I have never really considered myself a “decorator” by any means. I just really love simplicity. Simplicity and vacuum lines in my carpet. Ask my husband. He’ll tell you I’m crazy. After all, we have a toddler. Yet I still vacuum. Every day. Maybe it’s because I know it’s a short lived season that won’t last forever. Haha! Either way, our house is a place that I have loved making home. I’ve had a rule since we moved in that if something isn’t serving a purpose or doesn’t have an use, it’s not necessary. It’s helped us SO much with both budgeting and making sure that the things we bring into our home are intentional, useful, and purposeful.

When we first got married, I had the mindset of making sure we had everything we need. My thoughts were something like this…

Oh we need to have a coffee table. 

Oh! Living room lights! We don’t have those! 

I can’t afford the nicest things so I’ll just buy whatever is on the clearance rack cause that’s all we can afford! I’ll switch it out later.

And while that mindset worked for awhile…after about a year of marriage, I found myself moving into a new home and left with a pile of “stuff” that a) I didn’t really love, b) didn’t match, and c) wasn’t really serving a purpose.

So it was out with the old. Ha! You’re probably laughing. We’d only been married a year! But my husband and I really decided that good things are worth waiting for!

For example, I just bought a storage ottoman for our living room and replaced our coffee table that we’ve had since we got married. A) The storage ottoman serves a purpose in being comfy as a foot rest, b) it stores our baby girl’s toys!, and c) I got a several hundred dollar ottoman for $100 cash! That very same day, I got a phone call from a client needing headshots for the exact dollar amount to what I paid for the ottoman.

It was such a clear example that God provides. He knows the desires of our hearts, but He also calls us to be good stewards of what He has entrusted us with! It has been such a humbling experience to wait for the right things. To be intentional with what we have. To be okay with a $300 beautiful couch and not need the $2000 new couch. After all, we have a toddler.

So for those of you who are married, who are engaged, who are entering the season of “oh my gosh, we’re having a baby, where did all this stuff come from!?”, contentment is key. Being absolutely content with exactly where God has you, what you have, and being patient in the waiting. Good things come to those who wait. And not just wait for furniture or household items. Waiting on Him. In every aspect of life.

For me, it wasn’t that I changed the style or decor of our home. It was that I changed the posture of my heart and perspective of my mind to be absolutely patient and willing to wait. My husband has reminded me over and over, “Honey, we can afford those things you want to fill our home with. We’re just using our money wisely now so we can live freely later!” He’s been such a cheerleader in supporting my daily vacuuming routine of lines in the living room that looks more like a maze of crawling toddler toes all over. He’s been such a cheerleader in helping me hang shelves from oh…Ross, that look like a West Elm feature. He’s supported my can’t sit still personality where the house is rearranged 6/7 days of the week. And he’s been the rock that has reminded me over and over that no matter what, we have more than enough. For our identity is not found it what we have or don’t have materially. Our identity is found in WHO He says we are. And that is more than enough. :)

So for a summer home refresh, here’s a few things I have done the past few months to make our house feel newly decorated without spending money!

• We have shelves in our great room that are beautiful! I scored them a few months ago at Ross for less than $15 a piece. It’s easy peasy to replace the items on the shelves to give a whole new feel to your space!
• I’ve limited myself to only decorating in a black, white, gold color palette. They’re not really “colors”, but it has helped me be SO intentional with the things I do buy!
• IKEA and I have a funny relationship. I don’t love the quality of their furniture items, but I do love their small pieces like their artificial potted plants, vases, and glass food storage! They add such a simple touch the home without breaking the bank.
• I LOVE using general household items as decor! In my mind, less is more. Simplicity is key. It helps me feel like I can breathe easily, our house feels airy and light, and there’s not a bunch of clutter filling the space!
• Because of that, I’ve utilized our space by having things like a storage ottoman to store toys that also serves as a coffee table.
• I love keeping an eye on Facebook swap pages. I found a darling beige lounge chair for our living room last summer for $25. Score!
• Pillows!!! I replace these every so often by getting new pillow covers. Throw pillows can be really pricey, but pillow covers aren’t! It helps give a new look to the space and it’s cost effective!

Contentment, friends. May that be the focus of your summer and that alone will help you not only enjoy but appreciate and value exactly what He has blessed you with!

I’m being tugged at by a toddler saying, “MAMAMAMAMA!” 

Someone thinks it’s dinner time already. :)

 

Much love, sweet friends!