Thanks Kathleen for your comments. I used to leave my Mantel up all year and only change it at Christmas too.. but since joing Holiday... the 'Enablers' have inspired me to change it more often. OA...see what you started? You've fired us up here with talk of your 'Diner Party'.. So >> ' Since You Talked the Talk'.. 'Can You Walk the Walk' ? We'll be waiting! LOL jane

I used a reclaimed Douglas Fir beam for my mantle, with a limestone surround. The mantle and overhead beams are now stained and really set off the stone (thanks Lindy)... I wired for lights in the stone above mantle for one more level of light. I plan to put sconces there with an umber colored glass shade casting light above and below the sconce. Since I have a vaulted ceiling (stone goes to 10' and ceiling vaults to 13')I wired for low voltage lights to beam above and below the mantle since it protrudes into the room by approximately 14". Note the stone "cutout" on the lower right below the hearth. The stone mason made this cutout by putting the stone on the wood, then fitting it in like a puzzle. Behind this small opening is the speaker/audio/television system wiring for future use in this room. My DH's dream is to put a TV above this mantle. I told him this will happen only in his dreams! But it's there if we ever need it. Hope this helps. V

I did one thing with an empty frame that I thought was pretty cute. I hung a red wooden letter M (for our last name) on the wall, then hung an empty frame around it. The M is maybe 8" x 10" and the frame is probably 11" x 14". I thought I was just sooo creative, then I saw it done elsewhere, can't remember where -- a magazine or catalog.

I'd wait until you get them to look for candles...they're actually quite nice without any. If they were mine, I'd probably be looking for some kind of glass orb instead of candles - silver, gold, mercury glass, red at Christmas if you decorate for that holiday. :-) But for candles, it seems like they would look best if it looked like the men were holding a flaming torch...so maybe something like a tall votive (but that will hold its shape when lit)? I'd like this shape in them I think - but don't know what it's called (not the holders, just the candles).