Window Shopping Wednesday: The New Target!

Canada recently got on the Target bandwagon, and Winnipeg was no exception. Philip and I scheduled in a visit on Saturday so that we could feature it in today's Window Shop. However, it was so busy and crazy there that I felt like a hooligan taking pictures, so it just didn't happen. 

We can tell you a bit about our experience though! Here are four things we noted:


1. While I love Target and make a mandatory stop-in with every United States adventure, our visit was pretty anticlimactic. I think it's similar to what Ikea was like when it first opened, there were too many people, things were picked over, staff is brand new and have a bit of a learning curve, and it's just not looking its best. In a month or two, I think it'll be a great place to shop. 

2. Love the house stuff. Nate Berkus and Threshold are both great lines and have a lot of items that I'll be drooling over. There are lots of reasonably priced baskets, pillows, and other decor items that will probably find their way into our home at some point. 

3. We've noticed that Superstore and Walmart draw drastically different crowds. They're both great places to shop for bargains, they're right next to each other on Regent, but somehow less people in pajamas visit Superstore. I'll have to do more studies on this, but it's definitely something that we've observed. Target was attracting both crowds since it's brand new, so it was interesting to mingle with the pajama people.

4. From looking online, I think that there are going to be more of the US's coupon policies in place at Target which might bring an influx of extreme couponers to our midst. This is kind of interesting to me, if I take some time I'll have to find out how great the coupon options are there. I don't think I'll ever be much of a couponer because when I get fliers and such on Thursday's in great abundance in our mailbox I always insta-recycle them, because I just don't feel like sitting on the couch flipping through fliers. Target's website has a coupon page that provides all the coupons for your province, and you can select which ones you'd like to print. Might be worth checking out. I skimmed their coupon policy and they'll accept both a Target coupon, and a manufacturer's coupon, where as a lot of our grocery stores won't accept manufactorer's coupons (talking to you Costco!). 

So that was the Target experience. Who's been? What did you think?!?

Window Shopping Wednesday: Seasonal Storage

I started packing up some of our Winter clothes yesterday, in the storage bins we bought from Ikea. Turns out, they don't fit under our bed. Agh. Also I bought them so long ago that I doubt I could return them, and I'm not sure if I even have the receipt anymore. Luckily I only bought 2 and they're only $10 a piece. Right now I'm thinking that once our guest room is cleared of bathroom stuff (in 2016 maybe?), we can put the storage bins at the bottom of the closet, stacked up, with some of our other seasonal items or less-worn items hung up, like Philip's jerseys. We don't really have guests, and this way we could easily get at the clothes if we need them.

Skubb Storage Case from Ikea. 

Where do you stand on the cloth vs. plastic underbed storage? This one is from The Container Store.

What would you do if you bought underbed storage a few months ago and it didn't fit? Also, I'd say on the cloth vs. plastic I kind of like the cloth ones, they're a little more flexible to fit more clothes in if you want. 

Window Shopping Wednesday: Wardrobe Update

I don't know what it is, but I'm having a serious craving for a wardrobe upgrade. When I look in my closet in the morning I'm not seeing anything too exciting. It could be because Winter clothes have been out way too long and the switch to Summer will be enough to make my closet pleasing again, but I think I could use a few new items. 

Yesterday I started making a list of clothes to start keeping an eye out for. 

Jeans - I only have one pair right now and I don't care for them so have mostly been sticking to some of my more legging type pants.

Flats - Right now I only have one pair of nice flats, and since Philip is a bit shorter than me it would be nice to sell some of my fancy heels and trade them in for something more practical (getting old). 

Shorts - Again, only have one pair. I used to hate shorts and so I resisted buying them but I've started liking them a lot more and could use another pair.

Blousey Tops - I'm going crazy for these, so stylish and put together but super comfy. 

Blouse from The Gap. 

Cardigan - My Christian school upbringing and dress code has somehow managed to crush the idea that shoulder skin is scandalous into my brain and so I could use an extra cardigan to wear with some of my Summer tank tops. 

New Glasses - Getting tired of this pair, so going to make a visit to Zenni Optical soon, eye appointment next week and then with perscription in hand I can find a more stylish pair.

Glasses from Zenni Optical...I'm not sure if these are the ones I'll get, but something like this maybe?

Headbands - My headband feels like a vice on my head sometimes it is so tight, could use a couple more that are maybe a bit more cozy (is there such a thing?).

There's one more item that I don't need at all, but will likely buy. I go crazy for dresses, especially Summer dresses. They're so beautiful, comfortable to wear, and can be dressed up or down. The Joe line of Spring/Summer dresses are amazing this year! I haven't tried any on yet, but when I do, I have a feeling a couple might land in my cart unexpectedly. 


Where do you normally shop for your closet staples? You'll likely see me browsing Joe at Superstore (cheap and cute), The Gap, Espirit, and The Bay, oh and of course Winners. I certainly like to check out more interesting stores like some of the shops around Osborne (Hush, Out of the Blue), some other stores in the mall like Dynamite, Aldo, Forever 21, BCBG. Hopefully I'll be able to carve some clothing allowance out of the kitchen savings because I'm feeling a little stir crazy with my wardrobe right now. Yesterday I went through one drawer and got rid of a few of the more tattered or disliked items, making room to see the items that I actually like to wear. 

Have you been feeling tired with your wardrobe come Spring also or am I alone in this?

Window Shopping Wednesday: West Elm

West Elm doesn't exist in Winnipeg, but they do ship, and one of these days I'm going to pull the trigger and buy me some beautiful West Elm goods. It's not cheap, but a splurge item now and then...as long as you track it on your Money Tracking sheet ;)...doesn't hurt if you save up. Also, I like to look at a store's website that's out of my reach (I'm talking to you Restoration Hardware/Jonathan Adler/West Elm/Crate & Barrel) and think of how I might be able to recreate the product with materials or products that are more income accessible to me. 

First up, Furniture. 

I'm loving the clean lines and white-ness (is that a real adjective?) of this dresser. Would look great as a Media stand, or entry way table that serves the dual purpose of a lot of storage.

This isn't my typical taste, but outside on a patio this mosaic tiled side table has great color and would be great paired with wood or painted furniture. 

These melamine plates are too excellent. I love the bright colors! We're planning on hosting a lot of BBQs (if we had a BBQ) and bonfires this Summer, and these plates would look great on a buffet table next to a lot of fruit salad and hamburgers. 

Did you know that we like yellow and grey?

I don't often find a rug that I like, but this one is the exception to the rule. I love the different shades of grey, and the geometric pattern that's just striking enough to get your attention, but not so attention-grabbing that it steals the show. 

Wouldn't these prep bowls make cooking heavenly?

If this April snow isn't enough to convince me to move, the haul I would come out of West Elm with might just be the final straw. Been shopping lately? Found any good finds? 

Window Shopping Wednesday: Target Excitement

If you're a Winnipeg-er like us, you're anxiously anticipating the opening of Target here in our fair city. For years we've had to venture across the border to visit this exciting department store, but no more Winnipeg, no more. It is opening in May (correct me if I'm wrong?), and I'm already perusing their website to see what we might want to purchase there - some call this materialism, I'm going to go ahead and call it the joy of life. 

Along with Target, we have kitchens on our brain. There's a good chance we're going to be able to do our kitchen this year - but don't hold your breath, things could change, and it won't be for a little while most likely (I don't want to get my hopes up!). No more washing dishes for me. So anyway, I thought that I'd window shop Target's website this week for some great kitchen finds. 

Wow. That is one vivid mixer. I realize you can buy this at places besides Target - but I want this and saw it on their site. How can I have it? I've been putting off buying a Kitchen Aid mixer because I don't really have the counter space for it. So we'll see if our new kitchen has a sensible spot for this beauty.

This kettle is so wonderful. It's a ceramic electric kettle! Have I been living under a rock or is this new to everyone? I didn't know you could buy a ceramic electric kettle, 

puts the fancy in convenience that's for sure. 

I don't drink tea much, but if I had this I think I would! I am in love. Philip - you thought I was crazy with those owl mugs we have - wait till this gets displayed in our kitchen. Another perk - it's only $15!

This is off the kitchen topic - but I really like these as side tables for our bedroom. A nice pop and color in an otherwise pretty monochromatic room. I think we could probably find some tables at a thrift store and paint them yellow though - they wouldn't even have to match just same height and then paint them a bright yellow!

Something for every room at Target! I love the Dollar Spot when you walk in to, for a good bargain. Definitely going to be hitting it up in May when they open - and then I'll have to share some more pictures. Does anyone know for sure when they open? Also, I've heard they're going to be carrying more Canadian products - what would you like to see them carry there? Anything specific you're planning to buy when they open their doors?

Window Shopping Wednesday: Stereo Table for Jonathan

Window shopping is extra enjoyable when I get to look for products I know others are interested in buying. It allows me to shop vicariously through them and saves me money! My brother-in-law Jonathan recently asked me to keep my eye out for a table that he could put his stereo on in the living room. When we first started our blog, we talked about their style as being somewhat contemporary but rustic.

This makes it fun for me, because when I'm out shopping I see things that wouldn't fit into my house because of our style, but that are still wonderful and would maybe fit in more of a setting like theirs. I'll often send them pictures or tell them about something I saw that would fit well in their condo.

For this Window Shopping Wednesday, I thought we'd do some shopping for the stereo table Jonathan is looking for. 

I am digging this Zinc Console Table from Urban Barn, because they already have some dark woods happening in their living room so I don't want to add to that too much. This is definitely up the alley of Contemporary Rustic, however, I don't think it's their taste entirely. It would also be good to find something with some shelves or drawers to hold CDs that they'll use in the stereo. I am unsure about something really closed in though, because the way that the room is set up, it would be in a corner that is right next to their wood fireplace which has their TV above it, so I don't want it to look too crowded and heavy in that corner. Something like this just might work, maybe even with floating shelves above to house the CD collection. 
Keep looking!

This cabinet from Ikea could work, with some baskets inside to store CDs, it could look neat, and conquer the issue of creating a really heavy corner with too much wood going on. I'm still not sure this is their taste, but I think I am identifying some of the issues they will need to think about when choosing a setup for the stereo. Something not too closed in, but still having storage.

Restoration Hardware has some amazing finds, and I had trouble narrowing it down. I think this is simple enough to work, because a table with a stereo on it isn't necessarily something you want your focal point to be (and there are some crazy pieces of furniture there that would be super cool if it was going to be a main conversation piece in the space). It's a lighter wood, and the slats still make it a little bit less solid and heavy. It would also hide the CDs, which to be honest aren't the prettiest things to look at. 

That was a lot harder than I expected actually. I browsed a lot of websites just to come up with 3 different concepts. Another suggestion, and probably what I would want to do - especially when wanting a more rustic look - is going to a local thrift store and finding a dresser or table that you can paint or refinish yourself. It's a one of a kind piece and you get the pride of a job well done. Right now Philip and I have been scoping the local thrift stores every Saturday looking for two different pieces. We'll keep you posted when we find them!

Is there a certain thing you've been shopping for but don't have the time? I'd love to feature it in my Window Shopping Wednesday post. Send me an email at cassondra.wiebe@gmail.com, I'll go shopping for you and give you a few ideas on what you could purchase for the space. 

In My Defense...

Last Friday, Philip had his turn, poking fun at Urban Barn. In order to provide a balanced perspective, it only seemed fair to share the photos we took of some of the Urban Barn products we loooved. Yes, we did feature Urban Barn another time recently, and no, it's not the only place we shop, but we love it! Also, we were too early on our Spring product preview, because they only just released their Spring line and it is fabulous! We're obviously biased as lovers of yellow, and their two feature colors this year are Wasabi (green) and Dijon (yellow), with a base of Charcoal to ground everything. So very Spring-like! 

Urban Barn is interesting, because I feel like it's going through  bit of a style change, as am I. When you first get married and move out, you have to kind of find your style. At least I did. Most of what I like is shaped by what my mom decorated with (she has amazing style and probably should have been an interior designer - we will do a house tour there one of these days so you can see some of what shaped our style), but since moving out I've definitely felt a shift towards things with more personality. Philip loves color, especially as someone in Marketing with a knack for graphic design. The move towards more fun items, and towards color, is leading me towards some of the more fun things that Urban Barn has to offer, and before you know it I might even be buying some of the crazy products Jonathan Adler sells. I would definitely say that my style is easily influenced. Often blogs I read, things I see on Pinterest, etc. can have a big influence on what I like. I wouldn't necessarily say that I'm a trend follower, but it definitely happens on occasion. Pinterest can't convince me of all things, I would still say we have contemporary style rather than rustic or country, however I am moving more to the eclectic end of the spectrum. 

Here are some of the great items that Urban Barn has to share in their Spring collection (click this link to view the entire Spring Collection). 

Charcoal base, I love Charcoal...especially when paired with yellow.
You can tell by our wedding invitations! 

Philip made our wedding stationary, including invitations, thank you cards, wine labels, menus, & programs! All with a grey and yellow theme. 

We've been thinking of a clear chair for our small office.
This one is pretty cute, there's also one at Ikea we don't mind. 

I like the graphic pattern of this chair, with the Dijon throw -
it's a match made in grey and yellow heaven! 

I almost always love the placemats & cloth napkins at Urban Barn. These are my new loves, I think they would work for all seasons! Summery with the right table setting, or definitely fall like with settings more in the browns and oranges. 

I don't know if I'm such a fan of the affirmative sayings pillows,
but "Don't Forget to be Awesome" is a pretty good reminder.
Maybe for a wall print?

Color dipping is everywhere these days, I'd be nervous about DIYing it, and the resulting non-dishwasher friendliness. However, I'm thinking of trying this on our martini glasses that we never use (we aren't really big drinkers), it would dress them up in the glass cabinet, and if we used them washing 4 cups wouldn't be the end of the world. 

These cups glow from a distance, they're just 4 tiered cups and up close on their own they look pretty much like normal glass, but from afar they look almost ethereal. 

The numbered items theme is also pretty prevalent these days.
I definitely appreciate a good numbered item. 

A little more rustic than we go for, but spray painted high gloss white?? These squirrels that "press hands" are my cup of tea. 

Yet another set of napkins/placemats that I love. These ones a bit more Spring & Summery. 

Last but definitely not least, this blanket is drool worthy.
If I'm sick and cuddled under a blanket all day - this is what I want to do it with. Mentally adding this to my birthday list (mothers reading this take note).

Disclaimer: We are in no way paid or compensated by Urban Barn for these posts, we just love their products and have yet to find another store that embodies our style so well. Ceramic Gorilla Butts and all - they speak our language. 

Window Shopping What-the...?

Cass has been enjoying running our new Window Shopping Wednesday pieces lately, but the way I see it, talking about just the cool stuff is throwing the universe out of balance a bit. This is misrepresenting my shopping experience; I spend so much of my time at many of these stores asking "WTF?" (Not literally Mom!)

Some stores inspire this more than others. The more eclectic and decor-focused the inventory, the more rich the "What-the Factor" (see what I did there?). So Superstore and even IKEA are not going to show up much in this space, whereas Pier 1 Imports is a veritable land flowing with milk and honey bee dining cushions.

So today, as my usual Friday Phil guest spot, we explore the other side of Window Shopping. In fact, we went to one of our favourite stores, Urban Barn, and found a wealth of weird.

I even have come up with my own, proprietary "WTFactor™" that measures weirdness on a scale of 1-10 using a unit I'll just refer to as "björks". (Should be self-explanatory, but if not: this. And this.) To get a sense of the scale we're working with:

• 0 björks means an item is totally normal. A plain pencil or a white t-shirt would earn 0 björks.
• An item with a WTFactor™ of 5 björks would be something that, if you displayed it in your home, would make your friends wonder if you've gone off your meds.
• An item that earns a perfect score of 10/10 björks would be one that you could rope off your front door and charge admission to see, but only if Ripley's Believe It Or Not didn't sue you for idea-infringement.

All clear? Let's begin...

Disclaimer: In all cases, you can see larger versions of the photos by clicking on them. But don't blame me for the quality; I was working with an iPhone camera and trying not to attract too much attention as I was snapping away.

From the "Hyper-Specialized Tableware" department, these pizza plates are cool, except who has room in their cupboards for plates that you can only use if you're eating pizza? You could use them for all slice-shaped foods, including cakes and pies, but the plates are labelled "Pizza" and, seriously, what kind of commoner doesn't already have cake-specific and pie-specific plates?
WTFactor™: 2.9/10 björks

"Furrrrr pilloooows... are hard... to actually sleeeeep onnnnn...." 

*Small warning: link contains a bad word, and might not be safe if there are little ones in earshot.

WTFactor™: 3.1/10 björks

"This food tastes like death! Could you pass the salt?
...Oh. Never mind."

WTFactor™: 4.4/10 björks

"I know it must be intentional. But it does look off doesn't it? But they must have meant it to look like that. But it does look a little off."

Two hours later...

"But what if it actually starts to break... How will I know if it's leaning more than usual? But they meant for it to be like this! Aghh! Take it back, Urban Barn, take it back!"

WTFactor™ of the lamp: 5.2/10 björks

WTFactor™ of my description: 10.0/10 björks (Take that, Mary-Lou Retton!)

Urban Barn focus group participant: "See, I'm going for this horse-themed room, but like, it's going to be classy, right? But I'm looking for lamps in all the stores and finding, like, nothing!"

Urban Barn executive: "Somebody solve this problem or heads will roll!"

WTFactor™: 5.9/10 björks

And yet, the movie industry does this, All. The. Time. And we're apparently totally okay with that.

WTFactor™: 6.2/10 björks

"For the farmer in your life who sleeps far too comfortably, get them this pillow to remind them just before they fall asleep: 'locusts.'"

WTFactor™: 7.3/10 björks

Apparently "Bling" culture-subscribers have grown out of their Juicy Couture sweats (or not) and Urban Barn now feels the need to court their business. But 1000 points to anyone who can point to a place where these pillows are legitimately used as decor.

WTFactor™: 7.8/10 björks

Cool, a black ceramic gorilla. That's kinda neat.

WTFactor™: 1.3/10 björks

I mean, why would you even post that...

Oh. It's actually an uncomfortably-bulbous black ceramic gorilla, who's mirror-finish has the tendency to blind passers-by using light reflected off its pronounced gluteus maximi.

WTFactor™: 7.9/10 björks, +1 björk just for how uncomfortable it made me to take this photo. Let's just say, I got looks.

I'm so confused. I mean, what are these for? How-? Wha-? Never mind, I'm just going to give it...

WTFactor™: 8.7/10 björks

...and keep moving.

We have a winner! not only are these amazingly weird, they are also seriously awesome. I mean, I don't know where you would display them--except for all over your house! I'm just happy to live in a world where these exist.

WTFactor™: 12.9/10 björks

...and just to prove I'm not just a peanut-gallery laugh track, here's something I thought was actually cool. I'm not sure it would find a place in our house, but it's got a neat mix of fun and style. Kudos, Urban Barn.

WTFactor™: 1.2/10 björks

That wraps it up! Anybody else come across anything truly weird at a decor store lately? Did you take a picture of it? Link to it in the comments, and we can all chime in with how many björks it truly deserves.