Today is the first day of Crate & Barrel's summer sale. An amazing number of items are on sale as you can see here.

The advantage and disadvantage of shopping Crate & Barrel is that they do such a masterful job of merchandising and display that everything looks appealing---a lot more appealing than when I get it home to my humble digs.

If you see something online that the Edina store in the Galleria doesn't have in stock, ask if they can get it from the warehouse. If they can, you can have it sent to the Galleria store and save shipping costs. If it's an online only item, this won't work.

As I scrolled through the sale items online, I saw plenty of deals at discounts of 40 or more on rugs, throws, accent pillows and vases. The patio furniture already has its first markdown even though school has only been out a week in many Minnesota schools. Restoration Hardware is on its first markdown too. Target will probably have its first patio markdown within a week or two.

Anyone else ever buy something at C&B and feel it doesn't quite have the same spark, that joie de vivre, in your home or apartment as it does in the Crate & Barrel showroom?