Tuesday's Random Summer Photography

Swinging 2, originally uploaded by kellylynam17.

I love a deal. Actually I love my finds to be free. Our family motto is "If it's free, it's for me" and it works! I'm here to show you what it cost to put together a room that we love. And it just so happens the Nester is wondering what people spend on their favorite spaces. So I thought I'd price my living room.

Rattan Chair- Ross- $98
Lamp- TJ Maxx- $22
End Table- Mom Hand-Me-Down

Hoosier Cabinet- Mom Hand-Me-Down
Desk Chair- Mom Hand-Me-Down
Computer- Brother Hand-Me-Down

Star- Big Lots- $12.99
TV Cabinet- Brother Built
Shell Lamp- TJ Maxx- $20
Coffee Table and End Table- Mom Hand-Me-Down
Rug- Local Store- $50
Kid's Rocking Chair- Thrift Store- $5

Couch- IKEA- $300

Armoir- Friend Hand-Me-Down- Free
(was a dresser and short armoir that I stacked)

Piano- Mom Hand-Me-Down- Free
Lamps- Dad Hand-Me-Down- Free

Art work- drawn by my 7 year old- matted & framed for $12

So it seems that we have done an entire room for $520. Funny is as I worked my way through our house 90% of our items were given to us making our whole house worth like nothing. Interesting. I love our house. So what did you spend on your living room? And don't forget to click on the link at the top to see more priced spaces.

Kenzie's Big Girl Bed

Kenzie is 5. She is going to kindergarten. She rides a bike. She loves to draw. And she is still in a toddler bed. Yes that's right, toddler bed. She has a tiny room. 7'6" by 7'8" to be exact. Little. The toddler bed was the perfect size. It was cute. She could touch the foot board. That is terrible. So this week daddy made her a big girl bed.

Deck Decorating

We have a huge deck. Huge I say. There is nothing on it except a Little Tykes play gym which needs to go. Oh and one potted coleus. It needed help. It needed furniture. It needed an overhaul. Here is my story. *wink*

I found this table in my dad's warehouse. Another one of those finds he pulled out of an apartment. It was perfect. Almost. It just needed some color.

This seemed like a good choice.

I primed it and painted 3 coats and then went to the lake. It needed to dry after all. It was a nice afternoon. The kids wanted to get in the water. Really.

Oh sorry about that. Back to the deck. I found these great chairs at Big Lots for $10 a piece and place mats for $1. I found the dishes at the Dollar Tree. Yup $1 each. I filled a few planters with flowers and still need to get some more. And everyone needs a jar of water balloons.

My dad got this tent on clearance last year and it was too big for the space he wanted it for. So sad. *wink* It works great for our deck!

Now the lone coleus is not so lonely.

I love my little $1.49 stone bird from The Christmas Tree Shop in Pennsylvania.

I finally got to hang my wind chimes.

I still would like a bench on one side of the table but that will have to wait until I find the perfect piece or my dad pulls one out of an apartment. I can't wait to enjoy my calzones tonight on the new deck and watching the kiddos play four-square. I love summer.

I've Been Flashed
(by the camera that is)

The double date of Tim and Emily and Travis and Kelly.

The kiddos were left with mom and we drove away quick before she could change her mind.

Emily called her mom for advice on what Tim should order. Chang's Spicy Chicken seemed like a good choice.

Here we passed the entrance so I could get a picture. That's our story and we're sticking to it.

We enjoyed ourselves.

Emily, maybe a little too much. The boys, embarrassed went inside.

Even though she picked out Tim's choice he still felt the need to read the menu.

Emily seemed to think our pager was broken and told the hostess so. It wasn't. We were seated.

Love him.

Warming herself by the fire, I mean candle.

Our waiter, Sean, or Gaston as Emily named him since he so resembled Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. Once we racked our brains for Gaston's theme song we proceeded to sing, "No one's slick as Gaston, No one's quick as Gaston, No one's necks as incredibly thick as Gaston...". He's heard it before. We were not sure he should consider it a compliment seeing that Gaston was so full of himself. We had nothing to drink. Honest. He told us funny things. Things that should not be told to you by your waiter.

P.F.Chang's special sauces.
Gaston was messy. And I couldn't focus. The camera I mean.

The loverly couples.

We ordered Lettuce Wraps for our appetizer. They were delicious!

Tim could not stand a messy table and so he nicely stacked everything for Gaston. What a big helper.Emily and I ordered Double Pan Fried Noodles with chicken to share. It was interesting. I liked Tim's spicy chicken. I didn't like Mongolian Beef. Way to chewy. And they have cloth napkins. I had to swallow.

I handed over the camera once. I wish I didn't.

Emily is sad.

Tim is trying to explain.

We ended with our fortunes.

"The one you love is closer than you think." (scary)

"Some like it hot." (wink)

"Love is like war; easy to begin but hard to stop." (interesting)

"A great man never ignores the simplicity of a child." (whatever)

Maybe we should stick to the lucky numbers?

Walking off dinner at the used book store. We love that place!

Aren't you supposed to be walking?

Thanks guys for inviting us. We had a blast!
Here's a song to you.

No one's slick like you guys,
No one's quick like you guys,
No one has those great laughs and sweet jokes like you guys.
For there's no one in church half as funny
Perfect, a pure paragon.
You can ask any Tom, Dick or Stanley
And they'll tell you whose team they prefer to be on.
Team Bray! Hoorah!

Sewing Room Redo

I've been waiting to redo my sewing area until after VBS was over. I couldn't start a project with it looming over me. Now that it is over I went right to work on the room. It is a tiny room. It is actually the mudroom. I love it. It has great windows and a door to the kitchen that can be shut to hide my current mess. The kids use this door to go outside to play. Here are the before pictures.

And here are the after pictures. I painted it the same color as the kitchen and removed the mini-blinds. It is so bright now. I need to find some matching storage containers so I can get rid of that ugly primary colored drawer set! But it's only been 3 days since VBS ended so cut me some slack.

I spray painted the electrical box door with chalkboard paint so I can keep notes on my projects. This room has to store the freezer and the 5- 5 gallon buckets of wheat so that took up some of my space. But at least my fabric is off the floor. I have one more shelf to hang and I should be all set.I've decided not to cover the windows since I love the light. The kids finally have a place for their 10o pairs of flip flops that seem to be everywhere.

The door to the kitchen. It has a romen shade on the inside so I can just shut it and voila- gone.

I can see all of my fabric!I guess now I have to get to untangling all of this ribbon and fringe.

This is a post I wrote a while back but I had to resurrect for Nester's Lamp Party.

This week I was determined to come up with a cheap chandelier for Kenzie's room. I wanted something pretty but funky. I found this hanging planter at Hobby Lobby for $11--so I cut an extension cord and wired it to the ceiling- then plugged in pink and white Christmas lights that I happen to have. It cost me $16 total! Yippee! Now that is cool.