I apologize for the lack of posts the past week.
{I’ll try & make up for it & post 5 times today :)}
We listed our house on Tuesday evening & had our first showing Wednesday, & found out yesterday where our first assignment is.We’re going to San Antonio, TX.Do you think they have vegans there? Mormons? I don’t know much about the place, but all I can say is: at least it’s not North Dakota. I’m beyond thrilled to be going somewhere warm.
So about today’s post I thought, since we’re getting ready to move (as soon as we sell our house), I should show you around the place.
I’m not a designer. I don’t pretend to be. I do love design, though. I look to ladies like Design Mom or Nicole at Making it Lovely for inspiration.
Once, long ago, I had hopes of being an interior designer. I got a much more practical degree instead–English. Right. English is not a practical degree. But back to what I was saying about design.I have no formal training in design.I did minor in art, which did help teach some handy principles & elements of good design, but I do believe I have a very distinct & defined sense of style. I know what I like & I’d like to think I have some pretty good instincts as to what works & what doesn’t.
I grew up in a home where our home decor was very practical & utilitarian.Houseplants were the extent of my mother’s design tendencies. She was much more comfortable building decks or fences, re-roofing houses, or gardening, than decorating a home. Somehow, out of this upbringing, I didn’t, unfortunately, get my mother’s knack for building & fixing. Instead, I got the urge to rearrange my dwelling. To make things look pretty, clean & organized.(Why I think you should have nice things & a clean home with kids, even with small kids, here).
Since during my married life, we’ve always been on a very limited budget, I’ve purchased things over time.
People come to my house & say wow, how did you put all of these things together (especially considering my job teaching, taking care of the kids, supporting a husband in law school & being on a tight budget)?
It didn’t happen overnight, that’s for sure. It’s been about 7 years in the making.
I don’t think it needs to take 7 years to figure out what your style is, or to get your house in order in such a way where you love how it’s decorated. But for us, that’s how long it’s taken simply because we haven’t had a lot of discretionary income up to this point.
Most of my home decor was either purchased on sale, with coupons, received as a gift (I still do have some of those gifts from our wedding gift registry!), or bought from second-hand stores like Goodwill or Desert Industries.
Here are some of my top places to shop for my house:
- Target: Oh Target. Why do you have to be so clean, organized, & lovely so that I want to buy everything in the store? Target is a great place for mirrors, shelving, & little bits & bobs you need to make your house feel homey (like wicker baskets, throw blankets, pillows, & fake flower arrangements & wreaths). I’ve also had success finding reasonably priced, nice bookshelves. Check out their clearance section (often at the end of the aisles).
- Kohl’s: Has a great selection of picture frames, kitchen stuff, & Christmas decorations which you can often get at a deep discount with coupons & sales.
- Pier1: I’m in love with this store. I don’t like everything there–the bright colors & bold prints aren’t my thing, but I recently got all my living room furniture there & it’s a perfect fit for my style. This is a great place for pillows (they have some amazing decorative pillows!), decorative candles & candle holders, table & dishware, furniture, curtains, & rugs. They often have sales or clearance items.
- Tai Pan Trading Company: Not crazy about their overall style–it borders on a bit too flowery or cutesy for my taste, but I’ve been able to find a few different items there that I really like.
- JCPenney’s: I purchased most of my lamps from here. Also buy my comforters, sheets (highest count possible), & other bedding items.
- Tuesday Morning: Kind of a “last chance” store. Lot’s of designer home decor pieces. Similar to TJ Maxx but better selection, more designer goods to choose from. Hit & miss, depending on what you’re looking for, but they get new stuff every week. Great for fake plants, door mats, rugs, & paintings or inexpensive wall art.
- Kmart: They actually have some really great, affordable furniture pieces (was even better when they carried their Martha Stewart line). I think the rest of the store is a jumbled, useless mess, but I’m quite happy with some of the furniture pieces I’ve been able to get there (like my kitchen hutch & kitchen table!).
Ready to see the house?
Let’s go!
[Full Disclosure: My house is not always immaculately clean. Just saying. I don’t want to you to start thinking my house always is spic & span without a trace or hint of dust, crumbs, or peanut butter smears. I am human & I have 4 little persons running around the place, for Pete’s sake!]
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