I decided to save the best transformation for last - the kitchen! I rubbed my fingers raw scrubbing this room when we moved in. It was a little sad and grey. With the addition of a sink skirt (sewn by my mom), a bright yellow pegboard (made by me before we moved), and some carefully placed tablecloths, we were able to make this room feel bright and cheery. While I definitely won't miss this space when we leave, I think we did a pretty good job of making it livable.
One last space: our back porch. It was very sad and ho-hum before. My amazing mom bought us the flowers (which have since shrivelled up and died in the 104 degree heat); the rest of the furniture was found in the house.
And, just to keep things in perspective, here's the other side of the porch:
