Small Improvements to the Home

I'm not talking structural changes or anything but it's fun to capture them nonetheless. We hadn't really given our home any love for a while until recently so I thought it would be fun to capture what we've done. 


You may recall, I thought long and hard about making my own drapes for our master bedroom...until we Beau did the panels for Grayson's big boy room/play room. Um, no thanks. We have 4 windows in our bedroom. That means 8 panels. That's FOUR TIMES the effort. So we decided to purchase drapes instead. However, it also means four times the expense. I was determined to get them for a steal. It was also important to us to have black out drapes since we also have four times the light in the morning. Not that we ever get to sleep in anymore...

I have had trouble in the past finding drapes that I really, really like at the affordable places like Macy's, Penny's and BBB. Put me on a site for Anthro, Z Gallerie or Pottery Barn and you've got a lovefest. However, we did indeed find some black out drapes that we liked in our colors that complimented the bedspread from Bed, Bath and Beyond! AND, they recently mailed out a 20% coupon off your entire purchase. That's huge! That means we saved on each of the EIGHT panels and not just one. 

I can almost feel my mom shifting in her chair as she realizes that a) I haven't ironed these yet and b) I'm posting photos of them pre-ironed. Sorry, Mama! 

I dream of a day where there are 2 wing-back chairs and a dramatic floor lamp here.

Plus we were able to use the hardware from the previous owners. It's not pretty and it's not special but it's pretty special that we saved a load on FOUR (are sensing a theme?) sets of hardware. Let's all collectively hope that I never own a home with more windows in 1 room. Because you're going to have to hear about it!

Black out! This is during the day and I had to edit the photo quite a bit for it to show up. THAT, my friends, is how dark it is in there. Lovies.

Next, Beau and I were sitting around the house Sunday waiting for our date night for my b-day when we decided to rearrange the furniture. With about 10 minutes to spare before my mom came to get Grayson! I have always wanted to see the furniture like this and I'm glad we did it! It won't stay like this forever b/c it cuts down on a good flow but here are the advantages:

 

• It scores big with more of an intimate feeling
• You don't feel so far away from the people on the other couch 
• Both couches can see the TV now
• Both couches get use of the end table (and ghetto re-purposing of the nursery ottoman)

I would love to have a sofa table right there...

I finally took the leap and purchased some cushions for our breakfast chairs. I've been leery of this since they can look a little like your grandma's kitchen but with Grayson kneeling, getting up and down and with me always wanting to sit on one foot (I thought I would have stopped doing this in college?!), these chairs can really hurt!

So I fell in love with and bought these. Took my measurements to the store and everything. Only to realize that my chairs are the strangest, weirdest shape and that just short of custom making cushions, they will probably remain cushion-free. Sad face. Because I really, really like these and, in person, they blend with the bench and pillows incredibly well!

They don't even fit or look good in the professional photo! World-Market-made-in-third-world-country-Fail.

So actually, never mind. There has been no progress in the breakfast area at all. 

Except for one thing! Grayson has an official, permanent place setting at our table. He's such a big boy! His Aunts Andrea and Amanda gifted him his own placemat and dish for his Baptism last year and he loves them!