Couch Potatoes

Yes, yes we are.

E & I watch TV in our Family Room almost constantly. We spend more time there than we do in our own beds. We also eat dinner on the couches.

For the past four years (how have I lasted that long?!) we have had hand-me-down couches from E's aunt. Her decor style is country. And these couches were purchased circa 1985. You can't even begin to imagine the sort of blue and white gingham and flower pattern that threw up all over this 1960's-style wing-back couch and loveseat. I wish I had a picture but, alas, the camera is afraid of these couches.

I have them covered with slipcovers. Currently, they sport a chocolate brown microsuede. They look unoffending, for about five seconds. Once you sit on them, you realize that the regular slip-covers don't fit wing-back couches and loveseats. And, no one makes slip covers for wing-back couches and loveseats. My guess is only two people in the world own wing-back couches and loveseats: us and E's aunt.

Anyway, the point. We recently went shopping for a new couch/loveseat set. We went to several places and ended up purchasing at Roomful Express. We bought this set:

We were told that the couches would be in our house between mid-to-late June. But the salesperson hinted that it was more likely to be there mid-June. Apparently she lied.

I got a call today that the couches would not be delivered until mid-July. Putting them at slightly over a month from the purchase! I was not OK with that. I had already had a goodbye party for the ugly couches and was fantasizing about the dog not having a slip-cover to tug on. So, I complained. Not angrily, just in a disappointed way. I mentioned that, had I known it was going to take over a month, I would have purchased from somewhere else. Less than a minute later, I was offered free delivery, meaning the delivery charge we paid for would be comped. Deal!

I will gladly spend an extra two weeks with the gingham and flowers (covered by brown microsuede, of course) in order to have any extra $110 in my bank account.

Now, it will be a different story if the couches take ANY longer than that!

Kitchen Upgrades- Part 1

We have a big kitchen. The room is roughly 11 x 14 with a lot of wall space. It feels roomy. And bright.

When we moved in, the kitchen only had one wall of cabinets, original to the house and painted white. Between the fridge, the sink and the dishwasher, the wall only had enough room for two over-head cabinets, two under-counter cabinets (one under the sink), one drawer, and one hard-to-reach over the fridge cupboard. Read: no storage.

The previous owners left a big bulky fake-wood cabinet that served as a pantry, and we brought in a kitchen cart that houses our microwave and pots and pans. Everything had a place as long as we kept all of our small appliances in the dining room, the dog food in the basement steps, and our baking items in a hard-to-reach cabinet obscured by pot lids. It was not efficient.

Last weekend, I packed up half of the kitchen and painted the walls a beautiful light grey color called Plantation Moss (Valspar matched into Behr). And moved the wood cabinet, with our canned goods, into the garage. What do you think of the progress so far?

Painted new-cabinet wall

Next chapter: assembling and installing extra cabinets and a counter top.

So much for the summer!

I cannot believe May is already gone! I have so many updates to post, please bear with me.

1. Running Update: I injured my knee after my awesome four mile run at the beginning of May and have been sidelined ever since! Every week I start off hopeful that I will get to run again, but then a short run with the puppy in the backyard has me limping... Maybe THIS is the week!

2. Rowing?!: Although I have not been able to run, I joined my work's corporate rowing team and am rowing every Wednesday until late July. I am so excited for this adventure! I had always wanted to try rowing, and now I actually get to do it for half the summer.

3. Puppy: Big Boss has been a joy to have in our house. He is a fantastic little pup and is learning fast. There have been a few hiccups along the way with his training, but he's getting there. And, he definitely is the sweetest pup around!

4. House updates: We have started purchasing furniture! Soon, I will blog about our bathroom re-caulking project that turned into a month-long saga rather than a weekend DIY. I also have to share a post about cutting down an unsightly dying tree in our front yard. I just need to take some after photos to share with you, otherwise the afters are not all that exciting.

Our first big update is coming up this weekend: the kitchen! Stay tuned for a few posts about the before, during and after of this mini-remodel. New cabinets are being delivered as I type! After the kitchen, we are tackling the dining room, then the living room, and finally adding a patio to our backyard.

We hope to be fully done by Labor Day weekend so we can throw a housewarming/wedding anniversary party and get to enjoy our house with our close friends.