West Elm Throw Pillows & 99 MRKT

Because of a recent dog-related incident, we had to get a new living room rug. That was not fun because it’s hard to get a descent rug without paying a lot of money (yes, we ended up at Ikea).

Thankfully finding throw pillows to complement our new rug was much easier. We just went to West Elm, the best place for throw pillows.

Why is it the best place? Because it has tons of choices and truly nice choices at that. We actually had two other contenders before my husband spotted the “the one” (yes, that’s in in the photo, on top of the new rug). Textures, colours, sizes, West Elm has it all when it comes to pillows.

Our previous throw pillows were from West Elm and lasted us almost three years, which is pretty good when you think of all the use/abuse these things get. Because they’re so durable, and because they look great, I have no problems with the price: $34 for just the cover and $14 for a 19x19 pillow. 

Dexter enjoys one of the new pillows

Our old pillow covers, like our new ones, are 100% silk, so they feel just as amazing as they look. But even though they’re made from silk, they’re easy to clean. Just pop them in the washing machine or when it comes to crumbs and dog hair, vacuum them. 

For a look at the many different pillows West Elm sells, check out this page, while the design we picked up can be seen here, in a variety of colours.

Prior to popping over to West Elm, we stopped by 99 Sudbury’s 99 MRKT.

Launched this past summer, the market bills itself as, “An independent community-based market showcasing local foods, artists and designers.” I really liked the sound of that and pictured something like a smaller version of the Brooklyn Flea Market.

What I got however was something that was a much, much smaller. 

I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed. I thought there would be more vendors, more shoppers, more energy. Instead, the market was downright quiet, with fewer than two dozen vendors and maybe a dozen shoppers.

There was a good variety of stuff for sale, everything from fresh veggies to jewelry to homemade marshmallows, and most of the food tables were offering free samples. However, more than a few tables were staffed by unengaged vendors or weren't staffed at all. But then given the low number of shoppers, the lack of upbeat vendors isn’t really surprising. 

Set up in the Glass Factory portion of the building, the market definitely has space to grow, and I hope it does because I really like the idea behind it. It just needs more of… well, everything.