Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Why I Believe in Thrifty Decorating...

I was reminded the other day why I don't spend a lot of money when it comes to decorating when this happened. I was actually about to take a "before" shot of this arrangement the day previous and because I got busy, it didn't happen. Oh, the carnage! This incident was care of my little Tom-Tom---thank goodness he isn't in this pile too. And here is the damages:

                -one large window frame
                -1 medium size apothecary jar
                -1 small apothecary jar
                -1 large cream platter (my absolute favorite)
                -1 candle warming lamp w/ candle




Luckily, my child survived and I was not out a whole lot of cash. Now look at the damages:




                           -one large window frame $0
              (my dad made this for me out of mdf--i glued it back together)



                           -1 medium size apothecary jar $7.50
                     (Clearance at Real Deals + coupon)

                           -1 small apothecary jar $4.50
                     (Clearance at Real Deals + coupon)




                           -1 large cream platter $0
(this was the sadest loss, it came from my sis-in-law who didn't know what to do with this fancy wedding present---I DID!)I'm still trying to look for another one like it--I loved it so much, it's almost like a piece of me is gone.




                           -1 candle warming lamp w/ candle $0
(my mom was getting rid of this, I liked it, but it was a blessing in disguise---now I have an excuse to look for a new/used one)

                                    TOTAL LOSS: $12




What made me feel better after something like this was knowing that I wasn't out a whole lot of money---I'll just have to be patient to replace the items or try something new in this spot. I chose decorating for a hobby, but I also chose to have kids---two things that would not seem to mix, but I think it can be done. 


First of all, with children in the house, things will get scratched, dinged, and dented----so why not buy them that way to begin with. I always like to check the clearance sections of home decor and furniture stores first, and you will likely pay a lot less for the item than it's "perfect" counterpart. If I find a used or imperfect item that I love that has been broken in already, chances are I will still like it (and not freak out) when it gets a scratch or ding. Buying pre-dinged make me a better mother, I can't imagine what I'd be like if i didn't dare let the kids sit on a piece of furniture or enter a certain room because it's contents were too expensive for children. The leather sofa in my living room, I had my eye on for months, but was discouraged at the price. I stopped by the store whenever I could, and one day my sofa (with a scuff on the side you don't see, was discounted 60%---WOO HOO!




Secondly, I have better things to spend my money on, like diapers for my 2.5 year old that is still not potty trained or my mortgage or to put food on the table---stuff like that. Everything we own takes a little bit of us---we have to clean it, dust it, move it, pay for it. I don't really want to give more of me to something than it's worth---if that makes sense ( I got a little deep there for a minute).


Lastly, I get bored easily. I think it's Decorating ADD (please don't be offended if you really have ADD). I like to change things up more often than not---and I don't want to break the bank to do it. So like the pioneers say:

Fix it up, Wear it out, make it do, or do without.

I think that they meant to put something about spray-paint, too, but they were probably too busy .