I stumbled upon something perfect for my tiny place that would supply seating, serving, and table needs quite nicely. A storage ottoman with reversible top which when turned over offers a 19" square hardwood tray which then sits back inside the top of the storage part. It came in 3 colors; black or eggplant fabric and brown leather. The clearance price was $62.00 (for the fabric covers) with FREE shipping all weekend. So with the coupon and free shipping it cost $37.00. I went for it.
Yes it was in stock in the selected color. I kept looking for some catch, some string attached, but it was legit. Did the deed and sent the order. Received an email notice within minutes that it would ship on 10/2 - a Saturday. Odd.
Decided to give the last local furniture store a try yesterday morning, looking for that illusive "apartment size sofa" unfortunately, it remains illusive. The salesman didn't even know what the phrase meant, so that was telling. All of the living room furniture was bigger than my whole apartment. So, I think a visit to the IKEA in south Philadelphia is in my future. At least I'll have the new ottoman in the otherwise bare living room.
On the way back I stopped at a kitchen supply store and purchased a whisk, mandolin (with multi purpose blades) and a meat thermometer. Since is was "senior citizen" day, (ouch!) I received an additional 10% discount on my purchase. Such a deal!!
No major grocery shopping to do, but I did stop for 2 fresh baguettes, a half pound of ultra-thin sliced rare roast beef, 2 large cucumbers, and the remaining ingredients necessary to prepare my own Muffuletta Olive Salad. More on that at another time.
I raced home, made some gravy, threw in the beef, sliced a baguette & tomato, shredded some romaine, and prepared a delicious roast beef po-boy. Something I've been craving for a very long time. Lightly browned the halved bread slices, smeared them with mayonnaise, layered the beef, thin slices of tomato, and the shredded lettuce, topped it with a bit of gravy and took a dive into one of the best New Orleans sandwiches ever invented.
Mine was an "8 napkin" experience, which is how many napkins one uses while eating the thing. The more napkins used, the runnier the gravy and juices - always a good thing. Hell, I needed a shower after that meal, but I was in Cajun Heaven.
Before that shower I changed the sheets and, for the first time in this apartment, I put on a light throw cover. Yes, it was that cool here. Love the smell of clean sheets. Slept well, enjoyed eggs, toast, cranberry juice and coffee for breakfast.
Ironed a few shirts and slacks for work, made a Remoulade sauce as well as a roasted red pepper & garlic hummus for snacking.
And, the ottoman just arrived. Shipped via Fed Ex Ground - I am impressed. I unpacked it and it is everything the description and reviews said it was. The color is my favorite. Up to now my life has been full of brown, beige, chocolate and black. Not anymore.
The only direct sunlight the place receives is through the skylights in the kitchen and bath. As the sun sinks lower in the sky this time of year, only about 30 minutes of late afternoon sun pops through the windows.
Soooo. The place is going to be alive with color - rich red, blue, green, gold, and yes, violet and purple. Probably sounds silly, but I have a vision in my head that I think will work out fine. Well, at least for me. Anyway, what to you think of the ottoman? Honesty is preferable.
Next up, I have my eye on an area rug for the living room and a few large throw pillows until the sofa is purchased. It would be nice to sit and watch a DVD on the TV once in a while. I am in no rush, but it would be nice to have the sofa in place by the holidays. Stay tuned.
And so it goes.
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Cajun, that's a good buy and its useful too, a little storage and still a place to set that martini glass with olive on. ;)
ReplyDeleteExcellent find! Just out of curiosity, what does the underside of the tray look like when turned over? Is it upholstered like the sides? Very cute and such a bargain.
ReplyDeleteYour little nest in Rehoboth is sounding cozier and cozier everytime you write about your progress in settling in. I am very happy for you.
ReplyDelete@Peter: my thoughts exactly, my friend. Must look ahead.
ReplyDelete@Hayward: The ottoman looks like any other, until you turn it over to reveal the tray and storage.
@Ron: "little" is the operative word and it's fun finding things to fit in. Claustrophobic folks may want to steer clear of this place.
Thanks for your comments and the visit, guys.
The sandwich sounds good!
ReplyDeletere: the sofa. We picked up a love seat from Pier 1 about 6 years ago. We use it in our basement. At the time we were looking for something for our son's apartment. It is quite lightweight and easy to move. The two seat cushions are so constructed as to fold out and make a single or double sized bed - but not with all the weight or springs of a traditional sofa bed.