Slightly Ambitious Tinkerings

After my last post, life got extremely crazy very quickly.  I am a teacher at a local high school and I took on the task of directing the senior class play.  This required hours of extra work each week, leaving me frazzled, exhausted, and very behind on housecleaning.  Not to mention poor Piper, who had to be saved from her kennel each day by my mother after work.  To top it all off, I became very sick during February, so when I was home, I did not do much beyond lie on my couch and watch Mad Men (I cannot wait for the new season!).

In the last two weeks, however, I have made some accomplishments on the home front.  I found the dining room set of my dreams: rustic, southern, and quality.  One beautiful Saturday afternoon, my mother and I stumbled upon this beauty while meandering through a local consignment shop:

I knew it was exactly what I was looking for, and it was much less expensive than anything I had found online or in stores.  The solid pine table was a measly $150, while the chairs were $295 for all six.   So for those of you who are “ballin’ on a budget” like me, check out your local consignment and antique shops.  While that type of shopping can be hit or miss, you never know when you are going to happen upon a true treasure.

I also managed to (get someone to) hang curtains in the living room.

 

My pilot boyfriend, Micah, found himself with a free Sunday last weekend, so I quickly gave him a few “honey do” tasks.  He did not seem to mind too much—after all, it did involve a cool power tool.  Check out this manly shot I caught:

Between the windows I also added a painting that I purchased last summer while in Boston and Cambridge, MA.  I was exploring Harvard’s campus when I came across a painter selling his work.  I purchased this painting of trees from him for just $10 and had a nice conversation with him about his art.  He even signed the back of it for me.  When I got back, I had it framed, which cost seven times what I paid for the painting itself, but was well worth it for an original piece of art.

 While I have not had time to be very ambitious with my house in the last month, I have grown to really love my home.  This place has suddenly turned into my safe haven.  It is my place of calm at the end of a hectic day, and I know that once I close my garage door, I am okay.