2024 Resolution: Shopping my own Bag and SLG Collection

[Sparkletastic]

December Activities and Challenges - pick and choose as you please.

I. 2024 Year In Review Reflection
(Thanks @Vintage Leather)

Utilize these thought starters to evaluate your collection, your usage patterns and your lessons learned in 2024.
• What is your most useful purse?
• What is your best purchase of the year?
• We’ve all had a lot of lifestyle changes this year - how has it affected your style?
• What is the one thing we’ve learned this year that you want to take into the next?

II. Setting 2025 Goals
Take this month to consider what you want to do with your handbag collection, wardrobe or even your beautiful life in 2025. Share these thoughts in January when we start the 2026 Shopping Your Closet thread.

III. End of year optional challenges

• Holiday colors: December has many holidays celebrated across the world - red & green, brown & gold, blue & white and more! Pick the holiday that you want to honor and wear / show off your bags in those traditional colors.

• End with a bang: As we come to the last part of the year, wear the last bag you’ve purchased at least 3 times this month.

@Vlad please pin this to the top of our thread.

 

[msd_bags]

Spoiler: personal update

I wasn't going to post this but, I think I need to.
My mum has been fighting for her life for the past week. Multiple failed surgeries and many close calls. She has a very long and complex road ahead of her. She's in an induced coma to protect her until she completes the next set of surgeries.
This thread knows how much I adore my mum, so you will know that I'm falling apart. It came out of nowhere and just spiralled so quickly.
While her doctors and surgeons have been incredible, I am frustrated by the nursing care she received this past week and especially yesterday when her issues weren't mentioned to the doctors as early as they could have been. I had to advocate for her at every turn to bypass the nurses stubbornly telling me to wait for her to improve, and we barely got her into surgery on time as a result.
I don't know what posting here accomplishes for me. I just know that I'm very alone and this is my personal hell, so virtual support is all I've got.
I guess...please send any thoughts and prayers you've got her way.
I'm not losing hope and I am urging her to get through this. Taking it one bit at a time.
Thank you

I’m saddened by this turn. Prayers for your mom, and for you as well my dear.

 

[momasaurus]

I've never fully committed to getting rid of everything my kids left behind when they moved out. I wish they had taken more of it with them so I wouldn't have to decide what to do with it. It seems too wasteful to just give it all away.

We just finished our remodel and now I have the difficult task of unpacking all the boxes and finding places for everything, and hanging up all the pictures. I unpacked the purses today.

Priorities!!!

 

[Purses & Perfumes]

Spoiler: personal update

I wasn't going to post this but, I think I need to.
My mum has been fighting for her life for the past week. Multiple failed surgeries and many close calls. She has a very long and complex road ahead of her. She's in an induced coma to protect her until she completes the next set of surgeries.
This thread knows how much I adore my mum, so you will know that I'm falling apart. It came out of nowhere and just spiralled so quickly.
While her doctors and surgeons have been incredible, I am frustrated by the nursing care she received this past week and especially yesterday when her issues weren't mentioned to the doctors as early as they could have been. I had to advocate for her at every turn to bypass the nurses stubbornly telling me to wait for her to improve, and we barely got her into surgery on time as a result.
I don't know what posting here accomplishes for me. I just know that I'm very alone and this is my personal hell, so virtual support is all I've got.
I guess...please send any thoughts and prayers you've got her way.
I'm not losing hope and I am urging her to get through this. Taking it one bit at a time.
Thank you

I am so sorry to hear this. We are all here for you, thinking about you and sending love, healing thoughts and prayers to you and your mom.

 

[JenJBS]

Spoiler: personal update

I wasn't going to post this but, I think I need to.
My mum has been fighting for her life for the past week. Multiple failed surgeries and many close calls. She has a very long and complex road ahead of her. She's in an induced coma to protect her until she completes the next set of surgeries.
This thread knows how much I adore my mum, so you will know that I'm falling apart. It came out of nowhere and just spiralled so quickly.
While her doctors and surgeons have been incredible, I am frustrated by the nursing care she received this past week and especially yesterday when her issues weren't mentioned to the doctors as early as they could have been. I had to advocate for her at every turn to bypass the nurses stubbornly telling me to wait for her to improve, and we barely got her into surgery on time as a result.
I don't know what posting here accomplishes for me. I just know that I'm very alone and this is my personal hell, so virtual support is all I've got.
I guess...please send any thoughts and prayers you've got her way.
I'm not losing hope and I am urging her to get through this. Taking it one bit at a time.
Thank you

I'm heartbroken for you. So sorry the nurses haven't been providing the needed care, but relieved you got your mom into surgery in time. Praying for your mom, and you.

 

[More bags]

Spoiler: personal update

I wasn't going to post this but, I think I need to.
My mum has been fighting for her life for the past week. Multiple failed surgeries and many close calls. She has a very long and complex road ahead of her. She's in an induced coma to protect her until she completes the next set of surgeries.
This thread knows how much I adore my mum, so you will know that I'm falling apart. It came out of nowhere and just spiralled so quickly.
While her doctors and surgeons have been incredible, I am frustrated by the nursing care she received this past week and especially yesterday when her issues weren't mentioned to the doctors as early as they could have been. I had to advocate for her at every turn to bypass the nurses stubbornly telling me to wait for her to improve, and we barely got her into surgery on time as a result.
I don't know what posting here accomplishes for me. I just know that I'm very alone and this is my personal hell, so virtual support is all I've got.
I guess...please send any thoughts and prayers you've got her way.
I'm not losing hope and I am urging her to get through this. Taking it one bit at a time.
Thank you

My thoughts are with you and your mom. You’re not alone.

 

[DME]

Spoiler: personal update

I wasn't going to post this but, I think I need to.
My mum has been fighting for her life for the past week. Multiple failed surgeries and many close calls. She has a very long and complex road ahead of her. She's in an induced coma to protect her until she completes the next set of surgeries.
This thread knows how much I adore my mum, so you will know that I'm falling apart. It came out of nowhere and just spiralled so quickly.
While her doctors and surgeons have been incredible, I am frustrated by the nursing care she received this past week and especially yesterday when her issues weren't mentioned to the doctors as early as they could have been. I had to advocate for her at every turn to bypass the nurses stubbornly telling me to wait for her to improve, and we barely got her into surgery on time as a result.
I don't know what posting here accomplishes for me. I just know that I'm very alone and this is my personal hell, so virtual support is all I've got.
I guess...please send any thoughts and prayers you've got her way.
I'm not losing hope and I am urging her to get through this. Taking it one bit at a time.
Thank you

I’m so sorry to hear this. We’re here for you! My thoughts are with you and you mom. Hugs to you. Hang in there and please keep us posted.

 

[Hazzelnut]

Spoiler: personal update

I wasn't going to post this but, I think I need to.
My mum has been fighting for her life for the past week. Multiple failed surgeries and many close calls. She has a very long and complex road ahead of her. She's in an induced coma to protect her until she completes the next set of surgeries.
This thread knows how much I adore my mum, so you will know that I'm falling apart. It came out of nowhere and just spiralled so quickly.
While her doctors and surgeons have been incredible, I am frustrated by the nursing care she received this past week and especially yesterday when her issues weren't mentioned to the doctors as early as they could have been. I had to advocate for her at every turn to bypass the nurses stubbornly telling me to wait for her to improve, and we barely got her into surgery on time as a result.
I don't know what posting here accomplishes for me. I just know that I'm very alone and this is my personal hell, so virtual support is all I've got.
I guess...please send any thoughts and prayers you've got her way.
I'm not losing hope and I am urging her to get through this. Taking it one bit at a time.
Thank you

I’m so sorry. Sending you so much love and hugs ❤️

 

[Bag peace]

Thank you all for your support. We're now at a critical stage and I'm just trying to make good decisions through the fatigue. This has been harrowing and we still have such a long way to go.
I am taking it an hour at a time and hoping for the best. I'm not giving up.

 

[cecchetti]

Thank you all for your support. We're now at a critical stage and I'm just trying to make good decisions through the fatigue. This has been harrowing and we still have such a long way to go.
I am taking it an hour at a time and hoping for the best. I'm not giving up.

Sending you love, and strength to get through this stressful time..I can’t imagine what you’re going through as I myself am feeling stressed after a difficult Christmas -my Mum has dementia but is far from the condition of yours, and my heart goes out to you, I hope you are finding some time to rest, and just know that everyone here is behind you and thinking of you ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

 

[jbags07]

I also have hoarder tendencies, but who doesn't love collecting their favorite items that make them happy? It's been a long journey from when I was young and buying books, stickers, and kpop albums, to spending money on clothes, bags, and nice things. My focus is to continue to draw happiness from what I already own and non-shopping parts of my life, instead of focus on getting enjoyment and satisfaction from the shopping process and spending money.

Sounds like you’ve really turned a corner and made huge progress - very inspiring. Its like making a huge shift in habits and mindset…..i wish i didn’t enjoy shopping so much lolol. Its a hard habit yo break!

 

[jbags07]

Great points and things to mull over.

You don't need to let go of your Chanel or your BVs - at least not until if and when you're really sure. I usually find the love for a bag once I've worn it a few times, not just an object. Think of it as a love affair, yes we fantasised and 'fancied' which is why we went home with him/her/them, but actually true love is in the everyday and shared experiences

Thank you @papertiger
You’ve made some great points. I am going to slow down on the selling (except vintage and contemporary i am positive i want gone)…..and i am going to carry every bag i have at least a few times. It will take a long time to accomplish this, but your analogy really is perfect. One must spend quality time with the loved item in order to really understand and enjoy that loved item. If the spark is gone, i will know it after quality time is spent. And if that spark and love remains, the bag remains. What a great analogy

 

[jbags07]

Yes it is, but I finally managed to sell my wallet 🥳. So 2 successful sales already this year. Still some more to go, but I don't have any pressure, so I will sell when I am ready.

Thank you so much! It really is a beautiful color and I love the unusual shape of it. It is something I didn't have so far. I really like to have variety in my collection and I think this bag really adds something new. Also my first Bottega Veneta 😃.
I also only want to add bags that are usable on a daily basis. So no more fancy turquoise or red bags for me, lol (although I LOVE those colors).

Woohoo on the wallet sale 🥳 and 2 sales already this year!
January is usually pretty slow so that's fantastic

Practical and useable bags are key. I do think its good to have a few nice bags for special occasions, but most of our bags really need to be ones we can easily carry on a regular basis. Thats my new goal too and i think that Bottega should be a wonderful daily bag The color is fantastic too

 

[jbags07]

My goals for 2024 are to minimize, simplify, and be grateful for the abundance I already have.

Midway through 2023 I reached purse peace. I'm happy with my robust collection, but now I realize I was recoiling from what I had convinced myself was normal to be spending. Even I can afford it, I don't need to keep buying, and the $$ could always be put to some better use. So, at the very least, no more bags in 2024. Even better would be to take a look at each bag I have and start editing. I've followed multiple tpf-ers' journeys through the years and realize it's my turn. I regularly use maybe 10 bags each year, and double that if I make an effort. Yet I have multpiles of that number, mostly sitting in dustbags taking up closet space. It's time to clean out.

As for the rest, I just tried putting away the last of the holiday decorations, but somehow in the course of under 2 months, other stuff moved into the space where the holiday bins usually live. This crystalized that it's not just bags; I have too much stuff PERIOD. -Some is from my parents' house that I know I'll never use but can't bring myself to get rid of.
-Most is random stuff bought for a single purpose, but then kept 'just in case'. Sometimes for decades.
-Or the cabinet of laptop and other electronics graveyards. Of course, the cords and chargers for all of those dead devices are in another drawer mixed in with all the cords and chargers we actually use.
-My workwear from the 90s and 2000s. Because even if I managed to somehow fit into them again, my first choice would be to wear old suits from 20-30 years ago even though I predominantly work from home.

The weird thing is that in the beginning of Covid, I systematically cleaned out the entire house, room by room. I'm so confused how I didn't get rid of this stuff then. Or if I did and it somehow made its way back to me.

I can't immediately clean out all of the mental clutter going on (e.g., daughter's health issues, family dynamics, work stresses), but I can help reduce analysis paralysis. Give me three things to pick from and I'll choose one immediately and move on. Give me 30 or 300 options and I'm frozen and go into avoidance mode. Decluttering my physical space will also help stop wheels of spinning of "I need to put that away" "I need to clean this up" "I need to organize that space". If it's done, then that psychic load is gone (at least temporarily).

As for the gratitude, I'm trying to be mindful of how truly lucky I am to have the resources to have acquired all of this stuff, and to have a more than large-enough home to keep it in. But instead of stressing me out, my excess should be put to work for the many who don't have enough.

@Vintage Leather, I love your goals for getting rid of 2024 items AND finishing projects. I can't express how much both of those resonate with me.

Your goals are really good, and resonate with me too. Where does all the clutter come from?!
Clearing out physical stuff can help so much with whats going on with ‘mental clutter’ too. I hope these things improve for you this year, as you tackle the clearing out.

‘Avoidance mode’ and ‘analysis paralysis’. These! So so true. And exactly what my morning entailed before coming here to eacape lolol. Looking forward to hearing how your process goes this year

 

[jbags07]

I've never fully committed to getting rid of everything my kids left behind when they moved out. I wish they had taken more of it with them so I wouldn't have to decide what to do with it. It seems too wasteful to just give it all away.

We just finished our remodel and now I have the difficult task of unpacking all the boxes and finding places for everything, and hanging up all the pictures. I unpacked the purses today.

Thats great news the remodel is done, hope the floor issues were resolved and you are happy with how everything turned out. So exciting to freshen things ip, ‘new surroundings’ etc. and while unpacking everything is a lot of work, its nice to reconnect with all your stuff plus its an opportunity to clear out unwanted items. Really tough with your kids stuff though — can u keep it in boxes and ask them to take it over?

 

[jbags07]

Spoiler: personal update

I wasn't going to post this but, I think I need to.
My mum has been fighting for her life for the past week. Multiple failed surgeries and many close calls. She has a very long and complex road ahead of her. She's in an induced coma to protect her until she completes the next set of surgeries.
This thread knows how much I adore my mum, so you will know that I'm falling apart. It came out of nowhere and just spiralled so quickly.
While her doctors and surgeons have been incredible, I am frustrated by the nursing care she received this past week and especially yesterday when her issues weren't mentioned to the doctors as early as they could have been. I had to advocate for her at every turn to bypass the nurses stubbornly telling me to wait for her to improve, and we barely got her into surgery on time as a result.
I don't know what posting here accomplishes for me. I just know that I'm very alone and this is my personal hell, so virtual support is all I've got.
I guess...please send any thoughts and prayers you've got her way.
I'm not losing hope and I am urging her to get through this. Taking it one bit at a time.
Thank you

I’m so sorry @jblended for what you and your mom are going through. And whatever you need, we are here to listen …….my thoughts and prayers are with you both