Advent-ure 2010: My "Faux Mantel"

I thought this year would be different.

I thought this year, I would have a fireplace, and a mantel for stockings and a focal point for our nativity or Advent wreath.

Alas,.. I do not. = (

But what I do have, which might actually be bigger than most mantels, is my piano! = ) Each year I move my everyday piano decor aside and completely deck out the top of the piano. It’s a good place to put a nativity scene or advent candle wreath – or both!

Oh, this makes me smile! In keeping with the color scheme and theme of the Christmas tree, the white and the blue and the lights,.. oh what a pretty little sight. =)

You can even see a few of my “traveling nativity” pieces on the piano there…

I really like having the Advent candle wreath as the focal point in the middle. Usually it’s a nativity (but that has a new home this year.)

I bought a few of things on clearance at the end of last season (blue beaded garland, floral pieces) — and I forgot! Opening up the Christmas decorations and finding those on top was like finding an early Christmas present. 😉

This really makes the Advent wreath the star of the display – the blue & white Christmas lights illuminate the snow cover. I love it.

Take a good look at that vase because when I’m getting home it’s actually going to get replaced by something BETTER! You’ll just have to wait and see… ; )

More pinecones!! (I never knew I had such a thing for pinecones but I’m realizing I do like them a lot. Especially white tipped or silver.)

There’s a white and silver garland twisted together on here, in addition to the brown ribbon with silver and teal accents, the blue beaded garland and a silver snowflake garland (which you can see in the bottom left of the previous picture.) I’m learning my style is a combination of simple and multi-layered.

The two large ornaments used to sit in the Christmas tree basket with the three big gold ones, but this year they’re segregated. =p There’s the bottom of another vase that WON’T be there after I get my hands on it. Really, this is going to be so much fun! (But I’ll keep you guessing until I get home and get it done.)

And last but not least, these little beaded sprays, I adore them. These also were purchased on clearance for a ridiculously low price and were forgotten until a couple of weeks ago. I haven’t found *just* the right thing for them yet, they may or may not still be here once I switch out the vases. We shall see. They need… something… I don’t know what yet.

So that’s my “faux mantel”.. even when I do have a fireplace I imagine my piano will still serve as a place of prominent display.

Do you have a real mantel or do you create your own mantel space? What do you put there?