First things first, we did a little spring cleaning so we have a fresh little header and a lighter-and-brighter site background up in hurr. Hope you guys love it as much as we do. Update: if it looks wonky on your computer, try refreshing and then clearing your browser’s cache/cookies/data :)
Speaking of apologies, it’s been way too long since our last window shopping adventure. As most of you know, these aren’t paid or perked or anything – we just walk through a store with a camera and take photos of whatever inspires us for you guys. This post is actually long overdue (woops) but now that I’ve uploaded the pics and sat down to write this post I’m all excited again. See, we got to stop at the Pottery Barn Outlet in Georgia back when we were visiting Katie Bower (and meeting Weston for the first time) and it was full of good stuff. So let’s take a spin around, shall we?
As soon as we walked in we saw this cute little heart chandelier for $14.99 (I bet you could make something similar with an embroidery hoop, fishing wire, and red construction paper (or felt). Heck, even a giant hula hoop could be the base if you wanted to dramatically up the scale!
This was a little $19 kids chair in pink that I thought was cute. Can’t you see it in a subdued space like a kitchen or an office for a pop of fun color?
These were $35 kids chairs that were a little more traditional and cottage-ish. They were nice and solid and definitely could slip into any space thanks to their neutral color. Wouldn’t they be fun with dipped legs in a bold color like red or turquoise?
This little red play kitchen was intensely charming, and it was marked down to $124 since the dial was missing. At first I thought that was steep (Clara’s play kitchen was $74 to make) but even places like Ikea charge $99 for their versions, and this one is extra cute thanks to the bright hue. And you could just pop a kitchen timer from Anthropologie into that missing-dial-spot in the middle and it would be all better.
These $4.99 alligators charmed me to no end. They’re the I-wish-I-had-bought-one item of the day.
These giant chunky floor lamps were expensive (don’t remember how much, but I remember my mouth falling open) but I think if you have some loot sitting around they’d be such awesome statements in a room. Kinda reminds me of something that would be on the set of Something’s Gotta Give or The Holiday (they have such pretty homes in those two movies).
These gleaming glass lamps were $49 each (and really big and gourdy and fabulous) so I totally would have snatched them both up if we had a spot for them. Miss you my pretties!
This $49 pendant was great too. Can’t you see it over a breakfast table or even in a bedroom? That long drop-rod wouldn’t work in our house unless it was over a table or a bed (eight foot ceilings mean things that you walk under can’t be that low) but it’s pretty awesome for a space where you don’t have to worry about clearance (like an entryway with a high ceiling or a breakfast nook).
These babies were $267 per chair (steeep!) but if money grew on trees I’d totally have left with a few of them. They felt super chic and luxe with the mix of leather, wood, and that antique-looking hardware on them. They were like something Restoration Hardware would charge $500 for.
As usual, there were some fun rugs – and this time I fell for this bold red guy with a crisp white stripe. I was telling someone the other day that I always thought of red as a traditional color (you know how traditional homes in the 90’s all had a red walled study or a red walled dining room?) but my eyes have been opened to how awesome and modern and fun red can be. Long story long, I’m a red convert and I wish I had a spot for that rug.
This dry erase calendar was around $40 I think, and it seemed like it could be pretty functional (and you could probably DIY something similar with a stencil or even with letter stickers from a craft store – especially since they sell dry erase paint now).
I thought this egg tray was cute for Easter. Picture it full of a ton of colorful freshly-dyed eggs as a centerpiece on the table.
The wish-we-had-room-in-the-car-for-this-item award goes to this $49 train table (well, there are four of them stacked in this picture). We brainstormed a few ways to squash it into the car with us, but we just didn’t have the room. It was probably cheaper than buying the wood to make a solid wood train table yourself and the ridge around the edge would come in handy for so much more than trains (Clara already has a train board, but I think this would have made an awesome coffee table in the sunroom and Clara could play games and color on it without worrying that all the crayons and markers would roll off the edge).
This picture of the $35 wine barrel tray that we found does it’s size no justice. It’s HUGE! Basically the size of the bottom of a wine barrel. It would be awesome on a large dining table with a few family-style dishes (like a giant bowl of pasta and crusty bread – mmm) sitting on it. Heck, you could even screw a lazy susan under it to create a monster barrel-looking lazy susan. Man now I wish we bought this too.
This $49 basket was also huge, and the large weave and the chunky handles were pretty cool. We have $30 Target baskets throughout our house for Clara’s toys, so $20 more per basket might be a bit much for us, but they sure were pretty.
And this $499 cabinet was definitely in the “aspirational” category. Can you imagine how organized you could be with all those shallow drawers? I’d use it to hold all of my art supplies and miscellaneous prints/drawings that I want to eventually frame.
Hope you guys liked that little virtual window shopping spree. It’s fun to duck into different places every once in a while (we usually traipse through places like Target, World Market, Ikea, thrift stores, and smaller independent shops). What stores have you been ogling lately? Are there any DIY versions of things that you’ve seen in stores that you’re getting ready to attempt like dipped chair legs, paper mobiles, or dry erase calendars?
The new header is awesome!
I was thinking the other day of how much was an the old one and wondering if you were up for any changes.
Aw thanks Wendy! I think we’re both craving warmer weather (and I wanted to smash more color into the text, haha!).
xo
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I LOVE the idea for a lazy susan with the barrel tray! Don’t give me ideas like that!
Wish we had a Pottery Barn outlet close by. While we admit, the quality is very good the prices can be a little steep at times.. So we always make a decision to get it or hold off. What we do allot if get inspiration from pottery barn and find the actual product in marshalls, TJ max or home goods. Everyone always thinks everything is from PB. =)
So, I clicked back over to read about Clara’s train board again, and it makes me wonder where you guys keep it?
It’s actually under the sofa in the living room. Slides right under and comes out whenever she asks to play with her trains :)
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Oh, it seems I may remember that now. Sorry if I missed it in my reread of that post. Thanks!
Cute finds! I really would love to have one of those cabinets like the last one. My art/craft supplies are a disaster, for real!
Wouldn’t you feel like the most organized person in the world?! Haha! I would!
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My solution to that is not as classy, but works really well…hobby shops sell shallow drawer rolling carts, mine is a 12 drawer with 6 side by side, I keep it in a corner of the kitchen and the kids can pull out supplies, color, etc while we get dinner ready. I was in P-touch heaven labeling all the drawers, great way to organize crayons, markers, glue sticks, colored paper, finished projects, etc.
Sounds perfect!
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I bought Threshold lamps at Target very similar to the wood, turned-style ones. I love them and they didn’t ‘break the bank’. I actually have them in all the bedrooms ha!
Ooh I love that tip Lisa!
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I just bought Threshold lamps too… four of them, actually! The new line is so pretty and fresh, without looking too trendy!
Woah! Snazzy new header! Now I won’t have rhino envy every time I come to your site – haha!
Egg trays are for one thing only in my family- Deviled Eggs.
I told my brother in law I couldn’t make more for a gathering because I didn’t have any more trays. I got a double decker stacker tray for Xmas.
Hahaha, that’s hilarious!
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You sure you’re thinking of As Good As It Gets? I bet you are thinking of Something’s Gotta Give–also Jack Nicholson!
Also for the record I am only making this correction because I LOVEEEE the Something’s Gotta Give house!
Oh yes, you’re right!! Hahah!
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I die over Nancy Meyers’ movie houses (Father of the Bride, Something’s Gotta Give, Parent Trap, Holiday, etc). Most recently the It’s Complicated house – that one was amazing!
Oh my I LOVE LOVE LOVE the It’s complicated Set.
LIke the bright new colors.
I haven’t been out shopping as much lately, but I always have time for a quick stop in Target! I am loving all of their spring stuff this season. I want it all!
Yes, isn’t their Threshold stuff so good?! And of course there’s my Nate Berkie…
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man i wish we had a pb outlet close by!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have that big basket….at least it looks the same. Mine is big enough for a couple of pillows, and blankets. I paid $70 a few years ago at the pb store but it is super sturdy (kids jumping in it) and very useful.
That’s awesome!
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Gah, I wish we had a Pottery Barn Outlet around here. I heard, just recently, that there used to be one in Leesburg, VA which made me sad….because now I live closer to there. I didn’t even know they had outlets!!! I’m so jealous you got to go to one. I’m obsessed with PB
Yes, I’m so sad they closed that one. Boo!
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Yes, I was just wondering about that. I went and looked at their list of stores and was scratching my head over its missing status. Glad to know I wasn’t going crazy and that it really is gone.
I love the Window Shopping series! I’m in NYC and the closest PB Outlet is pretty deep in to Long Island, so I don’t know if I’ll make it any time soon (a shame, because I, like you, love those shiny glass lamps! They remind me of the shiny ones you have on your console in the living room that I covet hardcore), but it’s still so fun to read. Thanks for sharing!
Aw thanks Chelsea, glad you like it :)
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My Pottery Barn Outlet in Gaffney (45 min away from Greenville) is so hit or miss. I feel like lately I have not found anything marked down significantly. Great find though! My favorite find at the PB outlet last year was a 8ft natural woven rug for $60!
http://thedomesticlady.com/2012/05/11/shower-curtains-and-rug-kryptonite/
Wow, that’s awesome!
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Love the new header!
Hope you guys have a great Easter weekend! :)
I love this outlet mall and especially the Pottery Barn! They have great jean outlets as well, and if you hit the Banana Republic at the right time you can save some serious dollars! I found a great, off-white, extra-long Pottery Barn sofa at this outlet for $200. It’s super comfortable (2 relatively tall people have slept on it head-to-feet simultaneously and said it was great)and it was cheap because it was originally supposed to be an L-shaped sectional but something damaged the 3rd piece – so it’s technically 2 pieces, but no one can tell unless I point it out! Best deal I have ever found! The key at this outlet is to keep going back if you are looking for something in particular, because sometimes you won’t be find anything that seems “outlet priced” and the next time you go in you’ll stumble across five or six awesome deals! (I also bough a beautiful, large, rustic mirror here for less $100, which I thought was a steal for how pretty it is!)
That’s awesome!
xo
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I’ll make you feel better about the fact you couldn’t fit that train table into your car….it’s JUNK! The quality is awful awful awful. The wood is so soft it dings so easily….really sad!
Oh no! That does make me feel better, but it’s also sad! You’d think PB would have better quality!
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I really like the new header and background – so fresh and so clean, clean!
Thanks Melissa!
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Make my day, Melissa and tell me you did indeed intend an Outkast reference up in here!
Haha!
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Seriously craving a PB outlet trip now! We don’t have one in NC where I live, but Atlanta is only a 4 hour drive! Wonder if the hubby is up to a weekend trip to go bargain shopping? Love the white train tables! Just think of what you could do with the top, mosaic tile? A collection of special to you items/photos or decoupage with a glass top that you could lift to change the items as the mood strikes.
Heidi – pretty sure they went to the one in Gaffney, SC! Very short ride from Charlotte!
Oh yes, that’s the one!
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Thanks for the tip! I didn’t realize it was that close! Definitely planning a trip now!
It looks like you have some non-buyers regret!
I love those “gourdy” lamps too! I’ve never heard of a train table, even though it makes total sense now that you mention it. :) I LOOOOVE that $499 cabinet with the shallow drawers. The drawer pulls are so vintage-y and look like they’re from an old library. :)
So jealous you were at a PB OUTLET! Would be heartbreaking to be there and not have enough room in the car, though. If I ever make it to one I will have to strategically pack…
Love the new site header. And I REALLY love your window shopping (especially when I end up owning something you spot!) Are you guys going to update Life’s look too?
Thanks Brittany! We updated the background over there (and in our Mood Board & Inspiration Gallery pages) but haven’t redone the actual header banners there yet – but we might down the line :)
xo
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Thanks for this post! We’re on our way from Michigan to VA and will be stopping at the Pottery Barn Outlet in Leesburg tomorrow. Hope some of these things are there– Love the wine barrel tray!
Another poster said it was shut down :(
Love the new header! That picture of Clara and Burger is so adorable. Hopefully your new header will help to usher in Spring in real life too!
Aw thanks Sarah!
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Oh my gosh, thanks for these pics! We have a PB outlet about 3 hours away, and I’ve been itching to go. I wasn’t sure if it would be worth the drive, but now I know it is. Perhaps this needs to turn into part of our Spring Break staycation…
Hey guys! First off, your new blog header is lookin’ a little screwy on my comp. The gray-yellow line is empty and the links are hanging out below it. Just a FYI. I’d want to know! Secondly, you gotta love the PB Outlet. We’ve snagged some super deals there–like our sleeper sofa, which was accidentally marked $300 instead of $1,300—but they honored it!
Thanks Ashley! What browser are you in? If you could tell us the name (ex: Firefox) and the version (6.0) that would help us track down any rogue code (we have Firefox and Safari and have loaded it well on our iPhones as well, so we wonder if you’re in Internet Explorer. I think maybe if you clear your data/cache/cookies they’ll jump into place, so maybe see if that works? :)
xo
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It was that way with me, and clearing my cache fixed it. (I really like the clean, bright header. btw.)
Yay!
xo,
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LOVE the new design!! It’s so fresh and fun! And dude, I NEED that wine barrel tray! How awesome is that?!
I want that wine barrel tray for the top of our huge ottoman in our living room. It would be perfect for perching drinks and snacks on. I wonder if I can order it online somewhere!!
Have you seen It’s Complicated? Meryl Streep’s house is friggin GORGEOUS! Any Nancy Meyers movie though, seriously. Pure house porn.
Ooh, sounds awesome! I agree about Nancy Meyers. She’s a genius!
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I’m a total nerd, but I googled around to find photos to show you.
http://betweennapsontheporch.net/its-complicated-a-movie-house-tour/
(See the movie anyway, it’s really good! :)
Oh my gosh it’s amazing!
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Holy Cannoli that’s a beautiful house!
I think the house of cards sets are amazing. Wish I could find shots online to show everyone.
I WANT that cabinet! Love it.
Hey guys – I’m using Firefox and the new header is looking a bit different than in your photo. The white links are set below the green bar. Just thought you’d like to know! Other than that it looks awesome!
Thanks Amy! I think maybe if you clear your data/cache/cookies they’ll jump into place? What version of Firefox are you in (we’re both in Firefox and it’s loading normally for us).
xo
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Yes that worked!!! I’m in version 19.
Yay, so glad!
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Now that I know dry erase paint is a thing, I have some DIY ideas brewing! I would totally walk away with that red rug if I was there, so bright!
Isn’t it high time you guys traded in your little car for a gas-friendly SUV? it’s so sad when you can’t get something for your home b/c your car is too small. :( i bought a used Rav-4 A few years ago and LOVE it. the back seats fold down so I can bring home allll sorts of DIY loot.
We’ve completely thought about that, but the moments that we wish we had a bigger car (maybe ten times a year) don’t seem often enough for us to trade in our perfect-for-day-to-day stuff Altima. So in the end, getting that train table home isn’t worth buying a bigger car for us yet (we typically like to drive our cars into the ground, haha). But maybe if our family grows we’ll make the switch someday :)
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Or, even as Clara grows up a little more, you may have more outings with a gaggle of kids and their gear (soccer team, ballet group, etc.). Those smaller SUV’s may be a good option sooner than you think!
It’s true!
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I’ll chime in and say, I loved my rav4 (!)… I got better gas mileage than many of my friends did in their cars, and it was so versatile. We recently got something heftier because we now have the need to haul a lot more (heavy) stuff, but it was quite the workhorse and great for just driving around. It was amazing how much from IKEA fit in there too! We were always so proud of ourselves after an IKEA trip, haha.
Thanks for the tip Jennie!
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Love the new look guys! So springy!
Hope you have a Happy Easter this weekend. Can’t wait to see Clara’s reaction to bowling with bunnies :D
It’s always fun to change things up! Question: we just installed a Maskros light and it makes our room so dark! Do you have this prob?
We have bedside lamps in there too that help, and we use a CFL since you can get much more light out of them without using a high wattage (ex: an 100 watt equivalent CFL only uses like 20 watts).
Update: I just looked and realized the maskros takes special ikea bulbs so we don’t have a CFL in it, we have them in the lamps on the side tables so we get more light from them. Hope it helps!
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That Nancy Myers certainly knew how to decorate her movie homes. I liked the house in ‘It’s complicated’ as well. If for nothing else, I certainly would watch those movies for the houses.
I think my header is a bit off? I have a large gray bar that is cutting the bottom off of Young House Love. The e’s look like f’s and your photos are cut off too.
I LOVE those gourdy lamps. I had no idea they sell dry erase paint! I’m so going to have get some and find something (anything) to paint it with.
Hmm, what browser are you using (name and version). That would be super helpful! I think maybe if you clear your data/cache/cookies they’ll jump into place? Please let us know if that helps!
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Mine is the same, I’m using my safari browser on my iPhone 5.
Hmm, we have no idea why that would be weird. Did you try clearing your data/cache/cookies? Sometimes iPhones are glitchy like that :)
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That worked for my iPhone. Great!!
Yay! So glad!
xo,
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I’m using Safari but I cleared my cache and it’s working fine now. Thanks!
You fried my brain first thing in the morning!
I was all, “wait, has there always been red in their header?” and “something is different here, something is very different am I losing my mind?”
I love the new look, way to keep it freshity fresh :)
Haha, thanks Christina!
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Love these picks! The gourd lamps are my fav. As for those $50 baskets that would be better at Target’s $30 price – Target actually had some identical to those last fall! We bought 4 or 5 of them for $25 each! Maybe they’ll come back around for anyone that loves those.
Love that tip!
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I love the rug and can’t understand you didn’t bring the tray home ! It’s amazing and you said you wanted to make a lazy suzy for the dining table this would have looked awesome (or mabye it was too big for your table?). Have a nice weekend !
I know, in hindsight I totally would have. I worried it might be too much wood (the table is wood, so we had planned to build our own lazy susan topped with a wood round from Home Depot and painted white for some contrast).
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Hold the phone, there’s dry erase paint?! How did I not know this?
Oh yes, it’s at places like Lowe’s and Home Depot now (usually stored by the spray paint even though it’s in small cans). Hope it helps!
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Ha I love that you said that about Something’s Gotta Give and The Holiday. Nancy Meyers is a genius at styling her set homes! She also did It’s Complicated, Father of the Bride, and The Parent Trap. It’s so obvious once you realize it, because they’re all the most gorgeous homes in film history!
She’s the best!
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When my daughters were little, we had a train board and screwed corner molding on all 4 sides to help keep things from rolling off (it had curved corner so we just stopped short – no mitering involved). We used to put it on a coffee table and then later attached it to some rolling bins with a piano hinge (to hide all the trains when not in use). We have since taken it apart but kept the board for the next generation.
So sweet!
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Did you notice the play kitchen is the same as the one at the Children’s Museum in Atlanta? Just thought that was a funny coincidence!
Haha, you’re right!!!
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I love your new header! I was actually just thinking the other day how cool it would be to see the evolution of your blog through your header graphics in one post. (For example, I didn’t know (until Katie Bower mentioned it) that your blog used to have a different name!) I know I’m a graphic design nerd, but I think it would be cool to see how your “online style” has changed and grown over the years…and maybe someone else would too? Just a thought…
Ooh yes, an evolution of the header post or something. That would be fun!
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Ooh, I’d like that too! I only found the blog about a year ago, and I remember watching one of the old press videos sometime and they introduced you as This Young House. Made me wonder the same thing as Ashley!
So we are both doing our spring cleaning today huh? I pretended like I was so worn out from the week with the kids at home (which I am) that I couldn’t possibly get much done today before Michael left for work, but little does he know – the kids and I are blitzing around the house getting it mega sparkly so he can host his guys night this weekend and only have to worry about what meat recipe he’s going to conjure up for the carnivores to eat. I loved this idea filled breeze through post. When I saw that barrel tray the first thing I thought of was “Put some spin on that thing! Lazy Susan it all the way.” Then I had to give you a virtual 5 because we were on the same page. Have a great weekend guys!
My best, Lynn
* do you know if stores sell separate lazy susan kits to attach to random stuff?
Haha, so funny that you thought the same thing! I bought a simple little lazy susan at Ikea that I have been planning to use as a base (just screw it into a larger top) so I’m not sure if they sell them separately but that could work :)
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I love shopping with you! I never have a change to just window shop so I get a great deal of satisfaction from these posts. In fact that’s how I became a regular reader of your blog. I had found the post about painting Clara’s dresser via a Google search… I had been looking to do the same for my son’s dresser. The second post I read was about a shopping trip. I was hooked. Felt like shopping with a good friend. It was so relaxed and fun. Anyway… love the new look. It’s like you gave your blog bangs.
Aw thanks Eilene!
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Oh! I am going to Atlanta in a few months…I may have to check this out. Too much good stuff not to!
I have that alligator! It’s actually a bottle opener…my husband calls it the beergator:)
Hahaha! I love it.
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