Friday, October 12, 2012

No Mantel At The Xavier Ct House....

Lately, a lot of my favorite blogs are showing their Halloween decorations......and a lot of my favorite bloggers are decorating mantels.

There is no mantel in the Xavier Ct House to decorate. We used to have a mantel and a fireplace. But, when doing some construction on the house 8 years ago, we found out that if you were working on the fireplace, you either needed to switch to gas or take out the fireplace.....no permits issued for wood burning fireplaces.....too expensive to switch to gas, and we live in Campbell California, not really needed to warm our home....so out it came.

So while others decorate their mantel, I decorate a side board that is in the living room.


I don't have tons of Halloween decorations, so I decided to include a few fall decorations too.


I used one of my tin chicken feeders and filled it with pumpkins and gourds and I added a few fall color flowers and leaves.  I used fake pumpkins and gourds from the dollar store......you've gotta love the dollar!!



I love that I can use the fake ones for years, but I did want to have some "real" nature in my vignette. So I added just a few to my display.


The leaves are starting to change here in Santa Clara Valley.....a little cooler these days as well......and Fall has come to the Xavier Ct House.

chris

16 comments:

  1. LOOKS GREAT CHRIS !

    LORI

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  2. What a pretty sideboard you have. Your fall vignette is so pretty and fun. I love the dollar store too!

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  3. Your sideboard is darling. I've got too many surfaces (and mantles) covered right now in Halloween decorations. It's fun, but it's going to take FOREVER to put everything away.

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  4. Your non-mantel is great!! Yes, don't you just love those artifical gourds and little pumpkins that you can use year after year? I have a chicken feeder just like that! It's so perfect for swaping out holiday decorations.
    Thanks for sharing!
    Erica :)

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  5. Looks beautiful Chris!! Love all the cute touches! Have a lovely weekend!! xo Heather

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  6. Hi Chris, I am following you back to your darling blog! The display is so cute and fun! Love the artwork over the sideboard too! ~Diane

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  7. Chris,
    I don't have a mantel either! lol....I had that Hall pitcher, wish I hadn't sold it! Everything looks just perfect! :)

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  8. Chris, your table is adorable. I love the chicken feeder. Who need a mantle anyway? The important thing is what you decorate with makes you feel good!

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  9. Very nice, Chris! Love that framed bat, both dolls, the pitcher, well, really everything, especially the way you've put it all together! Happy Fall!
    xo Jane

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  10. Apparently this post snuck past me on Blogger so I'm just finding it! What a GREAT idea for the little chicken feeder! Wouldn't the farmer that used it for its original purpose have a heart attack seeing IN the house on the sideboard! I love it! I'd be really proud if I thought of it! I love creating little vignettes throughout the house for fall, Halloween doesn't come out till October but FALL is September thru November! CUTE!

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  11. Love your Halloween decorations. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. I am so happy to include you.
    Hugs
    donna

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  12. I can't believe they can make you take your fireplace out! Your sideboard looks perfect though, I want a chicken feeder!!!

    Carol

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  13. Hello - just hopped over from Damita's Pretty Wrap and having a wee peek at your lovely blog. I look forward to following and hope you'll pop in and say hello sometime too.
    love Gilly

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  14. I don't have a mantel either pretty lady, I use my hall table as a Halloween setup, but since I'm already decorated for Christmas, it's all quite the mish mash here. That chicken feeder is so cool.

    Hugs,
    Meri

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  15. Wow, your decorations look fantastic on that red sideboard! And you've inspired me to dig out some of my Jewel Tea Autumn Leaf pieces. I've got them tucked away in a kitchen cabinet, basically forgotten about, when they should be front and center for Fall!

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  16. What a lovely vignette! I like the Jewel Autumn Tea - what a nice touch! And I must confess, I would be lovin' the bad witch hat.

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