An 1800's Fireplace Mantel

The shed before my old mantel...

This little white table was given to us by a neighbor whose children and grand-children are 

grown.  I moved it to the other side of the room. (To see more shed pictures, click here.)

I cleared the space...

...to make room for this old mantel.  It belonged to my grandfather.  Born in 1901, he grew up with thirteen brothers and sisters in an old farmhouse.  This mantel decorated the fireplace that kept them warm in the winters and cooked their food.  My great-grandfather moved to this house as a young man, so it dates to the mid to late 1800's.

My father and uncle were getting rid of lots of things that had been stored in an old shed (see below!)  I just knew this would be perfect to hold some old cans and various decorations!

The honey pot was a flea market find.  The measuring cups are also old.  My children use these to measure the dirt for their mud pies.

When my husband finished the shed in the spring, we had a new little visitor make a nest.  A mama wren nestled in to the window box with four tiny eggs.  Three of the little birds hatched...so cute!

The babies grew and flew away, but one little egg remained.  After a while, I moved the nest into the shed and tucked it into this Whitman's metal candy box.  It belonged to my grandparents.

I just recently used the pewter compote with shells for a centerpiece on my porch (click here.)  The moss covered letter 'T' was made by hot gluing moss onto a wooden letter from Hobby Lobby.

The large basket above was found at a consignment store.  It holds my cans and baskets for packaging vegetables from my garden. 

I changed out the shells for a nest in the pewter dish.  I will put this in our guest room (my son's bedroom!) for my sister's visit from Memphis this week. 

The white picket fence behind the bistro table and chairs was salvaged from a neighbor.

The white wicker chair was a consignment store find.  I grabbed it, because I liked the modern shape.

If this mantel could speak, what stories would it tell?  I imagine my ancestors gathered around it to stay warm in the North Carolina Mountains, telling stories and snuggling close...no TV, no computer, no phone, no power...the only thing to entertain them was each other.  It is a very sweet thought!

Why not have a 'blackout' night with your family?  Slow down, light some candles to read or play games and watch how s..l.o..w..l..y time passes.  What a lovely thought! 

The picnic basket below the fishing basket was a wedding gift from my mom. 

The little metal frame on the wall was my grandparents and the white ironstone platter belonged to my great-grandmother.

The big glass jar on the floor holding twigs belonged to my grandfather.  It used to be a collection place for his loose change!

The shed at my dad's farm (below...be careful...it is a little scary!) got to be a place for anybody in the family to store their things not in use!  After my mother passed away and my father remarried,  several of their things went into this shed.  I found several treasures, including the Henredon 1970's secretary (you can see it in the back of the photo if you look really hard!), as well as, an old butcher's block, a pair of 1950's teak beach chairs, a curio cabinet of my granny's and other miscellaneous finds!  It will take me a while to restore these things, but the old mantel was perfect just the way it was!  After my sister and I found some treasures, my aunt and uncle had a huge yard sale! 

~

See the blowfish hanging from the ceiling?  We all fought over that one!

Please join me at these great sites!

'Stuff You Got for Free' at the CSI Project
Yard Sale Finds at the Lettered Cottage
I have edited this post to join Funky Junk Interiors 'Fireplace' theme.