Catalog Weekends

I get all the catalogs and magazines. Pottery Barn, Ballard Designs, Restoration Hardware, Crate & Barrel, Better Homes and Gardens, Real Simple, House Beautiful ... you get the idea. I'm a catalog addict and I could spend a fortune at Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel! But sometimes I find myself laughing out loud.

Here is a rustic wooden ladder from Pottery Barn which can be yours for $349. The rope ball is extra. I can just see myself telling a client, "what you need here is a wooden ladder, weathered is best, then we'll find an accent piece to hang from the top rung. I'm thinking a rope ball, and the room is finished. You will just love it!!!"

And of course this $24 coil of rope, again from Pottery Barn, is just thing to have laying around on a coffee table to show people you are crafty or working on a big project. Or, it can be used to hang 'stuff'. Rope is also available at your local hardware store, but then it won't have the Pottery Barn cache or style.

Pottery Barn also caters to kids and young adults. Since my older son was just voted in as president of his frat, I thought his room should have a fun cohesive look. This musical peace motif seemed just right. He plays guitar and nonviolent leaders are in vogue. But when I showed him my plans, he threw the catalog at me and barred me from the frat house except for Parents Weekend. I guess Pottery Barn is just not his style.