Do Leather Couches and Large Doodles Go Together? It's Just a Couch, Right??

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Last year around this time, I fell in love with a cranberry leather sofa and since our living room couch was almost twenty years old, worn, and faded by the sun, we decided to place the order for our new couch.  My kids will tell you that when we bought that sofa in 1992, I guarded that sofa like a mama bear does her bear cubs.  Up until that point, most of our furniture was hand me downs and that sofa represented our first major, expensive purchase.  I knew there was not going to be another sofa purchase for a long time, so I tried to protect it from the sloppy ways of young kids and a husband not known for his meticulous eating, drinking, and lying about habits.  I was fine with them waving to the couch from another location or saving, “hi, pretty blue couch,” as they walked by, but other than that, I preferred they kept their distance.  Once in awhile, the girls would come home from somewhere and say, “Guess what? Their mom was normal and let us sit on the couch,” and I always thought to myself, “Those crazy, hippie moms ruin it for the rest of us.”  Our dog, Hershey, was not allowed on any furniture except the beds and the few times I caught her on that blue couch one look was all it took and she got sheepishly off and would give me a look like, “you can’t blame a dog for trying.”

 

When we moved to our new house and began to use our living room more, we all took turns reacquainting ourselves with that couch. The older I got the harder it became to keep saying, “wouldn’t you prefer to sit on the floor?” and hear my mom say back,  “I am old.  I can’t get up off the floor once I get down there.”  Every time she came for a visit, she insisted on sitting on that couch and would play that old trump card.   The worst would be when I would see her making her way over there holding a cup of coffee filled too full.  It almost seemed like the excitement of trying to reach the couch before I yelled, “not a chance, old lady!” gave her hand tremors, because I was always mopping up her coffee spillage along her route.  She would get so mad and yell, “I can’t sit by and watch while that couch is ruining your life,” to which I would always answer, “I am so glad we are on the same page now, and you don’t mind standing.”

 

I don’t think I was being too cautious, either, when I asked women of a certain age if they were prone to sneezing before they sat down on my couch. I have watched enough medical shows to know what could happen, and I wasn’t taking any chances with my blue sofa.   Sure, some of them got mad and told me it was none of my business what they did in their own pants, and I guess I can respect that, but it didn’t stop me from saying, “Since you are being so evasive, could you hold on while I go get a waterproof pad for you to sit on?”  Believe me when I tell you, I have weeded out many “Sprinklers” with just a few timely questions about sneezing and giggling and I’m better off without those wet blankets, who got mad as a wet hen, over a few innocuous questions.

 

Sadly, with the purchase of our new sofa, the blue couch has been relegated to our sunroom and although, I keep a cover on it to protect it from the harsh sun anyone who wants to sit on it, is allowed to do so, including Vern.  So, all this brings me back to my leather sofa.  When I first showed it to my husband at the furniture store, the first thing he said was, “what about the dogs?”  Well, I knew this was a make or break question, so of course, I said, “the dogs will not be allowed on this couch.”  Even the salesman piped in that the leather was supposed to wear like a leather motorcycle jacket and whatever marks the dogs made would only add to the character.  I would have pointed out that the same theory did not seem to apply to our yard or my smelly van, but I didn’t want to hurt my case about how wonderful leather would be with two large Doodles. We ordered the couch and waited.  The first clue that maybe a leather couch was not for our family happened when they delivered the couch, not once, but twice, in the wrong color.  After sending it back for the second time, we made the drive to the furniture store where I was prepared to get a full refund and leave the store with my head held high and all my principles intact. Unfortunately, that cagey store manager sensed my one weakness…A SALE….and said, “how about you give us one more chance to get you the right sofa and I give you a refund for this amount?”  It took me all of 30 seconds to throw my righteous anger and indignation out the window and answer, “how about if I take that in check form and go home and wait for my sofa.”

 

We finally got the right sofa in the right color and despite the fact that it had the ripple effect of forcing me to buy new rugs because the old ones did not match; we all loved the sofa, including the dogs.  I think I tried twice to keep them off the couch and then I found myself saying out loud to my family, “I am not going to spend the rest of my life worrying about another sofa.  We will just put a cover on the couch.”  Boy oh boy, did I get some backlash for that decision and accusations went flying that Fudge and Vern are the chosen ones in this house.  My daughters could not believe that this was their mother telling them to move over and make room for two Doodles next to them on the sofa or better yet, could they move to a chair, so the dogs had more room to stretch out.  My mom goes on and on each time she is here that she never thought she would live to see the day that dogs are allowed on my furniture and usually I pretend like Fudge or Vern are talking and we tell her, “Grandma, put a sock in it.” 

 

I have evolved I guess, because Fudge and Vern sometimes use that couch as a launching pad for a sneak attack on each other and I have yet to have a heart attack or fall to the ground crying.  In fact, I just said to my husband the other day that there will always be another couch, but Fudge and Vern are irreplaceable, and he agreed, but he did say he was hoping to retire someday.  Meanwhile, the couch stays covered with blankets and quilts and it makes me wonder why I spent so much time making sure it came in the correct color.

Who Says I Can't Sit Nicely on this Sofa?

Maintenance time...

Saying, "YAY...I am allowed on this pretty sofa."

Look ma, we are having fun!

I'm telling you, Vern, it is my turn to stretch out on the sofa:

Victory is mine:

[F, Calla & Luca]

Before it got cool again I opened up my family room for several days to test my new let them use leather theory. That room is the coolest in the house so I kept it closed in the winter until the doodles came when I kept it closed year round. It has the leather couches. It's funny but the dogs never set paw in there when I opened it. It's as if they don't consider it part of the house since it's been closed off. Or maybe they are afraid I can escape if they are back there not watching the doors to the outside. Actually the family room has doors leading out to the back but I never use them so I am sure the doodles don't think they exist either : )

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Traci, How cute and brave of you...LOL!!  It was between blue and cranberry leather for our new couch. I love the blue.

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

Here are my two couch potatoes on our blue leather...

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Thanks, Sheri. Fudge does the same thing after she gets wet....rubs all over my couch, despite the fact that I ask her nicely to please stop :) A while back, I was on a quilt collecting kick. I love quilts, too!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Great blog.  I don't have leather, but I have given up on the cover on the sofa's.  The only time I put covers over them is right after a bath because they want to jump up there and rub all over them.  Gotta say that I love your new sofa, but I really love all those quilts in the background! 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

F, Not yet, but soon :) LOL

Lisa, I am going to do it.....definitely.....probably....maybe......LOL!!

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Laurie take of the cover - you don't need it. DD has a beautiful red leather couch and every dog scratch has added character.

Love the doodles on the couch, I don't seem to see a photo with DH on the couch - haha

Covers remind me of the old plastic on my Grandma's green couch with that loopy stuff that caught every piece of jewelry.

F. make sure you two get the date coordinated we want photos.

Of course this is all easy for me to say Daisy doesn't care for furniture she likes the cool hard floor and her doggy beds.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Laurie, I have a spare bedroom, garage and basement full of stuff too. But decluttering is going to happen. Let me know the sofa date.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Jennifer, I knew you would like to hear about my couch....LOL!!  My kids think I prefer my Doodles :)

F, I am so glad I have inspired you. Your furniture is lovely and I am "this close" to letting my leather couch go naked, no covers. I get so tired of straightening them up. Maybe we should take the plunge together. I have a spare bedroom used for all the stuff I don't know where to put....along with a garage filled to the brim. I wish I could get rid of stuff, but I keep hanging on to it for my girls or because it was in the family.  BTW, I really love all of your couches :)

Sherri, Thank you! I was surprised by how comfortable a leather couch can be :) We have a white cat that sheds. I sympathize with you and the hair, but Winston is worth it!! I guess we should buy furniture that matches any animal we own that sheds.

Allyson, What an adorable picture of my favorite Choodle :)

Camilla, We used to go to IKEA all the time, mainly because they had a place you could drop your kids and shop in peace....LOL!!

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Oh you know how I love a good couch story LOL!!

Yes, there will always be another couch. I think it's hilarious that the kids couldn't go on the couch and now the doodles do!!