Slip covers

Today's pictures are for my kids so they can see my new sofa slip covers. I have written about my sofa before and it is still hanging in there. The slip covers mean it will be around a few more years!

Leiya was four when we moved into our house in Nikko. We had seen the house a couple of years before but in was unaffordable at that time. I liked the idea of living near a forest but we shelved the idea and lived another couple of years in our apartment. When Tetsu noticed that the same house had become available at a much lesser price we came out to check on it and Tetsu decided right then that this was the place for us. I didn't think we had given this enough thought and that there were a few more things we needed to consider before buying. Like how are the schools? What is the neighborhood like? And though I loved the natural surroundings, I really didn't want to live that far away from friends.

And what about furniture? We might be able to pull together enough money to make a down payment on the house but there would be nothing left over for furniture afterwards. Were we going to live in an empty house? I really wasn't sure this was what God had planned for us...

A couple of days later I was telling Sandra, my American friend about our possible move and my feelings about it, and lack of furniture etc.

"Tanya, we just got word that we are being transferred back to the States. We have to get rid of our furniture... I think I know where it is supposed to go."

Yes, we adopted my friend's whole house. For a fraction of the price (a fraction of a fraction!) we were practically given a refrigerator, dining room set, bookshelves, coffee table, closets, washing machine, carpets, curtains and sofa, armchair and ottoman set. I have always thought that Sandra's furniture looked better in my house than it did when it was in her house! (Sorry Sandra!) Their cat also became our first cat, Lammy.

But that was 16 years ago and some of the appliances have gone their way and the sofa and armchair and ottoman are extremely tattered and worn. Last week I found some slip covers in a catalog and ordered them with fingers crossed that they would work out. Pretty snazzy! The fabric stretches so that they will pretty much fit anything.

Now I don't have to wrestle with the throws that I'd been using (every time you stood up you had to readjust them) and there is the added benefit that the cats are very photogenic against the lighter background!