Fall 2011 mantel

This is sort of a tradition with me. Often I don't share on my blog how I decorate my seasonal mantel. I don't often think much about it other than taking a picture. The picture taking is more for me to keep track of how my years of arrangement have been. Now looking back, usually I just upload my pictures to Flickr, I can see in these varied mantels representations of my feelings. I can see how my thoughts are being focused where my heart is leading me.

One thing, er, well two is that I just can't move my "holiday" cactus. Thanksgiving, Christmas, what have you cactus. The name is based on when they choose to bloom. Mine, well they bloom Thanksgiving through Christmas and again in Easter. How's that for a set of happy plants? They always remain because that is the place where they are happiest. So there they stay.

When I started to decorate the mantel I always begin with a focus item. The first piece I began with was the picture of my Granny. It's such a wonderful picture of her. A profile but so expressive. In it she is clearly happy interacting with my baby uncle. Her cheerfulness and motherly love is so clear in that picture. It reminds me every day to take those impromptu moments to enjoy my children.  The other pieces were added to fill in the space. Candles, leaves, gourds, vases. All pieces of me that have been used in different ways around the house.