Sick puppy

So, with the best intentions, I went to bed early last night! But, one of my puppies must have eaten something that he shouldn't have, and so kept me up most of the night by being sick. Poor little guy! Of course, this is now - at 2:30 last night that is NOT what I was thinking... but I knew he couldn't help it. I called in this morning and came in later so I could get some sleep! Murphy is all better now, or at least he was this morning when I left.

By the way, why is it when animals are sick, they don't aim or run for the wood floors?? No, they aim for or run to the rugs. The sisal rugs, that don't really clean as well as nylon or wool. Boo. If anyone's interested in how to clean sisal (or clean up, I should say), let me know because I'm pretty close to expert at it.



On a different and happier note, I got some fabric swatches in the mail yesterday from Ballard Designs. You may recall that my pillows in the living room (made from wool jacquard) are pilling, and just generally look like crap.
I am working around a big dark green wingback recliner. It is the most comfortable hand-me-down piece of furniture, and actually isn't that bad looking, stylistically. The problem is that it's dark green leather. So I have to blend/incorporate that color somehow. Also, our walls are a gray-ed sage green that blends with the chair a bit, but I can always re-paint them.
I had found the most perfect and wonderful fabric to make the pillows out of. It incorporated the green, wasn't too traditional or modern (I'm kind of in between), had a touch of red (to tie in with my awesome bamboo mirror in the entry)..... it was perfect. Chris even liked it. The problem is that it was by Travers. Zimmer + Rohde, who now own Travers, are sticklers when it comes to only selling to the trade. Even though I work at a neighboring showroom, I would have to find a designer to get this for me because they do not have a house account. And of course, the designers I know that I asked do not have an account with Zimmer + Rohde. Add on to that, the cost of the fabric (net = my cost) is like $86.00 yard. Dang it!! It's just a cotton/linen print. But with all of these factors, I decided to try and find something else.
So I've been looking and looking and looking ..... and looking. I haven't found anything so far that I've liked as much. Taking into account some of Chris' likes and dislikes (he's not fond of red), and then trying to mesh the style of the room with the style of fabric, I just haven't found anything that was great. I've even thought of just doing solid velvet, but that's so boring! I had pretty much stopped actively looking for pillows or pillow fabric, feeling pretty silly to be stressing this much over PILLOW FABRIC, when I saw this in the newest Ballard Designs catalog:

It's called "Khloe" in Seafoam, and it's only $24 yard. I wasn't sure if it was too seafoam/blue, or if it was more seafoam/green. I can happily report that it's more green! It's actually looks like a lighter value of the green leather chair. It is a little blue for the walls, but I can paint them. It's dark like a cave in there, so I had considered lightening them anyways.
Seriously, this makes me happy. Finding stupid pillow fabric makes me happy! It's such the little things in life, I'm telling you!

*** ATTENTION: FELLOW PUSH-UPPERS***

Last night I did my routine with my trainer (9, 8, 6, 4, then max (at least 7)), and was able to max out at 20 push-ups. They were on my knees, but still. I am most definitely feeling it today. I don't recommend having your trainer assist you in this challenge. Trainers are evil.... okay, just kidding. But I would have seriuously stopped at 12. But no, it was 20. Thanks Brandon.