We all have our guilty little pleasures. For my husband it’s sneaking in a freshly baked cupcake before work. For my eldest dog, Peanut, it’s pretending to be asleep to evade his 7am walk. Whatever the indulgence, there’s one that I can no longer deny: Anthro stalking.

Sure, I can say that I just walk by and admire their window displays, or go in from time to time just to peruse their sale racks, but who am I kidding?! My sole purpose for going in many a visit is to fill my lungs with whimsy and inspiration. Much of the applause is due to the visual merch team. Both Anthro and Urban (who are owned by the same peeps who bring us Free People) know that their clientele has a weakness for rustic yet romantic handmade visual displays. It’s how they sucker many of us in in the first place!

So on a recent visit with my beau, brother and soon to be sister-in-law, I put my apprehensions away at facing this love affair and began to snap snap and snap photos of their gorgeous, breath-taking displays. Like a story book of posh living – Anthro has a way of morphing their store floors into nooks and crannies of wonder. Whether in upcycled glass bottle candle holders or hand-picked unique merchandise – the Anthropologie team has a way of bringing a cacophony of styles and textures together to create a seamless landscape of beautiful objects. Sigh.

I know that I’m not alone in my Anthro-lusts. Many a flickr collection or Pinterest board is dedicated to the beauty of their look and products. I too can now be counted among them. For more pics of my recent venture into their location off Michigan Avenue in Chicago, click here.

And if you’re reading this and have also succumbed to the intoxicating effects of this retail chain, don’t leave me hanging! Show your support and tell me what draws you through those big often wooden doors.