I started thinking about some of the different 'looks' this fireplace has had at Christmastime...
Christmas Eve 1992... These are the teddy bear stockings the girls have had since they were infants. That year the pine garland was placed on top of the mantel, and not much changed for many years...
Christmas Eve 2000... The living room got a new paint job and since family photos had taken over the mantel, the pine garland was hung underneath. One thing that didn't changes was the teddy bear stockings...
Jumping ahead to Christmas 2005... The prim-to-cottage transformation has begun. The old mirror above the fireplace has been replaced with a vintage paint by number (I love that old mirror though - it now hangs in the entryway)...The ancient (24 year old) wall-to-wall carpet has been ripped up and the plywood subfloors painted white. The walls are now creamy white, a white fireplace screen has replaced the old black one, and a white berry garland has replaced the pine garland of years past.... And the teddy bear stockings were replaced by pink stockings... Not!! 
Same year, Christmas Eve 2005... There's no way those teddy bear stockings are ever going to be replaced! They are (and always will be) hung on Christmas Eve so Santa can fill them when he arrives...
Christmas 2006... We're getting there. Family photos have been removed from the mantel (but are elsewhere throughout the house, no matter what the decorating experts say!)... Bottlebrush and sparkly trees and reindeer sit on a white table runner...
Christmas 2007... We're done (sigh of relief). I now have the beautiful white fireplace that I've dreamed about since falling head-over-heels for the shabby/cottage look; and beautiful hardwood floors (first photo) were installed over those terribly hard-to-clean white painted sub-floors... A leafy garland (from Wal Mart) has replaced the white berry garland (which didn't really show up against the white fireplace)...
Christmas Eve 1992... These are the teddy bear stockings the girls have had since they were infants. That year the pine garland was placed on top of the mantel, and not much changed for many years...
Christmas Eve 2000... The living room got a new paint job and since family photos had taken over the mantel, the pine garland was hung underneath. One thing that didn't changes was the teddy bear stockings...
Jumping ahead to Christmas 2005... The prim-to-cottage transformation has begun. The old mirror above the fireplace has been replaced with a vintage paint by number (I love that old mirror though - it now hangs in the entryway)...The ancient (24 year old) wall-to-wall carpet has been ripped up and the plywood subfloors painted white. The walls are now creamy white, a white fireplace screen has replaced the old black one, and a white berry garland has replaced the pine garland of years past.... And the teddy bear stockings were replaced by pink stockings... Not!!
Same year, Christmas Eve 2005... There's no way those teddy bear stockings are ever going to be replaced! They are (and always will be) hung on Christmas Eve so Santa can fill them when he arrives...
Christmas 2006... We're getting there. Family photos have been removed from the mantel (but are elsewhere throughout the house, no matter what the decorating experts say!)... Bottlebrush and sparkly trees and reindeer sit on a white table runner...
Christmas 2007... We're done (sigh of relief). I now have the beautiful white fireplace that I've dreamed about since falling head-over-heels for the shabby/cottage look; and beautiful hardwood floors (first photo) were installed over those terribly hard-to-clean white painted sub-floors... A leafy garland (from Wal Mart) has replaced the white berry garland (which didn't really show up against the white fireplace)...
GARLAND HANGING TIP!! Two years ago I purchased reindeer and mirrored glass snowflake stocking holders from Target - mostly as decorations for the mantel because I don't really trust hanging filled stockings from them ... But I discovered they're perfect for hanging the garland and lights from! (I didn't want to put any nails into my new white fireplace... the old garland used to hang from cup hooks I had under the mantel, but I didn't want to do that either). The weighted stocking holders have been a perfect solution for me!
I think I'm going to make a cup of hot chocolate now... It's rainy and bone-chilling cold here today... I hope you're toasty and warm wherever you are!!
Donna