Good bye dear friend

Today I had no choice but to part ways with a once dear friend. To protect identities I'll call her Friend #1. I can't remember exactly how long we've known each other, but I feel like we've gone everyone together for the last few months. The first time I met her I remember being struck by her simple beauty and great sense of style. The more we spent time together the more I appreciated her work ethic and the way she stayed focused on only the most important things in daily life. She refused to let in the clutter and junk that weigh so many people down. So Friend #1 and I hung out a little here and there at first but then we lost touch for a while when I met Friend #2. Friend #2 was much more outgoing. She had a bold and unique personality. She was very creative and had an eye for details.  While she was a little bit more of a show-off, she was also a very hard worker. However, she didn't have the discretion that my Friend #1 had. She didn't know how to say no. In many ways I appreciated her "can do" attitude but it caught up to her (and me) very quickly. She ended up carrying a very heavy burden and was disorganized and messy. Spending as much time with her as I did, it was really starting to effect me. Although I thought she made me look good, people didn't realize how much she was weighing me down. So I decided it was best to take a break from Friend #2 and I ended up picking back up where I left off with Friend #1. More than ever, I loved Friend #1 for the way she helped me to keep things simple. She didn't let me get bogged down by the things that don't matter most. While I in some ways I missed Friend #2's eccentric personality and style, Friend #1 gave me a new found appreciation for classic beauty. Well, after our close and loyal friendship these past few months, I ended up having to cut ties with Friend #1 for good. Something happened yesterday and I realized she has a major flaw that I just cannot forgive. I'm not one to just throw friends out with the trash but...




 



A sippy cup full of orange juice leaked all into the bottom of Friend #1, completely soaking her and bringing our relationship to a sad, abrupt halt. She sat in my car like this for hours yesterday afternoon (thank GOD she was sitting in my console and all the juice leaked through into my cup holders as opposed to onto the floor or seats!). The juice became all thick and curdled and it isn't worth trying to hand wash. With the bamboo handles I can't just throw her in the wash (her unforgiveable flaw). She originally cost me $2 at Sally's which helps me justify my decision to be done with her. However I will miss her size and simplicity.

So I'm giving Friend #2 another shot. I've actually been thinking about her a bit more recently, wanting to spend more time with her again. It's going to take a lot of accountability to make sure she doesn't fill  up with clutter and junk. Just because she can do something doesn't mean she should. I'll have to continually ask myself, "Would Friend #1 have room for this?" and do my best to help her leave the things out that will just weigh us both down in the end (I have a diaper bag for that). She's so much fun though, its worth giving her another chance.



Apparentlly I had a smear on my lense...oh well.

 I've never loved the look of a bag as much as this one, which is why I was willing to spend over $80 in Anthropologie gift cards on her last year. (I've never spent more than $20 on a new bag and most of mine have come from Sally's.) She's a big bag for short girl like me. My tendency is to not keep up with the clutter and junk that find their way in. Whatever the size of the bag that I have, I tend to fill it. It makes it difficulty sorting through a huge sack of crap to find what I need, not to mention the fact that my shoulders and back hurt when I'm carrying around too much stuff. But she's so beautiful...I've missed her!