My Grrls and My Addiction

I love impromptu fun stuff with my girls!

Kat has an assignment due tomorrow for which she has to "build DNA." With an eye-roll and a sigh, she complained that projects like this remind her of the projects she did in elementary and junior high school -- projects that called for felt and beads and Styrofoam and feathers and such. Projects that required a trip to the local CRAFT store.

Oh wait -- a trip to the local craft store is a GOOD thing!

This is the same craft store that I absolutely adore because it's filled to the brim with the most amazing scrapbooking supplies. Scrapbooking is like crack cocaine to me.

If I knew what crack cocaine was to me -- which I don't. But still.

There was a period of time when I'm pretty sure I spent hundreds of dollars a month on scrapbooking supplies. I'm not exactly sure how much I spent because I was in deep denial, but suffice it to say that I have to be physically restrained from feeding my very expensive habit.

Except today. Kat has a school project to do, f'rgoodness sake, so a trip to Ben Franklin is completely warranted. In fact, I even sent her a text message this morning, saying "Meet at BF at 2:30, then Starbuck's?" She replied, "YEAH!"

It was a date. And I'd get to feel myself surrounded by the sights and splendors of my favorite craft store. I could hardly wait!

Out of the blue, and with no knowledge of any school project or arrangements Kat and I had made, Elisabeth called me at about 2:00 to ask whether I'd like to meet her at, believe it or not, Ben Franklin for some holiday project ideas. (Women are like this; we often travel on the same wave length -- especially if we're related and/or live together.)

And so we met. And shopped. And I drooled. Oh, how I drooled over the scrapbboking supplies, wanting to promise that I'd be good... that I'd only scrapbook a little bit, only buy a few supplies, only dabble.

(See, in the background? That's my stash. It wants me! It calls to me!)

But we all know better and I was forced to leave the store with only wire for my advent wreath and felt for Lou's name on her stocking.

Still, we had a wonderful time in spite of my withdrawals. We designed secret Christmas projects together, sometimes saying "go away" to a sister or Mom, but mostly ooohing and aaaahing over just about everything and every possibility in the store. And then we went to dinner, where Elisabeth and Kat (but mostly Elisabeth, who doesn't have a shy bone in her body) flirted with the waiter and I reminisced and longed for my youth when I was quite the little flirt, too.

But I know I'm old because what I really wanted to woo were those crafty little scrapbook supplies across the street, the ones that were calling to me. The ones I resisted. Really! I did!

And it hurts to say that.