Wed night ramblings

#1-It was confirmed today that Mattie has a very minor, very slight hearing loss. Her results were on the low end of normal, and a couple were borderline, if I understand correctly. (DH is the one who took her, so I'm basing this on what he told me plus the report.) We have to wait for the dr to call us back, and he is out the rest of the week. (He did some initial testing and examined her and then ordered the test she had today.)
#2-I've been looking around and my house, and debating some rearranging. MAJOR rearranging. In the past few years my scrap stuff has taken a bigger and bigger portion of the living room. It's not very pretty to look at. I don't know how I would be able to get my stash down to a size that could be easily hidden in a closet or under the pc table. But I'm thinking about that. (Then I could donate my paper rack to the Scrap House my sister & I have been joking about. Hmmm, maybe I could store some of my stuff there. Too bad gas is so expensive...)
I also looked at my kitchen. We have an ant issue and we had ants all over the kitchen table. I had a vinyl tablecloth on it so I just sprayed it and then wrapped the ants up in it and tossed it. My table is so pretty. The reason I keep the vinyl tablecloth is that the table is such a "central" place for us, and I did not want the kids to scuff it up and get playdoh on it and stuff. So I end up hiding it and that is too bad b/c it really is a pretty little table. (It is only about a year old; one of the newest pieces of furniture I have.)
My house, while nothing to show off, is very functional. I love it this way. But sometimes I want pretty. I feel like in order to have pretty I am going to have to give up practical and useable. Is there an affordable way to have both?
Joy