Homefront: So Long, Couches

 We got rid of our couches!! I did love my slipcovers, but my highly energetic 4 year old is a major couch jumper, and keeping those things on, are near impossible with him. It's been a good 2-3 year run with them, so I'm not complaining. We are selling off the large couch and slipcovers in a garage sale this weekend, but keeping the small loveseat with it's slipcovers to cozy up another room.

9 years ago when we were first married, I fell in love with a gray sofa. But, $500 was way too much, so we got a half sectional, gray corduroy for $86 on clearance from an actual furniture store. I loved that couch... but since it only had one arm, the cushions always slid off the other side. Ever since then, we have had one couch dilemma after another. Always from garage sales, hand me downs... at one point, we were using a bundt pan and kettle to sturdy the broken legs of a very awful sunny yellow floral monstrosity.

My slipcovers (white pottery barn and brown surefits) were heavenly, but they had drawbacks as well. Constant rearranging and so forth. So, nearly every single day for the past year I have been searching for nice, sturdy, affordable gray couches. Preferably, ones in which the cushions do not easily come off.

 And I found them last week! A natuzzi microfiber gray sofa and loveseat for $225... barely used on craigslist. They are a little shorter/smaller than I was hoping, but aside from that singular detail, perfection.

Ever since we brought these couches in, I have been on a major redecorating curve. I found these images of Kristin's living room via Little Green Notebook and it inspired a living room transformation. The beginnings  is taking form in a similar style and placement as hers.

Now all I have on my list to do... rehang wall art, find a coffee table, paint our tv stand, maybe dye our curtains, and learn how to slipcover my $1 skirted circle ottoman find. Pics to come soon!

Adorable Paper Dots Garland Tutorial

I saw this paper dots beaded garland tutorial on Oh Happy Day and thought it was totally adorable, practical, inexpensive and easy. All you need is crepe paper! Maybe I will do something like this to create a little wall feature for the nursery? We've been busting our hineys the past few days to get the room ready... all craft supplies have been moved to our room and the baby's room is underway. Pics will follow soon!

Purging and Clarity

simplify via homegrown hospitality

With all the losing photos, morning sickness, fatigue and all, I got way behind blogging. And now, I can't get my camera too load pics or work half the time, it's always one thing after another, isn't it? But people, I am due with my little baby girl in 3 WEEKS! And we still don't have a name for her. Hubs is stuck on one, and one day I love it and the next day it gives me a sour face just thinking about it. So... for anyone who asks about a name, I'm sure you will all be just as surprised as I will be on what it is.

free simplify printable, marjorie pay hinckly quote via it works for bobbi

Right now, I'm in a major purging mood. I feel like clutter and junk, and my dog's smelly skin particles, and the smelly rotting wood from the bathroom cabinets (dang rental) are just like sticking to me and I can't breathe. Pretty major clutter anxiety meltdown here. (And no, it's not totally nesting, I've been feeling this way for a looong time!) If I could just dump about 75% of my belongings and furniture in a box and haul it off and gets lots of money, I would be thrilled, and would in all honesty, probably not miss a single thing. But when I get down into the organizing, I have a hard, HARD time figuring out what to do with it all.

 how to yard sale, for buyers and sellers via nester

We could use the cash a garage sale, or craigslist/ebay whatever would merit, but with a barely working camera and the major headache of a garage sale and a husband who works most Saturdays lately and a broken down truck in the driveway.... I don't know if it's even worth it. I did sale some furniture already, (though I deeply regret selling this chair)... but I really need new couches (and to repair that dang truck) and so the money, even if not much sounds great. So, I know it will either be a garage sale, or I am calling up a charity to come and haul off tons and tons of boxes and can only hope that we could get a decent tax write off.

  declutter list via little lucy lu

Since I'm clearly not in the right frame of mind for decision making, I'm off to see what I can part with and throw them all in boxes! These helpful and simple declutter tactics and this awesome post on 99 ways to simplify life with kids are giving me some strength! I want to live more simply, a "tiny life", in a organized and refreshing atmosphere that doesn't stress me out every time I open a cabinet door looking for a cake pan, and tons of old pots and such fall on my toe.