One of my new items was this woven tray. I knew right away it was exactly what I wanted for our remotes. On a previous trip to HobLob, I picked up the metal orb (which I adore!
This one is similar) and the white vase with green plant. I wouldn't have even thought to put them on the table except that our bookshelf had been cleared off when they relocated it to
remove our baseboards and these, along with other bookshelf contents, were lounging in their new residence on our bar.
I read somewhere (probably Pinterest) that to decorate most any surface you need 3 elements: a lamp - check, a green plant - check, and a stack of 2-3 books with an object on top of them - double check! This is so true and I didn't actually remember having read it until just now, sitting here, looking at the table in all it's cuteness. I think an important element to a cozy home that is often overlooked is adding textures. There's something about having interesting patterns and textures in a neutral color palette that is so inviting.
I'm still wanting to paint this table but can't decide on the color. Perhaps I should take my own advice and stop being scared to fail and just do it because really, if I don't like it I can repaint it.
The other item I scored was this tray that is perfect for our coffee area!
I have wanted a tray to corral our coffee, sugar, and filters for a while now but, as per usual, I was too scared to spend any money on something so frivolous and totally unnecessary. And this fear is totally in my own crazy head. I want to make sure you know, this is absolutely my own deal and hubby was happy I got things for our home. If anything, he's helping me get over this silliness by praising my decorating style and encouraging me to decorate our home. :)
You won't believe this part and I shouldn't tell you but I'm going to anyway... I found this cute little tray tucked under some things in the clearance section. It was part of their Spring collection and when I took it to the register, it rang up less than $2! You can imagine my delight! Moral of that story: pay attention to the tags and how they relate to the current seasonal merchandise at Hobby Lobby because they don't always mark every single item down. They are human and miss things here and there and you might score a great deal if you pay close attention to details.
As you can see, I still struggle with loosening up the purse strings when it comes to "extras" for our home but I am slowly getting better. I don't think I'll ever be one of those people who can walk into Pottery Barn and pay full price for something just because I like it. Though I certainly like to pretend I am when I visit their website. Theirs and Restoration Hardware - swoon! The fact of the matter is, I have a deep seeded need to save money and live frugally. I also love a good challenge and, for me, part of the fun of decorating our home on a budget is the thrill of finding something great for a fantastic deal. This seems to be trendy these days and for that I am grateful.
One last thing friends, I'm serious about painting that table. By all means, please leave me some ideas of what color would look best in the comments! Bear in mind that the living room rug will be changing soon. I'm trying to convince hubby that a natural jute rug would be best in here but he isn't feeling it. So far, we've been able to agree on a medium gray with a slight pattern. I'm feeling like that might be too much gray with his gray chair (coming next weekend!) Time will tell.
