Sharon visited this weekend and Ken and I took the opportunity to run away from our familial obligations. And we shopped. It’s been a while, and there’ve been things we’ve been meaning to get, so. Some books (less than usual – likely because Ken checked the release dates instead of me with my 10 pg long amazon wishlist), some clothes for me (business casual since I’m a “business woman” now, right? 
), some video games for Ken and Ethan – something called Katamari which he just LURVES and can actually play on his new, small-sized controller.
Oh, and a living room set. We’ve been wanting to replace our ever so stylish futon and hand-me-down furniture for a long time, but we’ve had other things on the agenda and have been busy and yadda yadda. So now that the futon is really starting to get annoying (the seat keeps slipping forward and trying to straighten itself out – drives me nuts) and the reclining loveseat is on it’s last legs, we’ve been further encouraged to do something about it. So we spent the day driving around to one furniture store after another. Sitting, saying “nope” and moving on. Testing and working our hip flexor muscles to their max and irritating at least one salesdude (who was the “follow around but be no help whatsoever” type, grr!). We finally made a choice with a company and drove back to them to make the deal. I’d have pictures but, alas, though we had Sharon’s cell with us (it takes pictures) we didn’t even think to use it til we’d been home a bit and she asked what they looked like. Duh!
So it’s a reclining loveseat in a medium brown, microfibre (we’d have gotten all of them in that but as durable as it is it’s also pricey), and a sofa with matching chair and ottoman in a lighter beige colour that has a reverse-embossed square pattern (different texture, same colour so it’s subtle) and contrasting pillows that will match the loveseat. It will all match. It’s neutral colours. It has protection plans and guarantees and such and should last us a good long time. Sales dude (very nice, not pushy) had loads of information and answered every one of our questions (did you know that “wear” on furniture is because of dust + grease = fibre breakdown and not because of bums!?). He was very honest and told us, when we originally priced the sofa for microfibre, that he was just not happy with how expensive it was going to be (so the sofa/chair/ottoman will be fabric).
So in 6-8wks we’ll be shifting furniture and losing some furniture and getting financing terms made up for the remainder of the cost of the deal. Are we swimming in money, to be able to afford this? Hells no. However sometimes you need to incur a bit of debt to make everyday life happier. We may end up putting off some home-improvement stuff until next year (and use the gub-mint $ we’re getting for this, instead) or pay it down slowly over time.
I’ll show you our spiffy living room once we’ve got everything. We’re definitely painting in there this summer (and elsewhere in the house – that home-improvement is still happening), so I’ll be able to have the “finished product” to show you too.
The end of April/mid-May is just too far away, though.