My Familiar Christmas Mantel

I’m a creature of habit, so when I find something I like, I tend to stick with it. A shirt I love? Let’s snag it in every color. A favorite cereal? Let’s eat it every morning for breakfast for the next 30+ days. 

My Christmas mantel is no exception. It’s changed very little in the past few years because I just find its simplicity soothing and comforting. 

The only significant update I make year-to-year is to my chalkboard. This Christmas season, I have found myself singing O Come, O Come Emmanuel as I work around the house and thought it would be perfect to display. Our family’s intentional advent focus also means that we are considering the weight of these words more fully.

The stockings were purchased from Pottery Barn during a major clearance event about four years ago. When my youngest was born last year, I was so sad to find that the particular style was no longer sold. Thankfully, I found one on eBay. While it’s still shamefully not embroidered, at least I didn’t have to change out a collection that has become so dear to me.

Fresh greenery was a little harder to come by this year. I normally go to local home supply stores to ask for trimmings from the trees they’ve sold to families, but each trip was a bust. We finally purchased a $5 tree from the cast-off pile at Lowe’s and cut it up to display around the house, including here on the mantel. 

I certainly understand the allure of changing things up, but I just crave the familiarity of the lights and candles glowing in just the way I’ve come to love. Do you have Christmas decorations that you reuse each year? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!

Cheers from the cottage,

Colleen