Maddie LOVES watching movies of herself on the computer. We found this one the other day and it made me smile! It's from Dec 2010 so she was a little over two... too cute that is!
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
LOVE my new couch
I had my old black leather couch since 1995, if you can believe that. I bought it when I moved in with my ex-boyfriend (he picked it out) and somehow after all these years it's survived a few moves, a trek across
America, storage, and a few pets with nothing more than a few cat scratches and some semi-saggy pillows.
It was really about time for a change. A few months ago I started spending a lot of time at furniture stores sitting on couches and picking out fabrics only to not find exactly what I was looking for. We had a decent budget in mind but just couldn't find anything worth spending the money on.
With a three year old and a cat, I was really concerned about something that would wear well, that was easy to clean and something we could curl up on to watch movies. The more I checked out furniture stores, the more I realized I didn't want a "cheap" looking microfiber no matter how well it cleaned up and after owning a leather couch for 17 years, I desperately wanted a new look.
Pottery Barn- I've always been in love with the "Pottery Barn Look" but not the prices nor that fact that a lot of their furniture is really just junk with a label on it. I read the reviews on their famous Basic Sofa. Unfortunately they start at $1,200 plus shipping. That's not all..the slipcovers are $770+... that's not a typo! And to top it off, I read some reviews where owners were very unhappy with their choice and were upset they paid so much.
The more blogs I read and the more I looked into it, I realized Slipcovers were the way to go. After speaking to a great local furniture store, I realized a slipcover couch was going to cost me $1,100+. Of course I was promised it would last me a long time and how great it would be for a family.... still it was a few hundred out of our agreed upon price range.
Along comes IKEA! We don't live really close to Ikea but it's certainly not a huge ordeal to make the trek to check out their Ektorp couch. I read at least 20 blogs about happy owners (and a few unhappy) to know what we were getting ourselves into.
The best part about our find, is the price! You all know how I love to save money. Our new couch (including the slipcover) was only $400! That's right, half the cost of the couches we were looking at. I figured if we HATE it, we can find a spot for us in our new house (yet to be found or even looked for at this point) and we can get a "regular couch" or hopefully we'll have enough room for a sectional then.
After sitting on it in the store, we decided to go for it and loaded the huge box into our truck. Did I mention you have to put the Ikea couch together? It took me less than 40 minutes to get it folded up, arms and legs put on, and the slipcover on it.
I can honestly say after owning it for a little over a week, I LOVE it! I will say, it isn't as comfortable as my 17 year old fluffy beast but I'm hoping it soften up over time, AND my next purchase is a cozy throw and some great pillows. That's another story... the cost of pillows is crazy! I'm not paying $30/pillow so I'll be on the hunt for those next. Can't wait to share photos of the finished look. (This photo was taken with our old couch still in the room... which I'm happy to report was sold yesterday!)
Before you call me crazy for getting a white slip covered couch with that three year old and cat mentioned before, remember I did research the heck out this decision and turns out there are lots of mommies out there with white couches! I figure if someone with three boys and a dog can do it, so can I... and if I can't, there's always a trip back to Ikea for another slipcover. :) It washes well and I've already invested in some Oxi Clean and bleach.
I figure once I get over that first spill, I'll be less neurotic about shoes and food coming near my couch.
That and I have an extra slipcover for a quick change.
Now I'm off to find pillows and dare I say a coffee table?? (Did I mention, dear hubby, how much we "saved" on this couch?!) :)
America, storage, and a few pets with nothing more than a few cat scratches and some semi-saggy pillows.
It was really about time for a change. A few months ago I started spending a lot of time at furniture stores sitting on couches and picking out fabrics only to not find exactly what I was looking for. We had a decent budget in mind but just couldn't find anything worth spending the money on.
With a three year old and a cat, I was really concerned about something that would wear well, that was easy to clean and something we could curl up on to watch movies. The more I checked out furniture stores, the more I realized I didn't want a "cheap" looking microfiber no matter how well it cleaned up and after owning a leather couch for 17 years, I desperately wanted a new look.
Pottery Barn- I've always been in love with the "Pottery Barn Look" but not the prices nor that fact that a lot of their furniture is really just junk with a label on it. I read the reviews on their famous Basic Sofa. Unfortunately they start at $1,200 plus shipping. That's not all..the slipcovers are $770+... that's not a typo! And to top it off, I read some reviews where owners were very unhappy with their choice and were upset they paid so much.
The more blogs I read and the more I looked into it, I realized Slipcovers were the way to go. After speaking to a great local furniture store, I realized a slipcover couch was going to cost me $1,100+. Of course I was promised it would last me a long time and how great it would be for a family.... still it was a few hundred out of our agreed upon price range.
Along comes IKEA! We don't live really close to Ikea but it's certainly not a huge ordeal to make the trek to check out their Ektorp couch. I read at least 20 blogs about happy owners (and a few unhappy) to know what we were getting ourselves into.
The best part about our find, is the price! You all know how I love to save money. Our new couch (including the slipcover) was only $400! That's right, half the cost of the couches we were looking at. I figured if we HATE it, we can find a spot for us in our new house (yet to be found or even looked for at this point) and we can get a "regular couch" or hopefully we'll have enough room for a sectional then.
After sitting on it in the store, we decided to go for it and loaded the huge box into our truck. Did I mention you have to put the Ikea couch together? It took me less than 40 minutes to get it folded up, arms and legs put on, and the slipcover on it.
I can honestly say after owning it for a little over a week, I LOVE it! I will say, it isn't as comfortable as my 17 year old fluffy beast but I'm hoping it soften up over time, AND my next purchase is a cozy throw and some great pillows. That's another story... the cost of pillows is crazy! I'm not paying $30/pillow so I'll be on the hunt for those next. Can't wait to share photos of the finished look. (This photo was taken with our old couch still in the room... which I'm happy to report was sold yesterday!)
Before you call me crazy for getting a white slip covered couch with that three year old and cat mentioned before, remember I did research the heck out this decision and turns out there are lots of mommies out there with white couches! I figure if someone with three boys and a dog can do it, so can I... and if I can't, there's always a trip back to Ikea for another slipcover. :) It washes well and I've already invested in some Oxi Clean and bleach.
I figure once I get over that first spill, I'll be less neurotic about shoes and food coming near my couch.
That and I have an extra slipcover for a quick change.
Now I'm off to find pillows and dare I say a coffee table?? (Did I mention, dear hubby, how much we "saved" on this couch?!) :)
Monday, February 13, 2012
Happy Valentine's Day
Just wanted to say Happy Valentine's Day!
Thank you to the Papas, Grandmas and Grandpas that sent us stuff. We're sure feeling the love at the Dimino house!
Maddie couldn't wait to wear her new clothes from Papa and Grandma Lena and eat the pistachios from Grandma Doris and Grandpa Frank.
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone that we L-O-V-E so much!
Thank you to the Papas, Grandmas and Grandpas that sent us stuff. We're sure feeling the love at the Dimino house!
Maddie couldn't wait to wear her new clothes from Papa and Grandma Lena and eat the pistachios from Grandma Doris and Grandpa Frank.
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone that we L-O-V-E so much!
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