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10.20.2011

A CRAIGSLIST STORY


so the other day, when i probably should have been answering emails (dudes), i happened upon a listing for brand new replica eames-style rocker on craigslist. it lived in the financial district, it didn't fit in her studio apartment. i had been hoping and dreaming for a little fiberglass rocker to call my own for just about forever! my heart skipped a little beat and i emailed her right away.


that night we made our way to her apartment in the frank gehry building, which looks like it is wrinkled. the holbs and i like to talk about the wrinkled building sometimes, only usually not so nicely (it looks like armpits! brandon said once), whereupon i sat in the rocker, huck sat in the rocker, the holbsatron sat in the rocker, and then i sat in the rocker again with huck on my lap to make sure it was bedtime routine friendly (it is!) because the holbrooks are nothing if not thorough.

and then we looked around her apartment and we were all hey wow! your place is amazing! and oh my gosh where did you find that? and where is that from? and where are YOU from? all the while thinking we should totally hang out with you sometime and be best friends you are sooo cool! she had really amazing eyebrows. (i value highly good-looking eyebrows in my friendships.)

we loitered around her apartment for a little longer than is probably kosher for a craigslist transaction, and then we left reluctantly, rocker in tow, to put the huckster to bedster.


later that night while we were in bed my phone dinged an email at me. it was emily of the eyebrows:

hope you like the chair! so, my boyfriend is coming to town next weekend, should we come up to your place with bagels and i can show him that new york city with a baby is doable?

i could not contain my excitement i tell you! she likes us, she likes us! excitedly i showed the holbs. he read it in the dark with the phone light shining in his eyes, and when he was finished he whispered, yesss!

and then we softly high fived.


this afternoon, i rocked my baby to sleep for his nap in my new old fiberglass knockoff rocker.

new rocking chair, new friend.
hey thanks, craigslist.

34 comments:

  1. Is it weird if I tell you that all of these stories about you seeing/making glamorous friends are making me jealous! I want US to be friends. And I also want to see that French girl from the other day.

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  2. Awesome score!!
    P.s. have pics to send you still... Oops...

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  3. Ditto, SarahAnn! Oh, Natalie! You have so many friends you've never met. YET! :)

    Ps. Nice find!!

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  4. I've never commented before, but I loved that story (and love the craigslist find). totally reminds me of me and my husband. We often notice people who seem cool and then whisper to each other that "they could totally be our friends!" (Nerdy? Maybe..especially if they're not thinking the same thing about us..)

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  5. This is an awesome story. I hope you enjoy your new chair. I love the picture with the women looking at Huck, so cute!

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  6. I want to come to NYC and be your friend too. I would totally rock the Craigslist shopping trips.

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  7. cash money, baby!!!

    also, kudos on the topnot. also, i'm emily and people constantly discuss my eyebrows with me. i'm wondering if this is a thing, emily's and eyebrows. this is the beginning of a theory, i think.

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  8. we have that same rocker in white! i love it too, not as bulky as most rockers and i have a major crush on anything art deco or mid century. Milo also loves to climb on in and rock his cute little hiney all by himself!
    emily

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  9. Can I just say how much I HATE my ugly Walmart floor model glider? Aside form being delightfully glidey, it's FUGLY. It's pedestrian and suburban and TAN. And it has spit-up on one arm, from my FIRST daughter, mind you. And it had a permanent butt print from hours of me rocking sad little people (children, not midgets). Thank you, o Natalie, for inspiring me to look higher than the Walmart. P.S. Please lend me your husband's brain for a few weeks, so I can temporarily exchange it for the one in Karl's head that says "NO!" to the Craigslist.

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  10. Well, what do you expect? You said it was going to be a lucky week!

    This blog post today reminded me of the Nat I fell in love with. I loved your writing today. And I am also totally Craigs List. My life is so much richer because of Craig's list. Free piano, free suitcase full of obscure cd's, great house rented for 6 months in SF, blueray video player, Bose speakers, What did I ever do before CL? Retail, that's what.

    SouthernMan

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  11. that is by far the best craigslist story i've ever heard.

    granted, all of the craigslist stories i hear center around creepy people, so.....

    but yeah. so exciting.

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  12. I just love reading your stories. You make me smile--keep 'em comin'!!!

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  13. Just did that with a mom in my daughters class, and we are going shopping tomorrow!!!!! So excited!

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  14. this is post is awesome. i too value nice eyebrows, they make a statement. the chair is awesome.i was praying this would not end in a "but i didn't get it." story.

    Lindsay

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  15. I love me some Craigslist!!

    I met my husband (before he was my husband) on there through some cheesy personal ads. It was love at first sight.

    We joined our crazy family (bringing 3 kids in) and had two more little boys together. Thank you Craigslist for my family!!

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  16. I do not have a rocker. We have a recliner that was SUPPOSED to be my rocker but alas, tis my husband' chair. Chairs like cats, choose their people. So, I am chairless. Four children and I have no chair.

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  17. What an awesome way to make a new friend! Way to go!!!

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  18. haha! I also made a very treasured friend from craigslist!
    She had an ikea bed I was dying over and when we met we "clicked".
    Its been two years and while we live in two different states, we stay in touch.

    xo- bekah

    http://freespiritedtmama.blogspot.com/

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  19. hehe....this is the cutest story ever!

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  20. This is WAY better than being killed by some sex maniac because of Craigslist!!
    Congrats on the awesome, new friend.

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  21. lovely story & that is exactly what i would say with a potential new friend... another similarity is that deeply appreciate a good set of eyebrows <3

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  22. Wow, a happy ending Craigslist story? Total win!

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  23. I've become close to VERY BEST FRIENDS with a girl through your blog. and yes, in real life. so a natalie success story!

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  24. Eyebrows are important. You never grow out of that "OMG SHE wants to be MY friend?! WOO!" feeling, do you?

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  25. oh my gosh i love this story!!

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  26. Such a cute story, love the way you write!

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  27. Great post! Great job treasure hunting! Great post! :)

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  29. I've been reading your blog for a while now and have had the same thought you had about this lady..."How cool would it be if Natalie Holbrook would want to be my friend?" If I lived in NYC I would totally be your friend. I wouldn't even go to the singles ward. I would just go to the family ward just to hang with you and the Holbs.

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  30. So beautiful!! I'm jealous you found such a good deal--I would have snatched it up too! All I ever see on the Dallas area Craigslist is for $299!! I'll have to keep looking--keep your fingers crossed for me :)

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  31. You're the cutest of th cutest. Lve this! Ingrates on the chair and the friend!!

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  32. Natalie, I've been reading through all of your older blog posts all evening. I have to say - just as lovely. I really do enjoy reading your words and your view of nyc. happy friday! xo

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