The Ruse Family: Just the way we like it- cheap or free!

Our living room is undergoing quite a few changes. It's growing up, as we like to say. It's been fun to sell the old and outgrown, for things that fit our style and lifestyle better. Holden, our firstborn, is a sentimental one, much like myself, though a bit more extreme :) He calls his attached things his, "Sentimentals." It's funny the things our children pick up on. He's always asking us, now, what are you selling next? Ha! As if he's trying to prepare himself.

And without further adeu, here is our living room (still in progress)~

before

after

We just love our sectional couch. Even though it's huge, it fits our living room so much better than the other furniture previously did.

It came with awful decorative pillows, so I bought pillow covers at Ballard Design and I love the difference!
~Camel Velvet and Toffee Check~

*We still need to find something to put above the couch...I wouldn't even mind some sconces to put on either side of the mirror.
*In search of a round ottoman coffee table...they can be kinda pricey. Even still, I haven't found one I like in any price range. We went to Lucketts a few weekends ago and they had some really pretty ones, but they were either too small or the wrong shape.

*Looking for a floor lamp to put behind the curve of the couch. I'm sure I'll find something on Craigslist or Freecycle. In the meantime, it sure is fun to look!

Sorry this picture is so dark...

*Need an ornate frame for our canvas.

TV is a freebie from Craigslist!

Media cabinet we found by the dumpster, cleaned it up, refinished it, and changed the knobs! It use to be for records.

before

(The chairs were over here and they took up so much space...)

after

The lamp is my new find, from Home Goods. You can't see it very well, but it's really pretty. You can get some really good deals there!

before

Tim had this desk since he was in middle school. (I think?) We had tried to make look better by removing the top cabinet portion and painting it, then Holden started scratching it...Anyway, it just didn't look good. Tim ended up taking it apart and we trashed it. It was kind of sad...Tim had saved his own money to purchase it those many years ago.

With three kids, you can imagine all the ~~crap~~ toys we have. We're constantly purging their toys. As much as I love all their toys :) I don't like to see them out while they're being stored.