Summer themed mantel and a blog hop

July's Blog Hop
Life's a Beach!
8 Blogs 8 Awesome "Beachy" Ideas

Nothing is more relaxing then feeling the sand between your toes and listening to the waves roll in as you relax in a chair on the beach.  The closest I've come this year is the city pool.  (Wah, wah)

So if you are wishing and dreaming of being at the beach, like me, come see what my bloggy friends and I did this month for our "Beachy" best!  Pull up a seat, put your feet in a kiddie pool, grab an ice cold drink of your choice and cool off with these refreshing ideas. 

8 Blogs 8 Awesome "Beachy" ideas that will rock your world!!!

Stop by and visit all my AMAZING Bloggy friends and check out how the Beach has inspired them!! 

1. Emily of The Benson Street 
2. Adrienne of Free Time Frolics
3. Ashley of Flats to Flip Flops
4. Rebecca of The Crafted Sparrow
5. Andie of Maybe I Will
6. Melissa of Hollyhocks & Honeybees
7. me
8. Kaylnn of Among the Young


Here is my mantel dressed up for summer! I went for a slightly muted colored scheme with yellows and blues thrown in since I'm loving those colors lately!  Let me take you through the it!


I fancied up a plain Jane white candle with some twine and put it on a book page candle stick.  It's in front of a silver plate from my collection.


For the center part of my mantel I used my chevron wall art as the back drop.  I added a punched circle banner, a blue Mason jar full of shells (from an actual beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama) on a pedestal and a star fish (brought back by a friend from her trip to Florida).


On the right I put some cute ball flowers (what are they really called anyway?) from a craft show last year, in a decorated jar.  (A tip on jars- don't throw out spaghetti or pickle jars.  Just run them through your dishwasher, take off the labels with an adhesive remover like Desolv It (amazon link), and use them to decorate.) The jar is in front of another silver platter from my collection.  


More pics:




Don't forget to check out the Amazing projects on my friend's blogs!