Cost

Everyone has a budget. We all need to be aware of what we really can afford when it comes time to create our home. Spending a lot of money, will not necessarily give you the look you want. I actually have fun looking for great deals. I have passed things up because I thought the price was too high, only to regret this later. But most of the time if I am waiting for something to go on sale and it's gone before I can purchase it, I feel it wasn't meant to be (usually!!?) This is why I love to find great places with hidden treasures. Places you can spend all day shopping and find dozens of things that cost very little.

When we first moved into this home, I felt like it was so big and empty. It took some time before it started to feel like "our" home. I am lucky enough to have items from family. My inlaws supplied us with many great pieces of furniture (I still can't find deals like they can), my grandmother passed away a few years ago and I have pieces from her home that I will always cherish, and my mother loves to go shopping with me and always knows what to help me find. (she also gives me the best gifts for my home!).

Some of the things I consider great deals:

Tole Trays (a few were gifts, I inherited a couple and I have never paid more than $35 for a tray)

Plates ( some are gifts, many are from our travels)

Furniture (these pieces are from a local used furniture store-cost about $200 a piece)

Kitchen Chairs (I watched these chairs go on sale from Pottery Barn)

Hoosier Cabinet (from my inlaws, they needed to add a couple of doors and some hardware, but this piece makes the kitchen)

Dining Chairs ( The black ones $20 each and the aqua $40 each-just needed a little paint and some new fabric)

and the list goes on...