Before you scroll down to see the photos in this post, can you do me a favor and stop to read this first?  I don’t know where you are in your season of life, but before I share some living room updates, I want to say a few words.  (Believe me, it’s not because I think what I’m about to share is All That. Please read on…)

Because you see, I used to look at other bloggers’ living rooms and think… whoah.  I need that rug.  I need that lamp.  I need that gorgeous whatever.  I need her ability to style a vignette.  And the truth was, I didn’t.  My living room didn’t need to look exactly like hers, nor did I need any of that stuff at the time.

We went through a very lean time financially for the first several years of our marriage, and there was absolutely no money for home decor in the budget.  (God was so faithful to provide for our family through Tad’s hard work, but there wasn’t extra money for things like new pillows, rugs, etc.)  In that season, everything I brought home to decorate the house with was either a gift or was bought using money given to me as a present.  I still found ways to make our home cozy, to decorate for the seasons, and to love our home as best as we could.

When I look back on pictures (some that I even shared on the blog), I’m a little embarrassed, but I shouldn’t be.  We were content with what we had in that season and I did feel that my home was beautiful enough to share on my blog and to welcome friends and family into.

Even now, I look around our home and see many things that need to be done.  Our house is almost 100 years old, so it needs a lot of updates still.  The list of improvements we could do is lengthy.

But just as I learned contentment in that season of blank walls and sparse decor, I know I want my heart to be filled with contentment and joy in this season as well.

So if you’re in a similar season to where we were just a few years ago, and your budget is tight or your home is small or you have no eye for design or whatever, please know that we all have areas where we are growing in contentment.  We are filled with longings that can only be met by God, not a new rug or new windows or fresh paint.

With all of that said, I wanted to share some pictures of our living room as it looked this summer (before I decorated for fall). I didn’t want to share these pictures without first gently reminding all of us that true joy only comes from Christ, not from cozy home decor!

We recently added a new rug to the living room.  I love how it adds so much interest to the room (and hides the old carpet, haha).

I found this little side table and I thought it would be the perfect thing to replace the old black one that was there.  It lightens up that corner!

Some of the pillows on the couch are new.  One of them (the feathers) is a cover that I just put on an old pillow!  I really like the lamp as well, and it provides a nice alternative to the overhead lighting.

I still love our console table and really enjoy decorating that!  On the top shelf we store our Chatbooks so the kids can flip through them frequently.

For a while I had been wanting a large statement piece for over the mantel, and I finally found one I love!  It’s exactly what I was looking for and it fills the wall space above the mantel much better than what was there before.

I have a little vignette on the wall by the door, and I enjoy changing out the decor on the shelf as is seasonally appropriate.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the recent updates we’ve made in our living room… and don’t forget: 1) creating a beautiful home you love is a long process, and 2) true contentment is found in Jesus, not in how our home looks.

Enjoy your weekend!