Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Glittered Christmas Village Mantel 2012



It's the butter on the bread, the bacon with the eggs, the sugar in the coffee...it's the decorated mantel for the HOLIDAY HOME.  The fireplace mantel is center stage (only second to the tree!) in Christmas homes.  The fireplace is where all the magic of Christmastime legends past swirled down into home sweet homes.  It's the place where little ones peered wide eyed up the chimney with wonder, hung their stockings with anticipation  and huddled around reading the story, "Twas the Night before Christmas".



This year, our decorating theme is centered around sparkles and glitter.



 Remember my Mom's unique Christmas Village in a Tree from a couple years ago?  That tree was sparkly perfection and I wanted to re-create it into a mantel scene this year.  *NOTE: I've had many people ask me where to find this village.  It was sold at Grandin Road, however, it is a retired collection.  :(   My Mom let me use her beautiful decor for my mantel this year!  Each piece is so beautifully designed!


It was the perfect fit above our fireplace:
Our dreamy, glittery, light, mantel!





I lined the shelf with glitter-topped village buildings...




Tucked in bottle brush trees into every empty space...






And made a snowy pinecone garland to swag under the village...





In the giant open space over the mantel shelf I hung a huge snowy-glittered winter wreath with a big red bow...




The collection includes really big village buildings too.  I lined those around the fireplace. 








This year's Glittered Christmas Village Mantel shares a soft, delicate, sparkly and light winter scene.   


It gives a storybook picture of Christmas in the center of our home.  

Through the doors of this steeple-topped church, rows of people with suits and dresses sing Joy to the World as their voices echo to the ceiling.  




And through the happy, shutter-framed windows of this house lives a single person, kitchen full of a giant mixed group of friends all over for a holiday party as they celebrate friendship.  



In contrast to the single person with groups of friends, lives a big, bustling family next door.  In each window, Christmastime activities are in full swing: cutting paper snowflakes, wiping floured mess from the counters from holiday baking, and adding more and more ornaments to an already crowded tree. 


The next little house is quiet, brand new with not many picture nails pierced into the walls...YET.  Behind the door lives a new couple in their new house putting up their new decor...together, just the two of them, enjoying the presence of only each other and their tree as they anticipate making memory after memory in their new home sweet home. 


In yet another house, an older couple lives, waiting the arrival of cousins and grandkids to fill the rooms and busy the house with festive games and noisy footsteps.


And nestled between the houses, is a school, where little ones gather, practicing for the annual Christmas pageant, eagerly exchanging cards and gifts, as each of them count down the days until the 25th arrives.



Behind the windows of each town building, a different story unfolds, with individual family dynamics, a twist on old traditions, and trees appointed just a tiny bit differently than the neighbor's.  However, in unity, most of the town counts the days, awaiting that one day of the year where the giant pause button on life is pushed and we each get to celebrate the joys of real life, in magical setting, within the walls of a warm home.  After all, we are united in our humaness, each feeling similar swaying emotions along the journey of life and each allowing ourselves to celebrate the charm of December 25th once a year.  



And so, our glittery Christmas village
stands above our fire,
with neat rows of sparkle,
showing the different hearts of Christmas 
behind each wreath-covered door.





 To see other mantels from Moore Minutes click on links below:
1) Merry Little Mantel,  adorable message with rustic charm 2011
2) Star of Wonder Mantel, natural and recycled 2010
3) Glitter Gold Mantel, the glory of Nativity 2009






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The Lettered Cottage

10 comments:

~Damita's Pretty Wrap~ said...

So pretty!!! Love those pine cones hanging off there too!! :) Happy decorating! xo HOlly

susanmarysunshine said...

I love little Christmas houses like these. Yours are especially wonderful as they look like new versions if vintage cottages. Did you make them? So sweet. Merry Christmas.

Sunshine said...

Before I knew it I was carried away in the stories of each little home! I can't wait to see what glittery, sparkly stories are written on the pages of each life this year! What a beautiful and cozy home you have created!

Judy@cutest-little-things.blogspot.com said...

Were those the houses off your mom's tree a few years back? I have some of those tha I decorate with in my dining room. They're so cute.

Lovin' the pinecone garland!

Judy@cutest-little-things.blogspot.com

stephanie h said...

cute, cute, cute! Love it!!

Unknown said...

Beautiful !
Ciao dall'Italia
Bellalullo

Unknown said...

Super cute! Love the soft colors! I would love for you to come link this up to my party going on! http://alivedinhome.blogspot.com/2012/12/get-social-sunday_9.html

Ruth said...

I love your glittered Christmas village. It's beautiful. Your pinecone garland is fabulous, too.
Hope you can visit my bloc.
Ruth

Anonymous said...

Hi and I'm just loving your lovely mantel filled with your glitter houses! It looks awesome and the big ones on the hearth as just amazing! Did you make yours or buy them? I started making little glitter houses this summer and ended up filling my little breakfast room hutch with them, but mine are much smaller. I love these. Hope you'll have time to visit me.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Holly Lefevre said...

Oh my gosh...it is charming and so glitteringly perfect!