October 8, 2009

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  {ShOp tHe hOusE}  
          first.edition             
       

  
  The past month I spent what felt like an eternity sitting on the couch in my living room…
  
  Reading.
  Writing.
  Schooling.
  Watching tv.
  
  AND…
  
  Thinking of how much that room needed a good cleaning and re arranging.
  
  So, when I felt some bursts of energy coming back this week, I set at it.
  
  One particular area was really bugging me – -

  
  
  I stuck the pumpkins here when I put up the fall decor but never liked them..
  .. they’re too shiny or something.
  Maybe I can take some spray paint to ‘em!

  

  So – Wanting something different for this space I decided to go shopping –

  in my house that is!
  
  
  A picture from the kitchen.
  Some baskets from Kate’s room.
  “Inspire” from the upstairs hall.
  And the chair my grandma gave me from our room…
  
  
  I like the look better now.

  
  
  

  
  (3 generations of brides)

  Here’s before/after side by side::

    
   
  
  I ended up moving the furniture around too – nothing overly drastic…
  but just kinda gives it a new feel.
  
  
  bEfoRe::

  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  aFter::
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  side by side before/ after as you walk into the room::

   

  and before/after across the room:: {just subtle little swap outs here & there}

  
  
  It closes the room down some. But I like the cozy feel… seems nice for fall.

  “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
  
  
  I used to think that was my mom’s original quote, she said it enough when we were growing up.
  I’ve since discovered it was actually Teddy Roosevelt.
  But I’m grateful mom instilled that concept in me…

  When the urge to have a new look strikes, you don’t have to go out and spend money.
  Look around you –
  re arrange.. exchange..

  Sure, there’s a few bare spots in some rooms that need filled now. 
  That’s the fun of it though….
  getting to find and figure out the “filler pieces.”
  
   
  
  I’ve always been a huge Pillow fan.
  I like lots.. in every kind of fabric and color.

  

  And they seem to be an easy way to change things up, or freshen a look..
  I traded out the plaid that were on the couch for some others in our bedroom.
  Grabbing a few browns from Kate’s as well.
  She said she didn’t mind….
  “It means less pillows for me to put on my bed each morning!”  

   

  The brown chair below has been in my life for as long as I’ve been alive pretty much..
  I can remember coming downstairs as a little girl, early in the morning
  and seeing my dad kneeling in front of it praying.
  
  The springs are near shot, and I’d love to have it reupholstered..
  It’s so special to me = like a piece of my dad.

   
  
  Funny, when you ‘fix’ one area it seems you notice another….
  Every time I’d walk in the living room all I was seeing was the big map hanging over the kids school corner – -
  I didn’t like it.
  But since they use it often I couldn’t take it down.

  I got to thinking if it didn’t look so much like a “standard U.S. map” maybe it wouldn’t bother me so much~
  so I burnt the edges to try to give it a more worn look.
  
  Almost burnt up Mexico in the process.. but, it’s still there!

  
  
  

  
  
  
  So next time the urge strikes to have something new or different look no further than what you already have ~
  
  
  ShOp tHe hOusE…
  
   
  you might be surprised at the great things you find!

  
  
  
  
  
       
  

  
    
  
  

  • 4:10 pm
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