and new header too! It's such a fun visit here. Thanks for having us!
What a lovely surprise to have a Christmas theme at the top of your blog!! Your fireplace looks very cosy – lovely!!
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and I love it. Your mantel looks fabulous.!
Beautifully arranged, Susan & it is in keeping with the hunt club theme of the rest of your lovely home, too.
No fresh greens allowed in this house…too many allergies. :*(
♥ ♥ ♥ your fireplace screen with the cardinals…Ohio's state bird, ya' know!
Wonderful mantel. Oh how I wish I had a magnolia tree.
Love the mantel Susan, I'm such a sucker for all things magnolia. I guess we always want what we don't have and since magnolias can't survive in my neck of the woods I swoon when I see them in someones decor. Thanks for sharing your mantel with us, hopefully it will inspire me to get mind done.
Your mantle is gorgeous! As soon as it warms up, I'll be trekking out to the backyard to get some magnolia for myself. Hope you don't mind if I copy~cat!!
Pictures, post and links are wonderful…thank you!!!Ciao Flavia
I love the bungalow in your header, so cute!
I always look forward to seeing the gorgeous things you do. That mantle is drop dead gorgeous….I love the deer. Thanks for hosting every week. It's always my Sunday night or Monday morning special time.
As usual Susan, these pictures are awe inspiring and should be in a magazine!! So beautiful and so many good ideas. Thank you.
♥, Susan
Hi Susan…
My friend, I really love what you did with your Christmas mantel decor this year! The magnolia greeney is fabulous! Love the pretty deer and those sweet little foxes as well…they're adorable, Susan! Girlfriend, I just adore this beautiful room and your fireplace is fabulous!!!
Thank you so much for hosting MM for us! I always have so much fun joining in with this party!
Warmest wishes, sweet lady!
Chari @Happy To Design
Your mantle is amazing! And I really like the thumbnail feature at the top of the page so I can catch up on what I've missed.
Your banner looks awesome! It makes me happy!
Your mantle is beautiful Susan!! Thank you for hosting! 🙂
I love looking at your blog since we have very similar taste .. I ohh and ahhh at the Waterford and obviously anything hunt or (english)horse related!!!
Oh, your mantel is just beautiful. It's so warm and welcoming & lux. Great job.
CAS
I cannot believe I won!!! How cool is that!!! Thanks so much. By the way, I love your mantel, both mantels. Isn't magnolia the best with which to decorate for Christmas? Thanks again for hosting the giveaway. I'm so thankful to have won, especially since losing my purse this past weekend. A bad weekend turned good.
Pretty as usual Susan. Very different this year with the Hunt theme. Linda
Your mantle of your beautiful family room looks like the perfect spot for the hunt theme and two perky foxes!
LOVE your hunt themed mantle!! Feel free to come to NC and decorate mine! 🙂 I love decorating for Christmas – especially my mantle – each year I try to do something different. So far, no time to get the decor out, but hopefully by the weekend, I'll have some decor out!
~angela @ thetasselhouse
It looks so pretty! what a great idea with the magnolia!!
Love your mantle Susan! I know what you mean about moving your clock and missing it. We have a clock on our mantle too but I had to move it to a small sideboard this year to decorate the mantle…I keep looking at the mantle for that clock! BUT I do like it on the sideboard, not sure if I'll keep it there after Christmas or not.
Hugs!
Judy
OH, how I wish I had a mantle…sigh…!
Thanks for hosting. So many cute thumbnails to look through; I wish I had time to visit them all!
I love the simple elegance of your mantel! Hobby Lobby has some reindeer similar to yours, and I resisted them last week, but not now! It's really lovely, thanks for the inspiration.
Cheers, Andrea
Oh I wish I had a fireplace. Yours is just wonderful. The bears I recall when I went to nephews wedding in Montreal Canada. In fact I was tempted to buy them but were quite expensive.
I love the fresh magnolia! I forgot to take before pics of mine! lol!
Beautiful mantel! So elegant. I posted about our holiday mantel today, but didn't include "before" pix, so won't be linking up today. 🙁
xo,
cristin @ simplified bee
What a wow incredible mantel Susan!!! I just adore all you do, it's totaly my style, I will copy something like it next year, but meanwhile I'll send you my house all decked up.
Love you very much.
your fan.
FABBY
Hi Susan-
What a great mantel to decorate!! Love the way you mixed all the elements – they work so well together. Looking forward to linking up with you on the 6th.
My best- Diane
AH! now I know what I can do with the trimmings from my magnolia tree. The lawn crew trimmed the trees and they are sitting waiting for the county to pick them up. Guess I better go get them.
Oh my goodness. You were in my neck of the woods! I live in Senoia and went to the Idea House a few months back. I have at least 6 posts about it – you just can't cover it in one. ALso, I saw a note about Naps on the Porch on the register at the store where I have my booth – Rockin' B Antiques. Were you there!?!?! If I had been in the store, I would have fainted dead away to meet a blogging friend in person. For some reason, I am the only one in my group of friends and family who blogs. I keep telling everyone how wonderful it is, but they look at me as if I'm some out of touch geek. I think I'm close to winning one or two over. If you ever get back this way, let me know! By the way, the yard sales in Senoia and Peachtree City can be amazing.
Too lovely for words! Love your mantel and your home! And I live in Sharpsburg! Haven't been to the S. Living Idea House yet. And what antique store did you stop at? Just curious…. Thanks for sharing!