There's a hole in my pocket

We bought a couch yesterday.  A great big sectional for the basement.  It's not leather and therefore super cozy.  Wait, let me qualify that.  We have leather couches in our main floor living room and I love them.  They're comfortable and every time one of my children has vomited on our couches I have been thankful for our long ago, before we had kids, decision to buy leather.  It's just that in the winter when it's -32 plus prairie windchill which is more like -50 (literally) leather takes a while to warm up.  Our basement is cold.  At least it is right now.  It's hard to tell how cold it will be once we have walls and carpet but I still figured a soft, cushy, cozy fabric sofa was better than cold leather and if anyone is sick they can lie on the upstairs couches that wipe down easily.  We - and by we I mean I - even managed to like one that was not $7 million dollars and get this, it's even in stock!  Here's the picture off the store's website.

The toss cushions are dead ugly but it's nothing a little black and white fabric and my seldom used sewing machine can't fix!  Don't you want to curl up on that chaise with a cozy blanket and a cup of hot cocoa?  And if the cocoa just happens to have Bailey's in it? Well it's very warming I'll have you know! 

We also thought we got our carpet sorted yesterday.  Turns out...not so much.  We're trying to match the carpet that the builders installed to the bottom of the stairs in the basement.  It takes two to three weeks for carpet to come in once it's ordered so we really needed to get it done as the clock to Christmas company is ticking.  After hitting multiple (4) carpet places we picked the best match at the best price with the store who could guarantee an install before Christmas.  We then went to Starbucks very relieved and much poorer than when we woke up that morning.

We got home several hours and multiple errands later to this message: "So the carpet you wanted is on back-order at the manufacturer's and won't arrive until December 23rd at the earliest."  Did I mention we have a pretty small window of time to complete this reno?  December 23rd is when Hugh's brother and sister-in-law arrive. We had just taken our coats off when we had to put them back on and head out into the cold again. 

We went to one of the other carpet places that also had a great match but was a bit more expensive to see about their carpet availability and likelihood of a pre-Christmas install.  Seriously, I'm not sure if the guy who helped us had ever talked to a customer before in his life.  He looked at us from out of the corner of his eyes and often talked to the ceiling while brushing his hands over his receding hairline.  This flooring place priced their carpet by the square yard with the price including underlay and install.  Our guy didn't know how to tell how much just the carpet price was.  (Divide it by 9, he said.  I didn't want to know the price per square foot but um, thanks?) He didn't know how much they charged for underlay.  He didn't know how much they charged for install.  (Ummm, I think it's maybe about 7....ish...I think.) He didn't know where the carpet got ordered from or how long it would take to get here and he didn't know how to find out.  During his fifth absence to ask another associate one of our extremely complex questions Hugh looked at me and said, "I bet his kill score for Call of Duty is insane."  I hope his mom doesn't charge too much rent because I'd be willing to bet being a salesman isn't exactly making him the big bucks. 

We left taking their carpet sample with us and called our original flooring place to see if they carried this same carpet.  They did.  And at a better price.  Hello!  It will officially be here December 7th and installed shortly after that.  And now I can go back to breathing a sigh of relief.  We will have floors, and walls and a couch by Christmas.  This is a very good start!

Here's what I have left to do:
1. Find a great light fixture for over the kids play area.
2. Nail down exactly what colour we're painting our walls.  I want a kind of citron-y green but it can't be too yellow and it can't be too blue.
3. Buy fabric for toss cushions.
4. Sew fabric for toss cushions.
5. Get a sink and vanity and faucet for basement bathroom.
6. Shelving unit of some kind for towels.
7. Buy towels.
8. Find and purchase TV stand and surrounding storage units.
9. Buy a kids table and chairs that can also be used upstairs so we have enough places for everyone to sit during mealtimes over the Holidays.

Hugh and I already agreed we weren't going to buy Christmas gifts for each other this year because of the basement but it looks like we won't be buying anniversary gifts, mother's day gifts or father's day gifts this year either!