Thursday, April 25, 2013

Around the Ranch

Can you guys believe that April is almost gone? The weather is so strange here in Tennessee. It's Spring-like during the day and at night, it's in the 30's or 40's sometimes. We got a new birdbath at an estate sale last year and filled it up for the critters on a recent Saturday. That very same day, a big crow started bringing his meals to wash in the formerly sparklingly clean birdbath. It's been pretty gross so far. He's brought a dead baby bird and some other unidentifiable critter...and even a quesadilla! That quesadilla made us laugh pretty hard as we couldn't help but think of "Napoleon Dynamite". After the crow brought a huge wad of coleslaw yesterday, Mister Kitsch decided that he was going to start documenting the crow's birdbath meal remains with photos. Don't worry. I won't show them to you...but I do think that it might be a fascinating project just the same! If only we were hip enough to have Instagram. Those cute filters could add a certain something to the project, don't you think?

The past week has been pretty busy. I've been cleaning out the garage and closets and let me tell you - I had a TON of stuff to get rid of. I liked every single item but have decided that if I don't LOVE something, it's no longer taking up space in my house. After taking two carloads to Goodwill and having my Dressbarn ladies (and a Mister) over to pick through the vintage items, the house feels so much lighter. Of course, I DID buy something new on my way home from one of those Goodwill trips but as I told the Mister: "It goes on the wall so it doesn't count as taking up space". I'll show you what I got tomorrow!

And while we're on the topic of feeling lighter, I feel a lot less weighed-down too. I got ten inches cut off of my hair yesterday! I desperately needed a haircut and bravely got it cut in a haircutting class at a local salon - well, because it was free. I had thought that the experienced teacher was going to be cutting my hair with the students watching her - but once I got there, I quickly learned that I would be getting my hair cut by a very green student. It was a pretty white-knuckle experience, let me tell you! I didn't really walk out of there with the style that I wanted but I think that it will be fine in a few weeks. Have any of you ever had one of those hairstyles that has to evolve? One of those evolving hairstyles that is too short to pull up into a ponytail even though you asked that it be long enough to? I think that I'll go down to one of the forty weave stores that are in my neighborhood and pick out a clip-on ponytail.

And in other news: We got our couch back from the upholsterer today! I think that he did a great job. Whew!  It's pretty nerve-wracking to devote a chunk of money to a final result that you can't predict but we really love what he did with it.


It's very 1960's doctor's office, isn't it? 

"Here. I'll just need you to fill out these forms."

I wonder if we could invite a bunch of people over for a movie party and charge copays?


We kept the old cushions (as they were the only part of the old couch that wasn't destroyed by the hellcats) and I like the way that they look too. 




It's hard to tell with my spastic photos but there is a good deal of wood on the frame of the couch and it matches the old cushions. I'm having a hard time giving those old cushions up as they were the reason that I liked the old couch.

Which cushions do you guys like better? Let me know your thoughts! I'm so nervous that the cats are going to take a liking to it and do it in. I keep walking into the living room just to make sure that it's safe from their wrath. Hopefully since it's vinyl, they'll just leave it the heck alone. They do have three scratching posts so I don't think it would be too much to ask! Jeez...

I'd highly recommend our upholsterer if you're in the Nashville area. We used Pace Upholstery and Mr. Pace is located in Tullahoma. He picked up the sofa from us in Nashville and within a week and a half, we had a brand new sofa. I think that's pretty good turn-around time! Here is a link to his Facebook page if my local folks ever want to use him. He's a very nice guy and he even brought us gifts!



Cowabunga! Phones! 

When he originally came to pick up our couch, he noticed that we had an old yellow rotary phone and thought that we might like some more. Boy, did we! We were super excited about getting these. When he came into the house today and said "Oh yeah. I have a gift for you!" my first thought was that he'd found something dicey inside of our couch - maybe a fat roll of twenties (because I'm always losing those) or a dead mouse - but it turned out much better! If you ever use him, tell him that the wacky couple in the phone hoarding house recommended him.

I've always wanted an aqua rotary phone and heck, I've never even seen that particular shade of orange that's on the wall phone. It's atomic, isn't it? Here's the dial on the bottom of the red stand phone.



Sooooo cool! He didn't even know that we collect phones.


Though I think that we're going to need more shelving now.  And an additional phone operator. Pip is never going to be able to answer them all. Especially with all of the breaks that she takes. She's Union.


Well, that's it for today. I'd better go guard the couch! I hope that you all are having a really great week! 

Until next time,
x's and o's,
Eartha


22 comments:

Lisa said...

LOOKIN' GOOD, COUCH! Oh! I'm so happy it turned out well, I was worried about it for no good reason. :) It looks so sleek with its new vinyl! And hopefully the cats will ignore it this time around.

Also, your upholsterer brings you gifts of awesome, mid century mad (oh my god, the red one)phones? I AM JEALOUS.

I hope to hear more (I'm gruesomely intrigued...esp. about the quesadilla) about this crazy crow, btw.

Lisa said...

PS: ORIGINAL DRESS BARN CREW, REPRESENT. :)

Jamie@OwlReally.com said...

Dress Barn Crew in the house!!!! :)

YOUR COUCH IS MY DREAM COUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just had to get that out there. I swear, I have been searching and searching and searching and SEARCHING for a leather-esque tufted mcm couch. I'm dying! I might have to talk to you offline about your couch and fabric etc! I even have been looking on Craigslist for a couch to just redo but no such luck. We're going to ATL next week and I thought "Well, maybe I'll just give the Karlstad a little sit and see how we like it and then have ModerNash get it for us." BUT YOUR COUCH IS AMAZING! I might steal it. :)

And how nice of him to bring phones!! That's so sweet. Love it all!

Jamie@OwlReally.com said...

PS you just got pinned to my "couch coveting" board!!!

jesse.anne.o said...

My cats TRASHED my naugahyde upholstery but I really think it was because the cushion underneath was too squishy so they felt like they could knead on it. I think if you have firm cushions, you have a much better chance. It looks great. May god be with it.

Rae - Say It Aint So said...

i like being part of a crew, even if it is a dress barn crew! ha! we need to have a potluck or go out to dinner somewhere fun! i need to talk to you about my pagent past. I always mean to when i see you, but then i forget!
i think the couch looks GREAT! I like it both ways. Which isn't the answer you wanted im' sure but i really can't decide which one looks better!
ALSO i love the list of mr. crow's lunch leftovers! i'm sure I don't want to see pictures, but keep us posted! the quesodilla is the best! and if you got to performance studio on thompson the drag queen that works there is really fun to buy wigs from! he helped my friend crystal get some to wear to work to cover her green hair and it was fun! i'm sure he'd help you out with a pony tail! ha! travis got his hair cut at the barber college he looked like corky from waiting for guffman. i made him let me take pictures before i buzzed it off for him.

Unknown said...

I am jealous of this picking party! But for real, that coach is amazing. My mom needs a chair redone and that seems like a possible place to go. How are they price wise?

Dana@Mid2Mod said...

I love the sofa with the striped cushions on it! And those phones...wow! Lucky you! A week and a half turnaround on upholstery is unheard of around here. That's amazing. And that crow...I think the cole slaw struck me even funnier than the quesadilla.

Lauren T said...

Totally jealous of the DBC! I'll bet that was good pickin'! And the new couch looks fantastic.

Leah said...

I'd love to have a crow washing his coleslaw in my birdbath! You guys are so lucky! :D

Jackie Jardine said...

That couch is old school medical, Eartha. Love it! I'm also really digging your phone collection too. I scored a free mock-vintage pay phone from a reward catalogue at work and love its candy apple red color. Still, a real vintage phone ring-a-linging would be nice.

<3 Jackie @ Let's Go Thrifting

Jacob said...

That weird red phone is the coolest

art deco dame said...

The phones are so cool!The couch I think turned out nice.I want to get mine redone cause the cushions are pretty dry and the fabric is starting to get pretty snagged.

Karen/Small Earth Vintage said...

The couch looks fantastic, and I like both sets of cushions! I also love the fact that your upholsterer brought you phones. That red phone is the coolest.

Also, I would like to see photos of the crow meals. Though I have read the other comments, and see that I may be the only one.

SUZY8-TRACK said...

Your sofa looks amazing! Your upholsterer sounds like a super nice and super cool dude! Seriously envious of your Ericofone.

Mr. Tiny said...

I thought I loved your couch before (and I did) but the revamp is so smart! I was a little nervous when you mentioned vinyl, but I shouldn't have doubted you; It really looks sophisticated. I have always been a sucker for button-tufting and this is absolutely no exception. I have my grandmothers sofa that is in desperate need of reupholstery; maybe I need to come to TN...I am also a sucker for "free gift with purchase!"

sandy lawrence said...

The sofa is fab. I agree with others; both ways look wonderful and totally different. Lucky you, you can have two couches in one! Maybe a seasonal change w/the fabric cushions and then w/the vinyl?

linda h said...

i guess i already said when you sent your couch away how much i hoped you were keeping the striped cushions.

Mark Beam said...

Love the couch! It looks good with both sets of cushions, but the black cushions are definitely my first choice. I can't help but think it would look fantastic with some red throw pillows. Also, that Ericofon is fantastic! They're rather hard to come by, especially the red ones! I got lucky enough to find one to add to my collection, and it's my favorite! There's a website called ericofon.com that has a lot of good info on them. :)

Hope Thompson said...

Oh my god that couch, STOP IT.

So that guy not only gave you a super awesome revamped couch BUT ALSO brought you gorgeous old phones, my goodness. He's a keeper! I have a '50s Streit Slumber Chair that I want to FINALLY have reupholstered (it was my granddad's) and I hope I can find a good guy around here. I've never had anything reupholstered and it seems like one of those things that require a rec from a friend.

Anyway, I second the seasonal-cushion-change out idea because they're both fabulous.

Greener Pastures--A City Girl Goes Country said...

I'm swaying towards the all black couch. I think they make something you can spray on furniture to repel cats. Just in case.

Wow, those phones are cool! That was so nice of him!

I had no idea that a crow would do that. Very interesting.

The Curious Holts said...

WOW couch. Really WOW.

At Halloween all the grackles pick up stray candy and wash it in my birdbaths. Wash and eat. Crazy things.