Not Another One...

We interrupt this house tour to bring a special announcement: Hurricane Isaias is the first hurricane of the season to threaten Florida. This is significant for two reasons: one, the height of hurricane season is September - October, yet here we have a hurricane headed our way that should reach us by August 1. Two, it's July and we're already on letter I of the alphabet. That means there's already been eight storms in the Atlantic and we haven't hit peak season. 

Forecasters predict that hurricane Isaias will brush along the eastern border of Florida, but that's just a prediction. Hurricanes rarely do what the weatherman says they're going to do. While it's only a category 1 at this time (late afternoon July 31) it can potentially strengthen to a category 2 or weaken back down to a tropical storm. Either way I've decided it's best to be prepared. I've brought in my small plants to allow them to acclimate to the indoors, and tomorrow I'll bring in my patio furniture. Thankfully it isn't much. We're blessed to have hurricane shutters on most of the windows, though I doubt I will have to use them since it's a weak storm. Still, we haven't been through a hurricane in this new house, so we don't know what to expect. Will the power go out? Will it take long for it to be restored? We're experiencing a heat wave right now, with temps in the 90's but "feels like" temperatures above 100 degrees. The thought of no a/c is frightening. The water levels in the canal behind us have been lowered in anticipation of heavy rainfall, but will there be extensive flooding? It's too soon to know anything, but I'll try to update regularly.

We are praying for this storm to go out into the ocean and stay there, where it won't affect anyone. If you're reading this, I hope you will pray with me. "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." (James 5:16b). Thanks. God bless you.   

Let's Take A Tour - The Kitchen

The heart of the home. I always wondered about that. Why is the kitchen the heart of the home? Why not the living room? Isn't that where we do our "living"? It would seem to be, yet no matter how small a kitchen is, it's where everyone congregates. I guess it's because that's where the food is.

My kitchen is just beyond the dining room. Unlike many new homes, my kitchen is not open concept. The mirrored wall separates the kitchen from the rest of the living area. This was one negative in this house for me, since I'd become accustomed to having my kitchen open to the family room. Once inside, though, I was pleasantly surprised with what I found.

As you enter, there is a small walkway that I decorated simply. On the left I have my plate rack. I bought this years ago from Kirkland's, but the plates it came with have those same fall colors that so much of my old decor have. They are lovely and I do plan on using them in the fall, but for summer I wanted something a bit more cheerful. However, I didn't want to spend a lot of money. I found nice decorative dessert plates for $12.99 at TJ Maxx, but that would mean spending $39 on plates. I got the whole plate rack with plates for $20. That was a no. I looked on Amazon but the cheapest I found were $20! I was about to give up, when I thought, wait, what about the Goodwill? I found these lovelies for $2 each. They have cute pictures of fruits on them, apples, pears, berries, and they make me think of summer days at the park. I like that I now have options for my plate rack.

On the right hand side I had the same issue: a fall color picture in the middle of summer. This is one of the items I found for half price at Hobby Lobby and I couldn't have been happier. I love decorating with pitchers full of flowers. I currently have five of them throughout my house! This was meant to be in my home, and at $8 it was a bargain I couldn't pass up.

This is the first thing you see when you walk into my kitchen. This baker's rack was in my old home next to my pantry. I bought this off of Amazon years ago and I love how it serves a purpose while also being decorative. The clock above it is from Walmart. Notice the pitcher filled with Dollar Tree florals at the top :-). 

This artificial olive tree is a favorite find. I was at Hobby Lobby just a couple weeks after they'd reopened, and as I was checking out I noticed they had some trees on clearance for $30. They looked so realistic and I knew that was a really good price, but I was already paying and I didn't want to hold up the line to go check them out. So I left, but I couldn't stop thinking about how nice a tree like that would look in several places throughout my home. I was also thinking of the arches for above my front door. I decided to go to Hobby Lobby to get the arch, and if they had any of the trees left I'd get one. There were two olive trees at the store entrance, and they'd been reduced to $24.99! I picked that up faster than you can blink! The little basket is from the Target dollar spot for $5. I feel like wherever I put this tree it gives life to the room. Oh, and the little plaque above the tree that says Home Sweet Home? I found it at Hobby Lobby for $4, and I put it there to hide the hideous old phone jack in the wall!

As you turn the corner you walk into my new kitchen:

This kitchen is definitely smaller than my old kitchen, but it's laid out so well I don't miss the extra space. It's been remodeled, and I love the finishes the previous owner selected. I'm pretty shocked at how similar our tastes are! But honestly, I believe God knew what I wanted as well as what I needed, and He was happy to oblige. 

I have a small coffee station in the corner of my kitchen. Since I'm the only one that drinks coffee, and I typically only have one cup per day, I don't need a whole lot of space. I put up the "All I need today is a little bit of coffee and a whole lot of Jesus" sign that my old boss gave me right above my coffee corner. The Keurig was a clearance find at Walmart - just $50. It was brand new in the box; I think someone got it through the website and returned it to the store. Since this particular model or color wasn't in their stock it got relegated to clearance. That was four years ago and it still works beautifully while adding a pop of color to my otherwise neutral kitchen. Underneath is a K-cup holder my son gave me that Christmas. He also gave me the mug:

My kids have a running joke about who my favorite child is. They know they're all my favorites, so this is done in fun.

Beside my Keurig is my sugar and creamer cannisters. I have issues with dairy, and I don't like flavored creamers. Refrigerated creamers don't get used fast enough in my house before they spoil, so I use powdered creamer instead. I bought these cannisters from Kohl's several years ago. They match my dishes that I bought there as well. The little clay princess was a gift from a cousin, and the cake stand is from Target.

Above my sink is something my heart desired but I didn't think I would get in a townhouse: a window! I had a window above the sink in my old house and even though it faced the neighbor's house and a blank wall, I loved how it brought light into the kitchen. Most townhomes we saw had galley kitchens in the middle of the home and no windows at all. I was thrilled that this house not only had a window above the sink, but it has that wonderful canal view! The windowsill is narrow, so I can't have my orchid or any large planter here. Instead I have this small cactus my daughter gave me for Mother's Day, and some artificial cacti I brought from my old house.

 

On the other side of the sink are my toaster oven and utensil holder. Actually, that's not a utensil holder. It's a cookie jar I got on sale at Kirkland's, but it's the right size. No one needs to know ;-).

The stove and refrigerator are against the wall adjoining the dining room. This is the original footprint of the home, and I've often wondered why the previous owner didn't have the kitchen flip-flopped when she remodeled. Perhaps it was too expensive, or structurally impossible, I don't know. But I think these appliances and cupboards could have been moved to the wall where I have my baker's rack, and this wall opened up to the dining room. I would have turned this into a peninsula with a large counter/kitchen bar area. It would have added more counter and cabinet space and opened everything up. It's not something I would do now, since the kitchen is new and it would be a waste to tear out these cabinets that are very good quality. It's just a shame it wasn't done before.

But I digress. The appliances are also new and in very good condition. I put some fake plants in the soffit above the fridge, and added the Kitchen sign that I got at Hobby Lobby. My daughter likes to tease me about that; she says it's a good thing I clarified what room we're in. 

I've had my KitchenAid mixer for years; it was a Christmas present from J while we were still together. I normally don't like having it on the counter but it's too big for any of my cabinets. Now, in that case, you might be wondering where the rest of my small appliances are. On first glance this kitchen appears to have little storage. But wait. There's more...

On the wall opposite the sink, right by the entrance, there are two bifold doors. Behind them...

...is a massive pantry! Not only are all my small appliances in here, there's food storage, bakeware, and anything that wouldn't have a home otherwise in my small kitchen. I would not have given this house a second thought if it didn't have all this storage space. It shows how a small space can be utilized to its fullest potential.

In the future I want to do a blog post on how I organize my kitchen. But this house tour isn't over. There's still plenty more to see. Stay tuned!

Let's Take A Tour - The Balcony

Before I get started, let me address the new look on my blog. I did like the old background and colors, but I was ready for a change. It's been five years, after all. I fell in love with this rustic look and the sunflowers. It reminds me of spring and summer, of warm days and showers and new growth on the trees and flowers blooming. It's change, but in a good way.

One of the things that immediately caught our eyes whenever we first walked into this home was the views. There are plenty of windows, but there are also two glass doors from where everything beyond is green. My heart skipped a beat. 

The balcony sits between the living room and dining room and has two sets of sliding glass doors. This allows lots of sunlight to stream in during the day, and in the winter we have lovely cross breezes that keep the house cool and refreshed. It's also completely screened in to keep bugs out, though we've noticed there's a little lizard that has found some crevice to sneak in through. 

I love the fact that the floors are tiled and not just plain dull cement. It makes it easier to keep clean, though now in the summer we've been getting rain almost daily and that helps wash away most of the dust. 

I desperately wanted to get a small patio set for the balcony but since it was October the stores were preparing for Christmas, not outdoor activity. I looked on OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace but I couldn't find anything that caught my eye, not to mention it would have to be close by since I don't have a vehicle that would fit a bunch of outdoor seating. So I went to my trusty Amazon to see what was available. There were plenty of patio sets; finding one that would fit was the challenge. This balcony is not very big. The patio set I'd had at the house wouldn't fit here. I wanted something with a couple of chairs that was comfortable but didn't take up a lot of space. This set on Amazon was just what I was looking for.  It's two rockers and a side table, black metal with taupe cushions that clean easily. It took about half an hour to put together. The small shelves had been in our old garage but it was too small for what I needed in our garage now, so instead I put it here and added some fall greenery and a white pumpkin over a hay bale. The barometer on the wall was left by the previous owner so I didn't have to put anything there. I just added the lantern that I got on clearance from Target for $4.50 and the look was complete. I kept it simple because the star of this show is the view:

My realtor and best friend's words to me were, "The view alone sells this house." And she's right. There's a canal running along the back of our house, where we've seen all sorts of wildlife - cranes, ducks, turtles, fish (thankfully no gators, at least not yet), and this beauty which I was able to get a picture of:

It's kind of hidden, well blended into the tree, but what a majestic hawk! My son first noticed it, and it took our breath away. We've seen so many different birds - finches, blue jays, some we've never seen before and don't know what they are. It's a nice quiet neighborhood, so sitting outside and watching all the different animals gives us so much enjoyment. 

I've only done a little decorating since we moved in. We got plenty of use of the balcony in the fall and winter months, but now in the summer it's so hot and humid we don't sit out here. Still, I've made a few small changes that make it a bit more homey.

 

I added a couple of plants that I bought in the spring from Costco for $8. They came with the terracotta planters which is a plus, since they are my favorite types of planters. At the old house I had plants on my window sill, but they didn't fit in my kitchen in this house, so both my cactus and my orchid ended up out here. They are both thriving, so I don't mind the change.

Another great thing about this balcony is the ceiling fan. It came with the house and has been convenient whenever we sit outside. The hanging plant is artificial; I want to get one or two real plants but I'm waiting for summer to be over so I can get some from Home Depot cheap. And there's that view again...

I no longer have a big yard. No more mowing, no more trimming, no more weeding, no more sweating. Yet I still can enjoy the outdoors. I love looking out from my balcony to the water, the trees, the grass,  and the wildlife. It's so peaceful. Even on stormy days, when the sky goes from blue to grey and the clouds are no longer puffy white; when it seems ominous, and the wind blows, and we hear the thunder rolling in the distance, it's still beautiful and awe inspiring. God has made all these different scenes, these backdrops that are a work of art. "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands." (Psalm 19:1). 

I hate to leave this tranquil spot, but it's on to the heart of the home. The kitchen is next, so stay tuned. 

Let's Take A Tour - The Dining Room

Just beyond the living room area is our dining room.

As I mentioned in my previous post, we have a living room/dining room combo. However, because of the way the house is laid out, the dining area is off to the side in its own designated space as opposed to one big room with a dining table directly behind the sofa as in other home layouts. I like this sort of "separation" where everything is open yet it's still clear what is the living room and what is the dining room. Shall we take a closer look?

This is the table that I had at our old house, the one I gel stained and put new cushions on the seats. I took the leaf out since we don't need it right now and this space is smaller than what we had at the old house. I can fit the table with the leaf in just fine, but I decided to keep it compact for the time being. The rug is a new addition that I picked up at Ross for $30. The plantation shutters, curtains, even the little flower decor above the window were left by the previous owner. 

The decor on the table is also from the old house, though this wasn't how I had it decorated in the past. The tray was a Target clearance find for $12, as was the pitcher. The flower arrangement is simply some Dollar Tree hydrangeas and some eucalyptus from Target. The owl is a candle holder, though I've never burned any candle in it. I got it several years ago from Walmart for under $5.

The salt and pepper shakers were a great score from the Walmart clearance aisle. They are from the Pioneer Woman collection, and I got the set for $4. They go beautifully with my dishes. The runner is from the Magnolia line at Target. I believe I paid $15 for it, a bargain considering the quality and it's a nice neutral design appropriate for all seasons.

The opposite wall is mirrored, a popular design style in the 80's. I don't care for it myself, but I understand removing it can be pretty pricey, and it's not a project I'd want to tackle on my own. Not only is it dangerous, I'm concerned what the drywall behind it will look like after 32 years. I try to look on the positive side: it makes the room look way bigger than it actually is.

If you've seen pictures of my previous home, you know that I also stained the china cabinet that went with this dining room set. It was a beautiful piece that I'd had for 19 years, but in the end I chose not to bring it with me, so I sold it. In its place I put this cabinet:

It's not a buffet or sideboard. It's actually a tv cabinet that I had in our family room and which houses our DVD/CD collection. I downsized quite a bit of our DVD's but we still have a lot. This cabinet was purchased off of Amazon back in 2016 for $210. I've gotten compliments because of how well it looks with the dining room table; I've even been asked if they are a set, which they definitely are not.

 

I decided to keep the decor on top simple, since everything reflects off the mirror. That gorgeous decorative bottle has been with me for 20 years. We purchased it at a fair and watched as the flowers were painted on it. Beside it are pictures of my kids when they were younger.

One of the things I did change was the light fixture in the dining room. This was original to the house and didn't match anything else. It's pretty, but it looked out of place.

This is the ceiling fan in the living room. The bronze finish on this, as well as the style, clashed with the brushed nickel of the light fixture in the dining room and open to the living room.

I found this lighting fixture on Home Depot's website. Since we were in the middle of quarantine I wasn't able to go to the actual store, so online ordering was the next best thing. I wish I hadn't been impatient, because while I like this light fixture, I don't love it. It is a way better match than the old light fixture, but it's just okay. I may change it again in the future. Or I may keep it. I haven't decided yet.

You're probably asking, so if the cabinet holds DVD's and CD's, where is all the stuff that was in the china cabinet? Let me show you:

Across the dining room and behind the living room is this gorgeous dry bar. I didn't know if this was something the previous owner had built in, but I've since learned that it's original to the house, as are the mirrors and glass shelves. She did upgrade the countertop to granite, though, and in doing so gave it a high end look.

On the left there are two drawers which I use as my "junk" drawers. There are no drawers to the right, because this cabinet is plumbed for a wet bar. The previous owners didn't care for one, which is fine since I have no desire for a wet bar either.

There is plenty of storage space inside, so that not only am I able to put away everything that was in my china cabinet, but also some of my cookbooks and seasonal decor. 

Again, I wanted to keep this area uncluttered, so I took out my cake stand (which I've had since my days selling Kingdom Treasures 15 years ago) and put this pitcher full of tulips on top. I love these tulips that I bought off of Amazon. They are very high quality and look realistic. I bought the pitcher from Kirkland's a while back. I love white pitchers for flower arrangements, and they always have pretty ones at Kirkland's.

This decorative plate has special meaning to me. It is from Puerto Rico and was given to me by a very sweet Puertorican lady who was one of my vendors whenever I worked as a purchasing agent years ago. That company went bankrupt during the recession in 2008, but I kept in touch with the lady who gave it to me. Sadly, she passed away unexpectedly in 2015, making this gift an even more precious treasure. 

When we first moved in I wondered what in the world I would do with these glass shelves? They are attached to the mirrors, so unless I remove the mirrors I can't take the shelves off. As I mentioned before, I'm not the biggest fan of the mirrors, but taking them down would probably mean extensive repairs to whatever is behind it. It wasn't until Christmas that I came to appreciate them. I set up my Christmas village on this sideboard. 

I wish I'd taken a picture of the finished product! I began putting little pine trees to make it look like a mountain overlooking the village. Unfortunately I decluttered a bunch of my village pieces, thinking I wouldn't need them. I didn't want to spend a ton of money, so I went to Walmart and purchased some small village houses which I put on the shelves. It turned out so cute! I guess I'm gonna have to recreate it this Christmas so I can post proper pictures. After Christmas I decided to put my wine glasses up there instead, along with some dessert plates that were a wedding gift from a dear friend and a few other decor pieces. It's simple yet elegant.

I'm so glad I was able to keep my dining room table. I was afraid it would be too big to fit in a smaller home, but here it works great, and I can still host our small Thanksgiving day feast. Next, the room that isn't really a room. Can you figure out what that is?

Let's Take A Tour - The Living Room

To the right of the top of the stairs is the living/dining room combo. This front area of the house is very open concept, which helps it all look large and bright. I'm going to focus on the living room part of the house today, and look at the dining room next time.

I should mention that all the living areas in the home have large white and grey tiles except for the bedrooms, which have laminate wood floors. This keeps the house feeling light and airy. It could also make the house feel cold, but area rugs give it that warm, cozy vibe.

When we first moved in, I didn't take any pictures; I was too busy putting everything away and deciding where it all would go. It wasn't until Christmas that I took a picture of the living room to send to my sister so she could see the progress (and my tree):

Since the tree was the main focus, I didn't bother to turn on any lights other than the tree lights, so it's pretty dark, but it will give a sense of what the room looked like at the time. Here the sectional sofa is against the stairwell. 

It's changed a bit since then. For spring I turned the tables so to speak. Well, actually, what I turned was the furniture arrangement:

The living room is the one room that has had the least amount of changes from the old house. All the furniture that was in my old living room is here except for the coral entryway cabinet; I gave that to my daughter, and she uses it as a coffee bar in her home. The picture above the tv in the first picture is the one that is now in my office/guest room (see my previous post). That was where I'd originally put it, but I didn't like it. It's the same shape and almost the same size as the tv set, and it looked awkward. I wanted something lighter to go above the tv, and I found this piece at Hobby Lobby for $30 (half price of course). I loved it the minute I saw it. The distressed wood frame gave it that farmhouse feel, while the scrolled metal design gave it elegance - the perfect combination! Just one tiny problem: the hanging hardware was on the wrong side. This piece was meant to hang vertically. Well, I wasn't about to let that get in my way. When I got home, I removed the hanging brackets and put them on the long side so the piece could hang horizontally. Presto! It worked beautifully.

You might also notice the three pictures above the sliding glass doors. This is where I first put them, but they seemed to disappear up there. The color of the frames was too similar to the color of the walls. Plus, they didn't go with the new Hobby Lobby piece. So I took them down and put them in the office/guest room instead. At first I figured I'd leave that wall bare, but since this house has vaulted ceilings, it looked like such a big empty space. Around this time businesses started to open; I hadn't been out decor shopping since the pandemic started. I'd heard stores were having huge sales to clear out all the old merchandise that had sat on the shelves for three months and make way for new items. Sounded like the right time to find something pretty and affordable.

 I went to TJ Maxx first, knowing that Mondays is 10% off all purchases if you're 55 and over. The metal flowers are a set that I found for $14.99. With my discount I paid $13.50. They are the perfect size, shape, color, everything!  

As summer got closer, I also wanted to make my home feel more like the season. Much of my home decor at the old house had fall colors: lots of gold, rust, dark greens and blues. It's lovely, and I still enjoy those pieces, but I wanted something a bit more...summery. It was time to go to Hobby Lobby and see what the clearance rack had for me.

I'd gotten this piece from Kirkland's years ago, and it was in my old living room. It's the first two verses of Psalm 23. As you can see, the colors are deep, rich fall colors, and the frame is also dark wood. I wanted to brighten this corner of the living room with something just as inspirational but also lighter, with a touch of farmhouse. Thankfully, all the spring decor was 50% off.

I love this so much! It looks like a piece of shiplap, with some twine tied to the bottom and a cotton stem cutout at the top. The verse is from Romans 8:31. The price made me very happy: $9.99. I can use this every year for spring and summer, and the other picture for fall and winter.

I've also styled my bookcases a little differently now. In the old house, the bookcases were just that: a place for books. They had my books, my daughter's books, and both my son's books. Once my oldest son moved and my daughter got married they took their books with them, and my youngest son has his books in his room, so I was able to decorate my little bookcases with more than just books:

The statue on the very top is a favorite piece I've had for many years. Back in the early 2000's I sold home and Christmas decor through a company called Kingdom Treasures. They aren't around anymore, but I've kept a few things from their collections, and this is one of them. The little planter is from TJ Maxx. The pineapple was a Christmas gift; it's a candle, and it smells just like a pineapple! I like adding picture frames and baskets to give the shelves some dimension and interest.

I did something of a mirror image with the other bookcase. This planter I found at the Target Dollar Spot for $3. The clock is new; I had a clock for years that I'd also gotten from Kingdom Treasures, but it stopped working one day. I probably could have gotten it fixed, but I decided I wanted something different, so I found this one at Hobby Lobby. I think I paid $12.50 for it. 

The sectional is the same one I had in our living room at the old house, except I've "shrunk" it. There's another piece that's an armless chair and it can be put on either side of the sectional to make it a right hand or left hand sofa. I took it out and have it in another part of the house (you'll have to wait and see where). The rug, coffee table, leather chair, all came with us from the old house. I change the look up with throw pillows and blankets, and different flower arrangements in the pitchers I use as vases. The sliding glass doors lead out to the balcony, and the drapes were left by the previous owner - a blessing, because I didn't have to buy any. Over to the left is the dining room, but that's a story for another post ;-). See you then!

Let's Take A Tour - The Office/Guest Room

After walking in the front door, straight ahead are the stairs to come into the actual living area. 

The way this home is set up, the garage is downstairs and the living area is upstairs. I didn't know how I would feel about this at first. We'd owned a condo similar to this set-up, except there was no garage, only neighbors living downstairs. I've come to appreciate it, though. I'm not constantly going up and down the stairs since there isn't anything that I need downstairs (unless it's something in the garage which doesn't happen often).

At the top of the stairs is a small landing with a window. I wanted to decorate this but with it being so small an area I didn't want to crowd it. So, I kept it simple.

My realtor (and best friend) gave me a gift card to HomeGoods/Marshall/TJ Maxx. I looked up these stores in my city and found that I have a TJ Maxx nearby, so I went over to see what I could find. I fell in love with the decor and the prices! And as an added bonus, I found out that folks 55 and older get a 10% discount on Mondays - yes please! I just happened to be there on a Monday so I scored this planter with an artificial snake plant that was on clearance for $16.99 - only I paid $15.29 with my discount. The planter was $9.99, or $8.99 for this senior citizen. I already had the artwork, so this area was complete.

Once on the landing, a left turn takes you up a short flight of stairs to the first room in the house. It's actually supposed to be the third bedroom, but the builder left it open (I'm supposing at the request of the original buyer). I'd wanted a third bedroom to use as a guest room/office, and I was disappointed to see that this room wasn't an actual room. But after discussing it with my realtor and my son, I realized I didn't need a third bedroom. Yes, having a guest room is nice, but the only person coming to stay over is my oldest son R, and that only happens a couple of times a year. What we really needed, I thought, was a music room, a room where my son E could put a drum set. I wanted to get him an electronic drum set for Christmas, something that wouldn't make a ton of noise and disturb the neighbors. This area would work perfectly for that.

Since I didn't have any office furniture when we first moved in, and E didn't have his electronic drum set yet, this room became the staging area. All boxes, plastic containers, decor, even furniture, went in here first to be sorted before being moved to a permanent location. It wasn't the best situation, since this is the first room you see whenever you come into my house, but it was useful to contain the mess here while setting up the rest of the house.

The wall unit had been in my living room at the old house and it was going to stay in here. This is the only place it will fit. Once all the boxes were emptied out and everything but the office equipment and files put away, I went ahead and purchased some office furniture. The wall unit I'd bought years before off of Amazon, so I looked it up to see if there were any other pieces in this collection. I was thrilled to find there was a desk, though not a file cabinet. It took a lot of searching, but I finally settled on a file cabinet that was from the collection of furniture in my son's room, also purchased off of Amazon. Once I had these pieces I was able to organize the office.

I didn't have to buy an office chair; my daughter had one from her old desk that she didn't intend on keeping, so I took it for myself. I also didn't need to buy a new rug. This rug had been in the family room at the old house. I'd bought it from Costco for $40 a couple years before. I had all the decor except for the wall clock. My realtor had bought it for her own house, but when she put it on her wall she didn't like how small it looked. She found another much larger clock that she liked better, and she offered this one to me. I was only too happy to accept! It goes perfectly with the rustic wood furniture in this room.

The office looked like this until Christmas, when my son opened his gift. We set it up in the office as we'd originally intended. Then my son asked what computer it would be connected to. Leave it to this technological dinosaur to not think about that. His computer is in his bedroom, and it's a desktop computer. The drums are supposed to be connected to a computer to record music or to look up music and lessons. I told him he was welcome to use my laptop; he said he wanted the drums in his room. I didn't think that was possible; his room is a good size but so is a drum set. He believed he could make it work, so long as he moved the nightstand out of his room. He wasn't using it; in the old house it had been next to his bed, but because of the configuration in this room it was on the other side of the bedroom next to his desk. Taking it out of the room looked like it would allow the drum set to fit, so we gave it a try. Lo and behold, the boy was right.  

For the next couple of weeks E tried to get the drum set to work with his computer, but to no avail. He tried different cables, different programs, anything he could find, but the drums were not connecting properly and it was just not working. I felt terrible. The one thing he wanted when we moved was to be able to use his drum set, especially since we would be moving far from his drum teacher. His drum set was in the garage gathering dust, and the electronic set was a bust. I didn't know what to do.

My son talked to his drum teacher, and showed me an option: low volume drumheads. They are made specifically for "noise sensitive situations", and are 70-80% quieter than regular drumheads. Even the cymbals are quieter, so he can play on his entire drum set without disturbing any of the neighbors. He found a really nice set on Amazon that was almost the exact same price as the electronic drums, and I had just a few days before the return window closed, so we packed up the electronic drums, shipped them back, and ordered the drumheads to my son's delight. Of course the next question was, would the real drum set fit in his room? He was sure it would; me, not so much. Once again my son was right. It's a bit tight but whenever he isn't playing he can condense it and it doesn't get in the way. We've never gotten any complaints about noise, so I can attest to the fact that they do work.

But now that meant that the office didn't have to be a music room. It could be just an office - or maybe a guest room as well? I knew I didn't want to put a bed in there since it's a wide open space. Even a daybed wouldn't work. The next option would be either a sofa bed or a futon. I'd seen futons in the past and I didn't like them at all, but I was pleasantly surprised at how they've improved over the years. I began researching and took into account the look, functionality, size, and of course affordability.  I read reviews from customers as well as consumer report websites. I found a couple that had excellent reviews, and I was price comparing the two styles on Amazon, Wayfair, Overstock, even Home Depot. They ran for $400+ but sometimes went on sale for $350. As I waited to see when the price would drop, I found one of the styles on Walmart.com for $280. I about fell out of my chair! Why was it so cheap?! Was it a return? Something wrong with it? Nope, turns out this model is being discontinued and replaced with something similar but more mid-century modern looking. I jumped on that so fast! No way I was going to let that opportunity get away! The color, size, everything was perfect. Once I got it in the room I knew I'd made the right choice.

Now this is what you see when you make your way up the stairs:

I moved the desk over to the left side of the room along with the file cabinet, and put the futon on the right wall with the wall unit in the middle. The nightstand became a side table.

The pillows were a set I'd bought from Costco before moving to this house, and they look perfect on this couch. The artwork above it was in our old family room. I'd originally put it in the living room above the television set, but it looked terrible. It's about the same size and shape as the tv so it looked like we had a tv over the tv. I'm so glad it works well in here, since I don't have anywhere else to put it and I don't want to get rid of it. It is one of my favorite pieces.

I moved the clock as well whenever I moved the desk. Unfortunately, I didn't have the clock as well secured as I thought. I put it up, turned around and heard a loud crash. The clock had slid off the wall and fell flat on the glass front, shattering it. Thankfully, though, the clock itself was not damaged, so I decided to keep it and make no one the wiser ;-).

Beside the desk I set up the file cabinet so that I can access everything easily. My paper shredder and printer are on top, and over them is a piece of artwork I got years ago from Kirkland's. 

The three pieces on the wall next to the file cabinet also came from my last house. I got them from Target several years ago, but I still see them there occasionally.

This is one of the rooms where I've spent the most money since I had to get new furniture pieces for it. Still, I was able to get everything for just under $725. That includes any decor and accessories. Considering there are three new pieces of furniture, I think I've done pretty well. I still want to get a floor lamp for this room. There's no overhead lighting, and the small lamp I picked up from Hobby Lobby for $20 doesn't really light the room up much. Other than that, this room is done and I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out.

Next up: the living room.