A festive fireplace mantle...

I love this old fireplace mantle! It came out of a house that was going to be torn down just east of Cedar Rapids... We rescued as many things as we could from the house, but the floors were literally rotting and collapsing underneath our feet. I thought about rigging up a pulley and rope system so I could cross the floor to rescue some things, but it was just too dangerous. This mantle reminds me of all of the times I have had these sorts of experiences in my 18 years of being an antique/junk dealer and rescuer. I've been in houses with LOTS of bats, LOTS of mice (dead and alive), mold, grease, grims and dirt of all kinds and, most frequently, houses where the owners lived through the depression and felt they were going to need the everyday items someday. Things like the styrofoam liner on the bottom of the pound of hamburger, things like cottage cheese containers, bread sacks, newspapers, coffee cans, etc. It's amazing how often I run into that...
Anyway, back to the mantle. I've been buying candlesticks and mirrors like crazy, because I LOVE this look. I wish the mantle was a little deeper so I could give it more dimension, but, alas, it's not so I guess it'll have to do the way it is. I used cedar boughs for greens and I love the smell of it. I sometimes wish that I could turn all the lights off in the shop and just let people shop by candlelight. The candlelight ambiance is so much nicer, but it really isn't a good idea in an antique store. One night a year I like to try it... just lamps, strings of tiny Christmas lights and candles. I haven't decided what night it will be this holiday season, but I'm sure looking forward to it.