"...not for want of necessities, but for want of luxuries..."

Oh, friends...how hard old habits die.

I have been having a hard time with my spending lately. Part of it I can justify (who rips through the seat of both pairs of jeans she owns in the same week? Me...so I bought more. In fairness, I bought one pair on clearance for $14.71 and another pair used for $4.00) and part of it is just sheer naughtiness on my part (Squirrel recently really likes me to sing "Colors of the Wind" to her from Pocahontas...so naturally I had to order it for her...dang it! FAIL.)

I'd been doing really well for a while, but there is this ebb and flow that occurs with my spending habits I think...in fact, I haven't even picked up my paycheck that came a week ago because I am so worried I will spend it. Temptation has been fierce lately. Case in point, I'd like you to meet my latest demon to haunt me:

The Tree Stump Salt and Pepper Shaker Set:

Yes, those adorable little stumpy looking things are actually a salt and pepper shaker set. And I can't get my MIND OFF OF THEM. They are literally haunting me. I think about how kitschy and cute they are, how nicely they'd go in my kitchen with all of the rose chair covers I made. I picture myself shaking pepper over macaroni and cheese and asking the Mister to "Please pass me the salt stump," with my tongue in cheek. But I HAVE a salt and a pepper shaker. I have rather nice ones--wedding presents from my cousin's husband's parents/ my parents' best friends. I LIKE my salt and pepper shakers. I do NOT need these...but they are making me crazy. Since I saw them three days ago, I have thought about them a minimum of six to ten times a day. Seriously, people, my heart races and I get a knot in my stomach when I think about them...like that cute boy in 7th grade that sat in front of me in science class. I keep thinking that maybe if I drop my pencil, these salt and pepper shakers will notice and accidentally brush my hand as they give it back to me...

In fact, the whole website I found them at--www.modcloth.com (don't go! it will ensnare you!)--is pretty much the devil incarnate, apparently designed specifically to derail me from my mission of simplicity. I want every. single. thing. in the "apartment" section and about 80% of the clothing on that website.

I don't know why I share this--I just have to get it out before I put it in my digital shopping cart, I guess. I do know that if I stay busy enough typing this, I can get sleepy before I browse any more funky home websites and find other things I "must" have. And besides, I know you won't share the fact that I've been doodling "I HEART TREE STUMP S&P" all over my science folder, will you?