Shopping with Steve

Shopping with Steve is always an experience. We dont do it often, because we have totally different styles. I'm a slow, twice over'er that's rather fanciful in what I like (although I more often buy practically) while Steve is a little dynamo. He's in full hunter mode, "that wont work, that's too big, that wont match the wood." He's not sentimental like me.

I'm hosting Thanksgiving at my house today since the only family that will be in town are his parents. Our townhouse is too small to host the holidays regularly but if its just Cris and Hank, and maybe Karen and Roger that's perfect. When I told Steve that that was my plan, he said we should go buy a new dining room table and chairs. The old ones are serviceable, but really just old and ratty. We knew we needed a new dining set but we were waiting to get a few more things straightened out.

So we went to the store with plans to buy the dining set and while we were there I saw a couple of bed sets that I liked. Right now, I dont have a headboard or foot board, just the frame, and the mattress and box spring are very old. Also, our entertainment center is pretty busted up. The drawers dont even shut right anymore and there are only two drawers anyway. Definitely not enough to house our clothing comfortable, so I often lay my night clothes on the trunk next to my bed.

We chose the dining set, just a simple light colored wooden table and matching chairs. All wood, which is important because I just cant keep up with my cats shedding on the old dining chairs. Steve suggested that we look at the bedroom sets to see if there is anything we like. So I'm like, "okay," and we go on looking around. Well, I found something I really really like. Its a sleigh bed that comes up pretty high in a beautiful wooden color. Its not too dark and not too light with an almost reddish hue. Damn. Its gorgeous. It's also a really nice price. Steve's like, "let's get it today." So we decide to get the bed, a nightstand and the tall dresser, not the wide one that goes with it.

The pragmatic in Steve demands that with a new bed, must come a new mattress. I almost died when I saw how expensive they were. They were more than the dining set and the bed together! I'm automatically gravitating towards the el cheapo mattresses which immediately torque's Steve off. He's like, "We are getting something nice, that's going to last us for 15 years. We can afford to spend a little bit more right now." It's like, I get his point but I've never had a brand new mattress in my life. Can you imagine!?

Then I notice Steve eyeballing the living room sets. He would have gotten one today (which we also need, the old ones are getting ratty and dirty) if it hadnt been for the fact that Pita still needs declawing. If Pita tore up a nice new couch, he'd be toast. He's getting away with it now because these couches are cheap ones that arent anything special.

At this point its time to total up our purchases. I dont even want to be there to know how much its going to be. It freaks me out that we can spend that much in one day, comfortably. Dont get me wrong, this wasnt cavalier in the least. We needed all this stuff, we were just postponing it. The dining set will last atleast 5 years, the bed set will last atleast 10 and the mattresses have a 15 year warranty. But still. Holy crap. The fact that we paid for all of this with cash (the cashier probably thought Steve was a drug dealer especially with his unshaven look going on) even boggles my mind more. And we still have a nice chunk of change in the savings account.

I still stumble over the idea of having nice things, I guess. I still get intimidated by Steve's money, too. Like, I dont like to think about how much he makes. I kind of put it to the back of my mind. I guess I'm still giving myself permission to be okay with all of this. Not that we're rich by any stretch of the imagination, but its definitely some huge steps up from what I used to know.