I have a hard time finding and buying some kinds of things. It took me years to find a wallet I liked, and then, when it wore out, took me years to find another. I mostly like the one I have now, but it’s infuriating in that it’s backwards, or left-handed, and even though I open it almost every day, I almost always open it with the cash pocket facing down. Somewhere out there, the perfect wallet exists, but I still haven’t found it.
It's the same thing with my travel coffee mug. Though I usually drink my morning coffee at home, about once a week, I want that extra cup on the way to the train. I don’t want a big cup, but I do want it to be well sealed, because when I’m done, I’m going to have to drop it in my bag and I don’t want those last few drops of coffee dribbling out into my imperfect wallet. And I don’t want a screw off top, because what do you do with the top while you’re drinking the coffee? Yeah, I’m picky. One day, wandering around in Barnes & Noble of all places, I found a great travel cup, but it’s meant for kids to drink cold beverages out of. I contacted the company and asked if hot beverages were okay; they wrote back with lawyer-vetted language about risks of burns, but did assure me that the plastic wouldn’t melt or leach nasty chemicals. So I use it anyway, even though it’s uninsulated and the middle does get hot, because it holds the perfect amount (9 ounces) and it’s completely leak-proof. It does beg the question: why aren't there any smaller, leak-proof travel mugs out there? And believe me, I've looked. Every time I'm in a store that sells any kind of travel cups, I examine each and every one of them with great attention to detail.
With all that said, why oh why did it take me two years to replace my Danskos? I had a pair of Dansko clogs for years and years and I wore them all the time until I wore them out, like completely worn out at the heel and toes poking through the front. I put the dead ones in the compost heap as an homage to my mother (who buried EVERYTHING in the name of the berm, and if anyone ever excavates the perimeters of her property, they’ll be flabbergasted), and I never got around to buying new ones. Finally, I piddled around on the internet, trying to find the perfect combination of price + shipping + rebate + tax, until I gave up and went to a local shoe store which was having a spring break sale where everything was 20% off. Win! And I put those shoes on and it was like coming home and I felt stupid for not having replaced them sooner and I will never be without a pair of Danskos ever again.
The moral of the story is that there are perfect things out there in the world, and when you find them, you should never ever turn your back on them.
"Shoe Friday" filched from Jodifur.
23 comments:
Agreed! Except I don't wear the ones with the backs. Too much work. And just for fun, I wear them in the ice & snow, which pisses off the Hubby, for some reason.
If you ever find a non-plastic smallish sealable travel mug, let me know. I found one that was ceramic but the lid didn't seal well and oops I put the lid in the dishwasher and now it seals even less well.
Danskos are a love 'em or hate 'em shoe. I want to love 'em, because I have high, delicate arches, but they're a little too firm for me. I get a similar look and softer feel with Ariat clogs - and I just noticed my black pair is getting pretty down-at-the-heels.
I had a smallish plastic commuter mug that I bought about ten years ago which my husband took over fairly recently. He loved it but had to throw it out because one day he made Earl Grey tea in it, even though he is not a tea drinker and had no idea what it tastes like, and then couldn't get the taste out. Humorously, I found it at a (now defunct) tea shop.
I'm trying, RIGHT NOW, to buy a pair of sandals. I'm also still fuming because (two years ago) New Balance bought out Dunham and then immediately stopped producing their shoes, which I loved, in favor of Aravon, which they also bought, whose shoes are girlier and more expensive. Alas....
It's true -- you have to balance not buying things you don't need with recognizing which things are an investment that will last for years and add immeasurably to your life. Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference. And I hate shoes. Yes, I'm grateful to have feet but I sort of wish I could do like the guy in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and just seal them in some sort of all-weather coating that will never come off. My feet are made just plain wrong, which means they frequently hurt, and they make my back hurt, and finding footwear that doesn't make it all worse is a big pain in the... foot, I guess.
I found the perfect used/lovingly-broken in Bottega Venetta wallet the other day for $5 and I didn't buy it, and NOW I am super annoyed at myself. I hate new wallets. I like them soft and loved. Sigh.
Love the shoes. I have a pair of them but haven't properly broken them in yet. LOL
Hmmmm, those look familiar, did I post those?
For me it is Born shoes. I know they will be comfortable and I know what size I wear. They may be expensive, but they will last forever. I just bought the cutest pair of black sandals with a flower on the front--it's hard to find shoes that are as feminine as I like and are supremely comfortable. When I find them, I buy them.
My picky feet are super happy this week with a new-to-me brand, Jambu. I reluctantly replaced my Keens, which had been loved to death. Zappos.com, how I love you and your crazy-fast shipping.
We joke that our youngest is allergic to shoes. Now that she's older she wears nothing but clogs (UGGs, every day.) I used to say that I was going to develop a spray-on "shoe." Wouldn't that be grand?
I love my Danskos...I have a tapestry pair!
Love Love my travel mug. It's a bit bigger (13.5 oz) but it seals and it keeps things hot.
http://www.oxo.com/OA_HTML/xxoxo_ibeCCtpOXOPrdDtl.jsp?section=10091&item=57227&minisite=10024&respid=53057
I got to work the other day and found a corporate spillproof leakproof travel mug on my desk AS A GIFT!
Unfortunately it has the corporate logo on it. Gotta get me a sticker or something...
It seems like I'm always on the search for the perfect something. My purse is getting very battered looking, but I haven't found the right size/shape/weight replacement. Fortunately, the shoes I wear to work (almost everyday) are holding up. Totally feel for you on the travel mug search.
Been searching for the perfect wallet for a long time now. Sometimes I think "maybe" then I look at the price tag and choke, because if it's not right then I will have blown mega bucks.
I spent 2-3 years finding the perfect cardigan and happily handed over $120 for it when I at last laid eyes on perfection. I wore it or had it with me 'just in case' every day. A mere 9 months later I lost it on a train in England, something that still makes me feel sick whenever I think of it 3 years later. Especially because I am not someone who loses things, so to lose THAT was awful. Of course I've not yet found a suitable replacement. *sigh*
Do not get Bossy started...
I have four pairs. Yes, four. I've purchased them all at the outlet store 1 hour outside of Philly. I have one sandle-like pair, one no-back sneaker-type pair, one pair of black Mary Janes, and one burgundy open back pair.
I live in these things.
And when you find that perfect item, you should buy AT LEAST TWO.
We wear the same shoes. :-)
I agree! I'm the same way about the things I like...I'm probably most particular about my socks, though. Can't live without them.
And if you find a pair of jeans that fits just so, for goodness sakes, buy 5 of them!
I used to wear Dansko clogs every day, every where, every wear.
I don't know because my feet sweat in California in ways they never did in Colorado and blogs give me blisters here. Plus? I can get away with wearing heels here and not looking weird. This was not possible in the town I lived in in Colorado.
I bought these-- http://www.zappos.com/dansko-professional-patent-petrol-patent-- with the spilled-oil "petrol" finish they call them. They make me insanely happy, and better yet, they go with all my clothes at the bookstore.
Plus, my brother had bought me a $75.00 gift certificate for my birthday. Between those and my red nubuck danskos, I'm tossing all my old lawyer heels over to dress for success and calling it even.
http://highwave.bigcartel.com/product/joemo
I have the largest travel mug highwave.com has but I have used the same for several years now. LOVE it. Keeps coffee hot for hours and hours (I've made coffee before an 8 hour night shift, come home in the morning and napped, gotten up and sipped the still-warm coffee made the night before).
I can let it roll around the car, my work bag, and it does not leak nor does it ever get hot on the outside.
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