Ballard Designs, one of my favorite catalogs, arrived in the mail a few days ago, and I just had a chance to sit down and go through it.  It consider it my idea book, and I frequently dog-ear pages and hang onto them for future reference.

I don’t know whether it’s that I’m so familar with the catalog or whether it’s not just not a great issue, but I was underwhelmed this time.  Usually, there’s at least one section that makes me take a second and third look - whether it’s bright, cheerful, exquisitely organized laundry room or a charming kitchen nook that sends me into fantasyland.  Unfortunately, I was left rather uninspired this time.

I also noticed that there seemed to be a significantly higher level of kitsch in this issue which I found a bit disturbing.  I mean, what are Tole Topiary Plaques and who thought they are a good idea?

I’m against faux anything pretty much on principle, but these are just baffling.

On the faux front, I just have to say no to these Faux Bois Log Planters too.  Just no.

And while there’s a small, teeny-tiny, perhaps even infintesmal part of me that says that maybe, just maybe, there is a garden somewhere where the Mosaic Toad House could possibly be considered charming, overall, I have to say that it’s just beneath the standard I expect from Ballard Designs.  It’s the kind of thing I’d expect to see in Winterthur or Lillian Vernon catalogs instead.  However, since I can’t find the Mosaic Toad house on their website, I’m hoping they’ve rethought the idea, and we can pretend it never happened — although that won’t prevent me from scanning and posting the picture later - just for posterity.

 Edited:  Here’s the Mosaic Toad House!