Eric felt like hanging out today and watching football, so I left the house before noon to go shopping by myself. My main goal was to buy a cheap TV, because the cable guy is coming tomorrow morning to run the wire and hook up the cable in the bedroom and I wanted to have a TV for him to hook up! We looked at TVs at The Salvation Army, but Eric said it wasn’t a good idea to buy an old TV, because they might not work well, and they’re all final sale, so it just wasn’t worth it, even though they were cheap.
We brought a 27” regular tube TV from NY when we moved and we were planning to use that in the bedroom and buy a nice flat-screen TV in San Diego for the living room. Now that we’re not sure if we’re staying in San Diego, we don’t want to invest in an expensive TV and then have to ship it across the country. So, we’re keeping the 27” in the living room (in our new entertainment center) and I went online and found the cheapest regular tube TV that was larger than 20”. It was at BEST BUY and I found a store located in the MISSION VALLEY MALL.
That was my first stop. I already knew exactly which TV I wanted, so it took all of 5 minutes to get someone to put it on a cart, roll it to the cashier, pay for it and go get my car.
A young man put it in the back of the PT and I was on my way! I purchased a DYNEX 24” TV, which Eric and I thought would be big enough to be able to enjoy watching, but not big enough to take up the whole bedroom. We already have the rolling TV cart to put it on, so we should be all set tomorrow!
My next stop was PIER 1 IMPORTS, which was in the same shopping center, to see if I could find a chair or a dinette set. We really need someplace to eat, so finding a table and chairs was next on my list. They had some gorgeous pieces, but they were more than I wanted to spend, even with the very generous gift certificate I have from our friends, Brian and Elaine. I looked at everything they had and made some mental notes, but left there without buying anything.
The shopping center also had a STAPLES and I needed to buy an ink cartridge for my printer, so that was my next stop. The funny thing is, this “outdoor mall” is HUGE and has a parking lot for every major store, so even though I never left the mall area, I had to keep moving my car. I parked by BEST BUYS to get the TV, then moved the car to PIER 1 IMPORTS, in case I bought furniture, then moved it again for STAPLES, and then again to go to a few more furniture stores. Each time I parked I use “the club” since I’m paranoid about having my new baby, Opal, stolen --especially with a TV in the back!
I hit THOMASVILLE -- too expensive; MACY’S (the regular store, and their HOME STORE) – also too expensive; SAKS OFF 5th (their outlet store). I thought it should be called "WAY off Fifth", since we’re on the other side of the country! Meanwhile, they don’t even sell furniture!
At one point, I had to walk through an “outdoor” section of the mall, with stores on either side and kiosks in the middle selling cell phones, massages, jewelry, and other items. I was so tempted to go clothes shopping, but I just kept walking. I was on a mission!
I did go to STARBUCKS and then I finally left the shopping center and went back to PACIFIC BEACH, because there was a furniture store I hadn’t yet visited. GARNET FURNITURE has some really great, modern pieces. The gentleman there was very nice and showed me a small wood rectangular table with four chairs that could be purchased for $260. It really was a great deal, but it wasn’t something that thrilled me, and it seemed like too much, since we didn’t want to keep and ship whatever we bought.
I was actually hoping to find something used, in a shop like I used to have, but there don’t seem to be any of those around here, and I just don’t have the time or energy to drive miles and miles to find a great vintage shop. I really would have loved to find a cute 50s kitchen set, or a nice, clean dining room set. The only places I found so far are the two SALVATION ARMY THRIFT SHOPS and they both didn’t have anything I liked at a good price. I think they’re prices are a little outrageous. I was lucky to find the entertainment center for only $50!
One thing I saw at GARNET FURNITURE that took me by surprise was the giant shoe chair, just like the one I had in the shop. I had seen one in a vintage boutique in Santa Barbara, but here they were for sale. They weren’t leopard, like the one I had, but he had two different ones in nice animal print patterns. They brought back memories!
After I left PACIFIC BEACH, I headed back towards home, but decided to go down Balboa Avenue to see if I could find more furniture stores. I saw a TARGET and decided to look at their furniture again. They had some very nice pieces, but they were also at least $250, and were really nothing special. I was just hoping to find something to use on a temporary basis – something that would serve our purpose but wouldn’t cost a lot or be big and bulky to ship, if we did decide to keep it.
All of a sudden, I saw a square folding card table in black metal with a black vinyl top. They also had nice black metal folding chairs with a brown and black upholstered back and seat. The table was only $19.99 and the chairs were also only $19.99 each, so the whole set cost $100 plus tax. I was thrilled. It was enough to seat four comfortably, was just the right size for the dinette, and it didn’t cost too much. Yureka! Success at last!
I got home and Eric helped me carry the four chairs and table upstairs and then he carried the TV upstairs. I felt so bad, because it was really heavy and, of course, the box is so much bigger, because of all the packing materials. He wouldn’t let me help, so I just let him do it himself.
He set up the table and chairs for me and I immediately reheated my leftovers from THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY last night. It was super comfy and I was so happy I found it! My leftovers were delicious and I enjoyed them even more on my new “dinette set!”
Now that we’ve ordered the sleeper sofa, I don’t really need another chair in the living room, because that will seat 2 or 3, and we have Eric’s massage chair. I also have my desk set up in the living room (the one Eric made of 6 boxes with a board on top) and I purchased my desk chair at STAPLES, so I can sit and work and watch TV.
We’re really all set now and I don’t think we need to buy any more furniture. We already have enough lamps, art work and accessories, so now it’s just a matter of getting everything set up nicely. Eric is going to be hanging shelves, so we can add storage space to the apartment. He feels it will be great if I can unpack a lot of my collectibles and have them in the dining room and living room, so we can enjoy them. It will also help to get rid of a lot of boxes, and then – when and if we move again – we’ll just repack them.
It’s hard to furnish an apartment when you’re not sure how long you’re going to be staying, but I think we’re doing okay. We wanted to decorate on a shoestring, and we’ve managed to buy (or make) a “dinette set,” a desk and chair, two end tables, a coffee table, an entertainment center, a TV and a TV cart for less than $500!
Soon, we’ll start hanging some artwork, putting out decorative items and really dressing up the place! That’s my favorite part. I can’t wait!