Kind of about handbags, kind of about the difficulties inherent in replacing things that are perfectly functional when you are a terrible cheapskate

I like handbags. This is becoming a blog about things I like! I do like handbags, but I don't tend to buy handbags. I look at handbags, I think seriously about purchasing handbags (when they are sufficiently on sale) and I admire the handbags of stylish people. When asked what I did in a given day, often, "I looked at a handbag and then didn't buy it" is part of my answer. ("long story about my cats" and "made juice and/or chili" are also popular answers)

The problem ("problem") is that I like very expensive handbags, but I can't ever justify paying a great deal of money for a bag. Even when a nice bag is on sale, it's still ridiculously expensive. Compare this to, say, socks. I can understand why you'd want nice socks. Socks are very, very useful. You need multiples of them! They come in handy for hiking and really anything you'd want to do outside that involves feet. When they go on sale, they can be very reasonable. I could get a whole new sock-robe (ward-sock?) for far less than the cost of one nice, on-sale bag.

Of the bags I like, I'm most conflicted about Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. line. They veer from "that is the best bag I have ever seen" to "that is the worst bag I have ever seen." Sometimes I need a second opinion to make sure I'm not accidentally filing one of the latter items into the former category because I have been blinded by the label. Just because Gwen Stefani can pull it off, doesn't mean that I should make the attempt.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="430" caption="Oh sorry, were you talking about handbags and materialism? I was reading this informative pamphlet about Harvesters and thinking about charitable giving."][/caption]

I think the post I originally intended to write was really just about how I'm weirdly fascinated by handbags while simultaneously mentally unable to justify purchasing them. But another blog I wanted to write was about how it's really hard to justify purchasing nicer versions of things I already have. When you set up a household initially, you get things that are functional and you think "I will replace these later when I have the money to get what I really want." Easier said than done, younger self! This is very difficult for me to do. I am pretty sure that I will eat off of the stoneware my mom got me from a church sale in 2003 for the rest of my life. I will look at new, elegant china sets, and I will think "but I have a perfectly functional stoneware set at home which is both microwave and oven safe!" Similarly, "I would like to get a nice new down comforter for the nautical room, but instead, I'll just put four blankets on this bed!" Works great!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="430" caption="Donald doesn't mind that there are a bunch of blankets under here!"][/caption]

Many paths to happiness

One of the things I wanted when I got a house was to have a dedicated guest room, so that if my friends wanted to visit, it would be easy for them to do so. I just had a friend from New York stay with me for the weekend, and it was awesome. I got to show off my house, Donald and James got to make a new friend, and visitors are always a great excuse to go do things in Kansas City that I might not normally do. Things like driving around at night and pointing out the different awesome buildings and neighborhoods (Kauffman Center, Bartle Hall), going to special occasion restaurants (Port Fonda), seeing the symphony (okay, that's a normal one for me) and going to pop concerts (Lady Gaga!). We'd stay up late watching movies, then I'd wake up in the mornings and make coffee and juice, sit in the breakfast nook, and generally have a nice time.

Sometimes I worry that I'm too excited about showing off my life, if that makes sense. This is where I live, these are the things I do, this is the city that I love...I know that I am very fortunate to be in this position, and there are many factors that play a role in it. One of them is that I'm just happy with things as they are. I like it here. I don't spend a lot of time wishing I was somewhere else, I can't image a job that I'd enjoy more (and I have side projects that I'm just as excited about) and I make an effort to become friends with people who are interesting and uplifting.

I believe that there are many ways to be happy.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="430" caption="One of James' paths to happiness involves helping make the bed."][/caption]

New sheets

I am kind of into bedding. I like high thread counts, nice flannel sheet sets, interesting quilts and blankets, and old army blankets. I also love down comforters.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="430" caption="He's helping."][/caption]

James likes bedding too. He reeeally likes bedding. I can't make a bed in the house without his help (which translates to him attacking the sheets, burrowing under every set of sheets and blankets as they go on the bed, and generally being a terrible nuisance).

Anyway, I've got two nice sets of regular sheets and one set of flannel sheets for both my master bedroom and guest room, and a couple of "Bed in a Bag" (do other people know what I mean by this? The cheap, 200-threadcount sets that include comforters and shams and ruffles and stuff. Generally in soothing, neutral hotel colors.) sets for the futon in the office. I had a Kohl's gift certificate to spend, and nothing I really needed from Kohl's, so I thought I'd check out their flannel sets. Now is, weirdly, the time when those start to go on sale. It is freezing outside. It is bitterly, bitterly cold. Now is the time to hike the price up on flannel sheets, department stores! Stop trying to sell bikinis! What is wrong with you? Anyway, I went to Kohl's and found an amazing sheet set for the futon.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="430" caption="He's trying to catch the owls."][/caption]

My only complaint is that these owls aren't dressed in winter clothes. A lot of flannel sheets feature characters wearing hats or mittens or scarves. Maybe because flannel sheets primarily get used in the wintertime! Anyway, owls wearing scarves would have been better, but these are pretty fantastic. As I was telling my boyfriend earlier this evening, if I were to have friends visit, and they had small children, and those children go to stay in the office, and were also really into owls, they would think I was really cool.

He said that was a lot of hypothetical stuff going on to justify these sheets, but I feel good about it. That imaginary kid and I are going to be great friends.

One of the many nice things about having your own house is that you can do things like purchase pink owl flannel sheets for the office futon and no one can try to stop you. HAHA!