Ya know how, when I brought that new dress home recently, I discovered that I already had multiple pairs of shoes, several purses, and all kinds of jewelry that would go with it? That's because years ago, when I was still a teenager in fact, I started paying attention to what colors I had on when people said "That looks great on you!" The lucky result was a mix and match wardrobe that allows me to get lots and lots of outfit combinations out of very few pieces, and never having to go out and buy all new accessories for anything I bring home. It also makes packing light for trips much easier, when you don't have to take different shoes and purses for each outfit.
As I began to age, and my body began to shift, I got very frustrated with clothes shopping. Though the same colors still looked good on me, none of the styles that worked so well on my curvy teen figure did. So, I stopped trying to shop on autopilot, and started paying attention again. I sat down and made a list of every outfit I could think of, which I had owned in the last 10 or 15 years, that made me feel really good. Ones where I not only felt pretty, but also so comfortable that I wasn't forever tugging and twitching. Then I studied the list to see what the outfits had in common. That's how I figured out that I could no longer wear the cinched in waists or clingy fabrics of my youth, but I didn't look good in baggy, boxy things either. I needed princess seaming that lightly skimmed my curves. Good to know!
It seems the same thing has gradually happened with the way I decorate my home. In the early years I was convinced that I had no sense of taste or style at all, and needed my mom or sister to help me decorate. When we moved overseas, I finally realized that though I knew exactly what both of them liked, I didn't have a clue what I liked! So, I went through a period of buying lots of magazines, and tearing out photos of any rooms that made me smile, or left me thinking "I could live there!" Once I had a notebook full of them, I studied their commonalities, and then I knew exactly which colors and styles were right for our home.
All of this leads me to this pillow, for it explains why, when I spotted it from 50 yards away, it drew me like a magnet. And, once I confirmed that it was dirt cheap, I didn't even have to pause to think whether the colors were exactly right, or the style would blend with my other stuff, or precisely where or how I would use it. I just knew!
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