I recently wrote a post about my like/hate relationship with our house. I was quite surprised by the fact that the post on this topic was one of my top read. I had people coming up to me at church and offering words of encouragement and even some fresh ideas.

We have been making a few smaller changes to make the overall feel of our home more satisfying to us. I wanted to offer an update and show what we have done so far.
First off, we moved the hope chest from our bedroom to the living room. We want to maximize the space and get as much seating as possible. We also struggle with the large window on that wall. We love it at Christmas time when we put the tree there. I do not like a couch there, because then the curtains are caught between the couch and wall. Just leaving that spot open and bare seems like a waste of space. So for now, we have the hope chest there. I topped it with a throw blanket and a couple of random throw pillows. We also bought a small ottoman to go in front of our smaller chair. We bought a new couch- mainly because the love seat that we had was falling apart.
The space above our stove had been driving me crazy lately. When we were doing our initial work on the house, prior to moving in, we did purchase a fan to go there. Then we were unable to connect it due to a wiring issue. So for 6 years, that wall sat bare. Well not completely bare, there was a hole in the wall and wires sticking through where the hood should have been mounted.

I think the main reason that drove me insane was because our back door comes into our kitchen. So, that is the first thing people see when they walk in… a hole with wires sticking out. Not exactly what I want anyone’s first impression to be. I scrolled pinterest and searched for ideas. I really liked the look of backsplash. At one point, I contemplated putting a shelf there. I found this idea and really liked it. I also was quite fond of the thought that I could handle it on my own (unlike backsplash) and it only cost me about twenty dollars.

I went to Lowes and chose a roll of contact paper that would match my kitchen. Next, I kindly shoved those wires back in the hole and covered it with the contact paper. We put up a tension rod and some curtain hooks….and there ya go. I couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out.

Another cute little touch of character was this ornament. This is actually a Christmas ornament and I snagged it on 75% clearance. I think that I paid like two dollars for it. I thought that it was adorable and that it did not even really look Christmas-y, so it is hanging on our front door.

We are currently working on our bathroom. Our teeny tiny bathroom is a sad site. I had the brilliant idea about two years ago that I was going to repaint it. I painted the walls…and the tile….and the floor. What was I thinking!?! I did not use the proper type of paint, and so it was never even done right. Right now, we are working on removing all of that gray paint. It’s funny how those white tiles that seemed so plain and boring then, look so fresh and clean now!
Spring is here, so we are excited at the thought of working on the yard some.
I still have my list of projects, and I most definitely still have my moments of complete frustration. However, with each little change….each touch of character….no matter how big or small….I find myself satisfied with the house more and more.