I thought it was about time I changed my mantel from the 4th of July since it’s the end of the month. I decorated my mantel in a Seaside theme at the beginning of Summer and thought I’d do something similar for the next few weeks before school starts. Since we love the ocean and visit it as much as possible, a Coastal Mantel is perfect for August.
I have had these lanterns for years, at least 6. They used to be outside on our back deck at our old house so they have weathered very nicely. The vase was purchased at Target on clearance a year or so ago. Blue and white is always a great color option for me.
I only have a few sea stars so I thought a little garland would be fun above the mantel. I tied them together with hemp.
I made the tray a few days ago to use on the ottoman in the family room but decided it looked great on the mantel for now. Get the full tutorial here. I like being able to use things in multiple ways and move them around my house. I make less purchases when I feel like I have more options.
The shell ball is from our trip to Hawaii and I purchased the whale tail on clearance at Hobby Lobby. It was the only purchase I made for the mantel this year. I couldn’t pass up this adorable whale tail and if you follow me on instagram you already know that my beautiful whale had a mishap a few weeks ago, so I could justify the replacement.
Here are the other 2 lanterns and like I said they have weathered so nicely. I love the weathered gray but since they had been outside for a few years they did need a good cleaning before they were mantel worthy.
I have loved picking up shells on the beach since I was a little girl and we would vacation in Florida. I remember always coming home with a bucket full of shells. I also remember this tiny crab chasing me around the beach when I was about 5 years old. I was terrified. I think I threw my bucket of shells and climbed up my dad to get away from it. I have such fond memories of the beach and ocean, I think that’s why it’s still my happy place to this day. These shells are from California, Florida, Maryland, and Hawaii. I love the memories they hold.
I think the reason I like to decorate my home with things I’ve had for a few years are the memories that they hold. It’s nice to look at an object in your home and remember the trips or the fun times together. Or even just the pleasure you had in making something for your home.
This is definitely not my favorite fireplace and mantel but since we’re just renting I feel lucky to have what I have at this point. Being grateful for the things I have has made me more appreciative of everything in my life right now.
I’m not excited for school to be starting soon but I am excited to come up with a new back-to-school mantel. Be watching for it in a couple weeks. Until then, I will be dreaming of the beach.
