Fabulous Finds

While looking online for the location of Redesign by Goodwill, I saw on the events calendar that Thursdays are dollar days. Now, whether or not it is like the 50% off Saturdays, where EVERYTHING is 50% off, I know not. Worth finding out? YES! Unfortunately it was only the green tag and 32 week items that were a dollar. But all was not lost. I got a $45 pair of shiny black, brand new, flats for $6. Three days later the dogs had a shiny black, brand new, doggie snack. Fabulous!

Anyway, I found the location for Redesign by Goodwill and the hubby and I decided to go check it out. We are not above buying furniture from Goodwill; especially if the pieces are higher end, like Redesign claims. After driving FOR-EV-ER, passing several Goodwill stores, we arrived at the semi-rundown building. So far, unimpressed. After walking around the store, evaluating quality of pieces and comparing prices, still not impressed. Quality low, even by Goodwill standards. Prices high, especially considering quality. Fortunately I had already researched the particular piece I wanted (a futon) and knew the retail price. A trip to a clean, well lit, conveniently located Target later and the Hubby has seating for his man cave. Fabulous.

Mor (Fabulous) Furniture for Less

After a very disappointing Friday, the Hubby and I deserved our fabulous Saturday morning. We slept in late enough to enjoy and not so late to feel bad about ourselves. When we woke we went to Lamar’s doughnuts (NE side of I-17 and Bell. They are the best!) and then drove to the Paradise Valley Area. There, we stopped by a Starbucks and headed into Half Priced Books. Coffee and books = dream date. On our way home we saw a small Farmers Market in a park. We pulled over and walked through the park and around the Farmer’s Market. As we walked I started talking about how truly disappointed I was with the experiences of Friday (see post: (not so) Fabulous Sales Woman). The Hubby agreed that it was a disappointing experience. He also agreed to check out The Room Store. Neither of us had been there and I thought there was one on Bell Rd.

In trying to find The Room Store we spotted a Mor Furniture for Less. Close enough! Walking in we were greeted by a sales associate who offered his help. When we declined, he stepped away indicating where he would be should we need him. As we made our way around the store, looking lost, the same sales associate asked if he could help us locate anything. I told him we were looking for couches, preferably a sectional. He helped us locate a few and then left us alone. As we turned the corner to go in the direction indicate, we see it. IT! The Dream Couch! The SAME EXACT couch from Pruitt’s!

The couch is priced the same as Pruitt’s had it priced. However, Mor was offering 5% off their entire stock (Super Sunday Sale). The Associate noticed that we had been admiring the couch for some time and asked if we had any questions. He began to explain Mor’s financing options. I cut him off and explained that we would pay cash. His response, “In that case Mor will take care of the sale’s tax!” Excellent! “What do you charge for delivery?” I inquired. “$90 delivery fee and deliveries are made between 4pm and midnight.”

Did he just say what I think he said? I could have the Dream Couch in my home TONIGHT?

Currently, I have a beautiful, chocolate brown (same color as the furbabies), down feather cushion, sectional in my living room. Fabulous!

(not so) Fabulous Sales Woman

New couches have been on our home’s “wish list” since the beginning. Other home improvements, however, were more important than comfy new couches. Well those couches have made their way to the top of the list. Took almost two years, but they made it! Remembering paint shopping, I would be a liar if I didn’t say I had some hesitation about furniture shopping. Furniture, after all, is more expensive than a gallon of paint. What if we have different ideas about what we want… or like the same piece but want different materials…

Talking to a respected aunt made me think that Pruitt’s would be a good place to make a furniture purchase. Having dealt with their customer service about a return, she still recommended them. Customer service is a very important feature when making a large purchase, so I was happy to hear they worked with her and were so responsive. The Hubby agreed.

After looking at weekly ads and discussing a budget, we headed to the nearest Pruitt’s (which is not very near… but their slogan states, “worth the drive”). We were not immediately greeted by a sales rep and that’s fine with us! We were able to look around un-assaulted. Near the middle of the store the Hubby and I spot an absolutely gorgeous sectional. We both fall in love with it. Fabulous! It is out of our price range. Not so fabulous. Eventually a sales rep asks if we need assistance. I explain that if money were not a consideration we would be ordering the sectional, however money must be considered. At this point she begins the financing pitch. The Hubby’s response, “I will finance a house, I will finance an education, but I will NOT finance a couch! We’ll pay cash.” He’s so smart!

I would like to take this time to state, I know how to talk to my husband. I know what works. I know what doesn’t. As any of you who have met him would imagine, “pulling at the heart strings” doesn’t work. You have to appeal to reason. And you can not under any circumstance make him feel disrespected.

Long story short the sales rep will not leave us alone at this point. We can’t shake her off. As we are standing in front of the dream couch, the lady plops herself down and lets out a sigh that makes me cringe. The Hubby and I turn and look at her. She says, “You know Sir, that you are going to get that couch. I don’t understand why you don’t just give up and start the paperwork.” … … … In my head I say, “YOU STUPID STUPID WOMAN! YOU HAVE JUST RUINED EVERYTHING!!!!” Out loud, I look at her and say, “That is the worst possible thing you could have said.” And I begin to walk toward the door. After all, I know my Husband and I know she just lost a sale. The Hubby looks at her and says, “Way to undermine my free will.” And he follows me out of the store. Fabulous…

Fabulous Schedules

Sometime in early November…

Me: Hey Hubby, I have next Thursday off for Veterans Day. I could take Friday off too. What do you think?
Hubby: I have to work both days, so whatever.

Thursday – Veterans day – lunch time

Hubby: Hey, I looked and Friday isn’t waitlisted so I could take the day off with you.
Me: I didn’t take it off. I figured since you were working I would just save my vacation time.
Hubby: Oh, okay.

Later that same day…

Hubby: I took tomorrow off anyway.

Fabulous

Fabulous Compromises

I love going to the hardware store. Maybe it is because I went so many times as a little girl and it was always a pleasant experience that usually ended with going home and doing a project as a family. Maybe it is because the smell of wood reminds me of my dad. Maybe it is the abundance of beautiful flowers that make me feel like I am so totally NOT in a desert. Who knows! The hubby hates the hardware store. Whether it is the past bad experiences from his childhood, the price of all the items, or the lack of knowledge concerning the various tools I know not. As you can imagine, trips to the hardware store are no longer as pleasant as they once were. Enter behr.com or glidden.com. Both offer a virtual room painted in colors of your choice (much more variety than The Sims). The result is a friend and I going to the hardware store after the Hubby, sitting in the comfort of his own home, picks the colors he would like his “man cave” to be. Ah, Saturday trips to the hardware store with friends. Fabulous!

Fabulous Moments

Have you ever been too excited for the phone? I have. I received an unexpected call from a friend who had some very good news. After she shared her very exciting news, I was overcome with joy and the phone just wasn’t BIG enough for me to convey my excitement. Sometimes you just want to grab the person, give them a HUGE hug and maybe even cry a little. But sometimes that person in on the beach in California with her new fiance, enjoying the sand in her toes, the surf on her face, the diamond on her finger and the love of her life by her side. Fabulous!

Fabulous Outdoors

This summer my family experienced the Best Camping Trip EVER! I say “my family” because while I was there with them, it was NOT my best camping experience. I was super excited for this trip. I had waited a whole year to revisit the splendor that is Strawberry, AZ. After researching online, the hubby and I bought our first tent (from Target, Wal-Mart doesn’t honor the price listed online). Through a very long chain of emails, Mom, Sister and I put together a menu. Later, Sister, Hubby and I went on a tense shopping spree at the more-than-you-could-ever-need store for food and supplies. My very intelligent Hubby thought it a bad idea to bring our furbabies camping. But as I had already made sure the tent could fit a kennel for them to sleep in and bought the 50 feet of rope each to secure them to a tree, I felt they should join us. After all, if they were fur-less-babies we would bring them, right? (Not to mention we didn’t have any trust worthy furbabysitters.) After driving two and a half hours to the campsite, I was able to enjoy the perfect weather (for about five minutes). Just as we were finishing set-up of the last tent, it began to rain. The rain soon ended and the forest was left feeling refreshed and alive. The furbabies were left feeling “alive” as well, unfortunately! Apparently 50 feet is not enough room for our dogs. If we were near them they complained; if we were away from them they complained; if we let them run wild and free the Hubby was an anxious mess. There was no solution. The next day an Aunt drove up and took us all to Fossil Creek, nearby. Absolutely beautiful water scenes. The furbabies have differing opinions of water. Penny LOVES the water, like any normal chocolate lab. Rita HATES that water, what a freak, right? So I held Penny back from jumping in and having a good time while the Hubby tried to console Rita and assure her that my Sister was not drowning and there was no need to for her barking concern. Miserable! The Hubby finally took both girls and sat in the car. Well I couldn’t enjoy myself knowing that the Hubby (who didn’t want to bring the furbabies in the first place) was sitting in a hot van with barking girls. When we arrived back at camp we had wonderful family friends join us. I also had a massive migraine join me. The hubby and I decided that it was not worth it to stay another night. So we, uhem, I (with the migraine) drove home early. Fabulous!

(DOGS RUIN EVERYTHING!!)