I’m usually not big into decorating for holidays other than Christmas but I’m learning that decorating your mantel is almost a requirement for a decor blogger. Who am I to argue?

Here was our mantel for the summer…who am I kidding? Here is our mantel from the past two years…

Here is the mantel after a little fall decorating…(I love how it looks like Ike is chewing his bone in the fireplace)…

The faux pussy willow are from Wal-Mart (Better Homes and Gardens). I had three people comment on how pretty they were as I walking around. These comments made me question if buying the weeds was a smart decision. The comments also made me realize why I don’t normally shop at Wal-Mart. People in Target mind their own business.

The owl was from TJMaxx. I have a bird phobia but these little cartoon owls get me every time. I also loved the color.

The pumpkins were from my basement…originally from Joann’s.

I know the mantel is a little bare in the middle. I may have come up with a solution. We’ll see. I’ll keep you in suspense.

I also purchased two placements from Target. No one commented on how pretty these placemats were. I love Target. I turned the placemats into pillows.

I just ripped a small hole (larger enough for my hand) in the seam and then stuffed some stuffing in it until it looked like a pretty pillow. I then sewed them back shut. Cost was ~$6 per pillow. Awesome. I’m obsessed.

The living room now says bring it on fall. We’re ready for your dog snuggling, hot cocoa drinking, and new seasons of television watching!