Info FOr You use your good stuff...



We were young, really young (well, I was actually younger since Dan is 7 years older than me;) and poor.... really poor. 
It was our first Christmas together and while I didn't expect anything expensive I certainly didn't expect the Christmas gifts that Dan gave me that year...

a sweater stone and an umbrella.

You did read the part about it being our "first" Christmas together, yes?!!
Now, to his defense- Dan had been listening to me as I really did need an umbrella and a sweater stone (that was back in the day when yuppie pullover sweaters were all the rage)... I just didn't necessarily want them as Christmas gifts ;) !  I pretended to be delighted, but I secretly had hoped for something a little more "special."    
The next Christmas Dan redeemed himself when he surprised me with a gorgeous Baccarat crystal vase for Christmas- an extravagant gift that we could ill afford at the time, but one that I loved!  It was the late 1980's and we were piece-mealing the remaining of our wedding Waterford Araglin crystal (do brides still get crystal glassware and sterling flatware these days?) and Baccarat Harmonie tumblers.  It is a beautiful vase and has a way of catching the light just so.
For years I used the vase only for display.  I viewed it as a "work of art" and would keep in on the coffee table in the living room and admire it always, but never use it.




By this point in our marriage we had moved to Dallas and were frequent shoppers at estate sales.  We found some wonderful, amazing, fabulous finds in those early years-  back before everyone and their best friend was into antiquing.  We would often come home with a great find and say
"Look at that... it has never, ever been used."
It always made me a bit sad- that the person had saved the piece for some special occasion that
 never came.
 
I can still remember the night I was sitting in the living room and I looked at the Baccarat vase and thought -
"  ohmygawd..........  someone is going to pick up this vase at MY estate sale and say.... 
'This vase was never, ever used.'  "

In that split second I decided I would use and enjoy the vase instead of just looking at it. 
The next day I purchased some white roses, and the vase has now been used for many years.  There are the obvious scratches from wear that immediately devalues the piece from a collectors point of view, but it feels much more comforting to know that at MY estate sale someone will pick up this vase and think....
"Wow, she must have really loved this piece!"

Life is short ....Use your good stuff !



(And, no- you can not get on a sign-up list for MY estate sale!    Oh sure,... like you weren't thinking that :) 





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