Birthday money - going, going, gone!

So I've been busy since Monday when I talked about my birthday, new curtains, and nesting.  I wouldn't have busy if not for receiving birthday money that was burning quite a hole in my pocket (and is gone now - sob!).  I had SO much fun shopping guilt free and buying items outside of our budget.  And can I just say why can't birthday money magically appear all year long?  Is there a petition for that?

Wednesday I went to Hobby Lobby with my boys and (thankfully!) my Mom met us there.  It was our first trip out of the house as a threesome in two weeks but the sick germs were gone and it was a gorgeous day in Oklahoma so I promised the park after we got stickers.  I picked up some fabric at Hobby Lobby (upper right hand corner) to sew pillows.  I looked a lot of pillows at Target and Hobby Lobby and a local boutique when shopping with Josh on my birthday, but they were EXPENSIVE.  I used the fabric above + two bags of filling to make 2 pillows costing $6 each.  It took 3 hours of my time (not normal -- I was having a lot of problems with my bobbin), but it was relaxing and I have immense pride over the pillows.

The finished product! I really love 'em!  :)  Thanks, Grandma, for the birthday money I was able to use on these cute pillows + some new thread and a cowboy hat for J (because what Mom doesn't end up using a little bday money on a kid?)!

I also made the very difficult decision to use $35 of birthday money on a hair cut.  I thought of all cute things I could get with the money, but it'd been 6 months since I had a trim and I needed it.  So there's that and our ugly green bathroom walls in our hall bath.  ;)

Last night my in laws came into town to stay with us and my MIL and I hit up Target as any good Mother-in-law/daughter-in-law duo do and I walked around with a lamp shade and 3 bases (and another shade for awhile) for a good 15 minutes being indecisive.  I texted this pic to Josh and my Mom.  They all three liked that brown wood-looking base the shade is on and my MIL and Josh preferred a blue shade I had... Everyone was probably thinking, "Why did you ask our advice?" when I got no combination anyone suggested - ha!  But I'm really happy with the finished product and am thankful for the gift of lamp my in laws bestowed on me!  I love lamp! ;)

So here's the lamp on the table! Swoon! I love it and I love how the coral/pinks/yellow tie in with the colors on the pillows I sewed which also happen to have the same blue shade as my chevron throw pillow.  I didn't want to be stuck with all blue and brown and I love these extra colors and want to do more with them... you know, when I save up my allowance and pretend it's more birthday money.  Or get Valentine's day money.  Is that a thing?  Can it be a thing?  Husband? ;)

I DON'T have a cartoon heart in that frame (from Hobby Lobby) but rather a pic of one of my cute sons.  Sorry you can't see it!  It's cute.  ;)  Also up there are two bowls and four plates from Target's super cute new spring dishes set.  I'm in LOVE with these colors/patterns and can't wait to go snag more of these plates/bowls.  In a house of men I'll take some pretty, feminine dishes -- especially when I've spent the last few years using all white dishes (which the chef in me loves, but the lady in me is like, "whaaaa?").

Ambiance, baby!  Thanks, husband for the dishes and hair cut.  ;)

So there you have it!  All in all my gifts/purchases were just under $180 (including curtains, minus the hair) which is more money than I could have put toward our living room in a single week but boy what a difference it made in cozying up the place!  I'm so thankful to everyone who gifted me pretty home things or money to buy pretty home things and I'm still feeling so inspired to purge and clean and love what I have and set aside some of my "allowance" money to invest more in my home.  

Have a great weekend!