Saturday, July 26, 2008

I'm Slowly BUT SURELY Losing My Marbles...

I am a poor poor poor home decorator. My house is completely undecorated because whenever I find myself ready to "do" a room, I become instantly bewildered, befuddled, and sweaty just thinking about colors to pick, fabrics to choose, and whatever else might be involved. I had our windows cleaned yesterday and through no choice of my own, I was made to remove the blinds from our bedroom because they have been broken for two+ years and we've actually not been able to open them in all that time (and we have two awesome window views that we could have been enjoying all this time). Anyhoo...in order for the window cleaner to clean them, the blinds had to be removed and I transferred them to the trash. At this point, it becomes clear that I'm going to have to replace them with something, so today I headed out (with the kids - yuck) to shop for curtains and rods. I haven't been to this particular Pottery Barn in about 7 years since I moved from trendy NW Portland to the burbs. We get into the store and I'm in sticker shock hell. I cannot believe PBs prices have changed so dramatically since I used to window shop there. About 20 minutes into our journey I gaze over at a candle and see that it has a Williams Sonoma sticker on it. Hey - when did Pottery Barn start carrying Williams Sonoma products? A ha...another 5 minutes later it dawns on me that I'm not actually in Pottery Barn. First Blonde moment of the day.

Ok -we step 10 feet over the sidewalk to the REAL Pottery Barn and I find curtains and rods and this hardware to hang them
  1. Clip Rings Set of 7 Small Antique Bronze
I get the ones in the middle with two rings but they also have the clip attached to them. I get home and we get everything up and hung and I realize that 4 of the 32 hoops don't have clips attached to them. I'm pretty ticked that I have to drive a 1/2 hour there and 1/2 hour back plus waste gas because they didn't pay attention when they were filling up my bag with their goodies, but it's got to be done. This time I take the kids PLUS the husband - oh my.

So we get to the counter after quite a wait and I explain the situation and the lady tells me that they only have single hoops with clips - that they've never sold double hoops with clips in the 3 months that she has worked there. I persist so she gets the input of someone who has worked there for 6 years. That person agrees with her. At this point I look to my husband across the store and waggle one at him - these are wrong, right? Ours at home have two hoops. Yes, he concurs. Now a manager with 8 years with Pottery Barn arrives and she says, nope - they don't sell them with two hoops AND a clip. I tell her that my husband has a photographic memory (he really does) and I don't want to exchange these four and get home only to find out they are wrong so I convince her to give me 4 double rings and 4 single rings with clips so I can make it work out right. She is wonderful and nice and says no problem - we just want you to be happy, crazy lady.

I'm satisfied, we leave the store, take the kids out for icecream and walk back to the car and I realize I've lost the car keys. OF COURSE, they MUST be at Pottery Barn so we head back and I run into two of the same sales associates: "Back so soon?" "Um, ya, did I leave my keys here?" "Why, yes, you did" (smirk - she's crazy all right). ME: I'm sure you think I've made a huge mistake and if I get home and I'm wrong, I promise I'll bring these extra hoops back (knowing I'm NOT wrong).

We get home - Damn Steve and his photographic memory - one hoop, one clip.

Guess I'm going back to Pottery Barn tomorrow :-(

Oh - and I've got 2 different patches of blue paint on the walls and I'm again in decorating hell - go with the blue? Go with a lighter blue? Go with a grayer blue?
I'm a mess....

1 comment:

GClef1970 said...

LOLOLOLOL!!!

Poor Jules! I wish I lived near you. I love putting rooms together and I'm all about faux rooms (it looks expensive, but it is all a design-for-less look!)

Oh, and if I lived there? I'd go back to Pottery Barn for ya. :-)