It’s the simple things right?! I am so excited that I have a mantle!  This means other things to me too.  Like now we have a fireplace!  We LOVE making a big fire on a cold night.  The kids usually see who can sit on the hearth the longest with out spontaneously combusting.  A game I remember from my childhood.  I just love a fireplace.  It screams “cozy” to me.  Secondly but almost as important, I enjoy changing out the decor through-out the year.  My favorite is decorating it for fall and Christmas.  Halloween too!   It’s always fun to change around the decor in your home from time to time.  This does NOT mean you have to go out and spend a fortune on new things.  Ask my husband, I am forever pulling items from other spots in our home and using them in new ways.  He has a joke with the kids to see who can spot the changes first 🙂

Here are some mantles with different decor ideas from good ol’ Pinterest.  I felt like I had found gold when I came across this “formula” pin!  Haleluja!!  I do not think you have to have symmetry in decor but if that floats your boat then so be it… Otherwise this works!  

A mirror on the mantle adds so much depth and interest to an otherwise flat space.  Greenery is my second fav. I’m not crazy about the white mantle in this pic but you get the idea.

The way the different elements work in this arrangement are just about perfect.  Not too much and it looks balanced.

I think putting something personal in the mix is like icing on the cake.  This is a wonderful idea to do just that.  Simple, unique and personal.

All these ideas could work for decorating a bookcase, too… Just sayin’!  Have a great time making a shelf or your mantle pretty!!