Shopping is fun, I can’t deny it. Since it’s unflattering to categorize this as a bad habit, I simply consider it an undeniable urge to be the best hunter and gatherer I can be. No doubt, this hereditary success is the reason my family is so long-lived. Unfortunately, I’m getting to a part of life when I stop and wonder, “What am I going to do with all this stuff?”
This is a bad time of year for me. While getting my fill of holiday shopping, gathering new holiday décor items is a real temptation. Although I manage to stay out of stores and avoid enticement reasonably well at other seasons, I haven’t been very successful of late. My main excuse: we have a front patio now so we need to decorate for the various upcoming holidays.
I enjoyed decorating for holidays as long as I’ve been married. That wasn’t much of a “thing” at that time. It was difficult to find decorations for off-brand holidays back in the day so I made my own. I even sold my sewn decorations and used them as gifts.
The big picture window in front of our house in North Hollywood was decorated with cardboard cutouts. My future as a holiday decorator was probably secured when some passerby left me a thank you note, explaining how cheery it was to follow the changing seasons in our window. I think I still have that note!
I thought I’d share my new finds and showcase how I use them in a future post.
Even when I manage to stay out of stores, on-line shopping is enticing. If I can find a sale or a deal, that makes it even better. Playing school was a favored pastime when I was a little girl. How could I resist this darling doll desk? I even had accoutrements stashed away. As a child, I would have spent hours with this, my granddaughters not so much. They’ve been more interested in the tiny stapler and hole punch than the desk!
Then, there are things you can’t find anywhere but the internet. Prince of Wales is one of my two favorite teas. Someone gifted me my first tin. I tried to order it at a tea room some years back. The waitress got a bit snotty and told me that is a very old tea. No one served it any longer, which only made it more enticing. Here is my current stash. When I needed a favored tea for the book I’m writing set in 1911, it seemed the perfect fit. Now it’s Elsie’s favorite tea too!
