It should come as no surprise that I’m finding it easier and easier to shop online for my house these days. It’s that, or take five kids with me to TJMaxx. . . Now, that would be a treat!
The world of online shopping no longer means that you will have the same Pottery Barn pillow as everyone else (not that I don’t love Pottery Barn pillows!). Flash sites with their ever-changing and one-of-a-kind items have changed all of that. Not to mention what you can find from other shoppers who go out and search for unique pieces for you and sell them on sites like Etsy and Ebay.
A pair of pretty chinoiserie bowls I’ve been admiring on Etsy
The downside, of course, is that touch and feel element of in-store shopping is missing—which can lead to guesswork. And, returns can be a pain to repackage and costly to ship back. (I’m so bad about keeping and not returning, even if I’m not 100% sure about something. Are you?)
fabric from here (and a quick look at my girls’ headboards)
It’s also interesting to think about how people’s homes have changed in the last decade or so thanks in large part to accessibility to online shops. No longer are your big ideas limited by your geography. Do you ever wonder what your home would look like if we didn’t have access to all of the online shopping sites that we do now? (Not to mention inspiration via blogs, Pinterest, etc.)
Rug from Overstock; Nightstands and curtains from IKEA
And,of course, there’s the thrill of getting a package in the mail or on your doorstop. (Surely I’m not the only one.) Like a little present (that you picked out and paid for yourself).
But, without a doubt, the best part of shopping online is playing in the peanuts once your packages arrive.
When it comes to decorating your home, do you find yourself shopping more online or in-store lately?
PS—Speaking of online shopping, check back tomorrow for my Send Me a Picture series. Bloggers will be sharing the last online purchase they made for their homes.
Someone (ahem Emily) needs to give us a "a day in the life of Emily A. Clark." How do you have time for everything you do with FIVE kids! Envy! xoxo
ReplyDeleteYay for packing peanuts!
ReplyDeleteShopping online is the best. I like keeping my "stuff" to a minimum, so I'm slow to purchase things. I find that I buy things I love if I look at them online for a while, consider them, and then pull the trigger after serious consideration (sometimes this happens in-person).
Sadly, I have skipped on several opportunities to buy awesome things because my time to consider them too was limited (my brain just can't compute how awesome something would be that quickly!).
oh thats awful peanuts!! that is the first thing my kids come running for when I get a package- or the bubble wrap- they lay it out in long strips and run up and down on it till they have popped every last bubble. Its the small things.....
ReplyDeleteMy kids like those puffy pop sheets - they call them "pop its" - the sound they make when they pop is super awesome! ;) Yes, thank the LORD for online shopping - because Lexington doesn't even have a Pottery Barn or a World Market, or Ikea, or Crate and Barrel - should I go on?
ReplyDeleteI still would rather see it in person. The problem is that there isn't any more little shops around in our area to go look at.
ReplyDeleteYes, love to get a little package at the door. Currently waiting for a set of pillow covers from Etsy! And it is so much more convenient- for clothes too, once you know your size at certain places.
ReplyDeleteI find the "run around" shopping experience to be so frustrating no matter where you live. While decorating my home I find the internet to be invaluable in finding just exactly what I am looking for and.....at a great price (you have to keep looking). I think many specialty merchants will soon find that a website will be the answer to their survival and success. Just sayin......
ReplyDeleteI find running to a bunch of stores looking for something perfect to be a real chore. I shop online for as much as I can.
ReplyDeleteBTW, you are a nice mommy to let the kids go nuts with the packing peanuts. I am a mean mommy and absolutely forbid it. ;) I just don't want to be stuck picking them up.
We live in an area with few go-to stores, as in just one, so without online shopping, we'd not have the design possibilities. I do love to graze in stores and when we go to more urban areas, I do just that, for hours, and rarely buy a thing. I just collect ideas and then will return home to try and find a similar item at a better price, with free shipping, if possible!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Melissa {first comment} How do you do it? But I have done a bit of online shopping but for us Canadians it is a real pain. We have limited online stores that are Canadian only, therefore we pay crazy duty charges and sometimes crazy shipping fees. I am lucky to live really close to the US border so I ship things to a mailbox, which requires waiting in a border lineup - not fun. So I drool with envy....but we are getting a Target, West Elm and Nordstroms here!
ReplyDeleteWe live in an area with few go-to stores, as in just one, so without online shopping, we'd not have the design possibilities. I do love to graze in stores and when we go to more urban areas, I do just that, for hours, and rarely buy a thing. I just collect ideas and then will return home to try and find a similar item at a better price, with free shipping, if possible!
ReplyDeleteLove the glimpse of the girls' rooms! I think there should be a house tour in the near future! How is the non room nursery going? Love etsy for small things, world market too!
ReplyDeleteThe girls room looks like it's going to be great! Yes, I do a fair amount of online shopping. I hate doing rugs, pillows or anything with color unless I've seen it in person elsewhere. I've had to return a few rugs this way due to it not being the same color as seen on my screen - like green instead of blue as described. So, it's risky for sure and a pain to return. But, easier. I love One Kings Lane because they understand the color dilemma. They allow you to return pillows and rugs within two weeks should you not like them. And, shipping and all is paid for so there is no loss at all. Sweet!
ReplyDeleteSince moving into our new home I've purchase quite a few things online. I haven't had the time to go shopping nor do I know where the good stores are yet. I purchased two rugs and a coffee table from overstock and some fabric for my living room curtains from Calico Corners (there isn't one in my new town). Pinterest is now our store aisles and we're getting better at taking dimensions of things before buying which we should've been doing all along. I still like a good browse through a thrift shop or flea market though.
ReplyDeleteI love shopping, no matter live or online. But I do miss the tactile experience, to see how they style everything, the lights, the glam factor. I also have made a lot of mistakes online shopping that weren't returnable ( OKL, J&M) so I've decided to ease up on the computer clicking. Glad you're not so OCD that you can't let your kids enjoy packing peanuts! Good mom!
ReplyDeleteNancy
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What a nice Mommy you are to let the kiddos play in all those peanuts!! I love online shopping...just not sure my husband does. Now, I can spend $$ and not even get out of my jammies and actually leave the house! :)
ReplyDeleteHa! Love those legs sticking out of the box of ghost poop. :)
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I don't enjoy brick and mortar shopping all that much. Unless I am in just the right mood and can drag a friend along, I'd rather shop online. Plus, I can search for just the right vintage accessory on Etsy (or where-ever) from the comfort of my home! This week I'm looking forward to the postman delivering a chippy painted wood box to put on our dresser and a set of birch tree hooks for the bathroom. Three cheers for Etsy!
I love to online shop primarily because I am not geographically right around the corner from some of my favorite spots. I enjoy free shipping, but I know of after nine years in this city my UPS must hate me. He literally has waved to me on the highway when I'm twenty minutes from my house. Now that's bad. :)
ReplyDeleteI've been buying more and more online, especially if it's something I've seen in person before. I still like to touch and see most items before I buy them because it's really the only way to make sure the quality is good.
ReplyDeleteI agree, nowadays online shopping store is more effective. I also used online shopping and its very good, use it too...
ReplyDeleteI honestly cannot imagine doing my job without online shopping. I guess I could find good items locally, but it would cost SO much more to make it nice because there is so little to choose from, comparatively speaking. Some clients are still leery, but I am hooked for life on flash sales, etc....
ReplyDeleteStacy
Geez that's a lot of packing peanuts!! What a nice mom you are for letting them play, hope they helped you clean it up. I am always trying to hide them from my boys. :) I love getting a package that I forgot I ordered and then it really is like a surprise present (even though I bought it myself), makes my day!
ReplyDeleteLook at those kids -- so stinkin' cute. Yeah, I've got TWO pairs of curtains that I ordered on line which need to be returned. Might not happen. Perhaps a giveaway is in order!?
ReplyDeleteI think if there weren't blogs, I'd still be hungrily waiting for my next mag to show up in the mail and still have no idea what my personal style was!
Can't wait to see more of your girls' room. That headboard is luscious.
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