I'm horrible at sofa shopping. Even when I can test them out and try to predict long term comfort.

It seems really hard! Eh, I'm in no rush, I guess.

People should post links!

I totally have a shopping list for when I get my refund, and it even includes a new sofa/loveseat for the TV room.

I also want to buy some new bushes and trees for the backyard, but I am wavering on that part, because the drought is still bad enough that I am not sure I want to buy new stuff that needs watering.

The key with those squarish ones is firmness, not hardness. And plenty of padding on the lean points. You don't want them to lose their shape but you also don't want to bounce off. Also, pillows. That can take a comfortable sit into a lounge. Sandra down the street has a modern modular boxy L thing that is also quite comfy- you don't feel any sharp edge leaning up against an arm (we always end up sprawled all over it with lots of pillow. WINE.)

The arms on the first would make lounging iffy, too high. Second, the poofy pillow bits shouldn't be too soft, but actually support.

And here I put my refund straight into savings and pretended it didn't happen. I'm no fun.

I am doing that with half of it!

I put it into savings, but I'm literally sitting here on a 40 year old sofa, so.

I love this one, too, but it's too close to my actual midcentury chairs. So I'd need a different color.

We bought new drapes for the living room today (scarlet, because the walls are off-white and the couch is brown) and found throw pillows to match and, totally by accident, a silver wall clock with a scarlet face. Booyah. Fancier living room!

I'll have to take a picture of the old drapes -- they're lima-bean green intarsia (maybe intarsia is the wrong word -- there's a pattern woven in the fabric -- is that jacquard?) and gnarly. These are light years better.

Also got a new tumbling composter to replace the old box-style one in the backyard. It's old enough that the sides have warped and the lid doesn't quite fit, so raccoons get in and have a woodland jamboree.

Lots of commerce around these parts. And the best part is that almost all of it was thanks to gift cards we got at Christmas. Thanks for decorating our house, family!

(I'm also doing a fair amount of, "I'm 40 years old -- I should have decent things!" so.)

Maybe I should start composting. It seems so good!

My refund is what passes as my annual savings (outside of retirement) since I bought a house, so. I keep reminding myself I dropped my mortgage payment the amount of the car loan for the next 5 years, and I didn't have to pull from savings for that, so I'm doing ok.

But I won't lie, when I left the restaurant tonight, my mental accountant congratulated me on not spending what would have probably run $40 tonight.