In our family room, we have these beautiful built in cabinets.  I have really struggled with making these look the way I want.  I have looked at magazines and websites for inspiration.  I have seen a lot of different styles that I like, but re-creating them has me a bit overwhelmed.  The other challenge is finding things to add to it that fit in my budget.  I have found that I have expensive taste, but a meager budget. 

The style that I like the best is a combination of a lot of different patterns, heights, textures all grouped together.  Perhaps a bit eclectic.  Hard to describe (which may be why I am struggling to replicate).

I decided that I would just start looking for different pieces that I liked and start adding them to my collection.  With a little tweaking, perhaps I can make it my own.  So, this morning I headed out on a mission to find a few great pieces.  I left with $13 in my wallet.

During the trip, I found 6 iron candle holders ($3), a wood plate??? with 3 decorative balls ($1) and four wooden plate charger ($1).  I found a lot of other things that I loved but the price was just well beyond the cash in my wallet so that was all I ended up with.

Here's the before:

I am not very good at remembering to take pictures of my kids in their day-to-day events.  I show up and support them, but ALWAYS leave the camera at home.  I don't think to take pictures of them as they do funny or silly things around the house.  It isn't that I don't think it's important to take the pictures; I just get too involved in the moment to pull myself away and take the pictures.

For this reason, I have always bought the girls' school pictures each year.  I figured that at the least, I'd have an annual picture of the changes that the girls have made.  I also want to be able to have a picture to send to Grandmas and Grandpas. 

This year, the picture forms came home.  I was AMAZED at how expensive the school pictures have become.  Just to get the basics to send 1 picture to Marty's parents, 1 to my parents, 1 for the office, and 1 for home was going to be nearly $60.  YIKES!

I still wanted to have the pictures, but that just didn't fit into the budget.  I asked the girls if we could start a new tradition.  Instead of posed, expensive school pictures, what if we went on a photo shoot.  One girl at a time, in a location of their choice, and they could even do a change of clothes if they wanted.  The girls thought this sounded like a fun activity.  So, over a two week period we headed out to the "great wall of Centerton" and took some fun pictures.  (Jessica chose this spot first and the other two loved the location so much they too wanted to go there.)  We took over 150 pictures and had a ton of fun along the way.  I promised the girls I wouldn't publish the "fun" pictures.  We did get some beautiful pictures though. 

I have had them at my desk now for nearly a week.  Several people have literally stopped in their tracks to look at them.  They are growing up so much.  It's kind of scary!

I like these pictures so much more than the posed school pictures.  I'm glad that I stopped one tradition and started another.


RYLEE ANNE