Haunted
This is not a "It's October let's eat candy corn and talk about spooky things" kinda post. Nay, this is a post about the emotional roller coaster that is regret. Wow, The Cow Spot gets deep, eh? Don't worry, I'm talking about shopping and if you shop, a little or a lot, you know what kind of regret I'm talking about...
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| Photo from Google. |
While I've been shopping for years, practically since I could be rolled around in a stroller, this type of regret is new to me. With clothes and accessories, you may miss your size or the exact item at one store, but chances are with the internet at our fingertips, no piece of clothing is THAT far out of range. However, with furniture shopping, especially at antique/thrift stores, estate sales, heck even Homegoods, it's a whole different story.
Fortunately (or unfortunately) I have images of my regrets on my phone so I can visit them any time I want. Allow me to introduce you to the items that haunt me and my interior design dreams:
Meet THE cutest little black leather ottoman:
This charming little ottoman sat at a local antique store for months. I admired it every time I visited the store. The proportions were so good and the tufted leather and bamboo legs were perfect, but for some reason I could never pull the trigger. Then, one day I stopped by and it was gone. Almost instantly I felt the regret. UGH, now every time I picture the perfect ottoman for our living room, this little ottoman is all I can see. AND I CAN'T FIND IT ANYWHERE! Every time I go back to the antique store I look for it, but as antique stores go, their merchandise is often one of a kind.
Marble coffee table:
This one is still hard to talk about. Literally love.at.first.sight. Five white marble circles sitting on a golden base make up this beautifully, quirky coffee table. So, if it was love at first sight, how did I let it slip away you ask? One word: Brent. He was never impressed and didn't see the vision for this perfect specimen of a coffee table; sometimes even he can sprout devil horns and a tail and ruin my fun. To this day he doesn't regret us not owning this piece. Me however, I regret it every time I look at our upstairs den and am reminded that there should be a beautiful coffee table sitting in front of the couch. I'm working on forgiving him for this mishap.
Washed blue/white pottery:
I spotted these jugs at the Scott Antique Market back in June. The colors were so beautiful and I love them all clustered together like that. Of course, they were pricey and while I could get one, I couldn't get nine, so I just left them. I'm torn on this one. Sometimes I regret not just buying one of them, but then I'm like - "No, that was smart of you. One day when you are a millionaire you can buy frivolous pottery in large quantities, but for now, in this place in your life and with your lack of a green thumb you made the right decision." I have to give myself lectures sometimes, but....they sure are beautiful....
Golden boot:
This golden boot is SO good and I have no one but myself to blame for not owning it. I was shopping alone when I happened upon this golden boot. It's an umbrella holder - how adorable, right? I usually have no trouble talking myself into shoes but for whatever reason I didn't buy it. Later the same day I
instagrammed the above image and realized we were meant to be, me and that boot. So, I go back to the store to buy it and...yep, you guessed it, someone had already snatched it up. I was meant to own a golden boot. I'm disappointed in myself every single time it rains and I realize my umbrella is in my car, outside, instead of in a golden boot by my door.
Oh regret....you are a beast. But on the glass half full side of life I have to wonder, does everything happen for a reason? Are there even better treasures awaiting me on my hunts? Fingers crossed!
What about you all, anything you found and loved and let slip away?
Unless otherwise noted all images are my own.