How to Decorate Your Dining Room When You're Broke

So I'm in a new house now.  Long story, maybe I'll tell it one day.  I'm broke beyond belief; new houses will do that to you.  I have this dining room (you know the one no one ever uses) and it was completely empty.  New furniture was not in the budget.  Heck old used furniture was not in the budget.  My budget was more inline with dumpster diving.  Alas, I stumbled across an old friend who happens to own a thrift store.  I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  (My expectations are low what can I say?)  I had a mission and that mission was all about furnishing that room folks.  I knew I needed a table, some chairs, and some storage all for like $100 pesos.  Some of you may say nah no way Jose and I would've agreed, except I was young and naive and I thought all things were possible.  So here's what ended up happening.  I found a round table.  She was sturdy and thick.  She had a nice substancial base and wide childbearing hips.  (I kid.) Seriously though it was a good, well made, table.  It was ugly as sin though and dirty.  Good lord was that thing dirty.  Don't even get me started on the chairs.  They were the thing of nightmares.  Well, I took one look at that ugly thing and of course I said to myself, "self, we can make this pig into a princess with some cleaning supplies and some paint" and off I went to haggle down the price.  I got it all for 75 bucks.  One ugly table and 4 uglier chairs.  Even a homeless man sitting outside the thrift store shook his head with disdain.  I think he thought I was worse off than him.

Here's an exact replica.  Mine was dirtier, more dinged up, and browner.

 Well, I jumped in the pick up truck and headed off into the sunset with my coyote ugly furniture and high hopes.  The next few days were a blur of sponges and cleaning products followed by another blur of sanding and wiping followed by another blur of priming and more sanding followed by three days of painting and drying.  This table took me forever to finish but it was worth it.  I had all the supplies on hand from another project.  I may post on that someday when the post traumatic stress is over.  Here's the newly madeover table.  I like her.

Oh and the ugly chairs, yeah those are not them.  The ugly chairs are still in the garage awaiting divine intervention.  I got these beautiful girls at TJ Maxx for 60 bucks each.  What a deal!  They're from the Cynthia Rowly home collection.  Ok so the whole dining table situation cost $315 and not the $100 pesos I said earlier, but who can put a price tag on happiness?  Not I.  I'm happy with it and that's all I need right now.  Just wait until I show you the buffet table I'm working on for in here.

Not bad.  Am I right?