Bits for Sunday, February 10, 2008

I don't think I've mentioned much about this yet...but I did a very unbekahlike thing and purchased furniture a few weeks ago. This was the rather impulsive result of watching way too many hours of HGTV over Christmas break. As a result of absorbing designs, redesigns, and a little more designing, I have a mental overhaul for the bathroom, but the actual purchase became new furniture. My poor mother allowed herself to be hauled all over town while I tried to settle on exactly what I wanted.

Never before have I purchased real furniture. My first purchase was in college - a rather interesting-smelling love seat purchased for something like $20 at the Goodwill. Everyone should own a $20 Goodwill special during college. The thing was ugly beyond ugly and no amount of airing it out in the early fall sun quite got rid of that strange scent...if only the Febreze makers had scurried up their invention just a bit, I might have had a better smelling couch!

Once out on my own, my first from-the-store purchase was a black futon which served as my couch for quite a while. The futon came from Wal-Mart and had to be deposited into my car in pieces for the drive home. My ex-boyfriend assembled it for me and Kaegan promptly christened it with the shedding of his blonde fur. Never have a black futon and a yellow cat. Lesson learned. I still have the futon, but it's been promoted to a more proper function in the guest room.

And then came the Rescue Mission special. My first furniture grouping. A matching couch and love seat in the same strange 70's peach floral motif that matched my living room at the time. I felt as though I surely had "arrived" since I owned a living room set. But it had lived quite a life even before it came to be mine and at long last the springs began to stop springing...and it became quite uncomfortable, leaving me to search for something newer.

So I purchased a "new" couch - handed down from my boss, whose wife was in a redecorating mood of her own. I loved that couch - so much so that I can't bring myself to part with it yet. It's long and pillowy and makes a great place to take a nap. But over Christmas break, I learned that one long couch serving as the only means of seating in a room doesn't work well for company. My friend Lindsey and her Mom stopped by to see me, so I gave them the couch, and I sat on the floor staring up at them...reminding me of the days of story-hour. That's when I knew...I needed a set of furniture that worked well for lounging AND for entertaining...and fit in my strangely-shaped living room.

So I decided to be a grown-up girl and go furniture shopping for real furniture at a real store. For something that was made this decade, did not require a Febreze treatment, and did not require assmbly.

Enter....the fat chair.

The moment I sat in this chair in the furniture store, I knew...it was the chair for me. It's a chair and a half that reclines...and I told Mom I could comfortably gain 200 pounds without a care in the world. The fabric is soft and blanket-like, and I almost took a nap right there in the store. I ordered the chair in chocolate...I thought that was an appropriate fabric name for something belonging to me. I love my fat chair.

But I needed something besides a fat chair...and my living room layout does not support a couch AND another piece, so I opted for a love seat. I branched out (after all, I learned on HGTV that you can do this) and chose something from another grouping, because I decided I didn't want a matching set. This might qualify as the world's most pillowy love seat. In fact, if you actually want two people to sit on it, you have to take off the throw pillows becuase otherwise, it just does not work.




So this week the little furniture truck pulled up in front of my house and dropped off my newest decorating additions. Unfortunately I had forgotten the night before to remove the current furniture to make a place for them, so when the first delivery guy came in the house, he stared around at the very full room and said, "Uh, where do you want this to go?" I just shrugged and pointed to the walking space and said, "Oh anywhere is great. I'll figure it out later." He gave me a pretty puzzled look and clarified, "You don't want us to put it somewhere?" I shook my head and laughed...and he walked away probably muttering under his breath about crazy people who buy furniture and don't know where to put it.

I spent the entire evening figuring out the new placement, and I think it looks pretty good. My Dad agreed. My Mom just nodded her approval and added "You'll change the arrangement in three months anyway." I can't argue with her there. But she did like it...and I'm sure she'll like the next set-up just as much. :)

The cats...well...they weren't too sure about it at first. Kaegan didn't even try. He marched right into the next room and curled up on the couch he knew. Braeya gave it a shot...


And now I have to sit on the love seat because she has permanently claimed the very middle of this big old chair as her very own.

Let's hope she doesn't gain 200 pounds.