When Somebody Takes Your Couch.

I have a love/hate relationship with Craigslist. I love that I have scored some seriously great deals and have acquired some of my favorite things from calling up a random phone numbers and traveling across the city. However, the other day, Craigslist and I were not getting along. I had found a couch. Make that a chair, love seat, couch and ottoman for $200. They were in perfect condition and matched the couch and chair we already have downstairs. I immediately texted the gal. She said she'd split the set for me ... and would sell me the chair and loveseat for $125. Perfect. We must have sent 10+ texts back and forth and when I wrote the ... "I'm on my way" text ... she replied, "Um. Sorry. Somebody else will be here in 15 minutes." I felt my blood pressure rise and my face turn red. Seriously. I sulked for a good hour or two and then I figured I has wasted enough time being annoyed and opened the floodgates to my imagination.
I decided that I really didn't need really big piece of furniture (let along 2 more pieces) but the boys did need some place to read. Okay, I guess they didn't NEED it but in my dreamland, I have children reading on a "reading sofa." It's a wonderful, imaginary world where children are always well-mannered and eat lots of fruits and veggies and call me "Mummy" with an English accent.
I stood downstairs, staring at the corner for a good twenty minutes when it came to me.
I was pretty sure we could transform Joshua's old toddler bed into my dream reading sofa ...
I called my mom ... who stopped by IKEA and picked up some of the missing screws we needed to rebuild the bed. She came by and took measurements and took home a vintage blanket I had been hanging onto for several years.
And just like that ... the mattress was covered in a funky green material, the "arms" of my sofa were covered in a fun vintage piece and my fabulous seamstress (who would LOVE IT if I stopped coming up with projects) made me three matching pillow cases.
The "reading sofa" is a hit ... except with Eli. Who tells me, "Weally, Mom. It's just a bed."
And our other favorite thing ... magnetic paint. My mom (she paints too), painted a spot in our pantry and another larger space downstairs ...
I bought these fabulous magnetic shapes at one of my favorite places for educational supplies and ... it's such a hit. Ahh ... now if I could just get my children to speak with that accent ...