Interior Design 101 and EMT’s
We are fortunate indeed to live in the current era of casual living. Californians of course, do ‘casual’ so much better than any other people. As a general rule, Brits do not do ‘casual’ well. Whilst we excel at stiff and stuffy, casual is usually more of a character challenge.
An example may clarify the great divide. Let’s take the phenomenon of ‘the throw.’ For those less ‘with it’ than me, I can tell you that a ‘throw’ is a blanket, but more fashionable than a mere blanket. A blanket belongs on a bed, whereas a throw is draped casually over furniture in any room. It’s presence adds an air of casual.
Twenty years ago in England, there was no such thing as a throw. If you were exceptionally lucky there might have been an old car rug, tartan with a fringe. It remained folded neatly. It remained neatly folded unless you were unlucky enough to be ill and then be wrapped up in it’s itchy, scratchy fibres, swaddled to contain your contamination.
Hence today, we find that modern Californian homes usually house at least one throw. Our Californian home has several, four to be exact. They are neatly folded on the corner of the couch. These four replace the previous four, which were used so frequently as to become bald. Now I know that you may have a couple of criticisms to throw at me here, that the ‘folded’ disqualifies me from the casual. It may just be that you have never worn out a throw and have difficulty understanding how they could be threadbare in less than a year?
Well, although my throws are indeed throws, they also fall into a much more important category, namely ‘objet de déguisement.’ They help unqualified Californians blend in with their surroundings. How? I’m glad you asked that. Say someone comes to call and our home is in it’s usual state of filth and chaos. All I have to do is whip off the throws and drape them decorously over the spills and stains that adorn every room. Obviously, actively soggy patches have priority.
Additionally, and more importantly, they serve as EMT’s.
EMT’s?
The trouble is that we all have so much to learn and teach. Whilst we appear to have mastered gloves and sunglasses for the tactile defensive amongst us, other skills evade us. For instance, we are still actively working on ‘sitting.’ When we’re concentrating on such tasks other skills fall by the wayside. It’s not easy to juggle gloves, sunglasses and sitting all at the same time.
But what about the EMT’s?
Emergency Modesty Throws my friend.
Some small people do ‘casual’ even better than Californians?
I suspect that New Jersey’s “blue fleece” has more a more temperate function, but every bit as cuddly.
Stumble it!
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:25 pm
is it the Blues Brothers?
It’s a very long story but Charlie acquired a new bit of blue flannel/fleeceness—–my husband is in the throes of terrible back pain and as I was just about to toss the box that the heating pad came in, I found a small Linus light blue fleece rectangle. Had to give it to Charlie who went to sleep in a soft nest—all Essential Mollifying Throws.
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:13 am
I haven’t really considered it before, but we have ever so *many* throws here at our house. At least one for every couch, bed, and studio chair… (maybe a dozen in all?) Used constantly. There’s even old fleece ones now serving as dog blankets when needed in the trunks of our cars. huh. We must be *uber* casual…
June 3rd, 2008 at 2:44 am
I suppose we have a throw although it wasn’t intended as such, but for the sake of being chic let’s call it that! We live in the northeast, and a couple of years ago moved even more north so that Gus could get into a better school district. Unfortunately, more north means more cold, so I typically curl up on the couch at night with our ‘throw’ and just never get around to putting it away. It is multifunctional though. It serves as a makeshift sled, wrapping paper for MM’s many gifts to us, a fort covering, and plaid ghost costume. Most recently, Gus has enjoyed being wrapped mummy-stylein it, which would make ours Earlymorning Mummy Trappings.
Your guys look just too cool!!
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:07 am
I just had to replace a throw that had been dragged around the house for too long, toga-style. Same here - EMT, fort roof, mummy-snuggler, baby birdie nest, superhero cape.
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:10 am
Throws are IMHO the best invention, er like ever!
Every time I see a photo of your boys I’m struck by the resemblance to my younger brother at their ages-refusal to wear clothes an all! BG x
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:30 am
hahahahaha, LOVE the picture. maybe instead of throws you should hang a warning sign “beware of naked children.”
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:54 am
Hehe! We have EMTs here too… what a great way to describe it!
June 3rd, 2008 at 9:00 am
I count no less than seven throws in my living room at this time.
Throw sounds much more casual than afghan.
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:18 am
Hee hee! We have LOTS of throws, most of them are stored in the family room.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Awesome picture!
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:31 pm
OMG! That picture is PRICELESS!!
I think we might be he ONLY home in Amerca with NO throws! Nik hates blankets and won’t even let my poor sofa pillows remain in place. Everything gets THROWN over the gate!
June 3rd, 2008 at 3:54 pm
That is hilarious! The kids wander around the house in underwear all the time, so it’s usually Noah in his undies under a blanket to keep warm. Crazy kid!
June 3rd, 2008 at 4:55 pm
They’re like the naked Blues Brothers! I love it!
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:01 pm
That is SOOOOO funny! Brilliant post. EMT - I love it.
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:48 pm
The brits used to have antmacassars, didn’t they? My grandma did, anyway. They are like the loincloth version of the throw.
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:49 pm
The brits used to have antimacassars, didn’t they? My grandma did, anyway. They are like the loincloth version of the throw.
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Ooops, sorry!
June 3rd, 2008 at 9:57 pm
EMT - love it! We use our throws for the same purpose — on my daughter. We have the opposite problem with my son — it is hard to get him to bare his skin.
June 4th, 2008 at 5:14 am
Absolutely no throws here. I’m not exactly sure why, I’ve just never had one. When I’m cold I pull a quilt off my bed.
Precious picture! Oddly enough, whilst Patrick runs around in his undies most of the time, he puts clothes on to eat at the table…not because of anything I have said but simply because his bottom/legs absolutely cannot come into any contact with the chair.