I can't begin to tell you how much I want a new couch. The one we have is falling apart. Two of the legs have snapped off, and since I haven't gotten around to replacing them, my couch sits at an angle. The covers on the cushions are messed up. The zippers won't stay zipped, which leaves the delicious (according to the dog) foam exposed. The dog tears up the foam and that layer of polyfil batting between the cover and the foam. The fabric is... well, it's ugly. It's a pastel print with giant roses on it, it's stained from years of immersion in cigarette smoke, and it's kind of itchy. But... it was free. My aunt had packed this set away in the barn and when she saw a picture of our old couch, she took pity on us and gave us this one. The last couch was leather, or something sort of like it, which is something I am not a particular fan of. Couches ought to be cozy. I can't get cozy on a leather couch. Looking back, I don't think it was in as bad a shape as this one. Sure, it wasn't pretty, but it was structurally sound. Anyway, we don't have that one anymore. We have the floral monster, and it looks like we are going to be stuck with it.
So, instead of sleeping (which is really what I should be doing), I am up contemplating what I am going to do with this couch. It needs some new legs, for starters. I'm thinking about just getting some wooden blocks from my dad (he always has scraps) and sticking them on in place of the ones that are missing and the two other plastic ones that probably won't last much longer. I don't want to remove the legs entirely, since that will put the couch very, very low to the ground. It needs legs. I am also thinking about just covering it. I have huge, HUGE bins of fabric; surely some of that can be pressed into service as furniture covering. I have a great deal of plaid. Turns out, you can get scads of cotton plaid at Wal-Mart for $1 a yard, and several years ago (when I had more money than sense) I stocked up on hideous plaids. Don't ask me why. Most of them are still on the bolt. Trouble is, I don't particularly want to go through the trouble of matching up all those piddly little stripes. My brilliant idea is to cover the back and sides of the couch in heavy muslin or canvas (painter's drop cloth=cheap!) or some other kid and cat-proof material, but cover the cushions in different plaids. I think it could end up looking quite cool. The other thing I like about this idea is that the cushions would be fairly easy to re-cover if I get tired of the plaid, or if I just want to swap it out seasonally. I'm a big fan of cozy and country (roosters everywhere, I kid you not), but the hubby prefers sleek and modern. I think I might be able to blend the two together if I use dark stained wooden blocks for chair legs and plain muslin or canvas for the slip-covers, but tossing that plaid on there will give it that nice touch of homey coziness that I am so fond of. Let's see if I can put this plan into action.
I still haven't gotten much done in the kids' room.
I did get their beds separated, and that has made a huge difference, but sometimes it seems like a bit of a lost cause to me. It's always such a mess in there, and I don't have the money to do all the things I want to do. The "m" word again. I need to make do. I've always been pretty crafty, and this is really a make it work moment for me. I need to get on the ball. For reals.
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