Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...well sort of.

I've always dreamed of a fireplace complete with mantle for Christmas decor.  Well, this year I determined to get as close as I could to that dream.  I researched DIY mantles and found a dandy build-it-yourself plan for free, but knew the building part and then the adhering it to the wall part would bog me down.  Plan B - a sad but sweet little bookcase without shelves and some flat black spray paint.  Add birch logs, flameless candles and my santa collection nested in garlands of white lights and red berries and I'm rockin' around the Christmas tree.

Tiny Lights

With the summer months waning, my thoughts turned to creating light for the dark corners of my environment that wouldn't burn the house down.  Little battery operated votives have been a great  solution.  Placed in these faux mercury glass jars, the little lights dance just like real candles without the risk of fire.  Perfect.

 After a bit of searching the web, I found a source for Looking Glass paint with which to create faux mercury glass.  Peanut butter and jam jars have been given a new life of aged elegance when sprayed with the paint.