Christmas Dressing: The Mantle

When I think of Christmas decorations, a fireplace mantle is one of the first things to come to mind... stockings hanging in a row, draping garlands made of pinecones or tinsel, wreaths with beautiful bows. All of these accoutrements for the mantle are beautiful. However, this year I decided to give our mantle a romantique twist while also keeping the Christmas décor minimal. ( The more decorations I put out, the more I'll have to clean up right around the time we start back with homeschooling.) 

 



  So, with the less is more approach, I decided to dress our master bedroom mantle, which also happens to be our headboard, with a variety of pretty shoes.

This picture from my Noël Pinterest board (below) is what inspired the idea. It reminded me of the French soulier {shoe or stocking}--a French tradition, where children's gifts were placed in their shoes lined along the fireplace or under the sapin de Noël {Christmas tree}.

 

 

 

If I had had any small gifts this year, I would have added those as well...Of course, I could have wrapped some faux Christmas gifts. Ugh, I haven't even finished wrapping the real gifts...Maybe next Christmas I'll add some faux gifts and a glamorous Christmas wreath above the mantle...Maybe I should do my Christmas projects in the summer so I won't run out of time like I always do???

 

The gold pair of shoes on the far left were Amelia's birthday party shoes this year. I tucked this "1st hair cut" ornament I made a few years ago in them. I don't think she's had a hair cut since then. Just looking at that sweet lock of hair makes my heart melt.

My initial plan was to make a special souvenir ornament for each year, but I skipped her second and third year...I probably ran out of time.

This year, I think I'll get a larger clear ornament and squeeze a copy of her handprint inside... 



When I purchased these muted gold flats, I just loved their color and style, but they were never comfortable, so they never made it out of the house. They were actually in a box destined for the resale shop the week I decorated the mantle, and when I needed one more pair of shoes in the right color palette, they were spared the walk of shame to the resale shop.

 I'll probably still get rid of them and look for a better pair to replace them next Christmas.

 



These vintage white heels came from an estate, where a woman had the most fashionable vintage shoes I've ever seen. There were probably 100 pairs of uber chic vintage shoes for $1.00 a pair. Unfortunately most of them were a size  7AAA, which translates as: super narrow shoes that would never fit a single person I know.

How is it that women 60 years ago had such narrow and dainty feet? In comparison, I feel like Wilma Flintstone...not a good feeling.

So, I just bought this white pair. I figured Amelia would enjoy clogging around in them for several years throughout the house.

 

Along with cream tulle, I added a homemade glitter star ornament, a new champagne ornament, a vintage gold ornament, and my favorite French powder box. 



The silver glitter shoes with the cream bow were Amelia's Easter shoes. When I bought them, I knew that once she outgrew them that they would go on display. They're just too pretty to put away.

At the back of these shoes, I added placed an angel wing ornament and some cream tulle. Then I added one vintage silver ornament, and a glittered bird ornament.



 

Amelia wore these adorable vintage white shoes in her one year pictures with the
sweetest vintage cream dress.

I forget what these white berries are called, but I love them.

I also added this little pink Santa Claus tag that I bought from Willow Nest, and a muted gold jingle bell.

 

souliers in a line on the mantle

And the view of the chausseurs de Noël perched above the bed--nothing grand, but a little hint that Christmas is only a few steps away.

 

 

One week till Christmas...I wonder if I'll have time to share with you our Christmas tree?

I'll see what I can do.

 

_{images by à la parisienne; image #3 via Pinterest}