Anthropologiesque or Hideous? By Jes

Sometimes,

I have to say,

there is a fine line between something being

an amazing find,

and something that you couldn't pay me to take home.

And sometimes,

I have a hard time telling the difference.

Now, I am fairly baffled at my own inability to tell if I myself like something.

However, I have a theory:

Anthropologie can make anything look good.

Case in point:

 

When I first saw this on anthropologie.com

I laughed.

Really? A jar with broccoli on it?

for $228?  

But then I began thinking...

Maybe I can find a similar jar with broccoli on it at a thrift store... and people will admire my anthropologiesque broccoli jar.

Then I decided I still really didn't want a jar with broccoli on it, even if it did look like one that is $228.

This was an unusually clear-cut decision 

for me. 

Usually, I pace around whatever store I happen to be in, holding said item (for fear someone more decisively hip than myself may snatch it up), observing it placed on a shelf, on the floor, on a table. If I indeed am close to 50% sure it isn't horrendous, I then send a picture to my judgement panel.

"cool or ugly?"

This method has produced mixed results.

With clothing, it usually works well.

With housewares and linens, I get comments such as these:

"It looks just ok in the picture,

but I might like it more in real life"

"Hmm, not sure, what is it?!"

"Could look old lady, but that's half the appeal right?"

So, this still leaves me in the thrift store

debating the wisdom of just buying the darn $3 tablecloth on the off-chance that it's super cool and not revolting like I first thought.

The picture makes it look better than it actually is. Here was my thought process:

"wow, that is horrible. Yuck!... Wait... haven't I seen something like that at Anthro?... Kinda funky but, I like the tassels. They're whimsical. The color isn't so bad. Mustard is so in right now. And it's kinda homemade looking, which if not overdone, adds to the charm. It could cover my round table and be all tassely."

So I whip out my phone and entertain myself by draping the tablecloth on everything I could find while waiting for the verdict on if it's a keeper.

A few odd looks, and some non-committal reply texts later,

I leave the tablecloth where it is.  

Later that day however, I did find something that despite my initial lukewarm feelings for, I purchased after remembering I had seen one on anthropologie.com for $28

 

And I only paid $3

Ha. 

Jes