Converted

I am known for my practicality and frugality. Over the years, my habits have morphed a bit to adapt to changing life stages and needs, but for the most part, these two words still describe me very well. Whenever I text my husband after a shopping trip whether for groceries or fun, he never seems too shocked. Apparently I'm not capable of spending an absurd amount of money that would actually scare him. 😂 I'll take it as a compliment. 

My husband bought me flowers this year for my birthday. Flowers have never been my "thing" because I always viewed them as spending money on something I'd throw away. So why bother? While there is truth to that, I failed to factor in a lot of other points. Fresh flowers add to the overall ambiance. They bring joy when you look at them. And they actually last a long time when you take care of them properly.

This photo was taken on day 17 of displaying this bouquet. Not bad, right? You can definitely tell they're not fresh flowers by any means, but they still bring a bright cheeriness. On the flip side, keeping fresh flowers for 17 days is no easy task. You need to cut the stems regularly, change the water regularly, and remove dying foliage to prolong the life of the blooms. It's like owning a temporary pet. 

But they do still contrast nicely to the mess spread out around the table. I've just come to accept that our kitchen table and counters have stuff on them. I've tried cleaning, really. But when there's two other people living in the same house as me who aren't nearly as responsible or careful and like to bring things from one room to the next and have no sense of putting things in their place, it makes keeping spaces neat and tidy impossible. Yes, that was a run-on sentence and I'm well aware of that. The awkwardness of that sentence further accentuates the futileness and energy-sucking-tendencies of trying to keep a neat house with little people running around. 

I still wouldn't purchase fresh flowers on a normal basis, but every now and then, I could see myself buying a bouquet, bringing out our vases from hibernation, and setting out a display for a short while. 💐