Home Improvements

Now that we own a home, I have come to realize that "date night" now means spending Friday night shopping at places like American Furniture Warehouse and The Home Depot.  And of course, since you never get everything you need in one trip, it also means making two or three trips back there on Saturday as well.

We love it, though.  It's so fun to fix up a place that you know is yours.  That's what we spent our weekend doing.  We were so lucky to find a house that didn't need much fixing up... all we've had to do is update door handles and light fixtures to get rid of the 90's brass.  So we've been able to spend money on things like new furniture (that is not purchased at Target) and home decor items.  Our living room furniture was the most beat up (from our five moves in 4 years of marriage), so we decided to start there. 

Here's the before shot:

 

And the after shot:




We go the new entertainment center at American Furniture Warehouse.  DVD shelves are from IKEA (and expertly assembled by ME!)  And the rug was only $99 from American Furniture Warehouse.  We love it!

The other thing I've loved about owning a home is having our own outdoor space.  The yard needs a bit of work, but I think we'll tackle that project next year.  This year, I've just been loving seeing the things that are growing!

Strawberries:

Raspberries (I think):

Yellow Irises:

Roses:

Mystery Flower Plant (Peonies, maybe?):
I took this picture Saturday morning...

And this one Saturday evening...