Colorado-based mom Elly Fales loves the outdoors--so she brought it inside. Her foyer features a friendly bull, her dining room is filled with flowers, and her daughter's bedroom feels like a forest. Here, we talk to her about how she created this cozy wonderland on a budget.

I've heard Boulder, Colorado, is really nice. We love it here, but the cost of living is really high. We can't afford a home with a yard, so we're looking to move. We want to stay in the mountain west, though. My husband skis; my daughter and I are learning. Trails, climbing, it's endless.

Can you tell us about your daughter? Tova is 3 1/2. She is crazy as ever but I love her to death. She's the sweetest, kindest person you'll ever meet. One of our friends says she's like a muppet cause she's so funny. She picks up people's facial expressions and does imitations.

Where does the name Tova come from? Tova is a traditional Swedish name. My husband and I met in Sweden, and we heard it in the elementary schools over there. After we named her, we found out from our friends in Israel that it also means "good" in Hebrew.

What were you and your husband doing in Sweden? We met during a year-long bible school for English-speaking students. We had classmates and friends from all over Europe. The school was plopped right in the middle of Sweden, so we could work in schools and experience the culture. It was the most beautiful year of my life.

Why did you choose red for your foyer? My husband chose red. I wouldn't usually have gone for it, but we have an ugly brick wall in the room that we weren't allowed to paint. So we thought we'd pick a color for the room that would draw attention away.

Have you warmed up to the color? Definitely. We get a lot of compliments. People say that as soon as they enter our home, it feels warm and inviting.

Is this a print of Ferdinand the bull? Yes, we inherited it from my husband's grandfather. Apparently, it was the concept drawing that Munro Leaf, the author of The Story of Ferdinand, drew for the book's illustrator. I should probably take it to Antiques Roadshow!

How often do you use your dining room? We try to sit here for every meal. I grew up eating as a family, but when we got older, we'd eat around the TV. Something was lost. Nowadays, our dinners are organized chaos, not the perfect "So, Tova, how was your day?" But at least we're sitting down together. The dining set is from Crate + Barrel.

The room is so neat. Our old dining table transformed into an office and work station, but I try to keep this strictly the dining table. We want the room to feel peaceful.

Where did you find this black-and-white print? Target. We wanted to paint the dining room but thought it would clash with the entry way. Instead, I decided to hang a big print. I was attracted to the pricetag: $35 framed. I'm such a discount shopper, it's terrible!

Where is this lovely Danish chair? The corner of our bedroom. When my husband's grandparents sold their cabin in Canada, we inherited two of these chairs. The hanging lamp is from Target; the curtains are from TJMaxx.

You have a talent for creating a beautiful look on a budget. I'm a huge fan of IKEA, although I always seem to move away from cities right when they get a new one. I love Target; such good designers are coming through there. We also got our bed and dining table from Craigslist; you can search for keywords, so I type in "IKEA."

I've found bikes, chairs, even roommates on Craigslist. We found our home on Craigslist! That's a big plug, I love that website.

This bed is so cool. How long will Tova fit in it? The bed fits kids until they're 7. It's actually still in its crib dimensions, but there's an extender piece we should probably put in. She's the length of the bed right now! The bed is a Stokke Sleepi Crib.

Are those white Christmas lights around the bottom? Yes. Like me, Tova doesn't like the dark, so we added the white lights. They're on a timer, so they stay on for two hours after she falls asleep.

Where did you find the pillows? I had that Target fabric in the basement so I made the bumper cover myself. I love how the circles correspond with the trees.

Are the trees wall decals? No, I actually found the inspiration in ReadyMade magazine. They had stencils in the magazine, so I cut them out, blew them up at Kinkos and then cut out big stencils on posterboard. Then I stenciled the trees on the wall and handpainted them. It was pretty time intensive.

But worth it? Well, when we first moved in, she thought they were monsters! We had to do things each night, such as count the trees, to make her familiar with them. Now she's very comfortable.

What about the family tree? It's from The Small Object. The instruction sheet says to "fill it with her biggest fans," so we fill in the blanks with her grandparents and great-grandparents.

How sweet. What does Tova think about her room? She loves it. Sometimes she'll sneak away, and I'll find her just cuddling in her bed.

What else does she play with? She'll play forever with her plastic cows and pigs. She'll name them, and they'll have to shop for Christmas presents. Whatever's happening in the house seeps in...I should put my computer next to her to record what she's playing; it's so precious, the things that she'll say.