home improvement

i've been in a sort of crazy flurry of home improvement over the past few days. well, more like feng-shui, since i haven't went out and bought anything, just a lot of moved (and improved!) furniture. when we moved in last year, we kind of just found a place for it all and hunkered down for the winter/expected arrival of the babe. in fact, the only room we actually thought out was willow's. ive been looking around our house and wondering why things were the way they were. just because they function well that way? why was this here and not there? why is that here at all? does this home reflect our family? so i have decided to put a bit more thought into the rest of our home. maybe its my way of avoiding the yearly itch to move house? (yes, its that time again...) or, like a friend said, a late nesting instinct? (reallllly late, NOT EARLY.)

anyway, we are renters, so there isnt much i can do. i dont even know if i can paint our bedroom walls. can't put any more nails in the walls, so im stuck with those "sticky but doesn't leave a mark" hook thingys and the nails that are already there. and most of the furniture that is here belongs to the landlord, so i have to work with what ive got. plus, i have a close to zero budget...but!

so far, I've rearranged my kitchen countertop space/cupboards, put some pictures on the pre-existing hooks on the living room wall (is it terrible that its been a year, and there are NO pictures of our family on the walls? must take good pictures!), took down the TERRIBLE curtains that belong to the landlord (whyyy did i leave them up for so long? oh yeah, nosy neighbours. must get more soon!), painted the white brick walls in the backyard (need to do the opposite wall, must buy more paint!), sanded and cushioned an old painted pine chest and turned it into a window seat for our entryway (well, im working on actually making it a proper entryway, not just a catch-all for shoes and car seats!), and loads of other re-arranged items/knick-knacks/furniture/goods.

anyway, will promise to take before and after pictures and post. (maybe. only if im proud of my shoddy work.) there is still so much swimming around in my brain that i want to do (bedroom, please?!). but for now, thank you pinterest for all your lovely ideas found so efficiently in one place!