Barnard

I value my breaks from my desk. Staring at Excel sheets all day can make one crazy, and nothing clears my head more than a stroll through the Gold Coast and River North for an hour every day, getting lost (as lost as you can when the streets are in a grid) and finding new treasures.
A co-​worker came with me one day, and the sight of green shamrocks and leprechauns in a storefront caught our eyes. I have walked past this stretch of Erie at least 100 times and have never noticed Barnard. Since we had plenty of time to kill, and because it was completely frigid outside, we decided to stop in and grab a quick look.
Barnard has a large assortment of decorative items, ranging from fake foods to animals to ornaments to other novelties. I immediately thought of my grandma’s foyer — she always had a bunch of fake grapes on the sofa table that I attempted to eat once and was sorely disappointed. I thought of my grandparents table setting, elaborately complete with pine cones, ribbons, and plastic gourds. Lanterns, lights, props, plants, whatever. I even saw fake kittens and puppies (that looked creepily real, with real-​feeling fur! AHHHH!!!) in various positions, my favorite of which being the cat curled up in a basket. I don’t even like cats, but this was just too much.
This place would be perfect for anyone interested in party planning, decorating their home, etc., because pretty much anything you would need for a party could be found in-​store or online at Barnard. I could actually see my 2 year old niece stocking her fake kitchen with a grocery shopping spree here! Everything is super affordable, too. A very hidden treasure!
Unfortunately, I have zero artistic ability and have had a limit put on my purchasing of knick-​knacks, so I ended up walking out with nothing.
But, in case anyone special is reading this, I almost picked up one of those fake Golden Retrievers. They look so real, and it would fill the void of not having my own real live puppy in the apartment… hint, hint ;)