Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Goodbye Ghetto


When we first got married, we thought that we scored big time when Jason's old apartment complex was selling their couches and we got, not only this sofa, but the matching love seat as well for only $30!! Now I am left wondering if we actually thought that these purple velour Navajo Indian print couches were actually attractive. We attempted to spruce them up after they adorned our home for 3 years by buying slip covers for them. It didn't help much. We always knew that we would replace them, but there were always other expenses that took priority. Finally, 8 1/2 years later they have officially been retired. They've seen alot...our first little apartment, our first house, our first baby....these were the couches that friends and family slept on before we had a guest bed. These are the couches that Jason slept on when he was in the dog house--totally kidding :)....they've been thrown up on, peed on, pooped on, colored on and spilled on by my kids. They've definately seen more in their lifetime than any couch ever should. So with all these memories immersed in the fabric of these couches, you would think that I would be a bit nostalgic about parting ways. You would think--but no. The day we got rid of these was the happiest day of my life!! They are now basking in their white trash glory on the side of our house until we can convince the D.I. that it is worth their time to come and pick them up. They got replaced by this cute little funky sofa, I think it's the perfect couch for the loft. Now I just need to work on stuff for the walls, drapes, rug, end table, yadda, yadda...the list never ends!

22 comments:

Heidi Ann said...

I'd never make fun of your furniture but that couch was...well...scary! But what a deal and back then of course you wouldn't not get it. I love the replacement, very clean and there's so mcuh you can do with it!

Pam Jorgensen said...

Not so bad as first couches go. The new one is cute...I'm interested to know, however, how many times a day you will be putting those colorful cushion/pillows back on the couch. Our couch and loveseat like that almost never have the back cushions on them...they are all over the floor for leap frog or walls of forts or piled for jumping...

The Morris Fam said...

What a cute new couch! I love the colorful cushions- they kind of remind me of your new template. Yeah- that couch is pretty yucky- especially since so many accidents have happened on it! Love you guys!

Janessa said...

Oh, yeah! And if you'll recall, you guys were thoughtful enough to tell us about the steal of a deal on the couches and we too were graced with a matching purple velour Navajo Indian print couch in our family room for the first several years of marriage. We were able to part ways with our beauty a few years before you though:) Phew! I am so loving your new couch! The colorful pillows are great. I'll bet it looks awesome in your loft. I wish I could run over and see it. You'll have to keep us posted on the room as the other decor evolves.

Crystal said...

Cute couch. Love the color. I see some bold choices being made in that room...seriously, though, I really feel sorry for whoever ends up with your old one!!!

Kelly said...

Ha ha ha! I totally remember that couch and Casa Dea apartments (Casa Dookie)! I remember when you thought the couch smelled bad so you lit a glass candle and put it on the couch to air out!

Shanen said...

Super cute...I love the new couch, and the color choices for pillows. Nice Job. You will have fun decorating.

Jodee said...

Love It! We had a couch like that, our first one was a hand-me-down from Ronnie's friend who got it at an estate sale. Yeah, we were sitting on a dead guys couch for a few years!
I love the new couch, those are totally my colors right now.
And the comment above about you lighting a candle and sticking it on the couch totally cracks me up, I can just see you doing that!
But the REAL questions is, have you gotten rid of that futon? You know the one I am talking about!

Heather said...

That first couch is a little scary, I'll admit. I love the replacement. I'm all about throw pillows--even when you have to rearrange them 13 times a day. It's worth it for the aesthetic effects!
I'm glad you made it to the grocery store. Maybe my food bill would go down if I thought about what I wanted for dinner before I went!

Sheba Price said...

oh my goodness Jamie! That couch is so funny! I can not laugh becuase we just got rid of ours LAST YEAR! And we have been married for 12 years! We kept those things for way to long except ours were the green, maroon, blue couches EVERYONE and their dog had if you were married in the late 90's. YEA.
I love the new couch and in no time, knowing you and your sewing skills, you will have the whole loft set up in no time! You would die if you went to the district in L.A. girl! You will have to plan a trip.

Chelsea said...

OH MY HECK!! I have seen those slipcovered sofas a million times, but little did I know what horrifying secret was hiding underneath!! HA! :) Hey I would have never known, very good disguise. I say we do that couch a favor & light it up for a neighborhood bonfire!! Whaddya say? Ah, just kiddin.. our first couches were part leather/part vinyl in a "taupe" color or so I thought..over the years people kept calling them our 'green' couches! Hmmm.

OH! and I LOVE your new couch! Way to be bold!! Love those fun colors. Good for you!

Rachel said...

LOVE the bold colors on the new couch. Juston and I still have the green couches from the old apartment. I am ready to retire them but there is seriously always something else taking up the moola. One day... :)

Glazier5 said...

Lucky you! Love the new couch! We finally got rid of "one" of our ghetto couches, still have one to go! I'm patiently waiting for my living room to turn into a living room instead of ghetto couch storage room!

Brooklyn said...

Cute couch Jamie! That is soooo funny! Love the comedy night pics too! How fun!

Michelle Y. said...

I love Sheba's comment about the couch every newlywed got in the late 90's. We have a plad burgendy, navy blue and tan couch that we keep in our office so not many people see it and it looks like an office couch. We bought it with the money we got for our wedding and it was new so we thought we were doing pretty well for newlyweds. So yeah, we still have it after 10 1/2 years and we are not planning on getting rid of it any time soon. Great disguise for your old couch, I had no idea the secret you were keeping :)

Rohm Family said...

I saw the same couch when T and I went couch shopping last night :) It is cute, - way to go Jason for wanting a little color- doesn't it seem like every guy wants everything brown black or beige :)

Kandice said...

You will not believe this but we almost bought the same couch. I loved the whole living room set, the coffee table was glass with the colored cubes underneath that you could pull out and sit on. But it was a little to funky for Wade, we ended up getting great stuff, but so funny we have the same taste.

Suni said...

I agree with Chelsea you could throw an awesome neighborhood bonfire just tell your neighbors to bring some marshmellows! That is too funny! I love your new couch and pillows!

Marisa said...

I love the new couch!!! It's so cute. Don't you love how long the "first" furniture that you get ends up sticking around?!? I'm totally wanting to redo all of your hand-me-down furniture these days, too. It always seems that something else always comes up, though. So I'm glad that the couches made #1 on the list!

Cammi said...

I love it! You can do so much in that room with all of those colors. How fun! It takes me forever to find anything I like enough to buy it. If you find any cute end tables, do share. I'm on the hunt for a couple of those. And a coffee table ... and a rug. You're right - the list never ends! Congratulations on the new furniture :-)

Alisa Larson said...

As I've noted before, this ghetto couch would have gone perfect with our first ghetto table and chairs! Ah.....the wonderfuld years of newlyweds!

Nichols Family said...

Nice! That is...your NEW couch! But your old couches were pretty fly too. Yes, like many, we had a nice ivory colored couch we finally retired last year when it turned BROWN! Now we have green ones I grew to hate too. My New Year's resolution: Get couches I love.
:)