Magic Carpet Ride: Goodbye Old Rug!

I've basically come to the conclusion that Pottery Barn hates me.

Which is disappointing because I love Pottery Barn.

I love flipping through their catalog and imagining that I too could live in a world where my tables were filled with knickknacks and candles and yet still not look cluttered; where my office was somehow immaculately neat and all my bills were tucked away in their filing cabinets and my appointments were legibly written on a wall calendar; where a personalized tree skirt would sit around my Christmas tree, decorated only in silver, and matching personalized stockings lined with mantle without falling over.

*Sigh*

Since I basically adore everything Pottery Barn has to offer, it's always an exciting experience when I have permission an opportunity to buy something. My first major purchase came in January 2009. We had just bought our house and Husband had purchased a new 50 inch flat screen TV. The deal was: he got the TV and I got to furnish the rest of the living room. Enter the Payton Smart Technology Media and Gaming Console and the Brooks Upholstered Chair in an awesome red and white paisley-esque fabric...

which was promptly discontinued the instant I decided that I wanted two for our living room.

Luckily we located them in like Oklahoma (and paid a discounted price) and just weeks later, they were on display in our living room.

When the time came to replace the lamps in the same room (after Husband broke one of my beloved Milk Glass Table Lamps in espresso). I knew just the ones I wanted: the Fairview Table Lamp Base and coordinating floor lamp.

My local store, of course, did not have them in stock, but luckily a nearby store did. So off went my mother and I to conduct a merchandise pick-up near the dumpsters behind Ruby Tuesdays. We were convinced that death, not lamp bases, was in our future as it was dark outside and to our horror, another car pulled into the driveway behind us.

Clearly this individual trolled the mall, waiting for unsuspecting ladies with visions of lamps to attempt to acquire the aforementioned lamps, and choosing that moment to pounce.

It turns out this individual just happened to be buying something from Pottery Barn as well. Nice cover, buddy. I know what you were up to!

(We did ultimately get the lamp bases and managed to escape the darkened driveway unharmed.)

The final blow was a few weekends ago. I had accumulated a series of discount and rewards cards and even more exciting had secured clearance from Husband to buy a new living room rug (so our rug would be racist no more). At the store, I confirmed what I had suspected for weeks: that the Emerson Rug would be perfect! And the Large Mica Tapered Drum Lampshade in Champagne would be lovely on the Fairview Lamp Bases.

But, of course, since I was interested in them, they both ceased to exist.

Luckily, as sparse as the inventory at Pottery Barn sometimes it, it's customer service always impresses me. A sales associate at my local store, who had been given permission to go on break after helping me, spent nearly forty minutes helping me track down the lamp shade and the Emerson Rug at a nearby store. One phone call later and the rug was en route to my doorstep!

Remember my racist rug?

Well last week, Husband and I unceremoniously rolled it up to make room for the lovely new Emerson Rug. Because I realized that I never actually posted pictures of the rug (for fear of backlash! Remember folks, I didn't design or even buy this thing!), I snapped a few upon realizing that this might be the last time I ever laid eyes on the rug.

Here are two of the gentlemen depicted on the rug. And readers, trust me when I say that these aren't even the worst offenders. One was so bad that Husband actually refused to allow me to take a photo if I intended to post it here!

Well it only took two years, but our living room is finally completely decorated. With the exception of the couch, which was a hand-me-down, and the coffee table, which is from Macy's, I've managed to make a dream of living in a Pottery Barn catalog a reality!

Here's the finished room.

I'm particularly pleased with the pattern mixing of the Brooks Chairs, Emerson Rug, and my handmade (by me!) decorative throw pillow.

So one room down.

Like ten to go!