My (Make-Do) Fall Mantle

Truth be told, I'm not a huge seasonal decorator. I love fall, but there's usually so much going on this time of year that my house gets a little neglected. However, since this is my first autumn as a "design blogger," I'm feeling a little pressure to come up with an awesome fall decor post. . .

This is the best I could do.

My goals when decorating this little spot were simple: 1.) To use what I had  and 2.) To avoid being "theme-y".

The only thing I ended up buying was a 3-pack of off-white candles at Hobby Lobby for $6.  Not bad.  (Yes, after 10 years of marriage, I've finally run out of our wedding candles.) 

  

Instead of using traditional pumpkins and leaves, I decided to incorporate items that brought in rich colors and textures that represented the season to me.  Apples are one of my favorite (and the cheapest) ways to accessorize for a beautiful dose of color.

I also added a few other small touches of fall throughout the house. . . .

 Mixed in chocolate brown pillows on our sofa:

I picked up these pumpkins and gourds at the dollar store.  Even though they were only $1, they actually look more than real than plastic.

And, there you have it--my attempt at adding a little autumn that will hopefully last until it's time to break out the Christmas decorations.

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Welcome to my newest sponsor, Elegant Touch.  They carry a beautiful selection of custom pillows in some of my very favorite fabrics.