Shop-stinance: Day 8

Day 8: Yesterday I received a package I ordered from H&M 2 weeks ago. I suppose the lingering orders that I’ve previously made helps make this process easier because well, I’m still getting new items. This linger will soon end as I get deeper and deeper into the 40 days. The void it will leave fills me with a bit of apprehension, but I brush that feeling away as I stroke my new striped tank top lovingly.

I had just plopped the package in plain view on my desk at work when two coworkers came by and give me an inquisitive look. “DID YOU ALREADY BREAK YOUR NO SHOPPING RULE?!?!?” I wrote it in caps because that’s how I felt like it sounded, but to be completely honest, it was casual and not judgey at all, followed by a laugh at the end.

Here I am justifying things I bought to the people who see me on a daily basis. Yeah, this is fun.

Thinking more about it however, it is kind of neat. I have secret police almost everywhere. A couple years ago I attempted to do this same project of no shopping for 40 days, after Natascha had explained that people that observe Lent give up something that they adore for 40 days. It was a challenge I ended up completing, and even made it to 41 days, since Lent ends on Easter day and all fun purchase stores are closed. But the fun in this attempt is that I’m doing it publicly which forces me to be honest with myself, if not other people.

At night, when I arrived home, I checked my mailbox which I do maybe twice a week because it’s a short distance from my house (yes I’m lazy, and who sends physical mail other than packages anyway?). Suddenly I’m very aware of how even snail mail can be a temptation.

The snails. They are tempting!

The snails.
They are tempting!

In my mail predominately are fashion & home decor magazines, sprinkled with other fashion adverts from stores I’ve previously ordered online from. Because I am OCD, I have a process for organizing wants from physical mailers too.

  • Stack up magazines into a huge pile for when you have some dedicated time.
  • Organize magazines by title.
  • While reading, rip out pages of items you want.
  • Stack ripped out pages in another pile.
  • Bring stack of pages to computer to look up each item on their website.
  • Find additional info about the product and/or buy said item.
  • Items that I am on the fence about go to Pinterest to revisit at a later time.

Going through the CB2 catalog, I see the following three pillows that move me in ways I can’t really describe in words:

cb2 tryst 16" pillow

cb2 tryst 16″ pillow

cb2 janey 23"x11" pillow

cb2 janey 23″x11″ pillow

cb2 basis grey 18"x12" pillow

cb2 basis grey
18″x12″ pillow

In each case I can already imagine where they would go in my house. First two would be in the office, last one would be in my black & white themed computer nook. Also for the first two I’ve seen them before on Instagram via fellow bay area-ian and creative director of Glitter Guide @taylorsterling. I don’t know how, but a while back I stumbled upon her Instagram and her lovely photo hues as well as perfect use of gold polka dots had me at hello. I love finding the items she posts about in the wild and seeing how she mixes items together. I end up pinning these beauties instead of purchasing. Another desire temporarily extinguished.

This morning emails weren’t really an issue. Instead of shopping during my normal hour, I deleted everything, then flopped around in bed and went back to sleep for an extra 30 mins.

Note to self: Maybe not shopping will help me be more rested.

Bought: 0

Pinned: 3

Sold: 2

Returned: 0

Received: 5

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