Because It Was Shiny: Shiny Happy Pillows

I hate to begin my shoploits with such a splurge, but let the accessories fall where they may. As I mentioned, I have a new house to fill. When we moved out of our modest 2 bedroom townhouse into a 3 bedroom colonial, my husband and I suddenly found our living room sectional unbearable. It was a hand-me-down in good condition when we received it, but a certain misbehaving feline decided to mark his territory upon it and to shred the arms beyond recognition. Its potent odor became all the more apparent when we picked it up to move it. Not wanting to taint our new living room with its scent and having had our boy neutered (much to his chagrin), it was time to purchase some grown-up furniture.

To give you a little background on the purchase, Black Friday is my absolute favorite day of the year. I plan for weeks what I'm going to buy, how long I'm going to spend in each store, and usually end up purchasing more for myself than any presents for friends or family. After scouring the stores for hours, my mom and I ended up at JCPenney around 11 am (we began at 4:30). We were running out of steam and landed on an extremely comfortable doorbuster furniture set. Microfiber sofa, loveseat and chair for $688, an unbelievable deal. I was sold. I called my super-supportive husband to let him know we were the proud owners of new furniture. I would say that I called to ask him what he thought, but we all know that I was going to buy that shiny new furniture no matter what he said, bless his heart. One thing he has learned over the course of our 8 year relationship is to trust my buying judgment or else suffer my endless buyer's regret.

Last week our mocha furniture was delivered and as I drank in the way it looked in our newly-painted living room with the gold walls and brown carpet, I thought to myself "What this needs is some perfectly accented throw pillows." I wasn't satisfied with the $7.99 2-pack we had bought at Target. These were solid colors and the sofas really needed something with personality. Unfortunately for me, personality found its way into my inbox.

Somewhere along the line, a friend of mine sent me an invitation to a site called Gilt Groupe. It's a site where you receive daily emails of designer sales that go off at noon. If you're lucky enough to have a desk job, you can sometimes snatch up fantastic deals before all the good stuff gets sold out. In the last few months, these sites have been multiplying like the national debt. I'm now a member of ideeli, hautelook, ruelala, billiondollarbabes, and the fairest (though there are probably more).

This week's Gilt Groupe sale was for designer Thomas Paul's silkscreened throw pillows. I clicked and lo and behold they were gorgeous. Beautiful colors of plums and turquoise and peach, and patterns of damask and corals and florals. Just the touch of personality I was looking for. It was the stylish accent my living room NEEDED and at $40 a pillow, it was a bargain!

Wait, $40 a pillow? Isn't that a little high? Yes, but they retail for up to $100 a pillow, so it's a great deal. And look, one of the ones I loved is listed as "In Members' Carts." I HAVE to have that one! Let me keep clicking on it. SCORE, it's out of their carts and into mine. But do I really NEED $40 pillows? Yes, and I only have 5 minutes left of time in my cart before they go back on the site! HURRY, BUY THEM.

And that's how I spent $154 on 4 pillows. Stunning pillows that will totally tie the room together. Pillows that have such style that they make me more stylish. Pillows that my baby will assuredly spit up on. Pillows. Like a bad one-night stand I feel ashamed for giving in to the rush, the thrill of it all and look upon the bill in the cold light of day.

Flourish Pillow $40
Herbarium Pillow $44
Sarah Pillow $38
Bali Pillow $22
Shipping $10

Total: $154