monthcalledmae's Profile

11 years of marriage and 5 couches. that is the current count.
couch #1 - horrible 1980's brown velveteen floral monstrosity that my parents kindly bequeathed me. it had ridiculously high arms with carved wood insets. it also had one long cushion on the seat, with a queen sleeper tucked underneath. one of the real bonuses was that the cushion sagged. horribly. to the point that my Dad had to cut a piece of plywood for the seat cushion to sit on so the couch wouldn't swallow you.
fate - my girl Boston terrier got into a digging phase and dug a huge hole in it. i ended up writing a most humorous Craigslist post and actually got some poor guy to come over and haul it out of my basement and into his house. FOR FREE.
couch #2 - a futon with wooden arms. from Walmart. enough said.
fate - we gave it to a family in need. now not so sure that was nice.
couch #3 - beige tuxedo style Ashley couch. worst purchase ever. so uncomfortable. i ended up opening up the back cushions and taking out 2 trash bags full of stuffing. still couldn't sit on it comfortably.
fate - i still own it. and an identical one i bought of Craigslist. i'm apparently a glutton for bad furniture?? oh well, they are the family room couches now. home to cartoon watching kiddos and badly shedding Bostons.
couch #4 - 1955 brown low to the ground sort of couch. purchased from a neighbor lady's estate sale for $5. LOVED this couch. however, the fabric was quite abrasive. and the whole thing was slowly coming apart. i stitched the fabric on the arms back together several times and finally couldn't take it.
fate - i still own it. it's in my lower level basement and has already served us well during a tornado scare.
couch #5 - the love of my life. i bought it off of Craigslist. it was listed at $350, but i talked her down to $250. when my husband brought it home, i immediately Googled the label to see what we were dealing with. it's a Joe Ruggiero and as far as i can tell, it was probably a $2500 couch. the single, non-smoking, childless/petless young lady that we bought it from was replacing everything in her upscale apartment. it's a velvet-y brown beauty that i had been dreaming about. i just had to wait a decade to find it.

my 4 year old would LOVE the dinosaur one! she is really into dinos and corny jokes right now. perfect!

we use Totally Toddler like it's going out of style. so far, it has gotten virtually everything out that we have applied it to. i swear by this stuff and give it to new moms along with a shower gift.

my house is currently under contract and i just told my husband the other night that once we drive away with the last truck load of our stuff, i never want to see the house again. and i won't have to since we are moving to a neighboring state. over the last 8 1/2 years we have poured our lives into that house, brought 2 babies home there and made some great memories. i think it would kill me if anyone repainted anything or changed a light fixture. no, i think it would be best if i just drive away and, if i ever miss it, look at all the pics of the befores, durings and afters of all our hard work.

fabulous! i'm with *simplist* here...my days off could have a new 'hovering' activity!

@happybirthday - YAY for hubs that don't like sports!! we throw little parties, watch commercials, then chat during the game.
those whoopie pies are amazing! i will have to give them a try!!
this year, my friends are throwing a game watching for guys/clothing swap for girls. can't wait!!

wow...starting to feel a bit judged here because i had a friend that was dying to throw me a shower for the arrival of my second. since i had another girl, i really didn't need a whole lot, but my friend's and family's generosity was really appreciated. i did tell those who were attending that if they were going to bring a gift, i would be more than happy for them to bring diapers or wipes. (yes, i am one of 'those' people that uses disposables...gasp!) my office even gave me a lovely shower. i didn't work there when i had my first child, so my co-workers were really excited to throw a party for the baby.

and for my 2 cents...cut the superior attitude. if you don't want to hang out with people who have showers for second (or 3rd etc) kids, don't hang out with them. don't attempt to rat them out on a public website while masquerading as asking for advice. it's just tacky. if you really care about these people, take them a dinner after the baby comes home. or offer to watch the older kid for an afternoon. if you want to be a friend, be a friend. you don't have to agree with every little life decision they make. we need less attitude like this in the world.

i agree. i picked out some of my favorite vintage Fisher Price pieces (the barn & silo, the cash register, etc) and have them displayed on shelves in my living room between bins where all the farm animals and other small toys live. just the right balance!

we have done both Heifer International and World Vision in years past. my 4 year old LOVES animals, so she thinks it's really neat to be able to give the animals to someone to take care of.

it's really great! love the color combinations! well done.