The little things

I read a blog post this weekend which reminded me that it is important to focus on the pleasure you can derive from smaller things.  As I'm currently job-hunting, I'm being really careful with my money as I don't know how long my savings have to last (please, job, come along soon!).  Recently it has frustrated me that I can't plan ahead, I can't plan to go away with friends, I can't plan a holiday, I can't plan very much at all simply because I don't know what sort of income I'm going to have in the future.

I'm very much an optimistic person (or at least, I try to be) and so I am doing my best to keep my spirits up.  However, this is hard when I receive emails from companies with their latest items in stock, and the new issue of Simply Crochet arrives and I want to make everything in it...so the above blog post came at a good time to focus on small things which do make me happy.

 Issue 15 of Simply Crochet contains a pattern for a tissue box cover.  Now, I am generally not a fan of things like tissue box covers, and I definitely don't like things like toilet roll dolls (I feel funny even thinking about them!).  However, I saw the photo in the magazine, realised I didn't need much yarn and so could just use what I have in my stash, and that it would be very quick to do, so almost-immediate gratification.  Last night, I got out a few balls of Stylecraft Special DK (what else?!) and set to work.  It was quite relaxing, round after round of treble clusters.  Ben did laugh at me, and I laughed at myself (a tissue box cover!) but I have to say, I'm very pleased with it indeed.  It adds a bit of colour to my bedside table.  I went in the bedroom just now to get something, I'd forgotten it was there and it was a pleasurable surprise to see it when I glanced at the clock.  Now tempted to make one for the living room...

I was in town earlier today doing some errands (such as recycling the old Brita Maxtra water filter cartridge, I had no idea they could even be recycled, so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw a recycling bin in my local Robert Dyas) and these owl socks caught my eye in Accessorize.  I am on a 'frivolous spending' ban at the moment, but I have an Accessorize gift card so I decided they would be a good pick-me-up.  I do love socks, and especially owl socks!  I saw these earrings, and got them too.  How extravagant! But free!  I'm wearing the earrings now, and I'm enjoying swishing them about.

So, focusing on the little things.  I have new earrings, and tomorrow I will wear new socks (I do love the feeling of new socks).  Last night I slept in clean pyjamas in a freshly-made bed, which was very good indeed.  I have a pretty (pointless) box of tissues, and I'm now going to have a cup of tea and eat a Creme Egg.  Lovely.