Throw Pillows are our Friends

Had a nice time today w/ the girls.  We ran a bunch of errands and bought a few things to freshen up the house.  I really needed a new set of towels, T needed a few back to school items and the girls needed new shower curtain liners (so random).  I also bought some new pillows for the couch. 

Here's the thing w/ the couch.  We desperately need a new couch.  Unfortunately, I'm an all or nothing kind of girl and we (as in Coach and I) both know that for me to go out and buy ONLY a couch is next to impossible.  We'll get the couch home and I'll realize the room needs to be painted.  And the end tables/coffee tables/TV hutch/whatever just don't seem to "go" anymore.  Oh and we'll need a new rug.  A new curtains.  And those curtain rods don't look right anymore.  Oh but hey!  You know what I'd really like to do?  It would  be really awesome if we could bust through that wall and build a screen porch off the kitchen and since we're doing some work in the kitchen, let's rip up that floor everyone hates and put down new flooring.  But if we good with hardwood, it will have to match the existing wood.  Which is going to be extremely difficult.  So, we should just re-finish ALL the hardwoods in the house so it's all cohesive.

And this is why I bought a couple of throw pillows instead of a whole new couch. 

 

Here's the Before:

 

And here's the After:

 

house hunters

One of my favorite blogs/websites is: http://www.hookedonhouses.net/. They posted the following link regarding a House Hunter's (HGTV) drinking game:
http://realtybites.estately.com/house-hunters-drinking-game/
I love some of the comments listed after the post and secretly agree with most of them:

-Must have dual sinks in the en suite (sharing? are you mad?)
-a gas oven (otherwise, cooking simply can't be done)
-dedicated office space (even though he works on a loading dock)

You forgot a few....
-Stairs are too dangerous for anyone under the age of 18
-Disappointed when there is carpet and no hardwood
-Emphasize they want a house with "character" and yet go for the cookie-cutter new (or almost new) build

Do I get to drink the whole bottle if?:
- Prospective house buyer brings his/her mother on the shopping trip (a move usually reserved for "Property Virgins")
- Said granite/stainless kitchen critic admits to "never cooking"
- All three houses have enough backyard room for the dog (otherwise known as three-of-a-kind)

Drink Thrice - when the prospective buyers make a direct comment about something fundamental they do not like about the house and the agent totally ignores them and talks about something else to distract them or totally dismisses their concern. Example - gee, it's going to be kinda noisy living over the train tracks to which the agent replies - but you won't have far to walk to catch the train.

How about "Awww...only ONE bathroom (and there is only TWO of them) that's a real deal breaker"! =ONE DRINK

or....you have a couple looking for a house and when the realtor shows them a spare room he/she says WOULD MAKE A GREAT NURSERY" The wife giggles with glee and husband laughs nervously... =1/2 A DRINK

oh one more...houses are too close together and they see the neighbor's yard or the neighbor can see their yard

I am always amused when the folks featured on the show are moving out of either their parents basement or a crappy apartment and find really weird goofy stuff to complain about. I don't know if they're really are that annoying or if they're just doing it for the camers. In any event, I just want to yell "it's better than what you've got now!!!"