November 21, 2008

Linden Street

JCPenney and BlogHer gave me $500 to go blow on whatever my little heart desired, so long as it was from JCPenney's "Linden Street" (warning: soothing music) line. Trying to keep JCPenney away from the snark on my regular blog, I'm doing the review over here in a safe space. Onwards!

I went in planning on getting a chair. The Linden Street Friday Slipcovered Chaise is one of the most comfortable chairs I've ever sat in, and the green is attractive. I highly, highly recommend it. But it would've cost me $300 in addition to the gift card, so... instead I went for a lot of little things. Here's what I ended up with, after a shopping with a hyperactive child and a very helpful manager.

Towels

Oh my lord these are the softest towels ever. I think I can hear them purring, they're so soft. Maybe they're not as absorbent as the cheap-o towels they're replacing, but they're so gloriously soft that I don't care I might start sleeping on a pile of them. They're that soft.


Dishes

I used to spend a lot of time driving around thrift stores in Tacoma, looking for Homer Laughlin non-Fiesta restaurant dishware. We don't have dishes that match, and I think I like that... but it does look sloppy, I guess, and we don't have enough to go around on Thanksgiving. Here are some of my favorites:


And here's the new batch, "Heritage Park," which doesn't show up on their website:

I got two 16-piece sets, one yellowish and one off-white. The bowls are enormous, which is great. They're supposed to look rough-hewn (that can't possibly be the right word for dishes) and hand made but they're pumped out by a factory in China, so that's a bit odd.

The dinner plates are so huge they don't fit in my dishwasher, so they're just sitting in the box. Why would a store sell everyday dinner plates that are too big for a normal dishwasher? So I need to keep my old Buffalo china to use as dinner plates, and we're still mismatched.

Curtains

I bought the back-tab panel curtains for my bedroom closet and window, in pine green. The colors on their website aren't accurate -- the green is darker. The curtains are thick, and that's a good price for thermals.

A lamp

My desk, before:


My desk, after:


It's still ugly and messy. But it's much better lit, and that's really all I care about for now. The lamp is adjustable in all sorts of ways, can take a three-way bulb, and is sturdy. Recommended. But looking at these photos makes me wonder if I should've spent the $500 on a new desk.

(Yes, I write a blog making fun of other people's decorating and photography skills. Those who cannot do, mock.)


Candles and Candle Holder

My shopping companion was going nuts with boredom, I had $100 left to blow, argh what to get what to get and then said shopping companion picked up a candle holder and said "We could put this in the fireplace!"

So we did.

I like it. It's my favorite purchase of the expedition. They don't have it on the website. Here's another photo, so you can choose between "too dark" and "blurry":


The candles are also from there, and are blessedly non-scented. They look kinda classy. Perhaps even pretty. The iron (at least I think it's iron) candleholder looks good in our 1960s rambler without being self-consciously retro. Recommended!

Want your own candleholder, or a stack of the fluffiest towels in the history of... ah... towels? Head on over to BlogHer, where they -- and JCPenney -- giving away gift cards! $100 gift cards! Five of 'em! Go! Scoot! What are you still reading this for?

But if you're desperate for entertainment, here's this:

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice item selection, and I definitely like the candle holder in the fireplace.

I also was giddy with delight at the video of your shopping partner and his perspective. I remember my own mother wanting my opinions like that. And parroting back what she said to me just to get clear of having an opinion on anything. lol

GaryM said...

What fun, Sara! Although I was hoping for an accordion solo. Maybe next time?

Meg said...

I love that lamp! That would look great in my living room!

Your "film crew" is awesome!

Anonymous said...

"..or, Mom, watch my fancy idea..."
I love it! He is a cutie! Have him give my kindergarten daughter a call in about 18 years!
Congratulations! I love the candles in the fireplace!
-Susie

Tricia said...

Your little guy is ADORABLE!

Anonymous said...

"Watch my fancy idea"...love the camera crew!

Anonymous said...

When I first permanently moved out of my mom's in my early twenties I did not have enough money from my $8/hour job oh so early in my nursing career to buy a full set of nice dishes.
I chose instead to (also) buy only one or two dishes here and there whenever I found one I truly loved looking at that could serve function as well as form.
Now my cupboard is full of dinner plates and dessert dishes all mismatched and I appreciate each and every one.