Mantels for different occasions and seasons

I am in love with mantels, in my pinterest, I have placed mantels under my “seasonal home  decor” board.  Here are some that I have pinned

The first love mantel was from adventures in decorating blogspot and the second one that you see above is my own everyday love mantel. These mantels are also appropriate during Valentine’s day but as I’ve mentioned to see a love mantel at any time of the year is quite pleasant since our heart do not stop breathing for love.  Well, before I sound so romantic, let’s move on.

    

These are Easter mantels. I love the simplicity of the first one, what was catching was the message: REJOICE which says it all for Easter.  It’s from studio 1621 blogspot.  Of course, I want to include again my own, an Easter mantel during autumn season.  Let’s try to have a look at some other mantels for different types of celebrations:

The first one was created for St. Patrick’s day and so green color dominates here and emphasized from creative school resource and the second one was a New Year mantel which gives me an idea how to welcome the year to come with so much positive anticipation.   Now, how about mantels for different seasons?

I haven’t pinned yet the above picture but this is a summer mantel from Northern Cottage.  I love how she enumerates the list of summer activities that can be enjoyed.   Two days ago, I put up my winter mantel since it’s becoming freezing cold here now in Australia although it does not snow, still we have absolutely chilly days.  In my mantel, my message was to “show love” and “keep warm”.  Well, human blanket is still the best, do you agree?

God bless,

Nova

Easter centerpiece

Leanne from Organize and Decorate everything together with three other creative ladies thought of a challenge for people who loves pinning in Pinterest.  The challenge is to select from your pinned projects, make it happen, write a blog about it and share your point of view in their link party.  I thought this is amazing since I’ve been drawing so much inspiration from Pinterest lately.  All  I need to do is to blog about it.  The only problem that I had yesterday was that, I can’t choose my favorite.  I love them all that’s why I pinned them!  Until I came across this meaningful Thanksgiving centerpiece yesterday ( which I pinned ) from one of my favorite sites: 52 mantels 

Well, we do not have Thanksgiving celebration here in Australia but we are in “fall” now.  Easter celebration is the biggest thing that  transpires during our Fall season that is why I even made a post about my Easter mantel during fall.  I’ve made the correlation of Easter during fall or the other way around.  Just like what I’ve implied before, it makes sense after all since during Easter you give thanks to your Redeemer for His bountiful blessings.  With this idea again, I’ve made up my mind to make an Easter centerpiece during the fall season.  Since the project involves chalkboard painting, I did buy for the first time, chalkboard paint from Riot and Craft

I was so excited since it was my first time to use a blackboard paint and to top it all, after many years I can write on a blackboard again.  I remember when I started teaching in the University in the Philippines, I was using chalk and board until it was replaced by the whiteboard and marker then the overhead transparencies and before I migrated down here in Sydney, most of the time, I was using powerpoint presentations.  But yeah, blackboard is something that has been close to my system.  This time, i can write whatever is overflowing from within. So I want to show you first how I painted a wooden tray which I got from my co-worker as a present and it’s still untouched since we do not have breakfast in bed often, in fact I have to admit, we do it rarely.

It says in the instruction that double coating is needed but you have to let it dry for 2 hours before you apply the second coat.  Of course, I had time constraint since I still have to go to  work in the afternoon and again if you may, I have to admit, the excitement is just too strong to finish the project and share it.  So after allowing it to dry I tried writing and it did work!

So I wrote “Give thanks with all your Heart” for the abundant blessings He is continually showering me and my family.  In fact, couple of days after Easter, my brother and his family from the Philippines is paying us a visit.  This is indeed a tremendous blessing for me because being with your cherished family is more than anything in this world.

After writing on my board, then I placed some nice stuff from Vinnies, store run by St. Vincent’s de Paul society that is  why everything is not expensive.  I did buy ceramic birds and  mug from them and then I did make Easter eggs again covered with music sheets and put them all together.  By the way, I draw the inspiration of making these Easter eggs from Pinterest

source: Confessions of a plate addict

Now, my Easter centerpiece is done!

My point of view here, there is always something that can inspire us from Pinterest but most of all we can draw inspiration from within, the graces and blessings from the Almighty.

Now I’m ready to link this to:

http://organizeyourstuffnow.com/wordpress/home-decor-organizing-link-party-44

Be inspired and inspire others!!

I’m partying as well in:

http://www.cherishedbliss.com/

http://myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

http://www.itsybitsypaperblog.com/2012/03/hippity-hop-easter-project-hop.html

Blue Vignette

My son told me the other day that our house is becoming more feminine since I’m the one decorating. I really did not agree with him since for my decor I’ve been using neutral colors because I love earth colors anyway. Also, it’s fall here so my mantel has lots of shades of brown. But it seems that he is not convinced. He even said jokingly that he will not be surprised if I turn the walls into pink ( then he laughed loudly ). So when he went to school yesterday I hurriedly check what are the things in his bedroom that has that “boy” touch or shall I say “masculine” touch. Of course, I remember the sign that I just placed on his study desk ( this was in one of my posts entitled ” from my heart to yours”).

His alarm clock as well is aqua blue and he has this photo taken in a studio by a professional when we were still in the Philippines and its background too is blue. Then I thought if I put them together and add a bit, then he can’t complain anymore. Well, at least in his room lots of blue will be seen. I just bought two pieces of items from the dollar shop and one of them is this candy jar with aqua blue lid where I placed his watch and blue armband

I’ve also inspected his books, some of them has a touch of blue in the outside cover like his favorite one, Harry Potter book ( he’s a big fan of HP so he has a collection of HP stuff )

I put them together and what did I get? A simple blue vignette on his bedside table.

When I came home from work last night, I asked him straight away if he likes his bedside table and of course the answer was affirmative!

I am linking this simple, in fact very simple decoration which made my son very happy to:

http://organizeyourstuffnow.com/wordpress/home-decor-organizing-link-party-43

Also I’m linking this to:

http://www.52mantels.com/

Mess out, organization in!

Heaps of challenges face every homemaker in the whole world.  Of course, I am not an exemption.  One regular challenge is how to keep your home tidy, neat and mess free with all the overflowing receipts which you can’t get rid for taxation purposes, the quarterly reports of your superannuation ( here in Australia, companies are mandated to give 9% of your salary as their contribution ) which you need to monitor, the weekly or fortnightly payslips, bank statements and a lot more.

We have actually a metal filing cabinet where we keep all of these.  But I have to admit, there’s a lot in there now and if only the papers can speak, they would surely complain of suffocation.  Also, the outside of our filing cabinet is not clutter free, and it looks like this

To allow the papers to breathe inside, I said to myself, I have to take out some and file it outside.  But of course, I do not want to add more mess and clutter so I thought of this cardboard which serve as spacer to some office supplies in my workplace ( we normally throw this out but for the first time, I took some home ) and make it as my filing folder

To make it appealing, I then glued some scrapbook paper

Afterwards, I did label it ( I’ve printed some labels that I’ve seen from InMyOwnStyle blog spot)

Then it’s time to fasten my superannuation papers and it turned out to be like this

I was satisfied with this because it did not cost me anything, all the materials were already handy and available.  So I knew I have to make more.  This time for my hubby.  I repeated the same procedure except that I did not choose the pink scrapbook paper for obvious reason..it’s his files.  So i just made use of the extra music sheets that I’ve printed in enveloping my Easter eggs ( which I’ve shown you in my post about “Easter during fall, it’s up to YOU”.  His folder looks like this

In the next days to come, I know I might need to do more of these inexpensive filing folders.  I would share it with my friends as well, because just like me, they struggle to cope with so much paperwork in their household.  Yes, it’s important to share  ideas because it’s how we grow.  Anyway, for me family and friends are so important.  That’s why I have this decor at home which I included in my Easter Mantel

How about the top of my metal filing cabinet?  Well, I took some of the files out, organized it on top and then I placed some letter decor  (  I’ve chosen N and L which stand for my name, Nova and my husband Lorence ) which I bought for $10 for three ( including the & sign ).  Now there’s no more mess on top of our dear filing cabinet and it’s even more organized inside.  Here is the photo

Let’s all strive and be ready to say, mess out, organization in!  Happy organizing everyone

I am linking this to Home Decor and  Organizing  Link Party #42 by organizing and decorating everything blogspot

Easter mantel during Fall or Fall mantel for Easter..it’s up to YOU

Come 1st of March and it’s officially fall here in Australia and more than a month, we are celebrating Easter.  So the challenge was on to come up with a mantel and combine a great occasion for the autumn season.  Firstly, I did contemplate if I can include my usual  decor such as these:

 I decided to retain these usual decor of mine and just add other stuff that are appropriate for the season and the occasion.  I thought that I should not get rid of the water feature since water is symbolic of life since all living creatures need water. For Christians, water symbolizes purification to receive a new life such as in baptism.  Hence, a water feature for Easter is appropriate.  Then, my duck and duckling decor..are they out of place or not?  Ducks are known to be resourceful, adaptable to changes in the environment and can be a sign of fidelity.  So I said to myself, I am not changing the spot of my favorite decor because Easter is about the fidelity of our Redeemer to us ( Ducks are my fave because I was a country kid, my first 6 years of life was spent in the country with my grandparents, aunties and uncles. Feeding ducks in the afternoon and observing them in ponds were usual scenes for me ).  Likewise, these ducks also lay eggs which are the most popular symbol of Easter nowadays.  So, just like ducks I tried to be resourceful, I thought of the stuff that I have in the house which can be included.  Then I remember this cross which is on my dresser inside the masters bedroom.

The words are just perfect to remind us about the significance of Easter. Then I thought of the things I need to add, to give more meaning for my Easter mantel during fall.  I have decided to include the popular symbol..eggs.  But of course, I just can’t pick up from the shop the usual colorful Easter eggs since I am trying to emphasize the autumn season here as well.  What I did was to buy two egg foams from the craft store close to our place and covered it with music sheets which I downloaded from the computer for free.  This is how it appeared after I’ve placed it on top of some shredded paper.

After doing these, I’ve also placed the excess music sheet background in a distressed picture frame which I bought from the dollar shop and put in some scrabble magnets ( these are decor from our fridge ).  Definitely, I came up with two good words..Fall and Life!

Then I grouped them together, the frame, the eggs and the cross

I’ve also placed my newly found antique piece which I only bought 2 days ago at the Blue Mountains ( 1.5 hr. drive from Sydney ) when we went for a drive to Jenolan caves. I thought of including this because this piece contains so much stories, stories about people and their lives before and so today, I feel blessed to at least own a piece such as this for the continuation of its story.

Then, I thought of my priorities, what I value in life.  So when I saw these from the shop, I knew i should get them and surely they should be part of my mantel

There are so much to thank for ( millions and millions of blessings ), but since I value my family and friends and the virtue of love, I know it’s but proper for me to stress these things through my mantel.  I want to remind them too that for me they are precious and priceless and they make my life worth living.  So this fall, I pray that together, we may harvest the many fruits of the Holy Spirit such as  joy and peace.  This Easter as well, I pray that we all grow in God’s love and enjoy the beauty of new life He has given us.

With enthusiasm, I am presenting my Easter mantel during fall 2012:

I am linking this post to:

http://www.52mantels.com/

Easter during fall, does it make sense?

I grew up in a country where Lent and Easter fall during the dry season, summer to be specific.  To us Filipinos ( well, I’m still Filipino by blood and Australian now by law ), the hot humidity during lent becomes our spiritual  challenge.  In the United States, Easter falls during spring.  It’s easy to give meaning then, spring which means  growth and new life which is the the significance of Easter that has been given by our Redeemer.  In autumn they celebrate ” Thanksgiving”, which becomes   the highlight of the season.  They give thanks on that day for all the bountiful blessings they receive.   They usually make meaningful mantels which include pumpkins which signify harvest and in return, this denotes abundance in life.

Source: Meadow Lake Cottage

You can also find mantels which emphasizes the counting of blessings of each member of the family.

Source: My Blessed Life

But how about for us here who live down under when Easter is during fall.  Is it right for us to decorate for Easter with a type of mantel which reminds the family to gather, count their blessings, give thanks and celebrate during Easter?  The answer to this question is a BIG yes.  Definitely Easter is a time to be thankful because our Lord opened the gates of heaven for us so that when our time comes, we can be with His Father.  Surely, Easter is a time to be thankful because  we can enjoy life while we are here on earth because of his many gifts for all of us, the gift of family ,  the gift of friendship, the gifts of joy and love just to name a few.  Truly Easter is a time to harvest what the Lord has planted for us…salvation!

With all these in mind, I can now say that Easter during fall makes sense after all and I feel blessed that I can decorate for fall in time for Easter here in Australia.  Easter anyway is a time for us to show gratitude for the GIFT of LIFE that we are all enjoying.

Stay tuned for my Fall/Easter mantel then.  Thanks for following  by the way.  God bless