$20 Spruce Up

Hi all!

Even as decor obsessed as I am, I still have several areas in my home that I'm not quite happy with. A lot of that has to do with the fact that we're renting and I don't want to buy anything new that may not transfer over to a future home. But the other part of it is that sometimes I feel too close to things because it's my stuff. :)

Well, one of those areas that I haven't liked since we moved in 1.5 years ago was the wine rack/bar area. We have a wine rack that we bought a few years ago that fits nicely in our dining room. However, I just couldn't find the energy to really style it into something I really like without spending a ton, which is really not the goal. It became the college bar look with some of Jacob's more expensive alcohol sitting out on top.

I did purchase this cute picture at one point because Jacob loves gin and tonic. However, after this was hung I never really took the next step to turn it into anything I really felt good about.

**It says when life hands you lemons make gin and tonic**

If you know our families you probably know that my inlaws live in NYC and have an amazing view of the Hudson River, the Empire State Building, and the Statue of Liberty. Here are a few images from their apartment in Midtown.

While Jacob and I were living in NJ (for about 1.5 years) we spent a lot of time in NYC enjoying being around family and exploring the city. So, this view became normal and to Jacob and in a way it meant comfort and "home".
So while in Homegoods yesterday, you can imagine my disbelief when I ran across this mirror!! I'll wait while you pan up to compare it to the real view.......it's pretty dang close, right?! I knew I had to get it but didn't want to spend very much at all. It must have been my day because I turned it over to see that it was on sale for $7!!!! I couldn't believe it!

I bought the mirror, and the plant (at Homegoods for $15), the rest I had at home.

Here is a close up. The wine was part of my wedding gift to Jacob. It has one of our engagement pictures and our wedding date is on the bottle. I'm not sure what we're saving it for but we've had it for 3 years now.

I'm shooting at a weird angle because I didn't want my reflection in the mirror but you get the idea.

All in all for $22 I finally feel good about that space and seeing that mirror reminds me a bit of home and all the wonderful times we had with our family while living so close to New York.

What do you think? I say much better.

Emily