it's time for some SERIOUS fireplace porn up in here. one of the things i love about the holiday season is that it's an awesome excuse to completely overhaul the decor in your house. during the other seasons, if i'm in the mood to majorly change things up, i usually have to come up with an elaborate reason that feels legitimate so my husband doesn't get overwhelmed. but during the holidays? ANYTHING GOES. don't let this opportunity pass you by. clear that existing shit off your mantel and let's go to work.

i knoooowwww some people say it’s too early to start thinking holiday decor,, but i love the holiday season so much and in my book it's totally permissible to start decking the halls as soon as the mood strikes.

here are my top 25 picks for some major mantel inspo this holiday season:

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25

i gotta say, when perusing the interwebs for holiday decor ideas, some people go CRAZY in this department. just looking at some of the pictures brings back the dreaded potpourri craft store scent (which is not a positive thing, at least in my life).

i loved all these above options because i think they strike the perfect balance- you don't wanna miss out on an opportunity to get festive but you also don't want to be the Clark Griswold of fireplace flair and leave yourself with a mountain of Santa themed shit to clean up and stash in a closet come January.

while my current holiday mantel situation isn't quite up to par with these pinterest pros, i'm pretty excited to have the festive vibes around the house. we're in a rental (i did not mount that television above the fireplace and feel the need to point that out) but even if you're only living somewhere temporarily it's so much fun to add a little holiday flavor to the decor. here's my Cali boho holiday home dressed and ready to go:

also, while putting together this post, i found a lot of articles spelling it 'mantel' and a lot spelling it 'mantle' and it was driving me insane trying to figure out which one is right til i remembered this little thing called Googling It. here's the verdict from grammar dot com in case you give a shit: "The noun mantel refers to a shelf above a fireplace. The noun mantle refers to a cloak or (usually figuratively) to royal robes of state as a symbol of authority or responsibility."

what are your fave ways to dress up your space for the holidays?

25 Days of Holiday Mantel Makeovers