I am cheap, there I said it.

Last year you may remember we got this piano off freecycle- where Chad and 3 of his buddies risked going to the ghetto to retrieve it. A few weeks ago Chad and I found a piano bench after long searching for only $20. And its pretty- so no updates required!!! We lived with the piano as it came to us-very roughed up. For a time we liked the character but after awhile we preferred it being consistent. Either roughed up all over (like the bottom of it in this pic) or re stained (like the top)... So after much contemplation I took the plunge while Chad was gone and painted it. WITH my cheap flat paint that I got for $4.50.

In case you were wondering, this is what I typically look like when I am painting. 

 Ahh, the finished project! before I sealed the baby I roughed up the edges a little and used the sand paper to add strokes into the paint. We still wanted to stay true to its rough ghetto origins and couldn't have it looking too prim and proper!

 I've been on the lookout to replace some of our dated lamps. We've had them for 8+ years and they have been great but it is time... Before going in I decided that $20 would be my highest price for 1. I scored the new one on top of the piano for $20! My next was an even better deal. $5!!! Thank you church garage sale. :) It was exactly what I'd been looking for and although I wanted to bargain, because it was a garage sale, it just didn't seem right to mess with mission money! I took the purple velvet  off and found a white lamp shade. I then took the rest of my burlap (you remember that I paid under $1 for) and covered it using the ever faithful glue gun. End result- I love it!