(Book)end Game: This Little Piggy Came Home

Well, I'm in love. I just welcomed a new member into the family last night, and he's so darn cute, I just want to stare at him all the time and coo at his cheeky, gilded cuteness. 

I spotted this gold pig bookends set of 2, $29.95, on CB2's website a few days ago. (Okay, fine, I'll admit it: I fell for a "Sponsored Link" on Facebook, and that's how I ended up at CB2's website. I never would have even thought to go to the CB2 website, let alone to buy a set of pig bookends. Those ads work! They work, alright?! Silly targeted marketing. I hate you and I love you all at the same time.)

Soon after seeing this happy little pig online - and for only $29!? - my obsessive nature kicked into overdrive and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I needed to have this pig bookend set in my home immediately. But I hesitated to order online: 1) CB2 can be hit or miss (and is often a miss for me), and I tend to conduct my CB2 purchases in store so I can verify that it is in fact a worthy purchase; and 2) if this fine swine were in fact a worthy purchase -- as I suspected it would be based on my own discerning eye and the 4.6 star rating it had earned from 52 reviewers (excellent sample size!) on CB2.com -- I didn't think I could wait the 3-5 business days that it would take for my little piggy to come all the way home to me. I needed him, and I needed him now. (Full disclosure: I'm getting foot surgery next Thursday, so my sense of urgency isn't totally insane - it's just a little bit insane. The surgery also somewhat helps explain why I want a smiling, gilded, bifurcated pig in my home to cheer me up when I'm laid up in bed. Surgery or not, I enjoy cheeky animal decor.)

And so, despite better judgment (better judgment would tell me to go home and ice my foot), I concocted a plan to hobble over to CB2 on my way home from work last night (it's only a block from the subway!) and see what this golden hog was all about. When I got to the store, I wandered around aimlessly "testing out seating" (when you have a hurt foot in a furniture store, "testing" the seating is a great way to get a little break) and examining price tags until - BAM! - jackpot: There in gilded glory was a whole bookcase full of gold pig bookends; and one smiling, curly tailed set was definitely coming home with me. The pigs were in the back of the store, as if CB2 knew people like me would come in just to see them and would be forced to wander around the entire store first before finally finding them. Well done, CB2. Well done, indeed. (Did this cause me to buy anything else? Of course it did. A gift for our "Yankee Swap" at work next week. You're welcome, CB2, for that extra purchase; and you're welcome, as-yet-unknown-coworker-who-will-be-receiving-my-excellent-$15-to-$30-gift-next-Friday-while-I'm-at-home-on-painkillers.)

The bookends are a little more yellow than they are in the online photo, but when you're in love, you see past small flaws (and the in-you-face gold adds to the kitschy charm). The bookends are made out of polyresin (I mean, whatever that is - ecofriendly, right?) and finished to look like wood, and they are heavy. As the gal who checked me out (who couldn't have been nicer) was wrapping them up for me, she turned to me and remarked, "Man, you could really knock someone out with these!" (True, but let's not go there.) "They'll really hold up your books!" (I would certainly hope so given their express purpose, but yes, also true.) "I mean, they're really heavy! This should be an ox or something instead of a pig." (Yes, that's an interesting interpretation of the concept, but then I wouldn't have bought them. I'm really only buying these because they are pig shaped.)

When I got home after my treacherous commute (no cabs! where's the bus! my brilliant plan is foiled!) and with a very swollen foot, I proudly proclaimed to Matt when he saw the CB2 bag that I'd acquired something really exciting and couldn't wait to show him. "Do you want to see our new baby? It's the cutest thing ever. I don't know which part to open first!" I said, tearing into the bag and vigorous unwrapping one of the two papered-up pieces. "Oh! It's his rump!"
"What is that?"
"Pig bookends!" I opened the other half. "Isn't it adorable? Look at his smiling face! Look at his round butt!" 
"Why did you get that? How expensive is that?"
"Because. Did you see the adorable smile? $29. Isn't it a steal?"
"I think you've lost your mind a little bit."
"Really?"
"Yeah. But at least you're getting it out of your system before you go under the knife."


At least, indeed. And now I have a cute little set of piggy bookends to keep me company while I recover. The pig's cut in half like my foot will be... Deep, right? Totally inspirational, don't you think?

As expected, in no time at all (30 minutes tops), Matt came around: "Actually, I do like it." (Of course you do. You can't resist that cute little pig face and upturned nose.) "But it would look a lot better with some books in it." (You think?)

I'm glad this little piggy came home. I can't wait to get some books in his belly! But until then, he's just happy hanging out in his new digs. More to come on where I end up putting him...

Happy shopping! And happy weekend!
KK

---