Simple Rustic Advent Wreath

For those of you who aren't super crafty - or are but don't have the time for lavish details - this is the perfect Advent wreath (or seasonal centerpiece) for you!

Lest you think I'm a genius, I got the idea for this centerpiece HERE. I love that it uses something I already had, although in the future, I will be keeping my eye out for a vintage bread pan at antique stores to use specifically for this purpose.

This literally took me about 15 minutes to make. The most time consuming part was wrapping the twine around the candles, which in retrospect I wish I had done prior to putting them in the foam.

Here's what you will need:

• Bread pan or other small square tin (deep enough to hide a thick piece of florist's foam to support the candles)
• A brick of florist's foam or styrofoam
• A bag of moss (I bought a 200 cubic inch bag of it. WAY to much. I could have bought a 50 cubic inch and had plenty. At least I can reuse for holidays to come) You could also use fresh pine boughs trimmed from your tree or other greenery cut from around your house.
• 4 tapered candles
• Baker's twine, ribbon, rafia etc.

1. Cut your foam to size if it doesn't fit perfectly in the pan. Leave space below rim for moss to fill the top.
2. Wrap the candles with baker's twine and tie off.
3. I just eyed the placement of the candles, but you could always measure for even placement. Push the candles firmly through the foam until you hit the bottom of the pan.
4. Fill any spaces around the foam with moss to for stabilization.
5. Fill around each candle with the moss until you have the desired effect.

That's it! We will light the first candle tomorrow evening during dinner, and each Sunday after that. But you could also start with the first Sunday of December and each Sunday following, with the fourth candle lit on Christmas Eve.

Beginning December 1st I will be posting each day's Advent reading, so check back for those! I'm so excited to start this special tradition with my family, lighting each candle as we anticipate the arrival of the Light of the world.

All is Grace,
Carie

The people who walked in darkness

    have seen a great light;

those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,

    on them has light shone.

Isaiah 9:2

Autumn Mantle

If you know anything about me at all, you know that I like... love...  ADORE fall. I love everything about it. The crisp clean air, the ombre of colors, cozy sweaters, beautiful scarves, pumpkin spice lattes, warm satisfying stews - I like it all. It probably has something to do with being born on the first day of Autumn, and that I am a nerd who has always appreciated the aroma of just-opened-box-of-crayolas and the start of a new school year.

For me, the true sign that Autumn was on its way was when my mom would pull out her boxes of fall decor. The bright colors of summer would get tucked lovingly away and the rich, warm colors of leaves and pumpkins would make their appearance. I definitely got my love of seasonal decorating from her...

When we moved into our house five years ago, I fell instantly in love with the mantle in the living room. Our house is small and there aren't many horizontal spaces to decorate, so I take full advantage of the centerpiece in our living room. I especially like what I came up for this year's decor.

When it comes to decorating, one of my mottos has been to try and use what you already have, especially things that have meaning for you. You'll save money and enjoy the decor more when it has history and a personal touch. 

Also, look for items that can be used for more than one season. Neutrals in creams, browns or black work really well for this purpose.

This bird vase came from Real Deals and I use it almost every season...dried leaves and cattails in the fall, frosted berries in winter and farmer's market finds in the spring and summer.

A couple times a year there is an awesome vintage market in town. That's where I got the rustic toolbox. I'm super excited to experiment with what to put in it for a Christmas centerpiece. If you can't find one, I'm sure there are templates somewhere online for building your own. It's a pretty simple design.

This cute little chalkboard used to be my Grandmother's. I remember playing school with it when I was a girl and totally going through a Little House on the Prairie kick. It was looking worse for wear so I rubbed some lemon olive oil into the wood and she's as good as new! I was kind of scared to use it up so high on the mantle, if it broke I'd be crushed. But I don't want to just hide all the beautiful valuable things in a box, never to get used. Everything will eventually return to the dust it came from and I'd rather get as much enjoyment out of it now, than have a bunch of nice old junk for my kids to sort through after I'm gone that doesn't hold any meaning or memories for them.

One of my closest friends is super crafty. She made the little easels like the one above for Christmas gifts one year. I was lucky enough to get an extra one. It's such a fun way to display verses or pictures...

When we first moved into our house, I started the tradition of saving all our wine corks. I try to remember to date them, and write a little snippet of what happened that evening, who we had over for dinner. It's been fun to look back at them over time and reminisce...plus I think they add a beautiful touch.

Target had these super cute pumpkins a few years ago. I love how organic and understated they are. I added some faux leaves and berries to create a contrast with the dark wood.

I usually have real candles in the fireplace, but Lil' Peach is at the get-into-everything phase, so I've switched them out for a set of LED candles I got at Costco a couple of years ago. The ambiance isn't quite the same as real candlelight, but they have a timer and will light up at the same time every night and last for about five hours.

This mantle display is a good representation of how I like to decorate... a good mix of history, personal meaning, neutral building pieces and a bit of the outdoors. I'd love to hear what have been your favorite ways to decorate for Autumn!

Next time I'll share my recipe for crockpot apple butter.
Yum.

All is Grace,
Carie

Bubba and Sassy. These two get me every time. I especially love the one of them waiting for Daddy to get home from work.