I’m so happy that spring officially arrives this week AND that I get to participate in another “Share your Mantel Blog Hop” hosted by my friend Amy at My Life From Home!  You’ll find links to lots of great spring mantel decorating ideas at the bottom of this post, so make sure to check them out!  But before you do that, let me show you how you can decorate a spring mantel with just five elements!  

For my spring mantel decor this year, I decided to keep things simple and symmetrical, which is a little different than last year’s spring mantel (which you can see right here).  I only used five types of objects, which made decorating a snap!  I love this paired down approach.  

This post contains affiliate links.  To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

So what are the five elements in my spring mantel?

1.  Faux Florals

Faux cherry branches and faux grass (both used in last year’s spring mantel) bring the “nature” to my mantel.  

2.  Terracotta Pots

I stocked up on inexpensive terracotta pots and then gave them an aged look with paint.  I set them on top of this upside down planter box (that I used in last year’s spring mantel) to give them a little height.  But had I purchased larger terracotta pots, I wouldn’t have needed this extra height from the planter box.

Watch this video to see just how easy it is to instantly age terracotta pots for a more interesting look!

3.  Pitchers  

Ceramic pitchers have recently worked their way into my decor-loving heart.  Of course I love them for pouring lemonade, but I also love them for holding flowers and greenery!

I have used this adorable one from Magnolia’s Hearth and Hand line at Target on previous mantels, but this cute yellow one was a recent find from an unexpected place!  I adore the color and the bamboo wrap around the handle!

4.  Books

I grabbed a few books from the office and used them to give height to the pitchers.  Notice how I used two underneath the smaller, yellow pitcher to bring the cherry branches up to the same height as the ones in the cream-colored pitcher and give a balanced look.

5.  Pretty Wrapping Paper

I’ve used regular books on my mantel in the past, but for this spring mantel I decided to cover my books in beautiful wrapping paper.  I purchased a roll of this paper and am happy with the color and floral details it adds to my simple spring mantel!

So there you have it – with just five main elements I was able to create a pretty spring mantel in hardly any time at all!  

Shop the Post

If you like any of the items I used on my spring mantel, you can shop for them here by clicking any of these photos.

See the Other Spring Mantels

Now that you’ve seen my spring mantel decor, I hope you’ll visit my friends’ posts to see their ideas for spring mantel decorating, too!

-Bre

 

Warning: today I’m going to get a little emotional on you guys.  I typically try to keep my feelings at arm’s length on this blog, but today’s going to be slightly different.  I will be back to sharing projects later this week, but hopefully you’ll humor me for now.  This post is for all of you who have big dreams – maybe even scary dreams – and who may be feeling a little lost in the process of making those dreams a reality.

Three years ago, after I’d scaled back my hours at my lawyer job, I sat down on the couch one night and started this blog.  The idea to start a blog had popped into my head earlier that week and I just went ahead and jumped in.  During the process of getting started, I made every single mistake a blogger could make (if you’re curious, you can read about those mistakes here), and I never imagined that I’d still be writing three years later.

And then, last week, I found myself at The Haven Conference – an annual blog conference for design and DIY bloggers – in Atlanta, Georgia.  I was a nervous wreck.  Even though I enjoy talking to new people and making friends, I am actually quite introverted, and networking scares the you-know-what out of me.

Adding to my stress of being a first-time Haven attendee was the fact that I was teaching two classes at the conference on copyright and trademark issues for bloggers.  For the first day or so, I felt like I was going to throw up at any moment, and I think I over-compensated for my nerves by talking waaaaay too much to anyone who would listen.

Luckily, I had a great group of girlfriends there with me.  These girls are my tribe: they just get it.  The ups and downs, the highs and lows of both blogging and life – they are there for it all.

They helped put me at ease as we visited the amazing brands at the conference, as we tried to “play it cool” when the mega-successful bloggers that we idolize came anywhere near us, and as we compared notes on all of the things we’d learned during our sessions each day.

And of course, they helped me put to good use those drink tickets from our Saturday night party hosted by Ryobi.  Not that you could tell from these photos or anything. . .

Don’t let me near a selfie stick again please.

Now all of this brings me to the point of this post – even for those of you who are not bloggers.  I learned a lot at Haven about ways to improve Average But Inspired, but more importantly, I learned that if you have a dream, you need to be relentless in your pursuit of making it happen.  Do not give up.  There are going to be bumps in the road and major hurdles thrown up from time to time.  Your success is directly tied to your ability to find a way around those roadblocks and to persevere.

A huge part of that is surrounding yourself with people who support you and what you’re doing.  It is imperative that you have a network of people who will provide you with feedback, both positive and negative, and help you define your goals, and in turn, your dream.  Find your people and be there for each other.

Now listen, compared to many, I am by no means a “successful” blogger or author.  My eBook for bloggers on copyright and trademark law is an absolute flop.  I mean, sales probably could not be much worse.  That has been a tough pill to swallow, but because of the joy that I get from blogging and the relationships I’ve built during my time in this community, I’m going to keep trying. I may need to try something new and take a different path from time to time, but with good people by my side (or at least on the other side of my computer screen), I know I will keep on planning, creating, growing, learning, having faith, and working to make my dreams a reality.

If your dreams aren’t taking shape the way you planned or at the speed you want, try to have patience as I am also trying to do.  Have faith that even if the dream you THINK you want isn’t working out, something else that you may not have even thought of yet WILL.  I heard variations of that same story from so many at Haven, and for that, I’m grateful.

Don’t give up.  Don’t lose hope.  Don’t quit your daydream.

-Bre

 

When my husband and I bought our home six years ago, it was kind of a mess. From the awful paint colors to the outdated kitchen to the basement that had a river running through it every time it rained (mold, anyone?), it had a lot going on. But despite its shortcomings, it had SO MUCH POTENTIAL because of the vintage charm that oozed out of its pores. Original basketweave tiling, leaded glass doors, crystal doorknobs, a vintage chandelier – the list goes on and on. And really, the vintage charm is what convinced me it was (and still is) the perfect home for us!

Many homes don’t come with all that vintage charm built in, but that’s no problem at all!  If that’s a look you like, there are so many ways to instantly add vintage charm with new products!  I’m sharing some of my favorites right here!

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On Average But Inspired, I strive to inspire regular people, like myself, to be creative.  I believe that inspiration is the root of action.  With a little push in the right direction, amazing things can be accomplished.

Today I’m asking you to indulge me in my quest to inspire you on a different level; on a more important level.  A humanitarian level.

That’s where The Kipsongo Project comes in.

The Kipsongo Project is a non-profit that aims to transform the Kipsongo slum in Western Kenya into an economically viable and self-sustaining village by employing Kipsongo women in the design, creation, production and sale of fashion and home decor products.   All profits are returned to the community for nutrition, health, economic, and housing development programs.

Teach a man to fish, right?

The products these women have designed and are selling are beautiful, and range from table runners to placemats to clothing and jewelry.  My favorite piece is the Meredith bangle bracelet.  Not only is it a gorgeous piece made of traditional fabrics, but it’s named after my sister.  

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