oh just knock it off…will ya?

First let me be clear…I’m not picking on Pottery Barn. I love PB. I love all of their designs and ideas. I love looking and drooling over their pictorial features, the lovely fluffy perfect bedding, the wonderfully laid out wall displays, the feeling that the PB style invokes…comfortable, cozy, upscale. Unfortunately the other feelings that stir in me as I look through their magazines or the website are; envy, lust (for material objects) desire, covetousness. But wait, it gets better. I know all of those feelings are wrong and for the most part silly, but hey I’m allowed to wallow for a few minutes and then I bounce back. I thank the Lord for what I have and move on. Those images of items I had mentally checked as “wants” swim in my head, but I joyfully go about my day.

This probably never happens to any of you…right? That’s what I believe sometimes…as if I’m the only one in the whole world that battles with Pottery Barn lust.
I love to read blogs, there are a few I read daily.  These bloggers are so wonderful and very much needed in my life. They bring to me the possibility of acquiring some of the awesome things I see at PB at a fraction of the cost and the ability to shout, “i made it myself”! How cool is that?
You see to me, there is nothing more satisfying than to see something you want, but can’t justify spending the money, then reading how someone else made that object of your desire at a fraction of the cost AND they share how they made it.
It’s called a “knock off” but it should be called something more wonderful than that. It sounds so lame…”knock off”…nope it needs another name. eh..I’ll come back to that later…want to see some of the examples I found?
take a look….

Who doesn’t love the look of galvanized metal? Okay maybe it’s not for everyone but this gal loves it! and these are just too cute.  but even on sale…they are ridiculously priced! However…you can make your own and Tammy at Junk Situation shows you how.

Isn’t she awesome! These are the cutest things and guess what? I can afford them and I can say…I made it myself!

Next...

Yep these are pretty cute too. But again, I just can’t and won’t pay what PB wants…even if it is on sale.

Kim at Southern Savvy Style made her own lantern vignette with a battery candle, some twine netting and some sea shells from her collection.

As you can see that this can be changed in a matter of minutes and then you have a whole new look.  I read Kim’s blog everyday and you learn a lot about a person when you follow their blog daily, my point is…I don’t know where she got the lantern but I do know she didn’t pay $50-$70 and I’ve see this same lantern in several of her posts, different rooms, different vignettes.

Okay…here’s another!  This one will rock your little thrifty world!

Cute isn’t it?  Want to guess the price?  $99 😦

but this….I can afford! and I can make it myself because miss Thrify Decor Chick supplied all of the information in her blogpost.  Wasn’t that nice of her.

this is just the cutest and the price is even cuter 🙂

okay…one more because ya’ll probably think this is just mean to pick on PB like this…

but it’s not my fault that there are so many creative bloggers that love to share.

any guesses?  Set of six place mats $114

okay I know…they are “handwoven” rattan

but these were hand painted and hand tied! You can read about how to make a set of your very own by going here.

think I’m stretching just a bit?  I would argue NOPE I’m not.

Take the same shim slats, leave them in there natural state or stain them in rich walnut

Hand tie with raffia, strips of burlap or linen if you like.

Still think it’s a stretch?

I’ll get back to ya on that one!

You think I was too hard on Pottery Barn?  I’m sorry….I wasn’t trying to be mean.

I just need to save money and decorate my home at the same time.

so go ahead…tell me to just “knock it off”  🙂