September. A month of transitions and new starts, the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. Holiday memories are fading with the long days as the nights draw in. It's month for foraging and harvest, for planning and preparation.
On my mantel this month: A crocheted garland which reminds me of bunting and beach huts and two star fish bought on holiday in St Ives. I like to keep these reminders of summer up for as long as I dare. A bunch of gladioli in a chunky cream vase. I like the way their shape says summer but the tones of their green stems and dark red leaves hint at the months to come. A Hockney postcard bought in Saltaire over the summer holidays and two candles in glass and wood holders, a gift from my Granddad. And the clock. The clock is always there.
Would you like to join in? Do you have a particular area in your home, a mantel, kitchen dresser, table or shelf, that marks the seasons and the rhythms of family life for you? It's not about styling or making things looks beautiful necessarily (although that is fun). It's more about the meaning behind beloved objects and pictures, and the place nature has in our lives, and the way we humans like to surround ourselves with treasures and memories throughout the year.
Your mantel looks fab. I haven't got anywhere in my home that changes with the seasons but I think I will have to now! x
ReplyDeleteI haven't got somewhere that changes with the seasons but I do like to have a reshuffle around the house of special objects every now and then. I think it gives them a look of freshness. Your mantel does look lovely!
ReplyDeleteI haven't got a mantle, but I do have a dresser top that has random treasures placed there. I'd love to join in!! Today is the first day it has actually felt like Autumn in St Ives. I'm still wearing the flip flops though...
ReplyDeleteLeanne xx
I tend to change things around a bit twice a year - spring and summer I like to have glass and pale ceramics in the sitting room, on the mantel and on the kitchen window sill, while in autumn and winter I sometimes change these for copper lusterware and treen and some celadon green Royal Doulton vases. I do like to put flowers on the mantelpiece, though, and use all kinds of things to put them in - cups and saucers, a pair of square glass 'vases' which were originally a gift with narcissi to plant in them, a couple of Fulham pottery oval flower vases (these were produced for floral displays but look good with or without flowers.)
ReplyDeleteToday, is actually a mild, sunny day in Torbay, not really autumnal at all.
Love the gladioli by the way - I often buy these and love their deep rich colours (all except the yellow ones. I love yellow as a colour, but I don't think it suits this particular flower.)
Margaret P
I mostly decorate my dining room table. I don't have a mantel, but I wish I did because it would always be decorated. I really like what you have on yours, the items actually seem a bit exotic to my American eyes and sensibilities and they work well together.
ReplyDeleteOh how we all love your mantle. Mine stays the same all year - I should be ashamed of myself!!! Thanks for dropping by.
ReplyDeleteI change several spots in the house several times a year... Spring, summer, autumn, christmas, and sometimes even for valentinesday....
ReplyDeleteLove your little clock on your mantel !
Those candle holders are fabulous! I'd love a mantelpiece (or any surface really) where I can put all my knick knacks but with a 17 month old toddling about most things are stashed away. Not long to go though and I can start displaying things again :-) x
ReplyDeleteAww it's beautiful! The garland is gorgeous, as is the rest of it :) A hint of summer whilst stepping forward into fall, it's lovely! I wish I had somewhere I could change each month... I could do my office corner I guess :) x
ReplyDeleteThat's lovely - the only thing that marks the season's in my household is the changing sport kit! And that's not very photogenic! Unlike your home. x
ReplyDeleteI love seeing the changing season though your mante. It is ace
ReplyDeleteI must admit my mantle only looks good at Christmas I must make more of an effort. I do like your bird picture above it!
ReplyDeleteI like my mantelpiece. It was the only thing I really wanted in a house! I'll post about mine soon on Angel Jem's City Cottage.
ReplyDeleteLovely Gillian, and once I get home, maybe mine will have a couple of favourite new souvenirs. Take care.
ReplyDeleteI love the bright colours of your Hockney postcard, so cheery!
ReplyDeleteOh this is so gorgeous, I love it! (And I love the print above as well...) There is something wonderfully evocative in your simple descriptions of the things themselves as well. Definitely going to join in with my own mantel this weekend (especially as I've just finally painted the previous bare plaster walls of the chimney breast too!)
ReplyDeleteSabrina
I do enjoy the photos of your mantel. The colours are fairly muted and work so well together. I usually change things around on my sideboard with the seasons but as we have been rearranging and redecorating rooms this hasn't happened for a while
ReplyDeleteCaz xx
Gladioli are fabulous aren't they? I'm afraid I really only decorate my mantel at Christmas. The rest of the time it has tea lights, Grandma's candlesticks and two photos of the children on it. And the clock of course. x
ReplyDeleteI love my mantelpieces - living an dining rooms. I've been gaffing about a lot recently getting thing in my new room 'just so' - I think the current arrangement of dried hydrangeas, tall copper candlesticks and a few pinecones will last til the end of the month and we will ease into autumn with conkers, red and yellow leaves and lots of glowing tea lights.
ReplyDeleteYour angel is always so lovely and inspirational
Yes, yes I do! I have a shelf in the lounge that changes with the seasons. It's still a bit of a shrine to all things seaside as I'm not quite ready to relinquish the summer. That said, I'm eyeing my hydrangeas in the garden (they're currently a wonderful vintage shade of grey/pink) with a view to perhaps considering moving autumn wards.
ReplyDeleteParticularly love your candle holders.
Hxx
Ah, you've reminded me I need to get a frame for my Alice's Aviary poster. I ought to have a little spot that reflects the seasons. My kitchen windowsill does a bit, at the moment it is covered with odd bits of windfall fruit and ripening tomatoes. CJ xx
ReplyDeleteMy mantel mostly stays the same, displaying some treasures (two Dala horses, two blue and white Danish plates - yes, I'm a bit ethnically Danish, along with about 10 other ethnicities, and therefore completely American - and a few pictures of family and such that are special.
ReplyDeleteI have a number of pillows I've made over the years that seem to change as the seasons do. One I made from hand-me-down fabric and an old sweater; it's floral and quite spring-y. My autumn pillow I embroidered. In the winter, the crochet blankets on the back of the couch are ready to be deployed over cold toesies at a moment's notice and in the summer, well, I don't have a summer pillow! I'd better get on that!
Thanks for the lovely blog. I very much look forward to reading it from over here across the pond.
Love the bunting!
ReplyDeleteJacqui x
Oh Gillian, your mantel looks gorgeous as always and I simply love the idea of having a special place to change over every month. Your invite to join in sounds brilliant and I am thinking of where in the house I could do it?..my studio I think, as I spend so much time there. I am going now to re-shuffle and then start on the first month...and then I will blog about it. Thanks for sharing this idea with us, H., xx
ReplyDeleteI don't particularly change loads of things around the house except for at Christmas but i always have fresh flowers with whatever is in season and use loads more candles from the autumn onwards. We all have dinner together and when autumn comes along we do it by candlelight many evenings. Two days ago my kids requested the return of the candles so I guess Autumn is definitely coming.....
ReplyDeleteBeautiful garland, Gillian. I love the way you savour changes in seasons and time, very inspirational. xxx
ReplyDeleteBeautiful mantle and beautifully said! A joy to stop by your blog today.
ReplyDeleteYour mantel is beautiful, as always, Gillian. The garland is lovely...such soothing colors. It's so inspiring how you embrace the beauties of each season. With 10 children, I try to keep my house as simple as possible, but you have inspired me to find a small corner to decorate for the seaon.
ReplyDeleteYour mantel is beautiful as usual, Gillian. The garland is lovely...such soothing colors. The way you embrace each season is so inspiring. With 10 kids, I try to keep my house as simple as possible, but you have inspired me find a small corner to decorate for the season.
ReplyDeleteI do love your mantel, alas I don't actually have one-incredible really with 4 fireplaces! Such a shame, however the sideboard acts as my special display area and low and behold any family member who 'dumps' objects (crap) on it-I think they have learnt ha ha.
ReplyDeleteHelen
Your mantel looks great Gillian, love those candle holders (storm lamps?) and your Alice's Aviary piccie. My mantel has a large ornate mirror sitting right on top of it so I can't place anything else there but it does get jazzed up at Christmas with holly and lights. My ancient pine dresser is probably the best candidate for seasonal displays but seems to get covered in paperwork - I need to be more assertive! Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteJane xx
I always like the things you have on your mantel. I have some family photos on ours and they stay there all year long. But the other objects I have on display alongside the photos change regularly--postcards, little plates, flowers, vintage finds. It's nice to be able to change things around. x
ReplyDeleteBeautiful mantel! I do not have a mantel, but the top of a dresser, a table and some bookselfes change troughout the year and the seasons. I don't "plan" it but change it whenever I feel the urge.
ReplyDeleteI do love your mantle my dear, I've already posted about mine, next time I'll pop a link on to here too! :) xxx
ReplyDeleteWhat a brilliant idea, my mantle stays the same, but I would like to set up an area somewhere that could change with the seasons.
ReplyDeleteI'm always faffing around with my mantelpiece too. I enjoy a good faff. Your candle holders are beautiful and I also love your vase. Looking forward to seeing your changing displays. Bee xx
ReplyDeleteWhen I moved into my new appartment in March I wanted to decorate the windowsill according to the seasons. Well, the easter eggs were hanging there waaaay after easter and since then the only thing that I put there was a cactus because I seem to be killing every other plant! I love the idea of the crochet garland, though. This would look beautiful in our kitchen...thanks for the idea!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous display - the colour of the gladioli is wonderful. I'm really looking forward to seeing your changing mantelpiece.
ReplyDeleteJust popping back to say that I've shared my mantel too! Thanks for such a lovely idea...
ReplyDeletehttp://wolvesinlondon.com/2014/09/23/on-the-mantel-september/
I just changed around our mantel for autumn yesterday by adding a few pumpkins, autumn garland, and a little vase with some fall like flowers. Your mantel looks especially lovely! I adore the garland. And I just switched out my starfish for pumpkins!
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