BUT Lisa....thanks for pointing out yet ANOTHER thing I started and didn't finish.... except I AM finishing it...see? :-)
I love to read. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I will read anything, even if it is boring or poorly written because that is how much I love to read. Thursday is a big day in my house because that is when the Cooking Light and the People magazine come. Best Day Ever. I also like Better Homes and Garden's day and Bon Appetite Day, but not as much as People day.
Because Thursday only comes once a week (only one more day until People.....) I have to confess that on the other days I console myself with catalogues. I love them. Really. I love to look in them and see what awesome (or awful) things people will buy and sell. We have the old standby's; Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, Williams Sonoma and Home Decorator. Those are good for a quick browse. I am on some list now because I get all kinds of catalogues. Catalogue spam is WAY better than e mail spam. For one thing, no one tries to sell you a mortgage or suggest a wonderful new porn site for you in catalogue spam. Sure you might get the odd Yankee Home or Guido's Guide to New Jersey Decor in the mail slot, but I can live with that. My catalogue spam introduced me to some of my favorite new stuff. Have you seen Mini Boden (fun, pretty inexpensive kids clothes that are hip but not slutty... you should check them out...)? Oriental Trading Company? Garnet Hill? J Jill? Of course you have........because you people are not socially backwards......... but I didn't know about them until catalogue spam. Other favorites are Baby Style, Sur La Table, Back to Basic's Toys, and Horchow.
My very favorite one is the mother of all catalogues. The queen of pretty house things. The name we speak of only in hushed tones..... Ballard Design. This is the business that can make your house look cool and sophisticated and whimsical even if you have no sense of design. This is what my house would look like if I had one trillion dollars. I don't, so I do a poor imitation of it. We are getting our kitchen redone (as in rip it out, put it back in and hopefully sell the condo for one million dollars profit) and I pretty much just threw the latest Ballard Design issue at the designer and told her that if she could make my kitchen FEEL like the rooms in there, I would be happy. See how easy I am to work for? I don't care what you do...as long as the over all effect is ok. Go crazy. I was that way with my house cleaner too. I don't care what you clean or how you do it as long as when I walk in the house (and give you my money) my house FEELS clean. Yet another fascinating (and terrifying) glimpse into my psyche. We have now established that I don't finish things AND I am not fastidious. I just get better and better.
But, back to the subject. While waiting for the bus for Lulu I got to read the Lands End, the new Potter Barn Bath AND the BabyStyle "books". I love it when I get things accomplished during the day. Very satisfactory. Not quite the 5 hour crossiants that Carina spent making, but still something was started and finished.
What are you favorite ones? What am I missing? Please, I am itching to go sign up for more catalogues. Now GO and Google the ones I told you about and pray that I can get the links to work next time...............
19 comments:
ok, I'll play
. . .route
. . .mache
. . .moon
am I close?
Is this like an object lesson where you're illustrating how you can start something, but not finish it?
am I close?
So hi, yes, it's good to know that we are sort of related through caffeine and Lisa - You definitely have an "in" now if I have a cancelation.. You're first on the list!! :)
You are just a blank sheet of paper??
I like paper. Sounds like you like paper. Yep, twins Bek. And I LOVE the group Paper Moon, is that what you were refering to Wendysue?
Paper Scissors Stone
Magic Cabin
JJill
Anthropologie
Sundance
Garnet Hill
Sundance
And of course, all the ones you already mentioned- my favs being C&B and PB
I'm with you on the reading. People ask me if a book is good and I say sure, but you know I read the backs of shampoo bottles when I get really desperate.
For mags: I love BHG, too. But one of my favorites is Real Simple.
For catalogs: I can almost smell the aroma when i get a new Penzeys spice catalog.
Truth is I really don't care who sends me a catalog. I'm happy even with a flyer. I will flip through each page and do what's essentially the equivalent of window shopping. I turn down the corners on pages of things that interest me and then I toss it in the recycling.
It's almost as good as buying it, but I save a good deal of money that way.
"We have now established that I don't finish things AND I am not fastidious. I just get better and better."
Your state of mind sounds the opposite of mine right now - the opposite of OCD and that seems heavenly to me.
I've never wanted to subscribe to so many catalogues. You have converted me. Now, where do I sign up again?
I love Ballard Design! I keep a catalog by my bed. Now, you could order a designer too, I might buy a bunch of stuff.
It's Ballard DesignS (with an S). I got a little confused at the site without the S on the end wondering what's so great about them LOL.
I had been working on a great craft project for Christmas when my 3yr old wreaked havoc on the glitter, embossing powder and confetti --- that stopped me dead in my tracks and now I'm over a week behind. I really don't think I'll get it done in time so it'll have to be a next year project. I was so excited about it too.
My absolute fav (next to People which I now get my fix online) is Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion. That's the only magazine I save in it's entirety (others I rip out pages and add to a sheet protected binder for later reference).
I, too, get TONS of catalogue spam, and every now and then I'll be looking through some completely random catalog (no theme WHATSOEVER) and see "Female Massager". Um, what? Alright, I guess people have to get them from somewhere. But ew.
My favorites are LL Bean, Land's End (especially the overstocks), Lillian Vernon (great for personalizing items for kids with names you don't find on items in the store, such as the names my kids have), One Step Ahead (and it's older sibling Leaps and Bounds), and Real Simple, which, even though it's a magazine and not technically a catalog, it comes with so much good information that I consider (and sometimes get) things from the ideas there. Nienie gave me my first Real Simple as a gift when I moved into my house almost 4 years ago, and I've had a subscription ever since.
I like to hand off the others (Oriental Trading Company, Constructive Playthings, etc.) to the kids so they can draw in them, circle what they want, and then I throw them (the catalogs, not the kids) into the recycling bin.
Good Idea's Jen!! I do the same thing w/ the kiddie ones... Lulu cuts them to pieces....
Lucky.... sorry about that. You thought I was SERIOUSLY challenged then huh? :-) What was the craft? We don't allow glitter in the house b/c it gets in the baby's eyes and EVERYWHERE else.
:-) I hate glitter
LOVE Real SImple. I always cut out the cover and think "I am going to do that one day". I just did the office so that it looks like one of the coveres.....the one that had white shelves and blue boxes... :-) Love Real Simple...
Hey now! It wasn't 5 hours non-stop!
I got on some catalogue list a couple months ago and am getting the most RANDOM mags. I hate them all.
My current fav catalogues (that I want to get) are West Elm, Design Within Reach, Chiasso, and Garnet Hill.
I love my Newsweek and my New Yorker subscriptions. New Yorker is my reading magazine because the articles are one million words long--great for a fast reader. I, too, will even read the shampoo bottle.
Oh no! Now I have more catalogs I need to request!
No new ones to add to your growing list...
I feel about my Entertainment Weekly the way you do about your People. If I could only have one magazine besides the chrchy ones, it would be my EW. How else will I know when Meatloaf is doing a cameo, or when there is going to be a Webster marathon? Essential.
Land of Nod
Hearth Song
Magic Cabin
Penzeys
King Arthur
Ohhh new ones!!
La Yen.... I have a friend that gets US Weekly and we switch off at church on Sunday!! :-) I have to look those up.
For Christmas I am sending Carina catalouges..
Has anyone seen the one that has the whole matchy, matchy kids outfits? The cheesy ones, not the good ones (like overalls for 6 yr olds and big collars for the girls..). It is called Little Soldier. Prepare to heave (and then laugh).
I love Hanna andersson, their sweaters and tights are the BEST! I look forward to getting back to people day and netflix just as soon as my husband re-installs our mailbox!
Ok, I've given up on People now, and just am totally addicted to Perez Hilton.com- totally awsome, and updated ALL THE TIME. Like my own personal gossip hound. Guilty pleasure... what can I say?
Good one...I love Hanna Anderson...
Tracy, I read Pink is the New Blog...great stuff.
Post a Comment