Can You Really Enjoy Leisure Activities When You Have Little Ones?

There has been one question that I have been asked by many people throughout the years and I thought I'd share it and my thoughts about it.

"How do you actually have the time to decorate your home with young kids at home?"

Sometimes the question is followed by a remark like, "I hardly have time to do anything leisurely with little ones at home so I'm not sure how you find the time" or "you must not be home much if you're house looks and stays this clean."

I remember the last time I heard this question and other comments of the like. Granted, it was a few months ago, but for some reason, it stung a bit. Why? Because I took offense to it and there was no need for me to have done so. I guess I thought that the person was saying I shouldn't have time to do other things I love because I have little ones at home. I'm learning, though, that these kinds of remarks don't necessarily mean harm. And honestly, it's helped that Joanna Gaines has come onto the scene (HGTV) being a mom of 4 little ones who loves to decorate all while owning a fee businesses of her own. ;)

And that is where I am at with all of this right now. We all are gifted in various things. God has allowed us to serve him using our gifts and that is a wonderful thing! So let me start off by sharing some examples of other moms who are gifted differently than I and use their gifts to serve others well.

For example, I know a few moms who work outside the home in jobs that require them to be away from their families 40 hours a week. Not only do they have small children, but they also manage their time well so they can work and spend quality time with their family. I'd guess that these ladies are gifted in time management (among other things), and they do it well.

There's another mom I know of that spends 45 minutes A DAY exercising (running and/or lifting weights). She's got 2 small kids, 3 years old and under. She runs a successful blog about her fitness regime as well and helps other moms stay fit and healthy.
Now, I can look at that mom and say, "How does she do it? I wish I could, but I know I can't. And besides, there's no way I could make time for that..." grumble, grumble...
But listen, I know better than to think like that. The truth is, I could make time for daily exercise, but it's just not a priority. She has chosen to dedicate time out of her day for it and she does it well.

A couple of other ladies I know absolutely love to cook and bake. A few moms I know can whip up some mean cupcakes that not only look like they were bought at some high end bakery, but they taste delicious too! These ladies bake multiple times a week for church events, neighborhood friends, and even birthday parties. Again, it would be easy to say, "psh...there's no way she has time for that while being a good mom who spends time with her kids. That's impossible." But again, it's not. They are just simply gifted to serve and be hospitable and I believe they do it well.

Some moms are great at keeping track of every milestone and memory their kids do/make and they even manage to scrapbook it all. There was a time I did that when I had just one child, but that's just not something I've made a ton of time for now that I have three kids. And again, that is fine. Why beat yourself up over what someone else is gifted at or how they choose to spend their time? 

I could share more examples, but you get the idea. And I'll even add that we all know no one is perfect. We all make mistakes, but that's why we have Jesus!


Okay, let's get back to the original question at the beginning of this post. Here is how I have been able to find time to do what I love all while being a mom who loves her family very much and yes, does spend quality time with them. This is what has helped along the way to allow me to be creative in our home.
 

#1. I usually decorate and write blog posts once my kids are in bed for the night.

This is usually the time where I can get some big projects done. Rather than lounging on the couch watching some TV (nothing wrong with that by the way), I'd rather spend that time creating things for my home or for other people. I probably do this 2 times a week at night and maybe spend an hour doing that. May not sound like a lot of time, but it.adds.up especially if you do that over the course of a couple of years!

#2. I have a handy hubby who likes to help.

This point pretty much speaks for itself. Just over the weekend, I wanted to move a dresser that we had down stairs to our son's bedroom upstairs. Our kids were playing in the play room together so I knew I had about 30 minutes to do something. After removing the drawers from the dresser, my husband helped me move the dresser up the stairs to the boy's room. Having a helping hand does get things moving quicker.

#3. I clean up/pick up things with my kids throughout the day when we stay home and play.

Now, this necessarily isn't a leisure activity, but if it's a struggle, I believe you can find a way to work through it and not make excuses.
I have a close friend who has told me she struggles with organizing. She claims there isn't a lot of time to do anything about it. But I don't believe that lie, nor should you. If you work on organizing even just a small pile of papers, for example, a few times a week, that's better than doing nothing about it at all, in my opinion. And trust me, that time does add up! It may take time and practice, but if you do it regularly enough, it almost becomes second nature.

#4. Do your kids watch TV??

Even just a little? I believe most kids we know watch a little bit of TV a few days out of the week. If your family doesn't, than I sincerely applaud you. And I mean for real. ;)
For us, our kiddos usually watch either early in the morning or after dinner. Sometimes, I am able to work on a project for a little bit while they are entertained by a movie. This isn't a common way for me to get things done around the house nowadays, but you can get something productive done in that time period if you choose to do so.

#5. Nap time or kid's quiet time

We are moving past this stage in life, but back when my kids were younger they took long naps. I remember when I had my first born and she would frequently take naps for 2 or 3 hours a day. It was glorious and allowed me to get things done. In fact, I painted our entire family room and entryway in that time period during one of her naps years ago. Other times, I chose to nap instead of doing a project. ;)

So again, you can definitely find the time to do things you enjoy. Maybe it just takes dedication or practice, but it can be done. You just got to get up and do it!


I will end with these last thoughts:
There might be some moms out there that don't mind the messy house...and I'm not here to judge on that. We are all gifted at different things and we can choose to glorify God with our different gifts. When we work hard using our gifts, we should thank God for being glorified through it all. I believe we should also pray for our gifts to be known so we can glorify Him and serve others well.

My family and I can be a bit of a mess, but how awesome to have a God who makes up for all that we lack! He promises beauty for our ashes and grace for today. How wonderful is that?

So the next time you hear a whisper in your ear saying, "you can't do it" or "you don't have time for something like that", don't believe the lie. And don't compare yourself to other moms. It's easy to do (and I've done it plenty), but God made us to each serve a purpose to glorify Him. No one person is perfect! Remember that.


And because it's Valentine's Day, here are a couple photos to share:

A before and after- kiddos admiring the candy from a "distance" and then eating a lot of it after dinner. ;)

And They're Off....

the training wheels, that is!!!

One day, after school, my kids wanted to play outside with our neighbors (something we've been happily doing a lot since the weather has been pretty nice). My oldest asked me to take her training wheels off, and I was pretty hesitant...mainly because I didn't think she was ready yet. However, she was pretty persistent about it, so I took them off. With a little help, she was riding without training wheels in about 10 minutes. 
I couldn't believe it! 
So, of course, like any happy mom, I had to take tons of pictures and a couple of videos- because it was a pretty exciting!!

This little booger was trying to catch up with his big sis- but also making mama a little nervous with how quick he was to run out onto the road!

She just loves riding her bike even more now than she did before. It even encouraged her sister to give a try riding her little bike without training wheels. But, she is still pretty young, and can't do it yet. :)

Here is a picture of her after she first learned to ride her bike without her training wheels:

You can see from this photo that it was a pretty warm day...which is unusual weather for late February. Needless to say, we are having pretty cold weather this week...but as soon as it warms up again, you can bet this girl will be back on her bike riding around like a boss! ;)

Kids are pretty amazing, I have to say. It always seems like they can do the unexpected. And I'm not saying that riding a bike without training wheels is unexpected...but it wasn't something we encouraged her to do that day....she just decided she was going to learn how to do it and with much determination, did! 

Where does the time go?!

Help Charts for Kids (Sticker Charts)

When I was little, my sister and I had a "Help Chart". Each time we completed a chore around the house, we were allowed to add a star sticker to the chart next to the chore we completed. It made chores a little more fun (because, let's face it, most of us don't enjoy doing chores around the house) At the end of each month, if we filled up our chart, we would get some kind of "reward." I think most of the time it was a trip to McDonald's to get a Happy Meal. ;) 

For some reason, though, once I had my first child, I remember thinking, "I'm never going to use a 'Help Chart' and will probably never need one." I'm not exactly sure why I thought this. It might have had a little something to do with the fact that I thought it would be hard work to keep up with. Well fast forward 4 years later, and we now have 2 help charts...one for each our girls. Ha! (Our youngest might get one at some point once he is old enough).

We first decided to make one once our oldest went off to kindergarten. She needed a little encouragement during her first couple of weeks at school, and we thought this would be a good way to help boost her self-esteem and independence. Once we made one for her, though, her sister wanted one too, of course. So I went ahead and made her a help chart as well. She now gets a sticker each time she helps around the house- this could be anything from doing the dishes, setting the table for dinner, making her bed, getting dressed all on her own, etc. And I never let them get more than 1 sticker up per day. That has worked out pretty well for us. 

Thankfully, once each sticker chart is complete, our girls usually don't ask for much! It can be pretty easy to please little ones! So far, when this sticker chart is complete, our oldest wants a pack of gum and her sister wants Mr. Bubbles Bubble Bath. :) 
Some examples of rewards we have used in the past include getting a pack of chicken nuggets at Chick-Fil-A or a trip to the Dollar Store. They sure do love that place!
We usually try to target spending no more than $5 once the chart is finished and our girls can only pick out 1 thing each. 

I feel like it's not about the "prize" or reward they get at the end, but about teaching them the importance of helping others and practicing a good work ethic. Plus, it is fun!!

Did you ever have sticker charts growing up? Do you use them now?

The Beginnings of a Fairy Garden

Now that a lot of our indoor spaces are decorated, I'm trying to move on to the outdoors.

There is a little spot on our porch where I wanted to put a fairy garden. After seeing some pictures of them online and reading just a little bit about them, I knew it was possible to make one on a budget.

I plan on getting to all of that later in the week, but for now, we are having fun decorating ours and figuring out what goes where. :)

Modesty and Shopping

**Disclaimer: I originally wrote this post 6 months ago and just forgot to publish it...so it's definitely a summer post, but something maybe worth sharing.**

                                             

I wasn't sure what to title this post, so I just went with what quickly came to mind...."Modesty and Shopping." Makes sense, right? In a way I can already see how the two go hand-in-hand, but then I look at that title and think it doesn't make any sense.

Regardless, I wanted to write about my experience bathing suit shopping with my two little girls. Now can you see where the word "modesty" might come in, right? ;)

So I thought this would be somewhat of an easy process. I take my 4 year old and 3 year old to one department store, they see a cute bathing suit (preferably one piece) we buy it and go home.

Well, it wasn't that easy. It wasn't a painful process either...don't get me wrong. I find it quite fun shopping with my two girls...most of the time. However, I was a little surprised at the selection of bathing suits some of these stores were offering and a little sticker shocked at their price tag.

Let's see...we looked for swim suits at several stores for about 2 weeks. Now this isn't to say I shopped every day during the week...because I didn't, but some of the stores we looked at included Target, Kohls, Gymboree, and Old Navy (which was the last place we looked and the place that had the best price and selection).

Now if your kids are like mine, they are instantly drawn to certain characters- like Disney princesses or Minnie Mouse (she seems to always be a favorite around here). My oldest went so far as asking me for a bathing suit she saw at Target one day with ponies on it from a show she had never even seen before. That was fun- trying to explain to her why I wasn't going to get that particular one for her. :) And some stores are more into the characters than others. I'm sure it's a branding thing, but that was interesting to observe.

And the overall price range for most of these bathing suits fell anywhere between $20 to almost $40. You might be thinking that the lower end of that scale isn't really all that much to pay for, but honestly, I knew that my girls would outgrow these things quickly, so I wasn't going to drop more than $40 total for something they would only wear a few times.

Is that cheap of me?

Maybe....

But I like to think of it as being practical. :)

Call it what you will, we just kept looking around at different places until finding what we were looking for.

One day while browsing some stores in the mall, I spotted Old Navy and thought, why not check them out? Besides, their commercial jingles are always pretty catchy and they pride themselves on being a good bargain. So we entered the store and headed straight to the back where they keep the bathing suits. I actually found that they had a pretty good selection of girls bathing suits. And they were character-less...which was something I was shooting for! (My girls already own a ton of character-based clothes, so I wanted them to get something a little different this time).

Old Navy was also having a good sale so we got each bathing suit they picked out for under $12!!! Now that was a good deal to me!

But let's back-track a bit...when shopping at a couple of the stores early on, I was a bit surprised by the number of skimpy 2 piece bathing suits they sell for little ones...like for kids 5 and under. I mean we're talking triangle piece tops for little girls with small bottoms- some even had "extra" things attached like dangling beads and floppy ruffles. I realize everyone out there won't agree with me about this, but what are we teaching our little girls about themselves with suits like that? I know I really need to be careful here because there is a fine line to walk with this kind of topic, but I was just a little taken aback by some of the designs on these things.

After looking around at the options we were finding, I was beginning to get a bit discouraged. I even briefly looked online for some suits that I thought would be appropriate, but not knowing if the sizes online would be a good fit for my girls, I decided to keep looking.

Eventually we ended up at Old Navy where I picked out several bathing suit options for my girls to try on and made the mistake (if you will) of picking out a 2 piece. Remember, I was originally thinking we would just get them a one piece? Of course, my 4 year old gravitated toward the 2 piece, or tankini as they call it, and that was it! Once she saw it, there was no selling her on anything else!! My 3 year old saw this cute one piece with a floral arrangement on the front and loved it- so that was a win for her and a pretty easy decision for me to make on buying it. But my oldest daughter was set on the 2-piece. Now in the end, I'm not against young girls wearing 2 -pieces- don't get me wrong. There are some really cute and modest ones out there....and the one my 4 year old wanted (which is the one we ended up buying) is actually cute and covers well...I guess that is the point of a tankini. I just knew I wasn't going to buy her a triangle piece top with a separate bottom that had beads and ruffles dangling off the sides. No matter how badly she may have wanted something like that.


Oh and as soon as we got home from running some other errands that day, my girls had to wear their bathing suits around the house before bed time. :) It was cute watching them dance around the house in their new swim wear. My 3 year old kept putting her hands on her hips and smiling because she loved her new suit so much. Haha! It's the little things that get them excited sometimes. In the end, I'm just glad there are still bathing suits out there that cover up a decent amount without being too trendy and/or expensive.

Anyone else have a similar experience with their kids? I know I was only suit shopping for my girls and not my son, but I wonder if shopping for boys can be a challenge too...or maybe not?

How Hard is it to Decorate on a Budget?

When people come to our house, they are surprised to learn that most of the things we own come from a thrift store. They often sit down in a chair that came from a thrift store (don't worry, we made sure to clean it real good!) or eat at our kitchen table (which was purchased for a whopping $10) at, you guessed it, a thrift store. 
And since I'm a lover of paint and refurbishing things, that's pretty much the treatment that these thrifted items get. It's really amazing how you can transform something once you give it a little T.L.C.
We don't own a single new sofa, sitting chair, or coffee table, and we have bought many more items at these discount stores.

In fact, the only real "splurge" (if you will) we made years ago was on our bedroom furniture and dining table. We did this well before we had kids.  But now with 3 little ones and a dog (cause he counts too), we don't always have the funds to buy new everything. And I actually prefer it that way. It's given me ways to express my creativity and hunt for thrifty finds (even if there isn't much time for it these days).

If you are curious to try thrift shopping and want to know where to begin, here are some things to keep an eye out for:




1. Furniture- this includes items like dressers, tables, chairs, and even kitchen counter stools.

Dresser Turned Buffet Table

Dresser Turned Writing Desk

Thrift Store Writing Desk

 

2. Clothes- this one is pretty obvious for most people. Just make sure to check it over before you purchase anything.

Not the best picture, but this is a $4 sweater. And it came from Target originally. Sometimes you just gotta look carefully (you might even find that some clothes still have tags on them!)

3. Mirrors- Lots of people like to give these away...but we've bought a handful of these over the years and painted them to replace some of the boring/generic ones that come in most bathrooms these days.

 

 

4. Pillows- I once bought 4 feathered down pillows. The total cost for all of them was about $10!! It's hard to beat that. Just recover them and you have new, comfortable pillows.

 
 5. Outdoor- Wicker/bamboo chairs (I painted some and put them on our porch), step stools (great for plant holders).

 
6. Miscellaneous items- Examples of this we have purchased include a wooden rocking horse, globe, wooden child rocking chairs, vases, candle stick holders, and frames. Love buying frames at the thrift store! Endless possibilities with those things and a lot of the times they are so cheap!

 

7. Lighting- As long as it works, you can use it! We have one hanging in our kitchen that we bought for about $5...just paint it if it doesn't go with your style!

Now I know some people wouldn't set foot in a thrift store because of some preconceived notions about them and that's fine. But if you're thinking about ways to save and have the time to browse and look around, you might be surprised at what you find.

And I should add that while we do a lot of shopping at thrift stores, we also give a fair amount away. I think that is important, especially if you are always adding more to your home. Having clutter is never a good situation!

So in the end, is it hard to decorate on a budget? I definitely don't think so...especially if you buy second-hand. :)

Taking the Time

I haven't always been consistent with it. 

It's been a struggle over the years trying to figure out where it fit in with my day to day life. 

Reading.

Setting aside time in my day to read the Word hasn't always been at the top of my to-do-list...although it always should be. 

I'm making a strong effort to read a few chapters each day, right now from various places, and I'm also praying about how I can apply whatever I'm reading to my particular season of life.

What I have come to realize is that if I can give myself 30 minutes (sometimes more) to sit and read and reflect on God's Word and in prayer, I feel much better about the day. I think that is what a lot of people say, but there is truth to that.

It has been hard setting aside this time to read and getting into a consistent rhythm with it all while having three kids under 5 who need my attention each day, but what has helped is setting aside some time during my son's nap-time to read. My older girls get their time to themselves to do anything like read, watch TV, and/or play so that I can just sit and reflect on scripture. It's a good thing for them to observe.
Sometimes I can even get my girls to sit and read a few verses from the Bible with me (although that's a rare occasion).

I'm not sure why I use to feel guilty about doing that. I guess it was because I use to think that every waking moment had to be spent with my kids. And trust me, I do spend a lot of time with them...but God was making it clear to me that I needed time with Him also.

But I'm going to make it a point to set aside this much needed time- usually this happens in the afternoons- but it can happen anytime really. 

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And in other news, recently some baby birds hatched from their eggs in our azalea tree. When I snapped this photo of them, one of them was reaching up waiting for momma bird to come back with food. I don't know if this is a far stretch, but after seeing this photo, it reminded me of Matthew 6:25-34.

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

5 Easy Ways to Complete Any Room

The nursery is pretty much complete...sometime in the future I would love to get a new rug for our son's room, but for now the room is done and I love how it turned out. 
With that said, I wanted to share some easy ways to add detail to any room and since the nursery is one of the rooms that's recently been finished, I'm going to use it as my example for this post.

 
1. Add artwork and/or personal photos.
In the nursery, I took one of our favorite photos of the kids and hung it up over the crib. It's absolutely perfect! I also added some Winnie-the-Pooh prints that have also been used in our girls' room when they were babies. All of these have added that extra special touch to the space and can be done in any room.

2. Add a pop (or two) of color.
If you are using neutral wall colors in your home, it's a good idea to add pops of color elsewhere. Go ahead and do it...if you don't like it, remember it can easily be changed! In the nursery, I did this by painting the colors doors a bold green (BM's Bunker Hill Green) and also by painting the changing table in a rich navy blue.

3. Make the rooms flow.
Since the reading room was painted in this bold green color first, I decided to try and tie that in with the nursery- hence that's why the closet doors were painted with the same color. And it was important to keep the nursery walls neutral so they didn't compete with the bold color in the adjacent room.

 4. Add something unexpected.
This is where I like to have a little fun in each room I decorate. Adding something unexpected, like the hanging globe or the tree branch mobile from the ceiling in the nursery not only gives the room some character, but it also adds a little surprise to the space.

5. Have fun with it and be true to your style.
This can be particularly tough to do because there are so many other "pretty and staged" photos out there online. It has taken me a while to find out what I like and what I don't like, but thru trial and error I think I've finally got it down. ;)

A Question (and others like it) I Get Asked A Lot

Two questions that I get asked a lot from people is #1. How do I keep my house clean with 3 kids (2 who love to run around and one who will be doing so in the near future) AND #2. How do I have time to decorate? (this one makes me laugh a little). 

It seems that every time we have people over, whether through play dates, Bible study, or late afternoon dinners, someone always makes a comment along the lines of "How can you get all 'this' done with 3 young kids?" I know that the people asking that question mean well and are not judging me...or at least I think that's the case! Anyways, I wanted to address that question and others similar to it here.

#1. I'm not always working on projects around the house.
I still laugh at the fact that just because my blog is mostly about house decor, some people think that all I do is just sit at home and decorate. I don't have time for that nor do I want to have time to do just that! If an idea strikes and it's something I want to do on my own, I just do it. Usually that happens either once a week or a few times a week. Most of us have a hobby of some sort that we do a couple times a week. Decorating just happens to be one of mine. :)


#2. I actually do love to clean...OK, maybe LOVE is a bit of a strong word, but I do like it to an extent! I really like to vacuum (laugh all you want) and I don't mind picking up toys (although my girls are old enough they actually do help out in this area). But hear me out, I'm not vacuuming every day and I don't clean my house as often as I should (I will shamefully admit that). I do have a set limit as to how messy our house gets and am not one to leave things piled up for days because it actually bothers me. A little OCD I guess, but I really don't like clutter.

#3. I don't keep a set schedule.
Whenever the mood strikes or I have an idea I want to try, if I can't make time for it during the day, I jot it down in a notebook and save it for later. The same goes with my blogging. I'm never like, "Tuesdays and Fridays are my days to blog" for example. If there is time to sit down during the week (usually a weeknight) to blog, then I do. I just write about whatever comes to mind. The next day, I just hit a button that says "Publish" and my blog post is up- that's the easy part.

#4. I try to keep it simple.
There are some very talented bloggers out there who can blog just about anything and they are very good at it. From cooking, cleaning, decorating, painting, etc. they seem to do it all. I don't really fit into that category, so I just stick to mainly talking about projects/decorating. It's really a great way for me to use my creativity and try new things so I keep it simple by just blogging about that.

#5. My house isn't as clean as you think. ;)
So this one has been talked about before and I have heard so many bloggers talk about this same thing too- our homes aren't as clean as you think. Just because I take a picture of, say my family room, and you don't see any toys in that picture, doesn't mean the toys aren't there or nearby. Take this picture for example:

What you don't see are my two daughters playing down by the couch with a BUNCH of toys that they brought down from the playroom and my son's bouncy seat next to the coffee table. However, because of the angle that I took this picture, all of that was hidden. But it was all there, I promise. ;) And I'm sure every blogger with kids would tell you the same thing- you can play a lot of camera tricks, if you will, to hide things like toys and sometimes children. ;) 


#6. I do play with my kids.
I actually do love playing with my kids. Whether that is pretend play indoors or being outside, I want to participate. Just recently, we had several snow days, so we didn't get to go out too much. We had to get creative, so one of the things I suggested to my older girls is that we build a big tent in our room. They loved the idea and so we just went for it and used lots of blankets and pillows to make one! Sure the room was messy for a while, but that was only temporary and we had fun!!

 And don't mind the fact that my girls have bathing suits on when I just said it was snowing outside!! I can't seem to keep them out of those things no matter what the weather is like outside. At least it was warm indoors, right?!

Again, if someone wants to write about decorating don't assume that is all that they care to do nor assume that means their house is perfect. Just because you read a blog about decorating or DIY projects, doesn't mean the person behind the blog doesn't enjoy doing other things. For example, I enjoy going out to parks and running errands (this is true) with my kids, but I just don't always blog about it. I'm in no ways perfect, believe me, but I am thankful I can rely on a Creator who is!

Get the Look

 

We all know that Pottery Barn is a pretty popular store to shop and has a look that many people want try to have in their home. And I get it, their pieces are classic, timeless, and beautiful. However, it also comes as no surprise that their items are very costly- so most of us mimic the Pottery Barn look by getting pieces that look similar without the big price tag.

Well, now they have apparently come out with a new line called "The Collected Home." The price tag is still high but the pieces are interesting and not what you would typically think when you think Pottery Barn!

They have a variety of items to choose from in their bath collection and home furnishings decor as well. 

 

They even have a "collected look" lighting section with some unique pieces.

 

  I really LOVE this picture! The dark walls, wood tones, and gold touches- it's stunning!

 To be honest, these pieces don't even look like your typical Pottery Barn items...and I'm sure that was intentional. Don't you think a few of their pieces look like something you could get from Target or IKEA? (and for a lot less)?

Again, I love Pottery Barn, but the prices are so high that we don't actually own anything from them- but we do have some things that "look" like came from a Pottery Barn store (at least I think so). :)
Now that they have this new look in stores, and the fact that you can create a similar look at home, it makes me wonder if they are going in a different direction as a store. Although, I'm sure they will always sell their signature pieces!

Anyways, do you own any Pottery Barn items or are you the kind of person (like me) who just likes having the "Pottery Barn look" in your home without the big price tag (because it is possible to get a similar look for less!).