You can stand under my umbrella (ella ella ella)

At Ye Olde Dayjobbe I've been living in a world of outdoor fabrics for the past few months. But guess what? They rock.

Sunbrella is the general term for any ol' solution-dyed acrylic fabric, but it's also a name brand. Used to be, you'd associate Sunbrella with the hard, scratchy "fabric" that covered your pool furniture, but these days Sunbrella makes fabrics for lots of high-end designer lines. Almost every designer showroom I've been to has its own line(s) of Sunbrella fabrics and boy have they come a long way!

Outdoor fabrics don't have to be stiff and scratchy any more. I've come across some baby-soft chenilles and knits that your baby would love--and that could also handle your baby's barf and poop. They can range anywhere from $60 to $150 a yard, depending on where you go.

I've had this handy storage ottoman from Ballard Designs for the past couple of years and I must say I've been pretty happy. I got it upholstered in one of Ballard's outdoor fabrics:

BUT...check it out. Sometimes you get what you pay for. I was kind of disappointed that they didn't bother to line up the pattern.

But you know what else? My cat threw up on this ottoman a little while ago and I cleaned it up with some soap and water. It couldn't have been easier. After that, I felt like I totally got my $495 dollar's worth.

So...you have a baby? You have an army of messy kids or roommates? You have a cat that eats a bit too much and barfs all over the place? Then get yourself some Sunbrella, friend!