Tip for Chip - American Freight rocks

After paying off our unsecured debt, Josh and I wanted to buy furniture to celebrate!  We've currently been using furniture my parents have loaned us.  Don't get me wrong...its still nice furniture, but its older than me. 

Its solid wood with 5 inch foam cushions, that, while sitting on for 2 hours during a movie isn't bad, any longer and your butt goes numb.

After laying on it for two days straight while sick, it didn't take much for Josh to convince me to celebrate by making this purchase.  We set a cap amount we refused to go over.  $900 take it or leave it.

So we headed out in the snow storm last night. (One thing about our relationship is we always do the most off-the-wall things in the most off-the-wall timing. Who buys furniture and brings it home in an open truck during a snowstorm?!)  We do apparently.

First stop...Art Van.  I believe I just heard a collective groan from anyone who has ever walked into this store.  Trust me...I was groaning all the way there.  But this is truly one of the cheapest furniture stores around.  (And trust me there is a happy ending to this story.)

As we pulled up to Art Van, my teeth were already starting to grind.  I pointed to the short guy with the poofy hair and thick 80's 'stache and told Josh, "that's the guy. That's the guy that will follow us around and hound us during our entire time spent in that store."  I turned to him and went over the game plan.  "If they ask us what we're looking for, tell them we just like to look at furniture on a snowy Thursday night." 

For those of you who are not familiar with Art Van...EVERYONE hates going in there.  You can't just browse this store.  You are immediately HOUNDED by the sales staff, told facts you didn't want to know, and pressured into telling them all the little details of your life so they can direct you to furniture 10x's more expensive than what you planned on purchasing.

We walked in.  Within 20 yards, 'Chip' came over to talk to us.  Think of the SNL skit with the douchiest car salesman approach possible...that's Chip.  The guy I pointed at.  'Hi. I'm Chip.  If I can be of any assistance, please don't hesitate to ask."  I gave a fake smile, and said, "Thanks, Chip.  We'll be sure to do that." Of course, I'm instantly annoyed with Chip.  I hate fake and high pressure people.  So I matched my voice to him in a sarcastic, 'I can be friendly too' way.

Josh and I head straight for the clearance center.  We walk around for under 2 minutes, when my favorite salesman came back over. "Are you looking for anything specific?"  "Nope.  Just looking."  (That was from me.)  Josh, however, ABANDONS our game plan and TELLS HIM WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. 

Immediately Chip goes into a rehearsed mantra of how they label their tags, how they do this, and how this couch (the one behind us that we weren't even looking at) comes in three different colors.  I walked away from him mid-speech.  Hoping he can see the 'BUZZ OFF' written across my forehead.  (It wasn't actually buzz off.  I'm trying to keep this blog family friendly.  I'm sure you can imagine the REAL words written all over my face.) 

Josh and I manage to walk around a few more sectionals when, Chip the Dip, comes walking over, ready to give us more of his useless information.  He says something, I cannot tell you what, because at this point I have become a pro at tuning him out until he said this...

"And that's a tip from Chip." 

 I instantly whip around and give him a look that says, "Did you REALLY just say 'a tip from Chip?!'"  Wow.  I look at Josh.  I give him the look of 'we're leaving...NOW.'

We start to walk out of the clearance area and Chippy Chip comes over one more time. "Have you found anything you're interested in?" Clearly he misunderstood our B-line for the door.  I managed to squeak out "Nope" through clenched teeth.  He went on , oblivious to the fact that his life is now in jeopardy. "I'd be more than happy to show you around the showroom and give you some ideas of what's out there."  I put my fake smile back on.  "Chip...we're more clearance type of people.  Specifically clearance priced furniture type people.  I'm sure you have nice things on the main floor, but its more than we're willing to spend right now."  Chip clearly likes living on the edge.     He says, "Its all in perspective.  The furniture out there will last a lot longer than the furniture in here." (That's funny, I thought the furniture in here USED to be out there.)  "The price might be higher, but you won't have to replace it as often.  Its like buying steak verses hot dogs."  I couldn't be nice anymore.  "Well, Chip...that's where you read the customer all wrong.  I LIKE hot dogs."  At that point, I turned for the door and walked out. 

I'm sure Josh was embarrassed, but I couldn't HELP IT.  I can't STAND pushy people and Chip...was pushy. 

We got in the truck and just sat there for a moment, absorbing the freedom from Chip.  I turned to Josh..."Well, ready for the next store?"

We went over to American Freight.  Its a warehouse that some might think is a little shady because its not well lit with salesmen in suits hiding behind dressers and bedroom sets to pounce on the unsuspecting browser. 

We were greeted as we walked in by a guy in jeans and a Tigers jacket.  We were allowed to roam freely through the store.  They had great items, many of which we saw at Art Van for $400+ more than what this place was asking for.  We walked around a lot - not because we couldn't find anything, but because we COULD NOT DECIDE between 4 different sets!  There were so many mix and match options.  Finally we settled on one, went to the front counter, where the laid back salesman, Paul, was so nice and easy to work with.  We showed him what we wanted.  He wrote up the sales slip and said, later on down the road, if your interested, we have a recliner that matches this set for $189.  Just something for you to think about it you ever need more seating. 

WHAT?!  You didn't want us to miss out on this opportunity NOW?  We don't need to get it NOW?  You don't want to show us the amazing recliner and talk us into bringing it home NOW?! 

So...for future reference...I am IN LOVE with American Freight.  I will always go there FIRST.  If you have one in your area...go check it out! 

Oh and here's what we got!

This sectional...

plus this ottoman...

Equals - one happy step-dog. 

Why I love doing Emma's hair...

My daughter, Emma is finally coming into her own, wanting her hair done, wanting to wear nail polish.  Although I hoped for a tomboy, I have to admit, it really fun watching her be so girly.

I couldn't wait for her hair to get long enough to start doing braids, and pigtails.  I always wanted to do the baby ponytail on the top, but Emma was born bald. 

Here she is at 7 months - still bald.  Her and the baby doll are twins!

And at a year old, its barely a shadow on her head!

Finally at 2 years old, she has SOME hair.

At 2 and a half I gave her the coveted first haircut.

Then it kind of stopped growing.  This is her at 3...

and 3 and a half.  A week after these pictures were taken, it happened.  I didn't think it would.  I didn't expect it.  I never even thought about it before, frankly.  I thought she was in going to the bathroom like a good, little girl.  I checked on her twice.  Thought maybe it was taking a little longer than usual.  But then I realized it was too quiet.  When I opend the door.  I gasped, then I started crying.

She had taken scissors to the ENTIRE RIGHT SIDE OF HER HAIR.

I grabbed my phone (didn't have a camera at the time), and started taking pictures.  As distraught as I was, I knew I'd need to document this.

Look how long it had gotten on the left side!  and now GONE!!!!

It was Sunday night, with no salons open and me not having a clue where to start cutting it myself.  So I sent her to school with a side ponytail.

Three and a half years of hair growth GONE. (sniffle)

After two months, we were able to fake pigtails.  But you can still see huge chunks missing.

at her 4th birthday, she was sporty a stylish MULLET. 

Finally, by Christmas, it has finally grown out enough to be cute and have fun with it again.

This was on New Year's Eve with Josh.  Finally!  Little girl hair can be pulled back into a braid!  I love that little girl, and I love doing her hair.  But I especially love how she has never thought about putting hair and scissors together again. 

Honda videos

As you know the step-dog, Honda is a big baby. 

He has taking up howling in the recent months and uses every opportunity to 'sing' to us.  I've finally been able to catch him in the act.

The two videos below are of him carrying on. 

The first is the howl we get whenever our neighbor comes and goes in his truck. 

The second is a recently discovered toy he wants to communicate with...the kid's toy phone.  The phone says "Hello"  "How are you?"  "Goodbye."  Honda feels the need to respond. 

An Ode to Honda

Well, not really an ode...more of a vent, actually.  We're good enough friends that I can vent now, right? 

This step-dog of mine has somehow weaseled it's way into every part of my home and life.  Yes. I love that sad mug on that dog.  I love that my children can do pretty much anything to that dog, from sitting on him while he's laying down, to tugging on his ears, to riding him around the house. 

What I do NOT love it the disgusting sounds that come out of him when he's licking himself, or the sulfur smell that he tends to leave a trail of.  This dog is raunchier than any man I've ever smelled.

Or perhaps its the way he begs for food.  Yeah...look at him.  His brother Bentley (Josh's sister's dog) gets in on the action too. 

Or maybe its the way Boxer's tend to think they own the place and where-ever they feel like laying is completely acceptable.

Sister's bed...

Grandma's rug...           

Grandpa's Couch...

The couch in the picture above!  I think I've made my point. See what I mean by 'HE'S TAKEN OVER EVERYTHING?!?!'

My final straw is this...again. (Yes...I have said this before.) HE MAY NOT SLEEP IN THE BED! He had been trained when he first moved in to sleep on the floor, but then he got sick for a couple days and looked at me with those big brown eyes and asked me if he could sleep on the bed, just this once, to help him get over his sick bug. Of course I said yes .  What kind of mom would I be if I didn't let a sick kid, I mean dog be comfortable!  Well, he's over the bug.  He's BEEN over it for about 2 months and yet he's still in my bed.  The battle line has been drawn.  He has gone way too far...A king size bed should NOT feel the size of a couch.  At 5'3", I should not feel too big for a KING SIZE BED!   I should not feel like I'm inconveniencing a dog to get comfortable in MY OWN BED...

Do you SEE that tiny section of the bed that I'm banished to?  (Its the one on the very edge..) Do you see how the dog has MORE than half the bed?!?!

I'm tired of not sleeping.  He WILL sleep on his over-sized-could-actually-be-a-toddler-bed-its-so-big pillow on the floor...or...or..I WILL! (I'd probably have more room too!)

Unless of course...he gives me one of these looks again. 

To see more of Honda, the blog dog...click on the Label 'Honda' below!

I linked this to: http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/ on 1/25/11