Monday, January 13, 2014

Excuses and Regrets


The great thing about doing a photo shoot for a magazine is that it gives you a perfect excuse to buy flowers...sometimes lots of flowers.




And this time of year, fresh flowers are a perfect pick me up for very little money.




It also makes you take a long hard look at what you "want" to see in an image, which often leads to editing down to the bare essentials...something I'm striving for these days anyway.




This past weekend I bit the bullet and ordered the boots I wanted...the boots that had spoken to me for so long.  It's a rare thing for me to spend a lot of money on clothes or shoes, I'm way too much of a bargain/clearance shopper for that.  I love the thrill of the chase, and am rarely regretful if something slips through my fingers as I stalk the manufacturer waiting for their bottom basement price, but this time they won out.

I love nice things, I just don't love paying a high price for them.  I think this harkens back to the days when I was a sales rep for high end children's clothing and accessories.  I did clothing shows in New York, Charlotte N.C., and the DC metro area, and so I knew the cost of manufacturing verses retail and I was never really able to go back to full retail after that eye opening experience.

But at the same time, I can appreciate the cost of some things...furniture, antiques, jewelry, and apparently boots in the perfect shade of saddle brown!  They were on sale after all, and I justified my purchase by telling myself that I will wear them every day, of every week, of every month...hah!




Just as I rarely regret losing the clearance tug of war from time to time, I have no regrets when I put my money on the table in other instances.  The pie safe pictured above is one such example.  It was purchased when we were young, didn't have 2 nickles to rub together, and I had to pay for it over time.  It has been with us for 25 years now, traveling from home to home, room to room, and I still love it just as much as when I first saw it in a local antique store.

My father used to always say, and my mother too, that if you really want it, you better go ahead and get it or it might not be there later...something a wise reader reminded me of in her comment on my last post.  I guess from time to time we have to splurge a little, on those special things that speak to us and which we can't get out of our heads.  I doubt I will ever lose my cheapskate ways, but I'm betting I also won't regret strutting around in my new boots either!

What do you splurge on?!...do tell!

10 comments:

  1. Lovely photos, Kat...your pie safe is AMAZING! SO glad you bought your boots...hope you love them!! I don't splurge on too much...usually on vacation, or going out for a great meal.

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  2. I am glad you ordered the boots...and just look----you still love that pie safe after all these years, right? I hear you- I used to work in the manufacturing end of clothing at one point in my career(s). lol You better post a picture of those babies when you get them!!!! xo Diana

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  3. Funny that you mention boots, because that's the last thing I bought that I considered to be a splurge. Friends and I were shopping, and we saw a fantastic pair of black Frye boots in the front window of a very nice consignment shop. I tried them on, and they fit PERFECTLY (what are the chances of stumbling across a pair of size 11 boots like this so randomly?) Anyway, they were fully half of retail price, which was still more than I was comfortable with. My friends insisted that I buy them, telling me that they would not listen to any whining about it if I left them behind. Friends are always right, because I feel fabulous every time I wear my boots ... then there was the time that I found a pair of custom made cowboy boots that fit me perfectly ... but you've already heard that story. :)

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  4. I would love to have a good pair of boots that fit perfectly. I have larger calves so it's always difficult. I love Frye boots and some day . . . actually some day I hope to have happen to me what happened to Connie above me. What a find!

    I love your pie safe. And I'm so glad you have a new pair of duds. Was hoping to see a picture!

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  5. What an amazing pie safe! I love it! Sometimes we just have to go ahead and act on something we really want! Yay for the boots!

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  6. you tease- where are the boots? even a manufacturer pic... :D
    my biggest splurge ? that architectural piece in the living room. It got away from me once and when it came back around I did not hesitiate

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  7. My biggest spurge in recent years have been holidays (can't believe now what I paid for a hotel room in Paris!) and camera equipment. Of course, it was worth in and you do get what you pay for. I love hunting for bargains in sales, outlets and TK Maxx but with a son due to start college my spending will be curtailed. Love your photos.

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  8. Lovely photos. I too am looking for the perfect saddle boots but I have large calves so the hunt continues. I splurged on my saddle ROOTS purse and have not regreatted it so I think the boots when I find them will be the same thing. But then splurge for me may be everyday for others.

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  9. I have had my eye on a leather purse at Anthro, that was finally marked down. The only reason I wanted it was because it was
    shown displayed under a glass cloche and they named it an Ornithologist Satchel. On it's own it probably would be too small
    and look ho-hum unless it was under that glass cloche...ha! xo

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  10. I splurge on plants and cookware. Absurd kitchen gadgets that no one else has heard of-that's my favorite. I'm a Taurus so I'm comfortable splurging. Haha too comfortable I'm sure. I often hear my great grandmother in my head who would always say "well dear, if you simply can't live without it--then you simply must have it". GG would buy me whatever I wanted! But I know what you mean about paying full price for things when you've worked in the field. Haha I used to sell cosmetics that cost $5 wholesale (so probably $.50 to manufacture) and we sold for $100 retail.

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