Updates

I’m sorry for leaving you hanging with no information on several things I mentioned in previous posts!

First of all today, I’d like to thank you all for the prayers for my father-in-law (whom I call Pawpaw) and for our family. We are now at the point where Pawpaw is in hospice care and is basically completely bed ridden because of the damage the multiple myeloma has done to his bones and kidneys. Of course, only God knows how long he will be here with us but according to the doctors, it won’t be long. We really do appreciate your prayers, especially for Pawpaw at this time, and of course for Jason and his sister.

Secondly I told you there was going to be a change in this room.

Most of you guessed correctly when you said new furniture. The wall color is staying the same, however. I have always loved being surrounded by that New England Red so I figure why mess with something I love already.

We’ve had our furniture for 22 years now. Actually, the beige recliner is older than that….probably 25 years old. Every once in awhile I would remind Jason of just how old our furniture was and that we really needed new furniture. He normally would joke and say, “Nah, it’s only 22 years old” or “It’s still got some years left” or "Tammy, it's sentimental". That part is actually true......this furniture has gone through all three of our kids' toddler years and it has the wear to prove it! :) One particular arm on the couch is especially worn because Colt and Joy particularly loved to lean across that arm when it was near the wall heater for keeping warm while watching TV. And there are stains from the sippy cups (that weren’t supposed to leak).

For a long time, I’ve wanted a red checked couch. I also dreamed of Johnston Benchworks furniture. I had decided I would live with worn out furniture rather than settle for something I didn't really want. Thus the long wait. As you know, Johnston Benchworks isn't exactly the least expensive furniture out there. It took quite a bit of researching and looking at fabric samples and pouring through Country Sampler magazines to find what I wanted. There were so many wonderful fabrics that it made the decision difficult. In the end, my love for red won. When I got these three fabrics side by side, I knew it was me. It was what I envisioned for my living room. It goes with my red wall and it’s simple, casual, and informal which pretty much sums me up too. :)

Here are the fabrics:

I made up a color combination with my wall color behind it with the fabrics laid over it.  Here's how it looks:

The one on the left, the small check, is called Liberty Check Brazen. It will be on this chair (which is called Miller’s Creek Chair). I was able to sit in one of those chairs and it is SO comfortable! It just enveloped me and I felt so snug and secure in it. Jason has plans to make a footstool to go with it so we are getting extra fabric to cover that.

This is the style chair that will be by the fireplace, but not the fabric.

The middle fabric, which is called Colony Mustard, is for two recliners. The recliners I chose were the Maple Spring Recliners, which do look alot like wing chairs.

This is the style of the recliner, not the fabric.

And I got my wish…..my dream come true…..my red checked couch! :) I tried other red checks which were too pinkish, or with other colors added in with the red that I didn’t exactly love……..but this one was definitely "it" when I saw it. It is called Steiger Red.

And it will be on this style sofa: (Country Chippendale)

This is the style of sofa, but not the fabric I chose.

The furniture is being made right now and won’t be finished for another 3-4 weeks and then we have to wait for delivery which could be another 2-3 weeks. So, I still have quite a wait, but after 22 years, I guess a few more weeks won’t make a difference! I’m really excited! :)

And we have a lot of things (and stress) going on now, so not sure how it's going to work out before the furniture gets here, but we hoped to take up the carpet on the staircase and put in wood that will include painted risers and stained pine step treads. Oh, and the wallpaper will come down in the foyer and be painted instead. And I could definitely envision a cabinet (cupboard style) in the foyer. I haven't filled Jason in on that part yet. Shh....we'll let him in on that later. :)

You can see how the red stops here right now.

I'm really not sure about the paint color for the foyer. I have to ponder that a little more. My first thought was that we would paint it the color of the dining room and then I was thinking that might be too much break up of colors and wondered if continuing with the red might be better. I’m really confused and unsure about that. Any thoughts?

This shows the color of the dining room wall.

Along with these changes, I hope to add a wall of gameboards behind the two recliners in the living room and I have always wanted an oil painting of some sort of George Washington to go with my Colonial Americana. I found one and will share it when it gets here. All of this will hopefully come together slowly after the furniture gets here.

And so......that is what has been going on in our neck of the woods these days. Speaking of neck of the woods, how much is gas in your neck of the woods? It rose to $3.85 a gallon here yesterday! It actually jumped 16 cents per gallon.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!