Blog Readers, meet Anthropologie.

Yesterday my wonderful MIL volunteered to babysit my kiddos for 4 hours. I had a list. written out. in my purse. with TEN returns/errands to do. Did I do any of them? No.

Leah took me to Anthropologie – I had never been!

I had no idea there were so many ideas to glean from this place, and so much cute stuff. I found the (adorable) clothing to be pretty expensive, but the kitchenware was priced okay and so adorable…

That “B” mug and that sweet eyelet apron with green trim wanted to come home with me so badly!

This owl cookie jar was so sweet!

He was funky enough to begin with, but I love the fact that he is winking!

How I would love an old thick and rustic kitchen table, surrounded by four of these copper colored metal chairs…

…with two burlap apholsered chairs at the ends. I can see it now.

This lamp wouldn’t be too hard to make with thrift store finds…

Just a lamp kit, a drill and a few white pieces of china… though the drilling would scare me a little – I wonder how many pieces end up breaking in the process?!

These lamps were super cool…

Totally fun and funky. This is one place Anthro (we’re on a nickname basis now) stood out to me. You might be able to find a lamp like that at Tarjay, but it would be clear glass or maybe aqua. I noticed Anthropologie takes color, pattern and texture to the limit.

(About now, Leah is thinking, “Duh, Tash, that is what I have been trying to tell you!”)

They had tons of knobs and drawer pulls…

I have a project coming up and there were several times I had to use restraint to not buy a bunch of those knobs. They weren’t that expensive and I only needed two, but they were at least double the price of the ones I wanted at Lowe’s, some were triple. That “No 354” one is haunting me a little bit though, and it had a counterpart with red bottom half and a different number. Yeah, I might have a little regret over not taking those two home with me.

Their lighting was… shall we say, unique?…

That first one? Old baskets and MUD. Weird! Then wire lanterns with colorful fabric scraps wrapped around them. The last one is old funnels and plumbing parts! Craziness! I guess it is not that crazy, actually I myself have a project coming up using plumbing parts for home décor!

These two displays were something that could easily translate to the home…

Love the layered old mirrors. Adding old framed mirrors to my thrift store watch-list right now. Love how they lined up the four on the bottom right perfectly, with their corners matched and then worked up and left with the rest, fitting them in tightly. And I love the one mirror, the showstopper, out in front of the rest.

And this display…

Believe it or not, I actually saw THREE great buffets with hutches last time I was at Goodwill! I was wishing I needed one, but had no place to put one. I love how the doors on this one are reminiscent of old window panes and love the boards in the back of the hutch and the bottles displayed with shells. What a good idea to combine two collections.

Okay, their furniture! I have looked at their furniture online when looking for something for Kristel’s fun and funky living room. Oh man do their pieces make my heart go pitter patter!

I could stare at that burlap apholstered and tufted love seat all day long! LOVE! That green chair? That is what kind of chair I envision myself finding at the Goodwill (I know it is unlikely but don’t burst my bubble)! It is so dreamy with it’s soft, faded leather and each little tuft button is different, and the casters on the feet! Oh I love casters! Then the brown couch – it is classic and I do like it but what struck me was the fabric seat cushions! I have seen many a leather couch with terribly worn seat cushions! Solution – upholster or slip cover just the seat cushions! Make them all the same neutral or mix funky fabrics like Anthro did. That would totally be fun and functional.

Well that was most of the greatness that I saw. After our hour long visit we headed back out into the snow and huge icicles…

Oh, wait, that was just Anthro’s display outside the door. Their displays were wild! That is one of the tame ones in comparison to some of the others.

And I will show you what I took home in that little bag…

The sweetest little mug for my coffee in the morning. Look at the sweet little flower on the handle!…

Some clearance yarn I will save for giftwrapping next Christmas…

And I have wanted this for so long!

Love my new jewelry display, AKA ceramic egg crate.

So, am I the only newbie to Anthro? Have you all been there? Heard of it? Want to visit after seeing this? I think I will want to visit a few times a year from now on. Thanks for introducing me, Leah!