Fitting Back In: Rug Fail… then an AMAZING Rug Score, New Recipe, and Day Off

Thank you for all of your great comments yesterday! I wrote back to each of you in the comments section of my last post. :) I'm so glad you're all feeling my pie- I'll post a review tomorrow or Friday!

On to today!! I popped up early and ran down to Ikea to take back two throws (found ones I liked better) and 3 lights (the gallery lights didn’t work – boo). While there, I picked up 10 frames (new idea for dining room!). I headed out and hit up Home Depot for our floor cleaner and spotlight replacement bulb, hit up Trader Joe’s for the usual (96/4 beef, pizza dough, etc.), then Barnes and Noble for a book (part of dining room idea – will post about it later!!). I got home, visited with Austin, my sister (Devon!) came over and we ate this new recipe: A Year of Slow-Cooking’s Crockpot Pizza Soup! Here’s the recipe for FOUR servings:

1 jar (14 oz) of Ragu pizza sauce

3 empty jars full of water

1 cup green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped (1 cup)

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 whole tomato, diced

2 already-cooked Italian chicken sausage links, diced

20 sliced turkey pepperoni, sliced in quarters

1 tsp dried basil

1 tbsp dried oregano

6 oz. mini farfalle pasta
60 grams shredded mozzarella cheese (to add later)

Wash and prepare veggies. Dump them into the crockpot. Cut sausage and pepperoni into small pieces and add to crockpot. Add basil and oregano. Pour in pizza sauce, and follow with three empty jars of water. Stir, cover and cook on low for 6 hours. After six hours, add dry pasta, and turn to high for 20 minutes or until pasta softens. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Nutritional Information: 338 calories, 47 carbs, 17 protein grams and 9 fat grams. I thought it was SO good – I’m a definite fan!! (and so are Austin and Devon!). If anything, next time I’ll add salt, maybe 5 oz. instead of 6 in pasta, and add more pepperoni! Still though – loved it!

So… after lunch the rug was delivered around 1:30 p.m. I was SO excited. My sister was even over and couldn’t wait to see it, too. The guy takes it out of the fedex truck and I’m like oh shiz… it’s THIN. He takes it in, leaves and I roll it out and it’s WAY too thin, not at all what I had in mind. More like an outdoor rug. Total FAIL. My sister’s like come on, we’re going to the Pottery Barn Outlet now! So we hop in her SUV and ride up to the outlets.

I find one I LOVE for the pool table area and I’m still looking and looking and then they come over and say an additional 30% off all rugs. Then, a guy says if you go to the food court you can get a 20% one item at Pottery Barn… um, that’s it! We start pulling out so many rugs. I ended up with FOUR rugs:

Pool table area: 8x10 Natural Stripes Rug; Originally $549; on sale for $200, with 30% off… $140!

Dining room: 8x10 Chanille Rug; Originally $400; on sale for $250, with 30% off AND $20 off… $140!

Living room: 5x8 Links Rug; Originally $429; on sale for $130, with 30% off…$91!

Entryway: 3x5 Links Rug; Originally $179; on sale for $34, with 30% off….$24!

So, yes, I got FOUR Pottery Barn rugs for $395, with 7% tax a grand total of: $422.65. And, I had a leftover wedding gift card for $58.14… make that grand total: $364.51.

The other rug (the one that I ordered but was thin – blah) was $350 ($374.50 with tax). So yes, I got FOUR rugs for $10 less than the one I didn’t even like and isn’t nearly as nice/high quality as the Pottery Barn ones. I feel SO lucky today – yesss. So, here’s pics… I hope you like as much as we do!!

Ah... who doesn't love a fabulous sale?!! Clearly i'm still on a shopping high!

The seating area/pool table area rug and the new side tables!