Booties I Have No Business Buying: The Velvet Collection

This is made by Dries Van Noten. I’m unfamiliar with the brand. I don’t know if they’re ethical or fair trade or “green”. I don’t even know if they’re comfortable. All I know is I don’t need it.

When will I wear this? The correct answer is “never”. Currently, I have this one pair of pinkish/nude-to-me-ish pumps, plain as can be, with a wooden stacked heel and I’ve started to think of that different-colored heel as distracting and hard to match outfits to. These booties are far too advanced for me.

I frankly enjoy the antique vibes these are sending me, but I can barely dress myself in rags and I don’t need the psychological challenge these would present.

Now this is a bit psychedelic colors meet I don’t even know what kind of embroidery. But obviously I am not this cool, and I’ll never be this cool.

… and an electric blue sequins sequinsed? stiletto pair for good measure.

 

Happy Thursday y’all, and remember, don’t buy dumb stuff.

(S)LOW BUY: April 2019 Spending Breakdown

I know every month I change things up, but I’m learning that curbing unnecessary spending involves fighting a moving target. When I started spending breakdown for January, I had a problem buying random stuff online I don’t need. It turns out, when you address spending honestly and a pattern of frivolity stares right back in your face, it becomes pretty easy to cut out those types of charges. During my review of purchases the next month, I noticed that I tended to let purchases made on Amazon slide, because I mentally designated them as convenient and useful. I learned I needed to guard against laxness on this front.

So in March, with my online shopping and even buying from Amazon more under control, I looked at every unusual purchase I made. Good or bad, if they’re not in the realm of baseline spending (gas, groceries, and other consumables), I noted the purchase. Even having cast a broader net, I felt that my only truly unnecessary purchase was the one made at a convenience store in the airport.

That made me think though, I don’t just go to convenience stores in airports! Much to my detriment, a Wawa opened near me. Another big convenience store sinkhole for me happens en route to and from NY, where we often travel. I didn’t used to consider these unnecessary purchases, because we always buy drinks and food. Often the purchase constitutes a meal, so it’s easy to justify as necessary. But I know that by planning ahead, I can preempt these types of purchases. While traveling it would save me time on the road, money, and I can make healthier choices by preparing the food myself.

But let’s take a closer look at April first:

April 3 — $166.17 at The Container Store — so y’all remember how I was organizing my arts and crafts cabinets? I found containers that were the perfect size for the cabinets and created an easy filing system so I bought more.

April 5 — $15.67 at Refresh and Co. and $23.29 at Food Court — spent while traveling. I am still deciding what conveniences are worth a premium to me, and since I’m not a fan of rest area food offerings, I shouldn’t be paying that markup.

April 8 — $3.29 at Wawa — I bought an energy drink because I didn’t want to make coffee.

April 10 — $100 at Free Library of Philadelphia — This is my first time donating to them. The problem is I donated because they were offering a free tote bag. That was not a good reason, and even when giving to charity, I should scrutinize my motivations.

April 10 — $19.96 and $11.71 on Amazon.com — I bought reusable straws and Feeling Good: They New Mood Therapy by David Burns for my dad. The book came recommended by someone I admire who also suffers from depression, and I thought my dad might find it useful. I could’ve looked harder for these items in person at places I already go, but 1) I didn’t want to end up buying plastic straws in a pinch and 2) I don’t go to bookstores currently as I’m trying to read what I own.

April 13 — $7.02 at Wawa — energy drinks and snacks breakfast.

April 17 — $12.19 at Wawa — energy drinks and snacks dinner.

April 20 — $45 at MSG Merch — we took my dad to watch boxing. I bought a hoodie I didn’t like, because I was cold and didn’t bring one of my many, many sweaters that I do like.

April 20 — $25.00 and $39.52 on Amazon.com — these were presents for someone’s birthday.

April 22 — $33.16 at Z Market — rest area breakfast for three on the road with my dad.

April 24 — $5.13 at Wawa — energy drink and snacks breakfast.

To sum up, I spent $72.12 at rest stops, which I could have avoided by preparing my own drinks and snacks before trips. I spent $27.63 on 3 meals from a convenience store, whereas I could have eaten better for cheaper by planning ahead. I also spent $45 on clothes due to lack of foresight. These are the main areas I would like to tackle as well as continuing my vigilance against thoughtless online purchases. Overall though, I’m happy that developing the habit of honestly reviewing my purchases is making me a more careful and conscientious consumer.

Until next time, squirrel friends, happy Wednesday!

Poetry Ptuesday: Wonder by Maya Angelou

A day

drunk with the nectar of

slowness

weaves its way between

the years

to find itself at the flophouse

of night

to sleep and be seen

no more.

 

Will I be less

dead because I wrote this

poem or you more because

you read it

long years hence.

 

Poetry Ptuesday: In This Story by Caitlyn Siehl

in this story, your mother isn’t the villain.
in this story, you find a way to pick the lock, to wake up, to climb out of the tower yourself.
in this story, you’re angry.
in this story, you meet a dragon and
it is afraid of you.
in this story, you don’t need to be saved.
in this story, your mother raised you
to recognize a prison from a home.
in this story, they don’t fall in love with you before they know you.
in this story, they aren’t better than you.
in this story, you have claws.
in this story, happily ever after has bite marks in it.
in this story, you are free and terrifying.
in this story, you get away.
in this story, you bleed.
in this story, you survive.

 

You can buy Caitlyn’s book of poems “What We Buried” on Amazon.

PS. I apologize to anyone for whom bringing back Amanda’s picture on the front page is not beneficial for where they are in their grief right now. I just miss her, and her picture belongs here for me. I hope you are all doing okay.

300th Post! YES it’s about PLANTS!

Well, looky here, my our this blog’s 300th post!

I ain’t lyin’! Also, yes, I did edit down the number of exclamation marks

I have been extraordinarily busy and very absent on this blog, but we still made it to 300! I don’t have any of the more time-consuming serial posts ready yet, so this is just a boring plants update that I’m personally super excited about, because I’m a boring person.

Remember this wall guy? You wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t have a picture to back it up, but he’s even more glorious now

Just look at him go. He’s living his best life!

I also recently purchased some new quiet time friends. I have 3 terrariums that were sitting empty because I’m a serial tiny fern killer. (I feel bad even just saying it. It’s the only plants I couldn’t keep alive, I swear!) I have, however, worked out a new solution for this problem that I deduced was due to lack of moisture in the air where the terrariums used to sit. So when I had an afternoon free I visited a nursery near me.

But not just any nursery! I went to a local nonprofit here in Philadelphia called Greensgrow! Greensgrow Farms works to promote urban green spaces and help city dwellers grow their own food. They hosts workshops such as how to create a visually pleasing, viable container (window boxes rule the land here) and what to plant to help out nature’s pollinators.

their selection of planters
some of their plants for sale

Due to their smaller selection, I was only able to find two terrarium friends. But I couldn’t leave behind this gorgeous milky Nephthytis so I came home with three plants.

Yes, I keep a dog bed and harness tethers in my 0-60 in many, many seconds, all wheel drive, top safety pick crossover vehicle. I’m a soccer mom of dogs after all.

Please note that Nephthytis is TOXIC to cats, dogs and horses. I use the ASPCA’s handy guide to research all the plants I want. This was an impulse purchase, and I had to reorganize my plant guest room to accommodate it. It is the only plant I own that is not pet safe, and she lives on a high shelf now, out of reach of my “munch first, vomit later” mutt.

unrelated but this also happened while I was away in CA and I’m glad she’s happy

I have other, other great news! DWM is getting its first writer/contributor! Her name is Christina and she helms BuenQamino, a gluten-free, dairy-free, autoimmune friendly travel blog. We met at community college and later transferred to the same university. I’m very excited to have her on board; it’s about time we get some quality content on here 😉

Happy Sunday everyone and happy 300th post to me!