welcome to our place

I just finished up some little things to make our home more "homey" and thought I'd give you a tour. I want my decorating to suit me and my family, be comfortable, easy to manage, easy to change when the mood strikes, and CHEAP since Clayton is the only one bringing in any income while also finishing school. This post will lead you around and show you how I did that.

Would you like to come in?

Here is our entry way. The wall is barren over there since decorating on a budget takes time. Not really on the top of my 'to-do' list. Also, the walls are white because we are renting, another challenge for someone who likes color....

And in case you were wondering, Yes. We hula hoop indoors during the winter. I only broke 2 Christmas ornaments this way ;-) The blue box is a diaper box that I painted blue with some left over wall paint from our last place. It holds our gloves, hats, etc. The chair is standing in for a table or dresser until one happens upon me for a price I'm happy with (read: free - less than $10). On it sits my amazing silk purse form Thailand and a framed print of a pineapple that Clayton made in an art class. 

Here is the bigger couch in our living room (a hand-me-down from the in-laws) and a shawl I picked up for a few bucks in India hanging over it...

I just love our nice big window. Then there is the smaller couch across from it...

The rug was $7 on sale at WalMart. The end table was free. Across from the big window sits my desk...

Clayton made it for me :) That pretty black and white box holds the babies toys and diapers. I made it out of an old diaper box and some fabric I got for $2 at a fabric outlet store. The board over the desk is a cork board covered in more cheap fabric. And it's the only thing in my house not hung by tacks. Seriously. On the wall between the garage door and the desk is hemp strung from one clear tack to another with clothes pins holding art and other random things that I like. I change them out often.

A closer look at my desk...

And my wall at the moment...

And on the other side of the desk I have...

a map that I got Clayton for Christmas. It was $12 from National Geographic. And the chair, as you can imagine, we got for free :)

Next to the living room is our dining area...

The table and chairs came from my in-laws again. And on the table...

A $10 tray form WalMart, a potted Christmas cactus and salt and pepper shakers from my mother-in-law, and a beautiful Ball pitcher (I should have turned it to you could see the spout and handle) with a blown glass plant-watering-thingy from my mom, and a card from India put in an old picture frame.

And then there is my kitchen...

I have so much room in there that I don't know what to do with myself! Just look at all those cabinets! And I was so happy to get a metal trash can because I love them. So much more personality than a white plastic one. That's right. My trash can has personality :)

Now for one of my favorite things...

Over my sink! It was bare for 3 months before I decided I'd had enough. I resolved to put something up THAT DAY. I thought, 'I wish I could swing by WalMart and pick up some of those cork squares they have for $5' but we hadn't put it in the budget, and I was determined to not spend more than we had allotted, even if it was only $5. That's when it hit me. I fell back on my old tricks: A diaper box, leftover fabric, and tacks.

Two layer of cardboard glued together with a glue gun, fabric pulled across and glued down in the back, and the market issue of Saveur Magazine pieced up with... tacks! Which also hold the boards up...

Aww, the mighty tack!

 Don't you just love the above photograph? Then we have...

the pantry door next to the fridge and the laundry closet doors next to that.

So, my budget-decorating in a nutshell: Time (We sat on the floor at a coffee table for a month before getting our kitchen table and, in our last place, sat on the floor in the living room for at least a month before getting couches), free stuff, homemade things, art (especially kids art!), creativity, HOUSE PLANTS (especially ones you can take cuttings off of and multiply), diaper boxes, cheap fabric, and clear tacks! Also, find things that you use that can double as art like the pallet on my desk, books, a pitcher, paint brushes, etc.

In the next couple of weeks I will take you down the hall and show you our bedrooms :)

So, what are your tips? Have any related websites to share that you just love?