Friday, May 7, 2010

Tales of shopping and the most effective jingle ever

Complete the jingle: Do you love it? I love it! I got it at... (This should be easy for anyone who watched TV throughout the 1990s [although perhaps a little easier for us Left Coasters]...) ... Ross! That commercial jingle was once the bane of my existence. You see, I have a family member who works for Ross, which lead to a little hypersensitivity about it when I was younger. I actually begged them to contact someone about changing the song. At the time I was resentful that all the family shopping was done at Ross: Dress For Less. I longed to go to Old Navy like the cool kids, and "Do you love it?" just reminded me that my family shopped at Not-Old Navy. Oh, how things have changed.
Now that I'm on a tiny-ass budget myself, I can see the beauty of Ross and its kin: Marshall's, TJ Maxx, Nordstrom's Rack. Stuff there is cheap, but it you can still find amazing things. I am damn picky, but put me in a Ross and after a little digging I'll still come out with at least an armful of goodies. And since I had so much "training" growing up, I can tell you nearly every Ross location in the state of California, and give you a review on which ones you should check out.
When it comes to home goods, these days I'm feeling the Ross located at Hollywood Blvd. and Western Ave. here in Los Angeles. (Except for the lines there. Holy crap, I've never seen the line shorter than 25 people, I am not joking.) I like the Rosses (is that the correct pluralization?) that have the mini-furniture section. Ottomans, end tables, wine racks, Parson chairs, patio tables... Sure, you could go to IKEA for small pieces like this, but why? IKEA is where you go for large staples you couldn't otherwise afford, like a bookcase (what up, EXPEDIT?). But accent pieces need to provide a little flair, and you don't want them to be bland and immediately identifiable. Ross sources its wares from other stores all over, so you get a wider variety of looks that are harder to peg. There's really no difference between a cocktail table from Ross and one from Macy's. Except the price, obvs.
More Rosses have home sections with smaller items, like pillows or candles. I like the Ross across from the Grove on Third St. for stuff like this. (Unfortunately, the Ross in Glendale doesn't even HAVE a home section, can you believe it?) Just take a look at this wall o' pillows here. If there's an earthquake, I know which department I want to be standing in. Cushy! Shopping at Ross is a lot like flea market or thrift store shopping in that you have to a) know what you want, b) hunt a little bit, and c) be confident in your taste levels. You've gotta get past the tacky Hummel-wannabe figurines in order to get to the good stuff. But in addition to the possibility of finding great decor, Ross is a good source for high-quality necessities. Le Creuset in the kitchen section? Yes, please!
My last Ross expedition yielded this tissue box cover. Lookit how cute! I am so in love with blue-and-white (and Apartment Therapy agrees with me), and I love this chrysanthemum pattern. And, of course, the best part -- it was six bucks. Do you love it? I love it! I got it at Ross!

4 comments:

  1. No Rosses here in Chicago, but when I move to LA in January, I know where I'm headed to outfit my TAA;)

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  2. Hunh. I don't know why I never thought of Ross. Totally going to check it out!

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  3. Just found your blog. And I'm with you about the treasures and fantastic prices to be found at Ross. I Love It.

    Julie

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  4. Ross is definitely one of my go-to places for home goods. People do often forget it, and I love reminding them that you can find 600 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets for dirt cheap at Ross if you look. ;-)

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