My House is Finally Set Up
When we first got here I took pictures of our empty apartment and said that I would post pictures after we got all settled into our new place. A week later I jumped into working full-time and it has taken me way longer than I expected to get our place all set up like home.
There was a week in there when I thought that I would not be able to purchase any of the decorations I had planned to purchase because everything seemed more expensive than I had anticipated. I went out looking for frames for the pictures that are now on my wall and found out that they were not standard sizes and that they would cost $200 a piece to get custom framed. We definitely did not have $800 to spend on frames. Then I went out looking for curtains and again they were significantly more expensive than I had hoped.
I accepted the fact that I would probably not have pictures on my walls and started looking into making my own curtains, thinking that it might be cheaper. As I looked at different fabrics everything I liked seems to come out about the same as just buying the curtains pre-made. On my quest for materials to make curtains I went into Michael’s Arts and Crafts to see if they had anything I could use. I did not find anything for my curtains but I did find pieces of frames that are all different lengths and you put them together yourself. They were even on sale. Quickly in my head I did the math and it was going to come out (for the glass and all) to cost less than 1/4 of the price of custom frames. Excited and with new resolve I drove home and measured my pictures so that I could go back the next day to get my frames and put them all together.
Then the next week I started to look at curtains online and asked Josh if he would go with my to JC Penny’s to look at their curtains. Everything was on sale and I found some great curtains that were an African theme to go perfectly with my decorations and make the Africa theme look just a little more elegant. I was even able to get a couple of throw pillows for my couch to match my curtains. They were still a little more than I’m used to spending but Josh told me that I had been saving my graduation money for 6 months to make my house look nice when we got here so I should go ahead and spend the money I saved. I was hesitant but I knew he was right and I’m so happy that I spent the money. It is so refreshing to know that the Lord provided for some small desires that make a difference to the enjoyment of my home everyday.
Pat and Betty Flynn, a couple on staff with Crusade who served in Kenya while Josh was out there also gave us a beautiful bright green house plant that livens up the place. Each weekend there are people out on the side of the street by us selling roses for somewhere around $5 or $6 for 2 dozen. Josh bought me some of those roses this weekend and that added even more spark for my pictures.
I love our new home and am excited that I know the Lord is providing for all of our needs here and even many of our desires. It is one more way for me to praise the Lord for looking out for me.
You can check out our pictures at our flicker website http://www.flickr.com/photos/73013202@N00/?saved=1
~ Amanda
April 19th, 2006 at 2:56 pm
Nice place! It looks like a nice place to play Risk until 2 am!