shelving. Paint it & tuck it in somewhere where you want additonal room to display books or some of your fave collectibles.

fence. Lauren already stated that she isn't allowed to grow vines on the fence. My conclusion is that the fence doesn't belong to her, but to the city (i.e., it's part of the park's property). If she attaches plants or materials to it, would that not put her at risk for being fined by the city? Or given a notice to remove things from the fence? Then, given that she's already on a tight budget, that would be money wasted, right?

Lauren, the ideas of planting evergreen shrubs are really good. A place to watch for good deals on them is at Lowe's. Most Lowe's stores have a clearance area in the garden centers--up to 50% or even 75% reduced. That's a great place to check to see what's available & what will work for you. Best wishes as you sort out this issue. :)

but not helpful for getting ideas on redoing our kitchen.

to put in the dryer in the morning. & if it's on a timer (haven't heard of that b/f, so not certain how that works), then there's the risk of not having enough hot water for the family's morning showers.