Embracing What We Love

I adopted a rule many years ago that has probably saved me hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Whenever I see something in a store that captivates me, I don’t get it right away. Instead I leave the store and wait. If I’m still thinking about the item in question the next day, I consider going back for it. Most of the time whatever captivated my attention in the moment fades away and I’ve saved my money. But there are those rare occasions where an item sticks with me. I find myself thinking about it, maybe even talking to someone else about it.

That’s what happened this week on a visit to my local Walmart. I was there to buy our favorite taco packets, but soon found myself perusing the back to school items.

If you don’t know this about me already, I love all things office supplies - paper, pens, pencils, folders, planners, the works. In fact, one of the reasons I love making art is all the supplies that come with it from intriguing brush pens to watercolor paints, pastels, sketchbooks and more.

As I was checking out the items on sale, a binder stood out to me. But it wasn’t just any binder. The sash on the notebook announced it was the Original Trapper Keeper. I had one as a kid and loved that notebook. But there was something else. This Trapper Keeper had an intriguing design on the front. A purple cheetah with its paw draped lazily over a boom box. I was immediately drawn into the image. The art was at once nostalgic and dreamy, yet realistic. I loved the colors and the nod to 1980s retro style.

However, I quickly concluded that I didn’t “need” another binder. I have several lining the book shelves in my bedroom that I am not using. I find binders are great for holding things, but not for writing or drawing in the moment.

And yet there was something about this notebook that kept it on my mind. I even mentioned it to my husband last night as we were enjoying some time on the patio after dinner. It sparked a conversation about going back to school in various grades. What we wore, what supplies we had. My husband had a Trapper Keeper, too, at one point.

I decided that it was nostalgia - nothing more. I thought I had let it go, but today I found myself thinking about the notebook again. I realized it might be the perfect way to store all the loose sheets of paper that I accumulate when I’m working on a new pattern collection. I could even keep the text and notes from the new class I’m taking in there. The clipboard in the back would be a nice smooth surface to use while drawing on our patio table. The more I thought about it, the more buying the notebook made sense.

And I realized something else. I’ve been thinking about ways to add more whimsy and fun into my life. Wouldn’t a purple and green cheetah qualify?

I drove back to Walmart today and bought the Trapper Keeper. I’m looking forward to filling it with drawings and doodles, notes and pages from the new course I’m taking. I’m celebrating giving myself permission to love what I love. To be me. And I know that each time I look at that cheetah on the front cover, I will smile, thankful for the artist who created that wonderful image.

Being who we are and loving what we love matters. Even if it’s a notebook designed for a teenager.

How will you embrace what you love this week? What small indulgence could make your life more fun? Will you let yourself have it?