Hello! Thanks for checking in today. So, you may remember that one of my final purchases before the advent of No Spend November was a new rug for our family room. I mean, I got this guy in under the wire on October 31st. (Yes, that would be Overspend October 31st). Anyway, I got it new, in packaging, for $200, on our local listserv. It's an 8' x 10', which is the right size for this room, as opposed to the rug we had. It's a thicker weave, which I wanted for my roly poly West-a-ley.  I like the colors, and $200 for a rug is a really good deal. So, home it came, and here she is!

Well. I'm not sure how I feel about it. Can I refresh your memory with what we were working with before?

I love the old rug. I love the pattern, and I'm just partial to a flat weave, which it is. It's an oldie but a goodie, from Ikea, which they no longer sell. Right before I bought the new rug, I'd bought a bunch of Flor carpet tiles, also from the listserv, and they're serving as the border in this picture. I guess I just prefer the vibe of this photo - I like the more boho look, and I was happy with how all the stuff in here combined into a sort of hippie cozy den feel that was perfect for fall. Bringing in the new rug, and restoring our old linen sheers, really made for a lighter, brighter room...and somehow, I'm not bowled over.

Normally, I'd be all about lighter and brighter. That's my jam, yo. But I think what's happening right now is that the new, sleeker, rug is throwinginto stark relief the less-new, much browner aspect of the rest of our furniture. And making that hideous yellow pouf stand out that much more. I was in a bit of despair about how to reconcile it all (without scrapping the new rug and the two chairs, which is my druthers), but I think I finally have some ideas. (Seriously, if you guys knew how much I thought about this stuff...it's scary, even to me). I'm going to: Rehab the little white side table and make it the coffee table; Recover or paint the rocker to make it a little less Miss Haversham; Do something to that pouf, including maybe ditching it; and Maybe bring in some more pillows. I know - more pillows. But there's rarely a problem pillows can't solve, right? In this case, I'm hoping a nice eclectic mix will tie things together - and maybe hide some more of all that brown.

I'd love your thoughts, as always. And I'll be back with progress pics soon. I'm working on it now, as I deep clean and prep for our week in Philly. Let's see if I can make a difference with all crap/stuff we've already got.

I want to note that our hearts are hurting over here for those in Beirut and Paris and all over the world who are victims of terrorism. Terrorism is well-named: Its design is to make people cower with fear, and it's heartbreaking when it succeeds, even for a short while. I thought a lot about it all weekend, and especially as I jogged across the Brooklyn Bridge this morning. It's hard when a group of people filled with hate make you feel the fragility of your city and your family.