Let me just say this right up front. This is my fantasy list. My if-all-my-dreams-could-come-true list. I’m a realist but it’s sure fun to dream.
What the heck, let’s take a trip down fantasy lane. Why not?
1. A pair of jeans that not only fit but last – Is this asking too much? How hard can it be to find a pair of jeans that actually fit my middle-aged body? No low riders. No skinny jeans. But no boring shapeless jeans, either. The last pair I bought, and it wasn’t all that long ago, the jeans I considered my good jeans? Imagine my surprise about a week ago when I took them off and discovered they had split up the backside. I’m not kidding. And I haven’t gained but a couple of pounds. It is clearly a flaw in the denim and I was not happy. The other day I bought a replacement pair of jeans on sale, brought them home and noticed they smell musty, like they were packed away in a box. Musty. I’ve now washed them 4 times. Better, but still a bit musty.
2. A pair of shoes that fit correctly – Sadly, the feet and ears keep on a-growing as we age. My right foot, especially, seems to be growing by leaps and bounds. Consequently, I have only one pair of shoes that fit correctly. I’m tired of limping around in shoes that cramp my feet.
3. A new camera – Cue harp music. Yes, I’ve been talking about this for a while now. I love, love photography and want to take it to the next level but every time I think I might be heading toward saving up enough money to buy a new camera, some gosh-darned thing goes wrong with the house, or the car, or an unexpected bill arrives on our doorstep. My current camera, a Canon bridge camera, is lovely. But it doesn’t have separate lenses. And that’s what I want.
Someday.
4. A vintage gas stove – Oh, how I want one. Preferably an O’Keefe & Merritt, like this one in Kitty Bartholomew’s kitchen from Country Living:
This is my all-time favorite. But I wouldn’t turn up my nose at this vintage Chambers model:
Also courtesy of Country Living. I love the generous work surfaces, the storage, the grills, all the extras that used to be considered essentials. Now, of course, they are not included in your average stove. And do I have to say that what I love the most is the vintage look? I thought not.
5. One of these Pure Butter or Cheese slabs – I have long been lusting after one of these but even the reproductions are expensive. Wouldn’t this look great on my kitchen island? This one is a reproduction carried by Joanne Hudson Basics. They also carry another favorite of mine, Emma Bridgewater pottery.
6. A new sofa – The one in the den is on its last legs. The loveseat in the living room is even older. Yikes. I’d prefer an English Roll Arm Sofa, like this one in linen from Restoration Hardware, but as you might expect the price is off the charts. And I’d rather it have a tight back. Loose cushions end up being a pain in the (fill in the blank.) At this point, I’d take one from IKEA. But, we are dreaming here, so let’s go for the Restoration Hardware model, in something more suitable for our household. Durability is the key here.
7. A pair of boots – Fun boots, maybe cowboy boots? Something stylish. Just because.
8. A second car – No explanation necessary. We need one.
9. Some built-in bookcases in the den – I have books, books and more books. I have long dreamt of built-in bookcases in our den. But I would have to hire someone to do it. Not that I’m not game to try it, I am. But we have baseboard heating and I don’t quite know how to construct them and allow for the baseboards. I would love nothing more than to have my books down here in the den. Out of the shed. Into the den. Out of my overstuffed IKEA Expedit shelves in the bedroom. Into the den.
10. Lots of coaching jobs in the new year – I need the work. We need the money. And I’m really good at what I do.
11. A trip to England and Paris with my husband – I’ve been to England 3 times. Don has never been there. I’ve never been to France. Don was there once, and came down with appendicitis. We’d like to go together on an extended adventure.
12. A mudroom/laundry room – Just a petite extension off of the kitchen, with a new door to the outside, a full-size washer and dryer and a tile floor. Also, hooks to hang coats on, shelves for storage, baskets for mittens and scarves and boot trays somewhere other than the kitchen. Oh and if I’m dreaming here? Add a shower with a long sprayer so that I can bathe Scout at home. Easy clean up from things like the squirrel adventure last Sunday.
13. Books – These books sound like they are right up my alley:
Authors share their favorite bookstores, past and present. Found here.
And this one, in the same vein:
Leading cultural figures share the books that have mattered the most in their lives. Found here.
14. Paying off our mortgage via the lottery or a mysterious benefactor or a great film role for Don – This is my crazy, out-of-the-park dream. I want to stay here. But it’s really tough for us. We might not be able to. So, dear Universe: I’m putting it out there. I’m visualizing a check for the exact amount of money we owe on this house. I’m not going to try to figure out the how. I’ll let you take care of that. I’m just going to keep visualizing.
This is rather a fun exercise, making a list of practical and seemingly impractical things you need or just plain want. What would you put on your list?
Happy Wednesday.
