Couch Chaos

We had a bit of drama around the casa this past weekend.  It all revolved around the most used piece of furniture in the house.  The couch.

Now, the couch we've been using for the past 5 years is a hand-me-down from my hub's, sister's, old roommate.  Got that?  It's big, and green, and knobby, and really, really broken down.  Really.  With a dog and a 2 year old, we haven't minded much.  However, having people over, that's another story!  The springs in the center are so sprung I had to roll out of it when I was pregnant.  Bad.

I wish I had a picture to show you, but seeing as how it was no beauty queen, I don't have any!  What I do have for you is a story.

While at a birthday party last week, the moms and I got to chatting about sofas.  "Oh, we won't replace ours for a long time.  We're just not ready for something nice yet", I stated with confidence.  Well, friends, at this exact moment, our beloved dog was hurling neon yellow Moon Dough on said couch.

Who eats Moon Dough?

When we got home from the birthday party, one of the cushions was no longer green.  Picture a tennis ball.  Let's add a new element to the story.  My parents were coming into town for the weekend...in about two hours.  How do you entertain with a neon yellow puke sofa?

Desperate times call for- no, not desperate measures- insane measures.  Measures you would never, ever attempt in your normal, calm state.  My bright idea?  Let's stuff the entire cushion in the washing machine.  You are probably shaking your head right now and screaming "No! Don't!" and you are absolutely right.  In what world would an oversized couch cushion fit in a washing machine?  But fit it I did - totally ignoring the voice telling me to STOP.

"This is going to be great", I thought.  I'd wash the neon one, and it would work so well, I'd wash the 2nd one too.  It'll be like a new couch!  Wrong.  Oh, so very, very wrong.

While back downstairs, scrubbing out the little neon piles all over the carpet, a sound resembling the whistle of a ship came from the laundry room.  If only I had listened to that little voice telling me not to put the cushion in the washer.  If only.

Smoke.  Water on the floor.  Green, mucky water.  Must. Get.  Cushion.  Out.  One thousand pounds.  Sopping wet.  Water trail through the master bedroom.  Cushion in tub.  Horrid, horrid, burning barf smell.  Crying.  Lots and lots of crying.


Don't worry everyone.  The laundry room is fine.  The water came up easily and the washing machine isn't broken.  A little mad at me, but working.  The cushion, on the other hand, is beyond repair.  This led to an impromptu trip to Ikea.  When you need a new couch, but aren't ready for fine furniture due to pets and kids, Ikea is the place!

We are now the proud owners of an Ektorp sofa with a lovely white slipcover.  Yes, I said white.  But, I also said slipcover.  Those babies can be washed and bleached...and they DO fit in the washing machine. 

So all is well again.  The green monster is gone and we are loving the new one.  Getting it home from the store, well, that's another post.

On the Hunt for Gray

The running joke between my mom and dad is that my mom would rather paint than dust.  She changes room colors like other people change light bulbs (well, before the squiggly ones that last forever!).  So I blame my itchin' for a paintbrush bug on her.  My kitchen is on its third color in 5 years.  Now, you should know that the 2nd color only lasted 2 months.  When it's not right, you know, and you don't let it linger!  The new color is divine...the perfect "greige".

My bedroom is on its second color...and it's not right.  I was going for a soft, dove gray, but anyone who has worked with grays knows they are a bear and half!  You risk winding up with the battleship look, or, with what I have, gray trying hard to be lavender.  I used to have red accents in our bedroom, but when the new paint went up, they HAD to go!  This means the paint has a lot of blue in it.  So I brought home a beautiful robin's egg blue quilt for the bottom of the bed.  Still putting off lavender vibes and still not right!

Are you seeing the purpley vibe?

                                                                     Yikes!  Here it is again!

Oh look.  Grey again.  What?  If there was one thing I took away from art school it is that colors can and do play off each other.  This one happens to like playing purple.  Ugh.

Just for kicks...here's a few pics of the first color we had in the master for 5 years.  Remember when green and red was really in?

I'd like to think my taste has changed for the better.  Upward and onward right?

It's time to hit the paint store again, but this time, I'm doing some research.  I need something soft, yet warm.  Neutral, but not plain.  Luxe and fab and absolute perfection!  Too much to ask out of a paint color?  Who knows?  What I do know is the mister is going to need some convincing to get on board with this project. ;) Either that, or I'm going to have to paint really fast on a workday!!

Anyone out there ever struck out on a paint color?  Anyone have a paint color they adore?