My {almost} completed mantle

Studly and I worked our kiesters off this past weekend trying to get the mantle finished.

Tomorrow, I will hopefully be applying the final coat of paint, and then the real fun can begin...getting the gal all spruced up for the holidays.

I realize that I only have a few weeks left before the season's over, but I'm just so darned excited to have an actual fireplace mantle that I really don't care.

Today I am just posting "the evolution of a mantle" pics, but I may try to post a mini tute later.

Please try to ignore all of the crap lying everywhere.

Here's what the fireplace looked like when we bought the house. {this pic gives me the heavies}.

Here's what the fireplace looked like after Stud's and I removed it, then centered and lowered it and added a little marble accent. Already, a big improvement, no?

That's lil red's {aka. sassafrass} forehead. Can you tell she had been neglected? Her crazy mop was in dire need of motherly attention, but mama was to busy getting her Bob Villa on.


There's Studly's leg...taken a little football break.

And here's the final product...almost.

Not to toot my own horn...okay, maybe just a little, but I made this mantle box with my bare, dainty little hands. It's actually square, can you believe it?

And see the little trim just under the mantle...yup that was all me too. I totally owned the miter saw.

Just another little look at some of my handy work...okay, not too close.

I am so glad to have this project done...mostly because I just love looking at it. I actually enjoyed the process of fabricating and builiding the mantle... although Studly may beg to differ.

Rembember my inspiration pic:

My mantle could totally be this mantle's sister, right?

Okay, so stay tuned. There's still more mantle fun, plus a few other fun projects in the pipeline.