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"Whatever you recommend," I said. "I'd think between two and three inches."
"Three inches will be better," she said. Add $45.
She picked up the fabric and one chair for size. Three weeks later she dropped the cushions off at the house. I eagerly unwrapped them, expecting perfection. But I knew instantly, the way you know when you smell burning hair that it's yours, something was wrong.
The cushions dwarfed the chairs. They jutted over the front edge like an overbite, and looked too thick. The Velcro band that attached them to the chair backs looked too large, too. When I sat on the chair, it felt like a booster seat. My feet were swinging inches off the ground, an indignity when you're sitting at your own table.
I composed myself and called Malevsky, who was sorry to hear I wasn't happy. She would make them right. She came back, looked at the cushion on the chair and said, "I think they look beautiful." I believed she did.
She also correctly said that she'd done everything we'd agreed on. She would revise them, but would have to charge me an additional $275. I understood.
This time, however, I wanted to give her the right instructions. To get the details just right, I called Dean Stills, co-owner of Stills Upholstery in Longwood, Fla., a family business that has been around nearly 40 years. Stills has worked upholstery miracles for me. I would have sent him this job, but I thought it too small.
Thickness -- Standard chair height, from front edge to floor, is 18 to 18 ½ inches, as mine were, Stills said. "That's ergonomically correct. A three-inch piece of foam will feel wrong." Yep. The thickest a pad for my chairs should be 1 ½ inches. Cushion height also cuts into the standard clearance needed between the seat and the bottom of the table, which should be 9 inches minimum. Less, and you can't cross your legs.
Foam type -- Seat foam comes in many varieties. Stills suggests you sit on some samples until you find what you like. Firm foam has little give and makes cushions look taught. Softer foam sinks when you sit on it -- think memory foam -- and looks less perky. Too thin and you feel the seat beneath. For the makeover, I asked Malevsky to use softer foam half as thick.
Piping — Running piping around a cushion edge makes cushions look more finished. I ordered piping, and wasn't sorry. Stills agrees that piping looks nice, but pointed out it's a crumb catcher. "It will be fine for your adult household," he said, "but I wouldn't recommend it on chairs in homes with five children who eat cereal — and never for a restaurant."
Fasteners — Most ready-made chair cushions come with sorry-looking ties, which you fashion into a bow or knot around chair backs. Some come with shorter straps that attach with Velcro or snaps. I originally asked for Velcro fasteners for a cleaner look, and left the width up to Malevsky. She made the band as wide as the cushion; Stills said ideally ties should be no wider than one inch. For the makeover, I opted for no fasteners at all.
Oversized or exact fit — Cushions that extend over the chair edge are common, Stills said. The extension protects the chair edge from wear and is easier on knee backs. I thought it looked like a mistake. "An exact fit isn't wrong," he said. "It's a preference." On the remake, I asked for cushions to fit the chair exactly.
Fabric direction — If your fabric has a pattern with a direction, like a stripe, specify which way you want it to run. Generally, striped patterns run front to back, but is if the chair back has vertical posts, running stripes side to side, perpendicular to the lines on the back, looks better.
Larger lesson — Before you order anything custom, learn all you can. Ask for expert advice, and question it. Think all the details through and specify every one, because sometimes it is too late to learn.
A few days later, I got my scaled-down cushions, and no longer felt like Goldilocks in Papa Bear's chair. They were just right. Details. They are everything.
Syndicated columnist Marni Jameson is the author of three home and lifestyle books, including Downsizing the Family Home — What to Save, What to Let Go (Sterling Publishing).
■ Quinn Pergande (21 points and 13 rebounds) and Justin Sanders (17, 10 and six assists) both had double-doubles in Sayre's 65-60 victory at Bath County. The Wildcats' Blake Maze had 17 points.
■ No. 5 Covington Catholic led No. 4 Newport Central Catholic 32-27 at halftime when the officials postponed the game because of slick floor conditions. A completion date for the game at Covington Catholic was to be determined.
■ Rebecca Cook scored 11 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked four shots in No. 3 Franklin County's 58-24 at Western Hills. Nannilena White added 13 points and five assists.
Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.
The Suns termed Friday's surgery by team doctor Thomas Carter a success. No timetable was given for Bledsoe's return but the team said in a news release that he "will pursue a possible return to action during the second half" of the season.
Bledsoe was having the finest season of his career after being acquired by the Suns from the Los Angeles Clippers in the off-season, averaging 18 points and 5.8 assists per game.
Former Kentucky teammate John Wall said he reached out to Bledsoe after hearing about the injury.
The Indiana Pacers rolled to a 93-66 victory at home against the Washington Wizards. Indiana (29-7) used an 11-3 run in the third quarter to start the rout. Trying for their first four-game win streak on the road since February 2008, the Wizards (16-18) stumbled at the foul line. They finished 9-for-23 on free throws.
Washington lost to the Pacers for the 11th time in 12 tries and haven't won at Indiana since April 18, 2007. John Wall, who finished with 13 points, shot 4-for-15 from the field Friday and is 8-for-29 in his past two games in Indianapolis.
■ Anthony Davis had 21 points, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots in the New Orleans Pelicans' 107-90 home loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Darius Miller added four points in 18 minutes.
Sean Woods has played and coached in many rivalry games throughout his time involved with the game of basketball.
While Morehead State is getting ready for their instate showdown with rival Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, he and the rest of the Eagles are taking a different approach when it comes to the Colonels.
"We're just treating it as a regular OVC game," Woods said. "We know it's a rivalry game and our fans are excited about it, but it's just another competitor for us in the OVC."
"They have great guard play," Woods said. "Defensively, we need to find a way to control him. We know how good of a player he is and he makes them go. He is playing just as good as anyone in the conference. We need to make sure he's taking tough shots."
■ No. 10 Florida will be without leading scorer Casey Prather at Arkansas on Saturday. Coach Billy Donovan said the senior has a bone bruise on his right knee. Prather averages 17 points a game and leads the Southeastern Conference in shooting at 62.4 percent.
Kiffin replaces Doug Nussmeier, who left Alabama for Michigan.
Kiffin spent a week in Tuscaloosa, Ala., last month exchanging ideas with Coach Nick Saban and his staff and observing Alabama's offense. The 38-year-old Kiffin was 28-15 in three-plus seasons with USC. He was fired five games into last season. He also was head coach at Tennessee and for the Oakland Raiders.
"They dominated us. It wasn't like we were about ready to make a run at any point in the second half. ... Every player for them whipped whatever player on our team's tail. (Georgia State Coach Ron) Hunter whipped my tail. They were just better than us. It is what it is."
Beijing's one-child policy has been subject of heated debate about its economic consequences as the population ages.
Chinese doctors have performed more than 330 million abortions since the government implemented a controversial one-child policy 40 years ago, according to official data from the health ministry.
"After the reform, China will adhere to and improve the family planning policy"
Data posted on the health ministry website shows that since 1971 - shortly before China started encouraging people to have fewer children - doctors have performed 336 million abortions.
The Chinese government has previously estimated that without the family planning policy restrictions, the country's 1.3 billion population would be 30 percent larger.
Official statistics showed that in addition to the abortions, Chinese doctors have sterilised 196 million men and women since 1971.
The incoming Chinese leadership has already moved to dismantle the Family Planning Commission.
"After the reform, China will adhere to and improve the family planning policy," Ma Kai, secretary-general of the State Council, China's cabinet, said when the move was announced, according to the official Xinhua news agency on Saturday.
The move was included in a report on governmental restructuring submitted to the National People's Congress, the country's legislature, which ends its annual session on Sunday.
China has announced structural changes to its family planning system which oversees the controversial one-child policy during the ongoing annual meeting of the national legislature in Beijing.
Inside Story - What is fuelling child abduction in China?
The People's Republic says that its one-child policy introduced in 1978 and enacted in 1979, has prevented overpopulation and boosted economic development.
The policy, which limits urban families to one child, exempts some rural families, ethnic minorities and couples who are both only children.
Those who contravene the rules must pay a fine.
Calls have increased, however, for the restriction to be phased out as the country's labour force shrinks and the ranks of the elderly swell. Human rights groups have criticised what they say are "harsh enforcement methods".
Last Sunday, the government announced the merger of the National Population and Family Planning Commission, which oversees the policy, with the health ministry in a move state media said was meant to improve, not abandon the one-child policy.
China's latest census in 2010 showed that the population could have been 400 million larger if the one-child policy had not been implemented, according to Xinhua.
A Suffolk mum said she had to leave the Suffolk village where her family had laid down roots as they were priced out of the property market - a story that is repeated in rural communities across the county.
Sarah Beales, 36, and her family moved out of Elmswell to nearby Woolpit, in Mid Suffolk, in order to be able to buy a bigger home that could meet their needs.
Her and husband David have a combined average income of £50,000, but to buy somewhere bigger in the village where they were settled was to prove unachievable.
For those trying to get onto the first step of the housing ladder, its an ambition that can seem unattainable.
Matt Reason, 27, a telecoms field engineer, and his wife Charlotte, also 27, a solicitor, are renting in Stowmarket while they try to save the money needed to own their first home. The couple have a combined income of under £55,000.
Matt said: “Getting on the property ladder in Stowmarket is tough. The rental market is not cheap and seems to climb every year, with council tax and bills constantly climbing as well - the only thing that doesn’t go up is everyone’s wages, making saving even harder.
“We are lucky enough that we can save and hope to have a house within two years. Looking at property prices around Stowmarket makes scary reading though, recently some prices seem to have stopped soaring, but there is a real fear that in two years, if prices keep going up, we still won’t have enough. Renting feels like throwing money away.
Over-development is a concern for many in areas like Mid Suffolk, that is facing dozens of speculative planning applications from developers, but for some just trying to purchase that first home or upgrade to a bigger property seems an unrealistic dream.
Monica Burns, head of member relations at the National Housing Federation, said on average house prices were 8.3 times the salary needed to buy a home and in rural areas only 8% of the housing stock is affordable.
In Suffolk the average price of a property is £293,960 this month, according to Zoopla.
She said historically urban areas have more affordable housing and rural areas are also popular with people who are retiring, which pushes prices up.
She said for young people trying to buy their first home it is “particularly problematic” in rural areas.
Earlier this year the Government announced £2billion of new money would go into social housing and the Prime Minister made a long-term commitment to fund new affordable homes.
Jill Wilshaw, cabinet member for housing at Mid Suffolk District Council, said the council was doing all that it could to ensure there were enough homes, and affordable homes.
“The problem is wages are so low and the cost of housing is so high in Suffolk. That’s the major problem.
She said the council wants developers to include 35% affordable homes in their proposals, but “they say it’s not financially viable for us to do that so we knock it down a bit”.
She claimed developers were sitting on plans that are approved as they are waiting for prices to go up, adding “nobody is building”.
In a recent appeal decision over a development in Woolpit, the planning inspector had not been convinced Mid Suffolk could demonstrate a five-year supply of housing, but the council believes it meets this target.
Pete Redfern, chief executive of leading home builder Taylor Wimpey, said in a report on sustainability: “One of the most significant challenges facing the UK is the shortage of affordable housing.
“We support efforts to tackle this challenge through the homes we build and by making these accessible for a range of buyers.
“We increased the overall number of homes completed in the UK to 14,541 in 2017, up by nearly 5% in comparison to last year .
The Government defines affordable housing in its revised National Planning Policy Framework that was published in July this year.
It says it is housing for sale or rent for those whose needs are not met by the market and includes housing that provides a subsidised route to home ownership and/or is for essential local workers.
For the full definition see here.
ADA, Okla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LegalShield, North America’s leading provider of affordable legal plans for individuals, families and small businesses, announced today that in celebration of the company’s fourth annual Founder’s Day, it will honor two local leaders: Sam Presti, general manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Vicki Behenna, executive director of the Oklahoma Innocence Project. Both will be recognized on Wednesday, October 10, at a celebratory event held at the Oklahoma State Capitol Building.
Each year on Founder’s Day, LegalShield honors the life, legacy and spirit of its founder, Harland C. Stonecipher, by celebrating leaders who share in his commitment to helping the community and fostering entrepreneurship.
Sam Presti will receive the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award for his significant and positive impact on Oklahoma since the Thunder’s debut in 2008. Presti spends much of his free time giving back to his community and currently serves on the board for the Oklahoma City National Memorial. He has also been honored by Oklahoma City University for his philanthropic endeavors, and runs the Forward Thinking Leadership Development Program, an initiative within the Oklahoma City Public Schools. During the Founder’s Day celebration, LegalShield will present Presti with a significant donation to help him create an “Oklahoma Standard” scholarship fund through the Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation.
After spending the majority of her 30-year career as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Vicki Behenna was named the executive director of the Oklahoma Innocence Project, a nonprofit that works to identify and exonerate the wrongfully convicted people of Oklahoma. LegalShield is delighted to honor her with the Justice Award for her continued perseverance and continued commitment to justice. At the Founder’s Day celebration, Behenna will be presented with a donation to help continue the work of the Oklahoma Innocence Project.
Previous award recipients include former Attorney General of Oklahoma Mike Turpen and Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby, Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole and former Primerica co-CEO John Addison.
Stonecipher is regarded as a pioneer of the North American pre-paid legal services industry. He founded and subsequently led Pre-Paid Legal Services to greatness throughout his 40 years at its helm. Stonecipher was recognized for his leadership, innovation and philanthropy many times throughout his lifetime – Ernst & Young named him its 2002 Southwest Master Entrepreneur of the Year and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reappointed him to a two-year term on its 100-person board of directors in 2005. In 1987, Stonecipher was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus from his alma mater, East Central University. The university later memorialized him through its Harland C. Stonecipher School of Business.
The Founder’s Day celebration will take place just one month ahead of LegalShield’s "Harland C. Stonecipher Day" on November 10.
A pioneer in the democratization of affordable access to legal protection, LegalShield is North America’s leading provider of legal safeguards and one of the leading providers of identity theft protection, for individuals, families and small businesses. The 46-year-old company has more than 1.75 million members that are covered by its legal and identity theft plans. IDShield provides identity theft protection to one million individuals. LegalShield and IDShield serve more than 141,000 businesses. Both legal and identity theft plans start for less than $25 per month.
The ultimate Christmas gift that keeps giving would be hitting the lottery.
And a lot of Santas disguised as everyday folks are buying tickets as gifts for friends and relatives with the hope of putting the happy in their holidays.
Nancy Barnes, of New Rochelle, N.Y., stopped at the BP Sunshine Food Mart off Interstate 95 and Granada Boulevard in Ormond Beach, picking up some soda, chips and holiday-themed instant lottery tickets, before driving on to West Palm Beach.
"Half are for me, and half are stocking stuffers for my friend's kids," she said, smiling. "But if they win, I expect a big tip. A really big tip."
Cosme Braganza, the owner of the store, said people are buying Peppermint Payout, Holiday Gold and Million Dollar Holiday scratch-off tickets, staying in the holiday spirit.
"They're specifically asking for those," he said.
Others, however, are treating themselves to what they hope will be an instant $250,000 to $3 million Christmas present.
That's just what happened to David Bailey, 63, of Palm Coast. He hit a $1 million jackpot earlier this week in the Billion Dollar Blockbuster scratch-off game, settling for the one-time buy-out of $650,000 after taxes.
The Florida Lottery reports that big-buck dreams are alive and well even in bad economic times.
Scratch-off revenue has increased $10 million to almost $30 million every month this year over 2010 -- a trend that is expected to continue for December. A lottery official added that: "Typically, we do see higher scratch-off sales in holiday months," with strictly seasonal customers buying them as gifts.
Meshelle King, who works the counter of a Port Orange 7-Eleven on Williamson Boulevard, said holiday-themed scratch-off tickets are moving almost as fast as Santa's sleigh.
"It's really good. It seems to be looking up a bit from last year," she said, with $20 Gold Rush tickets being the most popular.
Co-worker Sarah West added: "One guy was just in here and bought $110 of all different kinds, as stocking stuffers."
But area convenience store employees say tickets for today's $125 million Powerball and $50 million traditional lottery jackpots aren't as popular as holiday gifts, given the drawings are a day before Christmas.
And some places report a Scrooge-like economy has hurt holiday ticket sales.
"This year is very slow," said Al Agarwal, the owner of the Old Crossroads Grocery in Holly Hill. "People don't have much money to buy scratch-offs. Sales are down about 50 percent."
And for those who can afford the instant tickets, Agarwal said the result is the same, no matter if the buyer's been naughty or nice.

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