I took these photos on Saturday before we had guests so that is why the tables are all set.
This is the right hand side of the living room. You see Toni on his computer lol. This is our new couch we got it on sale from Beirstorffer for 299 euro, which is dirt cheap compared to the 500 and up we were seeing before hand. It is really big and comfy and the end piece on the right can be matched up to create a sofa bed.
On the back wall is Christmas light from before we had a light, not a crack lol. You also see our coffee table, tv and tv stand, lamp, and on the very left a bookcase where we keep movies, computer games, and cds.
The lamp, coffee table, those white half window curtains, the blue small throw pillows were all gifts from my friend Diane who moved back home and was kind enough to give us tons of stuff from her apartment.
This is now looking the other way. You see our table, the big cupboard, and on the left a small little cupboard and a oil radiator.
We got that radiator because our built in radiator is a peice of junk, it does not even heat the room, this works amazingly well.
The big cupboard and small white one on the left were also gifts from Diane. The wood chairs we were give by hubbys grandma. And the table was bought second hand I believe, he got it before I came and it came with the two blue chairs.
Oh and that is our birds on the top right side. You can also see the light from a second window on the right hand side.
Oh here is looking in from near the door. You can see the table all set. Normally just the two blue chairs are there and it is pushed up against the wall, but we had some visitors. Behind that you see the window and to the right the book case I mentioned. I also keep some of the few mementoes I brought from home there, including a picture of my grandma, grandparents, and from my parents wedding day, and my ultrasound pictures.
Here is a better look at the cupboard. I would like to eventually shift the cupboard down and turn the bookcase so it is on that same wall, but that thing is huge and heavy so it will have to wait.
The bookcase I was given by my friend Samantha before she moved to Hong Kong. On the very top you see an airplane that is an old toy from the ddr from my husbands childhood. The book case holds hubbys comics, magazines I get sent from home, and books i get from trading with friends or book swapping sites.
On the big cupboard on the top left there are 4 small bookshelf like cubbies in one section I keep my homemaking binder and cooking binder, next one is my homemaking books and cookbooks, then my religious books and my books about learning german. Below that the door drops down and I use that area as a desk. Underneath is some shelf space with serving dishes and board games.
The middle cupboard is glassware and a few nicknacks, most also given to us by Diane. That blue maountain painting is from my dad he painted it and sent it to me. It has 2 medium drawers below that are empty as of now.
Then to the left is a section where we keep our dishes- glasses, coffee cups, plates, bowls, ect. And the birds sit on top.
Then on the very bottom are three big drawers one with painting supplies and another with card making things and the last office supplies.
This is the other side by the door. You see the small cupboard. It has a drawer underneath with a punch bowl and some serving dishes. Then a cd player, and the top 3 drawers are just junk drawers at the moment. I was given then and the cd player by Diane.
To the right is the computer desk we got this on sale at aldi for around 30 euro fits great. It holds the computer and printer. That leather chair I got from my integration course teacher when she bought a new chair, and its real leather.
You can also see our soda stream on the desk. I got that on clearance I think for 15 euro or so at rewe.
You also see those little brown doors they go to the kitchen. Hanging on it is some juniper beads and a medicine bag I brought from home. Plus you see the christmas lights and a lantern. We need to take those down or hand them up higher so it looks better. Everyone asks in pictures if that is a crack lol.
We have really been blessed with a lot of hand me downs that have turned our house into a home, I am so grateful.
I will point out more items that were gifts as we tour the rooms. :)
Keep an eye out for new kitchen, hall, outside and entry, and bedroom picks, as well as the story about how we paid it forward. The bedroom one probably will not be posted until I get the baby area all set up, I want to show the finished products :)
9 comments:
Oh wow..the brown door that leads to the kitchen..is that like a little service window? lol thats neat looking. You have a cute living room : ) I can't wait to see the rest of your house!
I dunno. It is pretty common in German houses, Sommer has one too. I assume that area was supposed to be like a dining corner and you could pass food through it.
how interesting, always fun to see how people live...and aren't hand-me-downs great?! We did a lot of that in Alaska, trading and swapping things and giving things away when we left, the natives loved it too!
Nice! :)
Does Sodastream taste like pop? Here on sale it's like 65 euros, that's the cheapest I've seen it.
I'd kill for an Aldi's up here, but at least we have a Lidl lol.
Yeah you can use it to make any carbonated drinks you just buy the syrup. I got it because you can buy syrup for things like rootbeer, mountain dew, ect in the US which is not sold here. And Its a lot cheaper.
They have different models. I just have the very basic one.
i was gonna ask about the sodastream but you described it ----- you make your own root beer? how does it turn out? i am dying for rootbeer and planning to be home for christmas. i wonder if i could learn to do it?
you have birds! i miss having birds but i don't miss the mess. i had a cat too and the trick was to have the cage big and heavy enough that the cat couldn't do anything to it. the only reason i don't have birds now is because they are so sensitive to temperature changes and i like my house pretty drafty. oh well. you have parakeets, right?
i'll never forget in german class my teacher wanted me to use the word "wellensittich" (?) and i had no idea what that was so i just hoped it would turn out ok. i said, "Everything I learned about climate change, I learned from my parakeet." i had no idea why everyone was laughing til they told me it's a pet bird.
i'm thinking about putting up christmas lights now...
thanks for the tour, i loved it!
~lytha
I have not made any of the american flavors yet as they are not sold on the European market. I plan to ask my mom to bring a few. Otherwise you need to send them to a friend and have them post overseas.
Germans have pretty limited flavors: cola, orange, ect.
But its easy you just add water and syrup and then press a button to add the carbonation.
Here you can see all the german flavors:
http://www.sodastream.de/deretail/category.asp?catalog_name=SodaClub&category_name=SYRUPS&Page=1
And heres the American flavors:
http://www.sodastreamusa.com/Sodamix-Flavors-C12.aspx
Each bottle makes 12 liters of soda and they cost about 5 bucks name brand. Or 3 euro for the store brands.
Thanks! I was wondering about them. :)
It's great seeing what you have done with your 'new' hand-me-downs. I am glad everything fits so well and looks so good.
Post a Comment