The Swell line at Target is slowing taking over this apartment. First it was tall and short striped plastic tumblers to hold stuff in the bathroom. Then it was a striped plate and bowl to hold things in the living room. And some of those colorful rubber coasters. I was eyeing the serving tray, ice bucket, and those chair cushions. It was all I could do not to bring home the bathrobe and matching tank top.

Things like this really get to me though. I think it’s cute and all that. But it’s not until I know that it won’t be around for much longer — and the stuff is usually pretty well picked over once I get there — when the desire to own grabs me. All of a sudden I become a strange consumer monster – driving an hour or more to find a Target which has that $2 striped salad plate which I JUST MUST HAVE aaaaaaahh!! I’m not sure if this is amplified by my location in the people saturated Bay Area. But chain stores do seem to be a lot different around here, I seem to remember the Targets and Dennys in Ohio as nice, cheerful, clean places. Around here they are under stocked, overcrowded and after a trip to them I need to go have a lie down. It makes for exhausting weekend errands.