Fall Mantel 2014

I've made major progress on the kitchen and will share some pics soon.

But in the meantime, we've moved into a new season and that means a new mantel.  Or at least a new mantelscape.  

(Yes, I made up that term and I like it.)

Here is last year's mantelscape.  Mighty pr'ty it was, too, if I do say so myself.  It required lots of input from Facebook friends, but came out rather well.

This year, I decided to start with a clean slate.  I removed the brass doors and scrubbed everything down.  

I still have the doors just in case we find that we have unwanted visitors and want to replace them.

I mean winter drafts, not Santa!

I replaced the grate and arranged some logs on it, then set to work on the mantel.

I pulled things from all over the house and arranged and re-arranged until I came up with this.

This morning, I looked at it again and was dissatisfied.  The big white basket just wasn't right.  It needed something to break it up, but the mantel isn't wide enough to accomodate another layer, so "Bye bye basket!"

Here is what I have up there now and I like it better.  I think.  

What do you think?  

Does it need something more? Something less?  Something different?  Something borrowed?  Something blue?

Wait.  Sorry.  That's for weddings.  

Anyway, what do you think?