Tag Archives: living room

You’ve probably heard it before…”shop your house” when you don’t have the budget for new or you just want a fresh look. I have to admit, whenever I’d hear Nate Berkus (or some other famous decorator on t.v.) say that, I would kind of roll my eyes at them. Because, frankly, I’ve been doing that for years. It didn’t seem like a new tip to me.  When I would get tired of stuff, I would just rearrange a few things or take something out of storage. I would think, “Doesn’t everyone already know this?” 

Apparently, I forget that idea every so often.  After taking down Christmas decorations this weekend, my house felt completely empty.  My first urge was to go buy some new stuff.  Then I remembered to shop my house instead.  It’s free!

Here’s my new winter mantel after browsing through what I already own:

I didn’t add a whole lot to it.  Its still looks a little empty given my vast expanse of wall, but I’m happy with where it’s headed.  I’m going to keep digging through my stuff.

Sorry the picture quality is so bad.  I really need to learn how to use my camera the right way instead of just pointing and shooting.  This is another thing on my “things-to-do” checklist this year: learn how to use my DSLR camera that I’ve had for…ahem…at least 2 years.  But, that’s another story for another day.

Today, I’m going through what I already own and resolving to do it more often.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I don’t really like to make New Year’s Resolutions.  I always seem to lose steam after a few short weeks.  Instead, I’ve chosen to focus on a theme word.  I chose, “Intention.”

Shopping my house when I need a fresh look helps me to choose what I buy with more intention and purpose.  I hope to cut down on frivolous spending that way.
 

As you can see, I decided to add more of the western touches that my husband likes to our living room.  When I updated this room this past year, I didn’t put some of this stuff back in.  I didn’t mean to leave it out, it’s just that fall decor came, then Christmas.  Now, I want to make sure this room suits both our tastes. 

Ever wonder why my blog title is “Lilacs & Longhorns?” 
 

It might become obvious when you look at these pictures.  Can you tell one of us likes a Texas/Western influence and one of us likes a more feminine cottage look?   

I think the stuff I brought in to style the room is really helping to blend our styles and tastes.

I brought the wingback chair in from our dining room to give it a test run.
 

Maybe I’ll find some more things around our house to bring in to the living room.  It still seems a little sparse to me.

Unfortunately, I  won’t be able to find everything I need for this room from my attic or another room, but it’s a good start.  And, I’ll still do some “real” shopping (I definitely have a list of things I have my eye on.)  But, if I can remember to just re-arrange a little bit more, maybe I can save enough money to make some splurges on some higher ticket items.

So, I guess you could call this a New Year’s Resolution.  I’m resolving to be a better steward of my decor budget.  Let’s see how long it lasts! 

Linking up to:

Thrifty Decor Chick
Between Naps on the Porch
DIY Showoff
Coastal Charm
Elizabeth & Co.
Savvy Southern Style
Mod Vintage Life