It’s been a while since I’ve spent a lot of time on the CB2 website and there’s a pretty good reason: I want most everything. It’s hard to shop there because it’s so easy to shop there. They have interesting, creative designs and the prices are so fair, they’re literally hard to look at. (Look away, $2 appetizer plates…)
But around the holidays (I can say holidays, right? It’s officially after-Halloween-before-Thanksgiving?), I allow myself a little browsing because my family is heavily reliant upon Amazon Wish Lists. It’s more fun than a gift receipt. Well, if we’re being honest, I always forget about the things I constantly want from CB2 because I get distracted by everything and also kind of like to challenge people to get me a gift that I didn’t necessarily ask for. Because I’m bratty. But with CB2 dishes and fun home stuff – I’m not risking it.
But anyway, back to CB2 – if you’re new to CB2, you should know that the CB means “Crate & Barrel” and the 2 means “less expensive.” It’s a more youthful, accessible version of Crate & Barrel, and they have some funkier, more interesting designs available in all kinds of home decor.
Here is my wish list, creepily organized by category, for your entertainment.
Kitchen Goodies
This is my favorite thing to browse on CB2. Several different dish collections mean that you can mix & match for usually under $5 per piece, and these also work extra well as gifts.
Serving & Baking Dishes
These two dish collections have stolen my heart. I have always been into simple dishes because I feel like they will last the longest – both in style and in use.
The Black Clay Dinnerware (left) is really neutral and comes across as a little masculine, which I like. Only the bottom inch or so exposes the matte, dark brown finish of the black clay, and the upper majority of each dish is a glazed in light grey. I particularly like the way the black clay bowls look. I was originally looking at the salt & pepper grinders, visible in the photo, and became enamored with the entire collection of dishes and serving pieces.
I was looking for oven-to-table baking dishes when I found a gorgeous though small Matte Evergreen Baking Dish (right) with a larger, white counterpart – each under $15 – and also this beautiful, two-tone Borderline Baker-Pot with handles ($16.95) that would look incredible with any kind of food in it. These bakeware pieces are good to 350°F for up to two hours, so it’d be awesome for slow-cooked meals like beans or a casserole. Or just serve in it – it’s that pretty! (Plus it has a lid so you can be the hottest dip at the potluck.)
Beverage Glorifiers
I am all about having beverages available at all times, mostly for me, but also for whoever else is around (I guess). I am also a notorious coffee addict, so the more caffeine-vessels, the better.
First of all, this Glass Beverage Dispenser ($49.95) is just beautiful. It’s modern (shape, materials), but uses old-school elements (simple cork stopper top and spigot). So many people are into infusing their water with fruit, this would be an awesome tool to have around during the billions of holiday parties we’re about to fall into.
My mornings always start out with espresso that I make at home. (Yes, we are blessed to have received a second-hand, really nice espresso machine. It saves me loads and loads of money and enables my vices! Perfect!) I have been using a “Don’t Stop Believin’” Journey-themed mug that my mom got me, but I wouldn’t mind mixing it up with a little typography change-up. Damn Good Coffee ($3.95) is usually better than Journey, anyway!
The Cantina Glass Espresso Cups ($3.50 each) are just classy. They’re 4oz each, so perfect for those of you who can just throw back a shot and not make a terrible face and start panting. These could also be used for serving tiny, creamy desserts! Or desserts with espresso in them… Let me write that down… Also, the “beaker glass” it’s made from is, well, what beakers are made from (Borosilicate) and therefore stronger than it looks (which is… not strong at all). It is more resistant to thermal shock than any other glass, so you can put hot-hot things in it – like well-made espresso!
At-Home Cocktails
If you knew me in my 20s, you wouldn’t believe it but I don’t have any shot glasses at home. Not even a single cocktail glass to be seen. Now that I’m past my “straight-from-the-bottle” phase of my life, my dude and I are interested in starting to keep a home bar. Makes me feel old. Old and classy.
Which is why I need shot glasses.
(I don’t know how to be an adult.)
I admit, I might just like these Piston Shot Glasses (on sale for 99¢ each) because they remind me of the new Tumblr design (gross, I grossed myself out with that nerdery), but the clean lines and the nearly invisibly-thin glass is hitting my design buttons.
Stackable, a little bit vintage, and seriously multi-purpose Speakeasy Cocktail Glasses (on sale for $1.99 each) are perfect, all-around glasses. Obviously, ice and whiskey looks extra good in these 10oz glasses, but so would orange juice or iced tea. They look like sturdy little glasses, too, which makes me feel good about stacking them up for storage!
My last kitchen wish list item is this Set of 4 Cork Coasters ($24.95). I drink a lot of ice water, and that produces a lot of annoying condensation that eventually surrounds my glass in a pool of its own water. Embarrassing. So these cork coasters are an entry of necessity, the geometric patterns just happen to be extremely pleasing to look at.
If I get too far away from kitchen stuff on CB2, I can really get into trouble… So I cap my wish list at the kitchen door. If you veer into the bedding and furniture – don’t blame me for what could happen to your bank account!