Well that works to make me forget its 100 here. LOL. Looks very cozy to sit there with a book and cup of tea.
I love your stone fireplace, that is so pretty!

hugs, Karen

That stone fireplace and mantle are to die for and your decorating is very pretty - very cozy looking. I do the same thing with a couple of my jack-o-laterns - they will carry me right through Thanksgiving by turning them around. For the last several years I have been buying 2 or 3 of those faux pumpkins and gourds - I am getting quite a collection of them now. Would love to see your hubbys furniture when he gets to making it. I love the rustic look ......

Lynne

How very cozy that looks, where's my cup of hot spiced cider? That will all work great all through Thanksgiving and then you could just substitute the pumpkins for some snowmen and go right on through winter! So glad you are in your new house and getting all unpacked and making it a HOME! Your mantel looks great! Luvs

Thanks, everyone, for looking. It was so much fun combing through my fall boxes to decorate. I have to stand on the hearth to reach the top of the mantel so some things are "arranged" by where they land!

Karen, to tell the truth, it's going to be 81 today but the nights are getting cooler. My big leather chair and ottoman are over in the corner but maybe I'll pull them up to the fireplace...tea and cider sound so good!

Lynne, we also love our fireplace. The mantel is a slice out of a log that we got at a log home outfit. DH put a hidden electrical outlet in it so I can have lights at Christmas. Actually the little wooden "lantern" on the mantel now is a lamp with a flicker bulb in it. It looks very neat when you plug it in. DH is going to make a big log easy chair which I'll upholster with red-and-black buffalo plaid flannel. Won't that be cool?

Thanks, Luvs. I'll probably put some turkeys up for Thanksgiving but most of the ones I have are small. I wanted a big mantel just so's I could have fun decorating!

- Magpie

Beautiful Mantel Magpie. I love the how you decorated it and the stonework is beautiful. I agree it all looks so cozy. I'm so happy for you that you are finially getting to put all your 'Goodies' out to enjoy.
By the look of your beautiful mantel and decor...I'd love see everything else. I think we share the same taste.
I also think your DH and mine enjoy the same woodworking hobbies.
My DH made our Table that we use every day (farm table-not the DR Table) and also other pieces for our place. I'm sure once you're settled in...your DH will be able to make the things you need and want. Also, it will be better because you'll know exactly what you want for just the right place.
I know, we've been in this place for 3 years now, and as I go along, I keep finding more projects and things for him to make. He's never bored!! lol
Looking forward to seeing more of your beautiful place when you're all set up.

jane

Oh that fireplace is to die for, how cozy is that & with fall decor it makes it even cozier. Looks like a cabin in the mountains on an fall day!

It is supposed to be in the high 80's here til about the 30th of Sept. where was all this heat during the summer????

Crazy weather is all I can say, but I won't complain, I love it warm, will be crying when the snow flies!!! YUCK!

I just love your fireplace, it looks so cozy. It looks wonderful decorated for fall, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with it at Christmas. - Gail

Terrific fireplace, mantel and decorations, not to mention the room that we can see in the pic! That is just the look I would like to remodel our living room to resemble. Both DH and I love to downhill ski and love hosting apres ski gatherings. It would be wonderful to do a "ski chalet/lodge" type look. You have me inspired though I imagine it will be awhile yet before we make those kind of changes. I'm so happy for you that you have your new house...it must be so fun decorating it! Thanks for sharing!

DD

What a gorgeous fireplace . . . I mean, it's seriously wonderful, Magpie! It must be the reflection of the flash or whatever, but the window view looks like it's snowing to my eye. What a cozy place you have there! I like your mantel display, but keep an eye out for some taller, bulkier items. That fireplace and mantel are so massive, they can easily take some BIG pieces. Please show us the furniture when your DH finishes it. The guy obviously has a lot of talent working with wood and I can't wait to see what else he makes for you! Your idea to upholster the chair in buffalo plaid sounds great!
Lynn

Jane,
Right now DH is outside making a stone retaining wall and steps (has he ever done this before? No...). But he is an engineer through and through and loves to figure things out. Of course, he has never made furniture before, but that won't stop him. (He once even helped me figure out a complicated (to me) crochet stitch! He has done some woodwork, making shelves, etc., but I think it's great that your DH has actually made the beautiful furniture, and loves to get requests from you! I will put up some pix when the packing boxes are gone and the furniture is in.

Yachter,
It's SUPPOSED to look like a cabin in the mountains, even though it's a house in the foothills. Sorry about the snow is your area, we love it here 'cause it's light and only lasts a day or two at a time.

Gail,
Christmas will be fun to do. I'm embarassed to say how many big boxes of Christmas things I have, but suffice to say it's a number somewhere between 20 and 40!! (probably closer to 40). I simply MUST have a yard sale...

DD,
That's the look I'm going for (As I said to Yachter, I would have even preferred to have a more primitive cabin look but DH has a little more "elegant" taste)--the "lodge" look. We have some rusty red leather furniture and the pine coffee table you can see in front of the fireplace. We are also skiers! Keep us posted on any redecorating plans.

Lynn,
It's not snowing yet, what you see is our grassy hillside. I agree that I need some bigger items, and since the LOW part of the ceiling (which is above the fireplace) is 13 ft high I need some serious wall decor there too!

- Magpie

Well then, you accomplished your cabin look, I've been MIA for months & didn't realize that you were in the foothills of the mountains, but your room (what we can see of it) is gorgeous.

Can't wait to see more of your house, my husband would love to live in a log cabin style home!

Love it, it looks great!

It's beautiful Ms. Magpie. I'm looking forward to seeing more pictures of your "lodge".

Magpie, what an absolutely gorgeous fireplace. Cant wait to see the rest of your lovely home.

Mo

Oh Magpie, that's a really beautiful mantle. Your home looks very warm and inviting, as a home should be!
It's warm here in New England I haven't even thought about fall decorating yet.

What an inspiration your mantle is!

That looks beautiful! Love your rustic look!

Hey everyone,

You've got me on a big ego trip! I wish we had some furniture in the room so I could take a meaningful picture to put up. It will be awhile, so maybe when the packing boxes go and the rolled-up rug gets upstairs I'll take a picture anyway. I might wait until the oak trees color up, maybe you can see them out the window.

Now I've got to dive down into the storage room and find my cattails and colored grasses...

- Magpie

I like your fireplace! It's a splendid one and the kind of fireplace I would have like to have in my own living room as I like anything that is rustic!

In my humble opinion, it's beautiful!
Dom.

Dominique,

How nice to hear from you again! I have learned a lot from you about Belgium. When I think of Europe I think "classical," "palace," "cathedral," etc. I don't think RUSTIC! So it's so interesting that you like the rustic look.

To me, the rustic style is very warm and informal. In my house you can put your feet on the table and relax--that's the way I want it!

I don't know if Europeans decorate for the fall season. Do you have an equivalent holiday to Thanksgiving? I know Canadians do. I have been collecting turkey figurines to add to my mantel this November.

Do let us here from you more often! (and thanks for the compliment)

- Magpie