I consider myself a pretty contented person. I love my family, our home, our lifestyle. Eric and I have a strong marriage. I think I have a good eye for decorating. I think we did well when we painted and hung pictures. I am pleased with our red leather sofa & chairs. The outer trappings of my life look ok. The kids are working hard on their schoolwork and making progress. God is on His throne and all is right in my world.
And then, the mail arrives.
This time of the year, The Catalog shows up just about every two weeks. I know I should just take a stand and toss it. But the flesh is weak. As I turn the pages, I see a dozen things I MUST HAVE.
And my contentment flies out the window.
Everything is shiny and new and perfect. Entertaining is clean and stress-free. Christmas becomes a perfect postcard instead of a holiday. AND IT IS REALLY TEMPTING!
The truth is, if I tried to replace our Christmas stockings and the stocking holders with these fabulous shiny ones, my entire family would pitch a fit. I get it. No one loves our traditions more than I do.
But The Catalog holds the promise of a better, cleaner life. Without dirty dishes or dust. The holidays are portrayed as perfect and the entertaining effortless. I think to myself, "if I only had THESE I would have perfect peace." That’s not what scripture says, nor is it true. Ah, but for a moment….
It takes just a beat longer than it needs to for me to remember that in the perfect world of The Catalog, there is no real life. Those stockings do not represent real people the way ours do. No one will be tearing open those gifts or eating those candy canes. There will be no squeals of delight or thank-yous in Catalog World. It is a stylists idea of perfection and, I remind myself, it is not real. And I know for a fact I do not really want that flawless, sterile, perfect world.
I am pleased with my authentic life, warts and all. But in a couple of weeks, The Catalog will show up again in my mailbox singing it’s siren song. And I will visit that place of stress-free perfection once again.
But I won’t live there.
WARTS?!?!?!I’m glad you realize the drama that would ensue if you attempted stocking replacement . . . and I had no idea you ever thought of changing them. Plates, napkins, holly I understand, but THE STOCKINGS?!?! Next you’ll be wanting to replace the potholders too . . . or has that crossed your mind already too?
I’m in shock . . . I had no idea you went through this . . . at least not to the extremeness of changing the HANDMADE STOCKINGS with HANDPICKED HANGERS. WOW.
Oh Marti…I GET THIS!!! I have a definite love/hate relationship with Pottery Barn, Williams & Sonoma, etc. And, Amy, don’t worry…moms may *think* about changing those things but we NEVER will. I look at the beautiful Nordstrom trees and think that if I could just stick to a color scheme then my tree too could look as beautiful, but alas each year my tree is adorned with paper plate and popsicle stick ornaments and the like. It may never be in a magazine (unless Goodwill has a catalog that I have missed) but to me really and truly no better tree exists :o)
You DO decorate beautifully. For us less-talented people, I wish there were people around who would be willing to help us with our own homes. Anyway, I also love your adorable stocking hangers, with photos. Did you make them?? Or are they something that can be purchased? Perhaps the Pottery Barn??Thanks so much
for any help you can give,
(Love your site)
Diana from McGregor, Texas