Monday, June 13, 2011

Where I get a new couch and realize I have issues with holding onto things....

So this past Friday I had some free time to myself so I partook in one of my favorite summertime pastimes-Yard Saleing!!!  It was the first time I've been since last summer and I was pysched! I had a nice mug of coffee, a poocket full of $1, it was a sunny 70 degree day and my girlie was at school-What more could a woman ask for?  2.5 Hrs of fun for me!

While I was out and around and in the same neighborhood where this unfortunate incident took place, I noticed a very nice couch that one man was putting out. I looked at it and drove away. And that couch nagged at me all morning. It was in beautiful condition, having only been in this man's house for 2 years-He had plans to out it in his basement rec room when his wife found the sectional she wanted. It didn't fit down the stairs! It came with new slipcovers for the cushions and throw pillows. It even has goose down padding on each side of the cushions. It was $125. It was red. (it's actually the exact one pictured!)


Now I've had the same sofa since right before the year 2000. (Some of you who know me remember what happened to it when I partied like it was 1999-Well it was in fact, 1999....) At any rate, our sofa had seen better days. WAY BETTER DAYS. A small foot on one side actually broke last year. And even though it has removeable slipcovers, there are some spots that are never coming off....

But recall, I had been a SAHM for a little under 4 years until last year at this time. That time in my life was not a time to buy a new sofa. Hell, that time was hardly the time to buy new shoes....

But I digress, there was this nice sofa, but I could not get a hold of my husband. And a couch isn't something that I think you should just come home with. I mean, I would really NOT appreciate it if someone (my husband) came home with a couch without consulting me.... But I didn't get a hold of him and bought the couch anyway.

And do you see how happy that woman is in the picture? How she just sinks into that couch. Well it's JUST LIKE THAT! It's very comfortable. It has a big cushions. It looks very nice in my "restrained gold" (seriously, that is what the color is called.) living room. I feel that happy on it. All is well, right?

Well yes and no. What's bugging me is that old beat up couch in the garage. When I came home from a Girl Scout thing at the library on Sat my lovely old couch was ON IT'S SIDE in the dirty garage. It made me flinch. Isn't there somewhere in the house for that? I wondered to myself.  I loved that couch. We've all laid there sick, and had family movie nights, and late night talks with girlfriends, and I even got sick on it New Years Eve 1999 (if you had not already figured that one out) and Christmas mornings, and it was my first really nice furniture purchase. etc, etc, etc......


See What I Mean?
  I felt like I should apologize to it for replacing it. Is that weird?  I mean it's given me a lot of good years and all I'm doing is throwing it out... (and while I'm a huge fan of donating things, trust me, no one would want this couch.)  I don't feel like I am a person who is attached to her things, I really don't, but that couch is making me wonder. I mean it IS in the garage at this point and it's not like I'm NOT going to get rid of it, it just made me sad.... I also feel like this about my car that needs to be replaced at some point as well. These things are like old friends to me. (ok, that sounds creepy....) I like keeping things. It's frugal, and environmental, and not wasteful.  (I'm starting to worry about myself in my old age....That I'll be that lady who has worn the same sweater for like 10 years.....) I won't have a hoarding problem....Just an aversion to replacing things.... I already have an aversion to replacing things.

On the flip side, I love the couch. I LOVE the price. It's also not wasteful, and is environmental and frugal to buy a couch secondhand. Like I said eariler, until last year at this time I wasn't working. We have a lot of things that we need around here. Heck, the blender caught on fire last week while I was making a smoothie. A couch was way low on ths list things that need replacing or doing. In fact, just 2 weeks or so ago I was lamenting to myself that it was going to probably bea long while until we had a new couch. And perhaps it will be a while until I get a NEW couch but this one will be just fine until then! And until garbage day I'll go out to the garage and visit my old friend...

4 comments:

The Fine Art of Motherhood said...

Wait a minute -- did I write this and you are signing your name to it? I am the sentimental saver (hoarder) -- and I have all the same memories of my (formerly) white couches that I happily kicked to the curb when we got our new couches! First "big girl" purchase -- ok, girl & boy -- hubby and I bought them together -- I seriously almost called my parents because I was so nervous to make a decision on my own... Read Harry Potter on the couch every night while I was pregnant with Liv, napped with both babies on there -- I think one of my kids threw up on it, not me... Keep the sweet pictures, keep the NICE new couch (love it -- honestly, you are SOOO lucky with the curb finds!!! That right there tells you it was meant to be -- practically new, great condition, great price, matches your decor!!) and wish the old couch a fond farewell, my friend! ;)

Christine said...

Ha!!! I know!!! Isn't that funny! You know me, this shouldn't be an issue.

BTW, I liked your white couches too!!!

I think you'll really like how this new one looks in the living room, although you may have to come over and re-style the room with a few more red accents.


We uprighted the old couch in the garage and I sat on it today. And realized it IS a pretty bad couch.

The Fine Art of Motherhood said...

Ha! I seem to recall me wanting to put more red in there and someone saying firmly, "NO MORE RED IN HERE!" Hmmm... ;) I'd love to help with that!

It was a very nice couch -- now it's time to say goodbye and enjoy your new couch! That's the trick (that I'm learning...) -- knowing when it's time to let go!

Christine said...

I've always had problems knowing when it was time to let go. ;-)

But the red, I almost DIDN'T buy the couch because of the red factor in there but apparently you were right. It does look nice in there and give the room a little more depth.

And it's a really clean couch-That ougtht to count for something....