Overwhelmed - in a good way - at Ashley Furniture!

A little over two weeks ago when yet another storm with heavy rains swept through DuPage County our lower level flooded. In the six years we've lived in this house it's happened about four times and each time we have some work done and think we've fixed the problem, so when I came home to water in the utility room, the room where we keep our computer and the hall - I did what any normal person would do - I started crying. My husband arrived home later to find me still crying as I was mopping up (I was also muttering dire threats to the people we bought the house from since the problem predated our owning it - though we had been informed it was "solved" - when Michael reminded me the husband had died and so beyond caring about the house and I should let it go).

With carpeting pulled up, things from the utility room that didn't get too wet in the family room, bookcases moved away from the wall into the middle of the computer room and general disarray throughout the basement - I find my normally organized brain also somewhat in disarray. The feeling is not unlike what I experience every Thursday when I walk into Ashley Furniture.

You see Thursdays is when I leave my tidy desk at Outreach Community Ministries (of which Ashley Furniture is a part of and where the proceeds of what we sell - minus our expenses - help support the programs and services being offered through) and head to the store to price the furniture which has been donated that week. Dan Snyder (warehouse manager) and Chris Jackson (truck assistant) are out three days each week making pickups and off-loading everything back at the store. On average they fill our 24' box truck twice a day every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday which translates into quite a lot of "new" furniture and a lot of disarray in the store to sort through, price and arrange.

Yet each week as I struggle not to feel overwhelmed by it all a wonderful team of volunteers arrives and turns chaos into creative, stylish "rooms" which makes shopping at Ashley Furniture not unlike shopping at a high end furniture store (a high end furniture store with bad lighting and no windows or air conditioning that is - *smile*). Similarly an amazing friend has been working with Michael to finally (we hope) fix our water issues at home. I am extremely grateful to both my Ashley team and to Lon! God bless you all!

"So, what exactly did your Ashley team have to arrange this week, Susan?" you ask. What an excellent question and one I'll answer right now:

gorgeous Young Hinkle dressers with hutches - part of their Village Square collection - the six drawer dresser with a lighted hutch is priced $145 and the three drawer with hutch is $125

here's another beautiful bedroom set - this time by John M. Smyth and is solid cherry. The dresser w/mirror is $145, full size headboard $85 and night stand for $65 - or - buy all pieces for $215 and save $75!

this is one of my favorite pieces in the store right now - it's a fantastic chest of drawers in mint condition and it's priced $145

antique chest for $65

here's a fun kitchen set - very retro table with five chairs (some of the original vinyl on the seat cushions is ripped) priced at $50

nice table for $40 and the four chairs are $75

King Hickory sofa for $35

sweet old bookcase for $45

walnut desk for $65

beautiful oak entertainment center for $125

small student desk for $25

cool old table with four chairs (one chair has arms) for $375 - look at the craving, amazing!

brown tweedy sofa for $50

pine side table for $30 and we have two of them

though this isn't a matched set - I love the chairs with this table. Table with two leaves for $65 and the four black chairs with maple seats are $100 for all four

neat H. Brian sleeper sofa for $95

china cabinet for $65

side chair for $45 and we have a matching one priced $35 because of two small rips

red Room & Board love seat for $60 (needs to be cleaned)

love this ladies dressing table priced $125

another Room & Board piece - this time a sofa - priced $125 (and also needs to be spot cleaned)

antique ceder chest - way cool - for $375 (clock doesn't work - though maybe you can fix it?)

So there you have it, dear reader, some of the many, many, many wonderful things you'll find at Ashley Furniture today (Friday) from 1 to 8 and tomorrow (Saturday) from 9 to 4.

And if you are at all like me and sometimes feel overwhelmed by what life hands you - know it's okay to cry and then ask for help - amazingly, thankfully, there are lots of wonderful people out there willing to help turn disarray into array!

God's peace and grace to you today, tomorrow and the day after that too!

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Write by: Dj Ganden - Jumat, 09 Juli 2010