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Monday, August 15, 2011

Confessions

I have a confession - a nasty little secret.  I. hate. to. shop.  There, I said it, it is out in the open.  I hope that you do not think too much less of me

  I do not enjoy shopping with very very few exceptions.  I enjoy shopping at bookstores with my daughters - we are all avid readers and all really, really enjoy getting a cup of coffee and reading book jackets.  We can do this for hours.  One of our favorite book stores had a nice sale going on 2 weekends ago - we went 3 times.  We bought 45 books for ourselves and grandson.  Yep - we are a little zonkers about our books.

I also enjoy shopping with my sister.  She is a speed shopper - which if you are going to shop, it is the only way to go in my opinion.  And she is a total nut.  To be honest, we can enjoy doing most anything together.

Maybe I hate to shop because I have a fear - a deep,life long fear - of crapification.  My sister says it started when I was about 2.  If my mom took me to a house that was cluttered, I would de-clutter for them.  The great and wonderful story that everyone loves to tell is that when I was 3 I took all the crap excess items from the guest bedroom at my aunt's (who could probably be classified a hoarder) and threw it in the neighbor's dumpster. I do not think I was her favorite niece

But - whatever the reason - I hate to shop.  I have thoughts sometimes that one day it will happen -I will enjoy strolling through stores and purchasing things for no particular reason.  But it has not happened yet.  I also have visions that I will start going to garage sales and finding wonderful home decor items and furniture that I will refinish.  I seriously doubt that will happen anytime soon - but I do daydream about it occassionally.

I did venture into a thrift store recently.  That probably won't be happening again anytime soon either.  The prices I saw were really high - as in higher than retail.  And then there was the man who followed me around the store telling me that God was going to "unbless" me because I would not take any of the 8 kittens he had in his shopping cart.  For a non-shopper this was not a wonderful experience.

But the few hundred trips I have had to make to the local improvement stores for the recent DIY project has had a couple of added benefits.  I shopped - yes, me - I did it.

I have been wanting new chairs for my front porch.  I really wanted vintage metal ones to refinish.  But after 4 months of scouring craigslist and putting out feelers with my shoppy friends, I had no luck.  Then one day - it happened.  I was in Home Depot right when they marked their remaining outdoor furniture for clearance and I bought 2 of these
For $12 each - woo hoo!!  They had each been almost $40.  Score one for the shop-a-phobic!!!!  And this has inspired me to go to the new Jo Ann's soon to get material to make cusions for them.

And then a few days later I was in Lowe's and these were on clearance
I had really been wanting lanterns for the front porch for Christmas.  These were marked down to $2 each.  Yippeee !!  I bought 6!!!  Score another one for the shop-a-phobic!!

So DIY'ing has more benefits than just a great sense of accomplishment.  It also has shopping as a benefit !!

And just to re-iterate my point.  One of my closest friends is taking me shopping this week.  It is what she wanted to do for my birthday.....in April.  She is not really that happy with me.  Pray for me, or for her, whatever you think is best.

Happy DIY'ing
Susan

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