Oh, my … I looked at the bottom right corner of my computer screen – 8:36 AM.  I’d been surfing outdoor draperies for an hour already and still hadn’t made a decision. I tell myself that’s less time than driving from store to store, but by the time I finally purchase some-thing, I’m not sure that’s true.

When I go to a “real” store, I see the quality of the stitching, the weight of the fabric, the number of grommets, the width of the bottom hem (can I put a rod through it to weight it down for monsoons?) Online no matter how much I zoom in, it’s difficult to tell. And is that rust or orange? Does the tan really match my house or would butter be better. Argh! I want to scream.

My search leads me to information about Sunbrella vs. other polyester fabrics. I find out Sunbrella has different products under the label. I find out that you must have an even number of grommets or they don’t hang correctly! That was a new one but once I read the review I totally “got it.”

So now the deal I saw in the catalogue last night looks less appealing. Should I pay more and go to Pottery Barn? I read their description – not really a description at all. So are they better or not? I tell myself, why pay more? Go cheap. But cheap often makes me angry. Cheap looks cheap so often. But paying more doesn’t always mean better quality either.

I read reviews on the product. Great – several 5 stars – this must be a good product. Wait, there’s a 3 and a 1.  The 3 star makes me wonder. Then I realize there are 7 reviews. 7 people out of the hundreds who have bought the product. So what good are reviews?? Really? The same question I ask myself about my own” review pleas” for my novels.

I minimize all six open sites and call it quits. Today, I’m going to dress, get in the car and go shopping!