(And, while you’re there, you can submit funny things you and your kidlets have said!)
Sometimes, when you have a DIY and home-decor-on-a-budget blog, there is a frustrating line between what you have been blessed with and what you wish it looked like.
The interior design freak in me looks at everything and sees something else. I have this bad habit of tweaking my spaces in my head to look like “their potential.” I justify it with internal pep talks: “Be the best you can be, little powder room!” and “You’ve totally got it in you to be the most beautiful living room…you just need to help yourself a little.” Of course, if I was really talking to a person, this would most likely be harmful to their self esteem. But, I figure I’m looking out for it’s best interest...it’s my job because it’s my room…and other similar psychotic rationalizations. Just call me a pageant mom. Whatevs.
Take my fully functioning kitchen for example. This is how it looked the day we moved in:
And how it looks today (sort of…give or take a few toys and dishes…).
Everything works well. Everything functions properly. Everything does it’s job. And please don’t get me wrong…I’m thankful. I’m grateful. I feel blessed.
But those feelings don’t keep me from wishing I could update the space. Put a new little spin on it. Give it a little zhushing…a little somethin’ somethin’.
Starting with hosing down the cabs with white paint.
And changing the lighting from boring to bling-tastic.
And adding more color…ANY other color than brown. Blech.
Maybe a few open shelves or glass on some of the cabinets…
Maybe not necessarily the green, but still good ideas….
Spilling over into the breakfast area…
And one last pic…this is just like the floor plan of our kitchen/breakfast area/family room.
Ohh…the possibilities!!!
See how BEAUTIFUL you could really be, little kitchen? Don’t you want to?
Say you want to…I know you do. :)
K, now on to convincing a few people that these “cosmetic” changes are actually necessary for my, I mean my kitchen’s, self esteem. 
So remember how 47 years a little bit ago I found some new chair cushions but needed your help picking out the print? (Click HERE to refresh your memory. I know. It’s been awhile.)
I’d loved these green ones long enough – the time had come to retire them.
On a trip to the Home Depot, I came across some indoor/outdoor cushions that would hold up great to little boys while still looking cute.
And since I couldn’t quite decide which print to choose, you chimed in with your vote! And I sincerely THANK YOU for helping this indecisive chick out. I had a pretty good idea which cushion I was leaning toward, and I’m thrilled that most of y’all agreed with me!
So…which one did we choose? (Sounds like an episode of House Hunters, just a little less exciting.)
The green and blue cushions bring the colors of the family room into the kitchen area, which I love. I have to say I think they are SUPER cute and have been a breeze to clean. Spaghetti? No problem. Blueberries? Bring it. Spilled milk? You won’t see me cryin’. The kid resistance on these puppies is amazing. I think if there was ever a Zombie apocalypse, my cushions could withstand the zombie blood and guts just fine. (Which is kinda perfect for around here sometimes!)
So, YAY!! New cushions!!
K, so did you notice something new? A little switch-a-roo with my table and chairs? Yeah. We now have two eating places in our house – a dining room and a breakfast nook – so there’s been a little moving around going on. My parents had this ca-uuute table that they no longer needed and were sweet enough to donate it to the Free Stylin’ house. For free. 
Oh, and did I mention it is Ethan Allen? Really really cool. I would like to get a larger top to fit the space better, but it works for now. And I added our black scrolly dining chairs. I’ll explain why in a minute…
On a side note, while I was putting a few touches of color on the breakfast area, a new little curtain was added to the kitchen window as well. A friend of my sister was getting rid of an entire garbage bag of fabric, (FREE!!) and I found a coordinating remnant just the right size to go above the sink.
I enlisted my MIL’s help to sew the valance…
Love ya lady!!
The picture below isn’t spectacular, but here’s how things are looking in here today.
Just looking at this space reminds me that I have so far to go with this house to get it to where I’d like it to be, but that will come in time. I have a whole “kitchen inspiration” post coming up about what I would love this space to look like, so stay tuned for that!
Now, where was I? Oh yeah…back to the chairs…
Since the black chairs are now occupied in the kitchen, what about the dining table? Well, this house has really tall ceilings in the dining room/living room, and my aunt suggested that I find some new dining chairs that have taller backs. So glad she mentioned it - I really don’t know if I would have thought of that! After a few weeks of hunting, I finally came across a set of tall chairs at the Salvation Army. And, because they didn’t have a table to go with them, they had been passed up long enough for the price to go down. I got all six for $75…half the original asking price.
I love the caning on the back. And each chair is in GREAT condition. My only problem now is how the heck am I gonna put my stamp on them? Cuz right now they aren’t cute. They are brown. (Have I ever mentioned I don’t love brown?)
Here are a couple of options:
Frou-FruGal shared this amazing silver cane-back chair redo. I am IN.LOVE with the color.
![[DSC_0261%255B4%255D.jpg]](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QRElrapOCxs/TgKqrWIVGvI/AAAAAAAACTM/p_bbIfeUlm0/s1600/DSC_0261%25255B4%25255D.jpg)
But then I came across this dining room on design dump (I LOVE this blog!!). The whole space is absolutely stunning.
I’m leaning towards painting my chairs black. They’ll coordinate with my other chairs, plus the table above looks like mine…see?
So, add painting dining room chairs to my ever growing list of things to do. Ohhhhh, moving. It’s like one big game of knocking over dominoes. I’m so grateful for this new house, but it seems like every decorating decision has 20 different consequences…good and bad!
Anyway, thank you for help with my cushion decisions! And, if you have an opinion or suggestions about the dining chairs, I’m totally open to hearing them.
Have a great weekend!!
I am married and the mother of two ADORABLE boys (with boy #3 on the way!). I love figuring out how to have what I need or want without spending anything (or just a little). I LOVE seeing something so cool, looking @ it and thinking, "I bet I already have something like that." Then, I dig through some things, move some stuff around, (maybe spray it with a little spray paint), and I step back and admire what I just created with something I've already been blessed with.
House of Hepworths
Thrifty Decor Chick
Emily A. Clark
6th Street Design School
Hi Sugarplum!
design dump
Designer Bags and Dirty Diapers
dear lillie
