A Vision of Joy {Christmas Mantle - 2013}

Decorating my home for Christmas is one of my favorite things about this time of year. The decorations go up the day after Thanksgiving and remain until after the new year.
Over the next couple of weeks, I will be sharing bits and pieces of my home with you. My mantle, my tree and other miscellaneous decorations will be making their appearance on the blog.
The inspiration for my Christmas mantle this year actually came from this post at A Thoughtful Place. In it, Courtney shared photos of her Thanksgiving mantle and I absolutely fell in love with the framed plaid fabric. Since I had just purchased some plaid placemats from Target, all I needed was a frame and I had my starting point. I found the frame at Homegoods for less than ten dollars.
{Please excuse the poor lighting in these photos. My mantle is right next to three huge windows and I can never seem to find the right angle to reduce glare and shadows. Also, taking a photo into something reflective means that you will see me taking the photos in the reflection of the window}

I have had these stocking and stocking holders for several years. I found the stockings at TJ Maxx and the stocking holders at Pottery Barn, all during after-Christmas sales. Each year, I update the photos in the stocking holders.
As part of my Black Friday shopping this year, my mom and I visited a local Bible bookstore. I needed a focal point for my mantle and was hoping to find it there. Last year, I used the word believe in a banner on the window above the mantle. This year I chose the word joy. 

  My one semi-DIY project for this mantle came when I decided to spray paint my candlesticks. These three came as a set and I have had them for close to ten years. They have been taking up space in my bathroom. So, I decided it was time to give them new life, with glossy black paint. It suits them, don't you think?

In the midst of red, glittery letters, plaid fabric, and spray paint, I kept getting strange looks from my husband. As I added items to the mantle, I could tell he wasn't sure about it all. I told him, Don't worry. I have a vision. He just couldn't see it, until it was all done.

My vision for the Christmas season is joy. Joy in celebrating Christ's birth. Joy in the processes of baking and decorating. Simply, joy.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. - Luke 2:10
Linking up with Holiday Cheer in the Blogosphere