Williams-Sonoma, Ballard Designs, Pottery Barn, and Levenger are lulling me into an alternate universe where I have the luxury for significant concerns about Wall Art, suede accessories, candle scones, and canister sets; a Southern Living-inspired, Martha Stewart-led world of colour schemes and carpet rugs; where I can nonchalantly but seriously consider selecting my purchases from among pages announcing "The Granada Collection," "Simple Elegance, Superior Function," "3 x 5 Organization Is Just a Zip Away," "Productive Deskscapes Can Inspire, Too," and "A Protective Showcase For Your Pens." These, by the way, from a catalog (catalogue -- it just looks better) that claims to offer "Tools for Serious Readers," because, of course, those of us spending our lives reading are not quite dedicated enough, not quite committed to our profession, without our "Timeless Designs Handcrafted In Top-Quality Leather." How can I really be a serious reader without a Leather Task Card Organizer Box with Tabs for $58? How can my class notes be thorough if they're not taken in my Notabilia Notebook with Leather Cover ($94)?
Yeah, I'm poking fun, but more at myself than at the magazines. I could easily be lured by a Notabilia notebook, or, more to the point, (switching catalogs), by an All-Clad Waffler, an azure blue Le Creuset, or a stainless-steel rolling mincer (how have I lived without it?) I sip my orange tea and imagine a life in which I place multi-coloured stick-its (probably from their little leather holder -- but that might be going one step too far) in the pages of my Williams-Sonoma catalog with the strict intension of following up at the store next week to make my selections.
Perhaps the reality wouldn't be quite as relished as the dream. At least, I probably wouldn't appreciate the smell of the pages so much.
