A couple of house updates

It's been a while since I've done anything in the house and posted about it! So here ya go, a couple little things I've done recently. Oh, and the pictures are HORRIBLE. I don't know what is going on with my camera, but please try to look past the terrible lighting, grainy texture, and overall inability to really tell what is in the picture. Just use your imagination. :)

In case you don't know, I love to change things around in the house. Not necessarily because I don't like what we already have, I just like the view to change every now and then. The music room is not an easy one to change, at least not with furniture. My precious piano only fits in one corner, so there isn't much shifting capability with setup. But curtains, however, can be easily switched! I bought beautiful gray embroidered curtains from IKEA several years ago and have loved them every since. This is how they looked hanging (you can't see the pattern unless you are close up, but they are super heavy and luxurious):

They were long, so I had to use 2x4's to hold them in place. Needless to say with two dogs and two kiddos constantly trying to get a view outside, the boards never stayed in place nor did the curtains. I wanted to open up the space with something a little lighter for spring/summer as well as give the space the pups and kiddos wanted to see what was going on outside. 

Another side note: I am generally a cheap frugal decorator. I don't like to spend a lot of money on material things, but I do like to have things that are good quality and don't need replacing often. And I've finally learned the lesson of only getting decor that we absolutely love. No space-fillers here! 

Generally speaking, if I spend more than $20 on a window treatment I am biting my nails over the expense. When I saw these curtains in a random catalog priced at $30 a panel (and I would need two) I thought long and hard on whether or not I wanted to splurge for them. It just so happens that I had some birthday money floating around and decided I would get myself the curtains with that. They were the exact thing I was looking for - something light and airy that would tie in with all the colors we have going on, including brown, gray, turquoise and black. When they arrived and I got them hung up, I loved them!

Here is a close up of the fabric, although it is still a bad pic:

Somehow these curtains seemed to make the whole room more comfy feeling, a little more lived in. You have to work to make a room inviting with a formal baby grand piano in there! 

Another update we've made is in the dining room. If you remember, we had the desk in there after moving it out of the music room. I've never liked it in this spot, but needed it to be upstairs so I could get to the computer easily while cooking and such. Here's a reminder of that setup:

Way too cluttered looking!

Even the desktop had way too much going on:

I found a smaller corner desk online that was simple and black, and it would tuck right into the little corner between the music room and dining room, making it a little more out of sight and not so front and center. I was also able to sell the desk from above on craigslist, which helped to offset the cost of the new one. 

I had also come across this little mirror/plant stand at our church's rummage sale for a few bucks, and saw it's potential. I thought it would look nice above the new desk. After a new coat of paint, of course. :) 

Here is our new set up for the computer:

The folding chair was a freebie from a nice Target employee who was clearing it out for damage (just a few red chalk stains on the seat) and was feeling generous enough to just give it to me! I still need to get a different lamp shade and finish painting that chair rail (oh, will I ever be done painting the trim in this house?!), but overall I am SO much happier with this set up! If the computer has to be in the dining room, I much prefer it here than the opposite corner. It leaves the two sliding doors to the back deck completely open and airy looking (sorry, forgot to snap a shot of that) and much more room to maneuver around the table. 

And check out a close up of my re-vamped mirror:

That sweet little frame has a picture of one of lovely nieces, Charlotte. 

So there you have it, a few little updates that are making me happy. I've got so many things I want to do - painting the kitchen cabinets, finishing all the trim in the house, designing and building a new kitchen table, etc. etc. etc. I don't think I'll ever be done! But I am content to continue working bit by bit to make our home what we want it to be. And you know I'll be documenting as I go!