DIY Projects Fall Lifestyle Styling

A Fall Mantel [at my parents’ house + how to “shop your house”]

fall mantel mini pumpkins + mixed metals mantle styling - copper gold - mini pumpkins - rose gold vase - spider mums - fall vignette - fall vignette - This is our Bliss

Apparently, I can’t hold back my urge to splash a little fall around the house – even while on vacation. If you follow me on instagram, then you probably know we are visiting my family in Arizona right now. Yay for vacay!

The 4 of us are here at my parent’s house and my husband is facilitating a training class out of his company’s Phoenix office this week – it worked out perfectly to be able to spend some time in the sunshine! My parent’s live in Iowa the majority of the time and typically come down here for 2 – 4 weeks at a time off and on throughout the winter months. We’ve spent spring breaks and winter breaks down here for as long as I remember, since my grandparents and my mom’s 2 sisters have lived in Arizona full-time since the late 80’s. It’s like home away from home and now with T’s company recently creating their Southwest corporate location here, its a win for us all!

So back to fall decorating…sorry for the detour! We were at Safeway grocery shopping over the weekend and I spotted several barrels of mini pumpkins near the floral section. I so LOVE mini pumpkins…they are theee cutest little things & can be used in so many ways for fall decorating. I also grabbed some spider mums, a small rose gold vase (couldn’t resist) & the sack of mini pumps.

Thinking I would just sprinkle a few pumpkins around their house and enjoy the flowers this week.

Then this happened…
fall mantle - mixing metals - copper gold - rose gold vase - white pumpkins - This is our BlissI ended up shopping her house and before I knew it…the whole mantel was put together.
fall mantle - mantle styling - copper gold - mini pumpkins - gold sunburst - fall vignette - brass candlesticks - fall vignette - This is our BlissThe copper plate was already mounted above the mantel – a Southwest art show find last year…so I guess it was pretty much blank slate which made it easy to start styling.

My mom & aunt recently scooped these 3 brass candlesticks up from a realtor friend who sold them to her for $10 – they were just sitting in her garage! They are waaaay too pretty to be hiding away in a place like that. My mom then left them in her garage until I came down here and rescued these brass triplets again! I need to figure out how to sneak them home in my suitcase 😉

The sunburst mirror (HomeGoods) is simply leaning on the mantel and creates some dimension – a layering effect. It was swiped off the wall from in between 2 framed photographs in my mom’s hallway – a small wall I styled while I was down here in August helping her decorate this new house (more on that trip soon!).
fall mantle - mantle styling - copper gold 2 - gold sunburst - fall vignette - bronze owl figurine - fall vignette - This is our BlissThe owl…well he’s normally perched on my mom’s kitchen counter. She picked the owl candle holder up at Bath & Body Works sometime last year.
fall mantle - mantle styling - copper gold - mini pumpkins - gold sunburst - fall vignette - This is our BlissThe rose gold vase was $6 in the floral section of the grocery store where I bought the flowers & mini pumpkins.
fall mantle - mantle styling - copper gold - mini pumpkins - rose gold vase - spider mums - fall vignette - fall vignette - This is our BlissThis cage / vase / urn thing is one of my favorite pieces of my mom’s, although she can’t remember where she got it! I can picture it being styled with all sorts of fun gems throughout the year for each season & holiday. It normally sits in one of her built-in niches in the family room. It is super lightweight so can be transferred around the house quite easily – something very important to keep in mind while shopping your house!

The pewter “book” (Ross) was resting on a shelf in a bookcase in my parent’s bedroom. I grabbed it to use to add some height to the right side. A stack of books are great props for styling (see how I use books for nightstand styling & coffee table styling).fall mantle - mantle styling - copper & gold - mini pumpkins - rose gold vase - stacked white pumpkins - fall vignette - fall vignette - This is our Blissfall mantle - mantle styling - copper gold - mini pumpkins - gold sunburst - fall vignette - brass candlesticks - fall vignette 1 - This is our BlissAnother look at the left side…
fall mantle - mantle styling - copper gold 1 - mini pumpkins - This is our BlissThere it is again – a mixed metals fall mantel almost completely pulled together from shopping the house!

If you aren’t on board with this notion yet, then I highly suggest you start practicing!

If you aren’t familiar – here is what it means to “shop your house”:

  • shifting things around to different spaces or rooms
  • pulling things out of storage to use again after they’ve been packed away because you were tired of it, but didn’t want to get rid of it
  • grouping new & different things together to make it look fresh & appealing
  • using something you already have, but zhushing it up a bit – creating some sort of DIY project to transform what you already own to give it a new look
    fall mantle - mixing metals - copper gold - rose gold vase - white pumpkins - This is our BlissTHAT, my friends, is how it’s done. Give it a shot! It is so much fun and the best part is – its FREE!
    fall mantle mini pumpkins + mixed metals mantle styling - copper gold - mini pumpkins - rose gold vase - spider mums - fall vignette - fall vignette - This is our Bliss

How to shop your home tips for shopping your house This is our Bliss

Are you a professional or novice when it comes to shopping your house? Do you pull things from other rooms or do you have a stash of décor items to rummage through?! Please share – I love doing this and want to know where my fellow “shop your house” peeps are!

You can check out my Fall Entryway here.
Fall entryway - fall vignette - entryway table styling - fall decor - neutral fall decor -staircase view - fall word art 1 - This is our Bliss

P.S. I am still unsure about taking the plunge and taking part in the Fall 2015 One Room Challenge as a Linking participant. It starts tomorrow and I am sooooo nervous to commit! I guess we’ll see what I decide tonight – EEEK!

Check out my Spring 2015 One Room Challenge Reveal if you aren’t sure what level of decision I have on my hands at the moment!

Thanks for reading, friends! Please come back soon 🙂

Linking up at:

Pretty Preppy Party

this is my bliss signature

Pattern Play | Pretty Plaid
How to Add a Few Simple Fall Touches to Your Home

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  • Samantha @ Place in Progress
    October 7, 2015 at 9:29 PM

    Love this! I’m totally a house shopper! I did the same for my fall mantle this year. Can’t beat free and stuff you already know you love! Beautiful as always!

    • Rachael @ This is our Bliss
      October 7, 2015 at 11:13 PM

      I know! You really can’t go wrong – change your mind or whatever – it’s still free! Thanks for your sweet note 🙂