Crate & Barrel – The Beehive

May 8, 2009June 10, 2009

Musical Chairs

I was browsing some archives of a blog I recently stumbled upon, and the writer raves about a great deal on a rug from JC Penney. I loved the rug. I have a hard time finding area rugs that I like when I shop. I see them in other people’s homes, but I can’t seem to find them myself. 2 years later they still sell the rug at a great price. I haven’t purchased one because I’m not sure what room I would use it in or what color I would get, but while I was on the site I decided to browse other furniture, just to see if there were other good deals lurking.

I mentioned in this post that, now that we found a great new-to-us dining table, we needed some chairs to go with, and I was torn about the hefty price tag on the matching C&B chairs. As luck would have it, JCP had these chairs on clearance for $99 for a set of two (down from $250!).

They are not solid mahogany like the C&B chairs, but they are solid wood with a mahogany stain, and as far as I’m concerned I can live with not mahogany for that price difference. The one review on the chairs is poor at only two stars. But I discount the comments a bit because (1) the complaint partly had to do with chipping paint, and I ordered the stained, not painted, option; and (2) the writer also complained about difficult assembly, which I’ve found to be the case with virtually all chairs that require assembly. Also, I’m just a wiz at putting furniture together. I get it from my dad, I think.

I can’t wait until they come!

May 1, 2009June 10, 2009

Dear Craig: You Rock!

My name is Erin, and I am a craigslist addict. I first experienced the magic in 2004, when I purchased my fabulous metallic red Ford Focus, which I adore to this day. Now that I have an empty house to furnish and an empty wallet, I’m constantly trolling the listings for furniture. It takes time, but eventually you will find a gem. The latest? Our new dining room table. Solid mahogany, seats up to 8, two removable leaves, originally $700 from Crate and Barrel. Our price: $250. Woohoo!

We bought it from a couple getting ready to move. Unfortunately, they did not have the matching chairs, which run $180 new at C&B. At that price, eight chairs will cost almost six times as much as the table. Probably not going to happen. It looks like the table will be lonely until we can find a suitable alternative.

April 15, 2009June 10, 2009

Pretty Blue Vases . . . That I Can’t Buy

I was at Crate & Barrel yesterday evening picking up some flatware from our wedding registry that was back ordered, and these vases caught my eye:

They are translucent colored glass, and the good people at C&B were smart enough to position them next to some lights that showed through and made the glass sparkle. I think they would look great in a room with lots of light, maybe a sun porch, or on a window sill.

We are officially moving in to the House this weekend, so it is not the best time to buy new things. No need to buy it now and then have to pack it and risk breakage! Plus, since we are not settled in yet, we have not made any real decisions as to how we are going to decorate, so I’m not sure where these would fit in. But they are pretty, and seem to be fairly reasonably priced, for Crate & Barrel. I will keep and eye on them and see if they go on sale, and maybe will splurge if it turns out they are the perfect accessory for one of our rooms.