Well Hello There, Pottery Barn...

...I didn't know you lived at my mom's house!

We're taking a break from our regularly scheduled Reisfelt Christmas to bring you some pictures of a fabulous mantle I photographed this weekend... This is my parent's house and the talented decorator of this mantle is none other than my mother! She's so creative- I always feel inspired walking into their home. 

My family is one of those families that likes to quote movies. A lot. Especially Christmas movies. So, my mom came up with the idea to frame some of their favorite Christmas quotes from movies and songs. 

This one is from a song by the Goo Goo Dolls, called Better Days.  I didn't take many close ups of the quotes, but trust me, there are a lot of quotes from The Grinch (a la Jim Carrey), which our whole family (myself included) can probably state word-for-word. Interspersed with the quotes are Christmas pictures taken of my siblings and I as we were growing up. 

(Isn't my little brother the cutest ever?! He's a big senior now who just got accepted to college, but I still think he's kind of cute!) My mom got a bunch of cheap matching black frames from IKEA and attached red ribbon loops to the top of each frame. 

To create the arrangement, she cut out paper and taped it to the wall in the asymmetrical layout you see here.

Then my handy dad piloted a hole for each nail so they fit in easily into the brick, with no hammering.  (So much easier and faster than hammering each frame!)

Next, my mother hung some pretty red and gold ornaments (courtesy of Cheer1!) from red ribbons along the mantle. 

Last, she added a simple white tray with off-white candles to one side. So simple and chic! 

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I love the way her mantle turned out; it definitely reminds me of something I'd see in a PB catalogue... 

Oh and my favorite Christmas decorations from my childhood made it into this vignette:

 I have always loved these adorable paper mache carolers, and they've been in our family forever. 

What do you think? I love the simple elegance of the whole mantle and how everything framed has a special meaning or memory attached to it.