keyword: durability

story of my life now. let me tell you how destructive several hundred pounds of man and mutt can be on a daily basis. or perhaps you have experience yourself, in which case, my condolences. if i had a nickel for every time i've said "we can never have nice things!" then i'd have the money to replace all the nice things that have been ruined. so. new game plan. buy things that are durable. really durable.

for example. things that are not durable: sisal rugs.


see that wee, adorable dog? either of my mammoth dogs would accidentally step on that dog and be like, "what was that, a grasshopper?" then they would roll their muddy backsides all over that white couch and do a beethoven-style slobber-fest all over that carpet. and you know what slobber does to sisal? if sisal gets wet, it stains. wouldn't last five minutes chez stone. believe.

durable compromise: indoor/outdoor sisal-look rug. booyah. even better? 9'x12' indoor/outdoor sisal-look rug with a little ripple down the middle that capel rugs has to mark down an insane amount even though the little ripple will probably come out after it's been on the floor for a few days (which, subsequently, it does). check it:


i love the sisaly texture and subtle diamond design, which you can see in that magnified bit that popped up in the middle of the picture when i pulled it off the capel website. the best part is that you can basically take it in the backyard and hose it down. which might come in handy when, hypothetically, your sister-in-law's dog pees on it not 20 minutes after you bring it home. i wish i were kidding. i told you sisal wouldn't last up in hura.

so, there you have it. our living room rug. this is how she looked all decked out for christmas.


what is that black cord? the directv cable, snaking through three rooms in the house because we have not yet had the outlet moved from the former den to the new living room, even though one of us has tripped on it every single day for like 3 months. details....

and to prove my point, please compare the wee, adorable dog on the living room couch above to the mutthounds on my living room couch below:


but dang if that rug doesn't still look fabulous. i rest my case.