I am a Mantel Decorating Goddess

In the flaming garbage dumpster fire that is 2020, do what makes you happy.

*chef's kiss* It doesn't get better than fall.

If anyone is looking to make an impact on the world, let's start by not shaming the premature decorators out there.

The blank slate that brings me oodles of joy.

No, I'm serious. With human trafficking, climate change, and widespread poverty, y'all need to stop whining when someone posts their adorable fall picks in late August. I know your intentions are pure, reminding us "....but it's not fall yet!"

Let people have some shred of happiness in this giant flaming garbage dumpster 2020 has become. Or any other year for that matter. And besides, tell me exactly how anyone has made another person change their mind by posting on social media? /rant

On that positive note, when we bought our house three years ago, I had no idea I would enter the wild and exciting world of seasonal mantel decorating. It's been a nonstop rollercoaster of emotions.

But to be fair, I get anxious to switch over to a new Holiday or seasonal theme much like major retailers. Read: entirely too early for most of the world. And it's really important to note, I honestly don't care because it brings me way too much joy.

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer is By Singing Loud for All to Hear!

Let's start with the biggest and my obvious favorite. Christmas is a magnificent time of year. I begin dragging everything out literally the day after Halloween, much to the chagrin of my adorable Thanksgiving-born husband. Am I skipping ahead too much? I don't think so. I keep our kitchen turkey-themed, but the mantel? Yeah, it's full-on North Pole by noon on November 1.

I started out so humbly, piecing together Christmas items I already had on hand but I soon realized I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. The second-year at Casa Fuller improved dramatically, but as anyone will tell you, just because it's pretty, doesn't mean it's functional. Seriously, that silver and gold glitter garland was my first taste of holiday decorating snow madness. I found Satan's confetti for weeks despite copious vacuum attempts with a Dyson and his ever-handy tag-team partner, Mr. Swiffer. Never again!

In year three, I pretty much had to listen to my husband and stop buying things. But honestly, who doesn't love the classic look of red, green, and gold. When I found some antique brass tapered candlestick holders at an estate sale in June of that year, I knew they'd be part of my Christmas mantle forever. My little Martha Stewart brain began to daydream about my Holiday mantle, with little regard to the massive amount of boob sweat I was currently enduring.

Some people opt for lights in their garland, and you do you! I do have an outlet built into the mantle, but I honestly love the classic simplicity of regular ol' green garland. We have recessed lighting above the mantel, so that's a bonus. All in all, give me handmade bows made from plaid wire ribbon and a few pops of color, and well, I am pretty happy with my third Christmas mantel attempt. I may tweak a few things here and there, but I think it's safe to say I've settled on a yearly template.

The stockings are a fun tradition for us and we're always eager to stuff each other's stocking with fun treats and little presents. Even Kristi gets a stocking - evident in the Texas-themed cowgirl boot in the middle.

A Spring Palate Cleanser

After the merriment and fuss of Christmas, I think it's fun to go a little simple for Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day.

Many of you may be thinking, "do you really celebrate every single Holiday?" No. But St. Patrick's Day is incredibly special to me as it's not only a National Holiday in my beloved Ireland, but it's my birthday. Remind me to tell you about the year my mom made homemade leprechaun cupcakes that looked like they were the victims of tragic logging accidents. I inherited my love of a good theme honestly.

A few years ago, my kiddos got me a beautiful print of Ireland, and that piece hangs on the mantle a good six months out of the year.

I keep things very simple in the time between January and Easter, but recently my ride-or-die bestie Kara cleaned out an entire retail shelf of St. Patrick's-themed items for your's truly. I guess COVID had one bright spot.

For her first day of school with us this January, Enna was forced to take a pic in front of our Valentine's Day mantel, but I don't think she looks too much like a hostage in this adorable picture. She quickly embraced my Holiday decorating mental defect, noting that Americans are extremely excited about Holidays, much more so than Germans, or Europeans in general. I guess when you have crippling medical costs and major socio-economic disparities, you find joy where you can.

For St. Patrick's Day, I usually get out my beautiful Waterford crystal pieces my Mom #2 gave us as a wedding gift. They seem relatively safe to display so high from the ground and away from clumsy friends. I also display a few framed photos from our trips to Ireland. When all this COVID stuff is over, I could really use a trip back.

EASTER - Cherry Blossom Delight!

I'll be honest, Easter ranks highly as one of my favorite Holidays in which to decorate. I'm ordinarily a primary-color kind of girl, but there's something about pastels that gets me excited for spring-time blooms. On my bucket list is a trip to Japan during the Cherry Blossom Festival and to Holland to walk through the tulip fields. I love them so much I incorporated them into my wedding decor, along with my all-time favorite flowers - peonies.

Which is such a divisive word depending on who you ask....is it PEEownees, or peeuhKNEES? Regardless, anytime I can weave peonies, cherry blossoms, and tulips together, I am a happy girl.

As a family of faith, we don't ignore the religious significance of this date, but I think it's perfectly acceptable to have some bunnies and eggs in the mix. I doubt Jesus disappointed if you make your mantel look utterly precious for a few weeks of the year.

Summer Vibes Without the Heat

Summer is kind of a dead time for me, as I'm not jazzed up about many things between Easter and Fall. Don't get me wrong, July 4 is essentially an Uber-American experience, but I haven't felt particularly led to turn my mantel into something straight out of a Captain America comic book. On second thought, that sounds fun...I wonder if my husband would disapprove of a photo of Chris Evans hanging on the mantel for that month?

For summer, I keep it pretty simple with some lush greenery, heavy on succulents. A few years ago, I found some incredible needlepoints of wildflowers and I basically dreamed up this whole idea standing in the aisle at Jo Ann's Fabric.

I found some beautiful iridescent flowers at Michaels a few years ago and it was pure serendipity that they are the exact color palate of my beloved Ireland print. I eagerly display them in tall round vases that match the stone in our fireplace. Which, coincidentally, has never, ever been used. Oh, the irony.

This theme runs from post-Easter through the summer, or as close to autumn as I can get. Honestly, I have been known to decorate for fall in August. No judgment.

Fall Into Happiness

Fall and Christmas really battle it out for my favorite time of year. I guess if I had to make a split-second gut-checking decision, I would have to say late August through early January is really when my mantel gets the full Participation Trophy Wife experience.

I know this sounds insane, but there are two parts to fall. There's the happy pumpkin beginning, full of golds, earthly elements of pinecones and twigs, and cascading waves of burlap.

And then there's the spooky Halloween side with glistening fallen leaves, jack-o-lantern lights and any and everything themed with the greatest Halloween movie ever made, Hocus Pocus. I dare say I become the fourth Sanderson sister during this time of year. You can strip away everything, but please give me black cats, carved pumpkins, and long sweaters paired with tall boots. It's not just my mantle, it's my complete aesthetic that transforms between late September through October.

Making minor changes between late summer and early Autumn really could be two themes all on their own, but I love how flawlessly some of their pieces interchange.

So that's the scoop: Mantel Decorating for Dummies. Dare I say it, we've lived in our house for three years and we've yet to put any artwork on the walls or paint most of the major rooms.

But rest assured, my mantel will always look stunning!

Thanks for reading!

~ Christy