This last Saturday, I was doing a little shopping at my local Target and noticed a huge tent set up at the back of the store. You could hear all kinds of shuffling, mumbling and laughing going on behind the secrecy of the tent. I was so curious as to what was going on in there, I tried to find an opening to take a peek. I caught a disapproving glance from a Target employee who saw what I was trying to do, so I abandoned my effort and went on with my shopping.
The next morning I was basking in the glory of gaining an extra hour from the end of Daylight Savings when I got this text from my daughter "I bet the tent at Target was the Joanna Gaines stuff. It launches today!"
You see, we have been discussing the launch of this collaboration for several weeks now. With the popularity of their show, Fixer Upper, it was only a matter of time before Target jumped on the bandwagon and featured their product in their stores. So, with mild curiosity, I decided to leave the comfort of my pajamas and head on down to Target to see what the fuss was about.
I entered the parking lot at approximately 8:15 a.m., 15 minutes after the doors opened. There were a smattering of cars, but not what I would call overly full. I really thought there would be more people, so maybe all the hype was just that, a bunch of hype. Even as I went inside, I only spotted a few other customers in the store. Great, I thought, I will get to view the goods without a bunch of other shoppers getting in my way.
I grabbed a cart, not that I was really intending to buy anything, but wanted to be prepared just in case. I made my way to the back of the store where I had seen the tent the day before. All of a sudden I started to hear a mild humming, like a swarm of bees in the distance. As I got closer, the humming turned into voices, the voices of approximately 50 frantic, giddy shoppers piling home decor products into their carts. I quickly realized that the store was not empty, they all just happened to be in one department, the Chip & Joanna Gaines Hearth & Hand department.
It was sheer pandemonium! Items were being ripped off the shelves at record pace, shoppers with two and three carts per person, piled high with candles, blankets and vases. I had never seen anything like it. Before I knew it I got caught up in the action as well. I don't know if it was the attractive home decor at ridiculously low prices that got me, or the competitive nature of what was happening. I spotted a shopper ogling a Christmas wreath, the last one on the shelf, and out of nowhere I grabbed it and threw it into may cart! Sorry lady, you snooze you lose (and if that was you at the Roseville Target Sunday morning, my sincere apologies).
Twenty minutes later I'm standing in the checkout line, dazed and confused. I can't even remember putting all of these things in my cart, but there they were, smugly staring back at me. Do I really need these Christmas kitchen towels? Or this balsam spice candle in the galvanized tin (that by the way smells exactly like a walk through a forest)?. Yes, yes I do!! The lady in front of me had three carts full, so I didn't feel quite so bad.
I made it home with my wares and sheepishly carried all my bags into the house. "Just going to check it out, huh?" my husband says with the faintest hint of sarcasm in his voice. "I needed to do some research for the blog" I said ;)
I'm not sure what is left from the collection, but this is what made it into my cart:
This is the wreath I stole from the unsuspecting shopper. Sorry, not sorry!
I got this for my new granddaughter. My grandson's stocking is solid green so this will coordinate perfectly!
The aforementioned balsam spice candle in galvanized tin (that smells exactly like a walk through a forest)
I am actually always on the hunt for simple gold frames for styling bookcases. I might go buy more of these!
See, I couldn't put them back! And for any family member reading this, do not use these for cleaning purposes. These are just for hanging in the kitchen and looking cute!!
I love tall vases like these anytime of year for displaying branches. But at Christmas, I will use evergreen cuttings!
Ok, I kind of love this taper candleholder! It will be great for the holidays filled with greenery, but you can mix it up the rest of the year with other things.
I am seeing black candles everywhere lately instead of the usual white. I'm a fan!
I did manage to get one Christmas gift off my list. Hopefully my grandson doesn't see this (I know he's only 3, but he's pretty computer savvy).