Gwen Moss: Fall Mantels, Decorator Secrets and Awesome You!

My Fall Mantel

Whew. This was supposed to be a quick, last minute post on Fall Mantels. All I wanted to do, was to post a last farewell shot of my own mantel before it goes from Respectable Fall to Creepy Freaky. That’s right. I’ve now entered into The Halloween Zone. But I couldn’t pass up the chance to show my readers more mantel ideas from the blog world. Very lovely but I have to admit, looking at all these gorgeous decorating photos by so many talented do-it-yourselfers, can be very intimidating.

And it brings up an interesting question about all this decorating stuff. You might find yourself wondering…

“Life’s so busy, Why should I bother?”

I understand. I was listening to the Bloomberg News this morning and it was pretty bleak stuff. The economy is downright scary. Everyone’s concerned about their jobs and finances. And whether we work inside the homes or outside the house, most of us are busy enough just trying to get the kids from school to their lessons and practices. And did I mention laundry, dinners and work stuff?

So before I post one more photo of a pretty Fall mantel, I’m here to say one thing: You Are Doing an Awesome Job. You really are. You’ve got so much going on right now, and it doesn’t matter if you haven’t done one bit of Fall decorating, or if your Mantel hasn’t changed much over the last few years. If you’re reading these words, it means that you’re taking a moment to be curious. You’re grabbing a quick ME moment and maybe you’re looking for some inspiration. Or even a nice distraction. So before you allow yourself any pangs of home envy over all these perfect looking photos, or insecurity about your own decorating abilities ….

There’s a little secret you should know…

The next time you’re roaming through all the gorgeous interior decorating blogs, remember this one thing. Those folks with a flair for creating beautiful vignettes and designer-looking rooms ENJOY doing that. I can speak for myself and say that I love creating things. Putting stuff together to achieve a certain “look.” No, I’m not professionally trained, but to me, that’s what makes it so fun and challenging.

But please don’t be confused. Because the truth is, I do not live in a perfect-looking house. And if it looks “perfect,” it’s because I’ve just staged and organized a particular room for a photo shot. And by the way, when you spend a lot of time writing, taking photos, blogging, and juggling work and family life, you don’t have a lot of time left over to make your floors look shiny and spotless. Or at least that’s my experience. So the secret? It’s simply that real homes look “lived-in,” NOT like magazine photos.

creating beauty is a hopeful, positive expression

But whether you enjoy all the details of decorating your home or not, DO take time to create a little beauty in your life. Just for you.

Because no matter how busy or stressful your life is right now, creating beauty in your surroundings is a hopeful, positive expression.

It says to the world, “I deserve to enjoy life.”

When you take time to create a little beauty around you, it’s an anti-stress action that says,

“I believe that no matter how stressful things are right now, life is good. And things will get better.”

Little things matter

If tackling your home seems too big, remember that when it comes to beauty, little things matter. Start with creating beautiful moments; for example, if you’re a morning coffee drinker, buy yourself a lovely, chunky, bright-colored mug for your morning java. A mug that you really LOVE. Or buy a scented candle and put it next to your bed and make sure you light it, while you read or write your grocery list, or check your I Phone before bed.

Remember. You’re doing an awesome job. You’re juggling a lot. You deserve a little beauty in your day.

And on that note, here are a few more Fall Mantels that might inspire you to add a few pumpkins to your own mantel. And take a deep breath. Because the seasons are changing and yes, there’s good stuff that awaits us.