Thanksgiving "Mantel" and Decor in Our Home

Not having to work on Monday due to Veteran's Day totally threw me off on the posting schedule and I forgot to prep my post for publishing this morning. Womp womp. Better late than never, that's what they say :)

One of my favorite things about reading blogs, especially in the home decor and DIY niche, is checking out all of the drop-dead gorgeous mantels you ladies and gents can style. I could peruse Pinterest for hours looking up ideas. 

Unfortunately, I don't have a mantel of my own to decorate. Fooooortunately, I have a pretty sweet buffet that I made over that works just as well. All you need is a flat surface, right?

Minus the cozy fire underneath, that is.

Here is our "mantel" all dolled up for the November festivities. Not a lot has changed since my last update on Fall decor in our home, but I did manage to switch some things up and move things around. It's a nice, easy way to stretch what you have, especially when you'll have it out over a longer period like the Fall season. 

My apologies for the craptastic lighting.

You'll see that I'm still rocking my Colorful No-Sew Fall Bunting, but I'm looking forward to breaking out some burlap this weekend for a few banners that will bring in a more natural, rustic feel and coordinate with some table setting ideas I'm throwing around for Thanksgiving.

The "Be Thankful" printable is from The Fabulous Life of a Trophy Wife and the "Carry a Thankful Heart" printable is from Honey Bear Lane. I layered them with a pretty fun metallic leaf collage I made. I'm looking forward to sharing how I made this with you, and you'll never believe it cost me only $3.00 since I had a lot of the materials already.

I love the way the leaves reflect the candle light. Fall is totally a time for scented candles, and I have a pretty decent supply of those around.

Love this little turkey dude that I won as a prize at my best friend's baby shower (what can I say, I'm really good at baby bottle bowling). She's having her baby on the 19th, and not only is this little girl going to be my goddaughter, but she's also going to be named after me! I'm so honored, and this cute little turkey is a happy reminder of the sweet little girl that's on her way.

In the dining room, here are a few more metallic leaves on a burlap runner (seriously, I have an overabundance of leaves and burlap around here, which I suppose is really not a problem at all). I filled the square vase with some dollar store pumpkins and gourds. For a room that I haven't done much with, it helps to add a little something to bring the season in.

And there you have it, friends. With a few simple swaps and switches, I was able to refresh our decor for the second half of Fall. Before you know it, it'll be Black Friday--which is my official date to start decking our halls for Christmas.

Anyone else have a mantel they wish was really a mantel?

Who has started putting up your Christmas decorations? I know there are a few of you out there. Don't be ashamed and embrace it in the comments.