Nautical Summer Mantel

Since tomorrow is the first day of summer, it just seemed right to show you all my nautical summer mantel. Actually, it might just turn into my all-the-time mantel! And it all started with some super cheapo, thrifted art.

I love the beachy feel and I love being out on the water. There's not much better for a hot, southern summer day than lazing around in a pontoon on the lake and catching some fish. Or renting a beach house on the ocean for a week...it just makes me relaxed thinking about it. The smell of sunscreen, midnight walks on the beach just because you can, sand everywhere, and just the whole casual atmosphere is wonderful! I am thinking that living near the coast makes it acceptable for me to decorate our place like a beach house. I want to evoke that relaxed feeling everyday!

This ship "painting" that I picked up at the thrift store really isn't one. The frame isn't exactly a real frame either. The whole thing is basically cardboard. I could pick it up and chunk it somewhere pretty easily. I managed to get it for a little over $3, which is great because it's really not worth more than that!

There was some damage to the picture and the frame where a sticker or something had pulled off the top layer of cardboard/paper/whatever-this-is-made-of. The best cure for that is paint of course! The part I really liked was the area around the picture that was gold and something that looks kinda like grasscloth or burlap. I wanted to keep that part showing so I taped it off. I gave the frame a coat of primer and 3 coats of white paint, leftover from the boys' room.

Now it's gone all cottage chic on me!

To create my mantel, I did what I always do: shop the house. It took me a week or so to finally get it here. I kept changing it and then leaving it for a few days to see what I thought. I've decided that this is the end result simply because I'm tired of redoing it. Honest confessions found here!

I do think that the end result is a very beach cottage feel. And I love that. Come back next week and I'll show you the entire nautical summer living room!