Coveting

I'm a consumer. A mad, brainwashed, needer of things. I realize it's terrible, but it is a flaw that is in my core. I feel helpless in the face of it. I've improved over the years from wanting junk for junk's sake to now, where I want really really cool stuff and for really good reasons.

But still it's want, not need. It's money spent and I have such a hard time deciding if the expenditures are justified, as in they improve my family's quality of life....or are they just expenditures - that drain the bank accounts without substantial reward.

See, here is a shopping cart I have all filled up with yarn candy. Ready for me to buy and get to work on something that someday might resemble this

With shipping it comes to $40, which seems like nothing for such a bounty of beauty! But then I start the inevitable tabulating of all the other things $40 could buy....and my little cart will sit for now.

You can bet when I get home my eye will be roving for stuff to put on craigslist to raise my $40! A few years ago I coveted a little set of bookends from the Sundance catalog - they were so cute, little pewter mice, each holding up one end of your row of books - they looked so eager to help and I just couldn't resist them. Well I went to goodwill and found a vintage down North Face coat for $10, sold it on ebay for $33 (robbed! but still a profit!) sold a couple of other things, and put the mice to work on a kitchen shelf. I worked hard to get them, so I think they'll always be special to me, and I've never regretted the purchase.

Hmmmm, I think there are some cloth diapers I could unload......