Wants Vs. Needs

I was lucky enough to spend this past weekend with a lovely bunch of ladies at the Paperie's scrapbooking retreat. I went up Friday morning and scrapped my way through to Sunday afternoon. Of course, amidst all the crafty talent in the room, you get to see everyone's personal style and the stuff they use to get it. Somewhere on Saturday afternoon, it spurred a conversation around wants vs needs (in the realm of scrapbooking, not on some higher philosophical level). It then got me thinking about my current list of wants...er needs ... er wants...er!

You see, I'm a scrapbooker that doesn't need all the gadgets and widgets and whatnot. Despite what my husband would tell you about my overflowing craft room. I'm OK with just a bunch of the things I usually use, a few extras and making do without a lot of the other stuff ... either saving those projects for when I'm at the Paperie for crop nights and can make use of their tools or borrow from my crafty friends. Take for example these fringe scissors by Martha Stewart. Lovely to have, and sure I wouldn't mind having them in my stash, but I don't need them. I can recreate the same look by simply cutting individual snips in paper with my standard scissors. Slower, yes, but just as effective. A want, not a need.

It's the same thing when I'm running - another "hobby" of sorts. People always say you don't need anything special to run, just a pair of sneakers and some sweats. True story if you're just running a short distance or not on a regular basis or perhaps packing for exercise while on the road. Otherwise there is all sorts of gear you can use to make running more comfortable, more efficient, more effective. Some people can`t live without their Garmin. I however am OK without it, at least for now. Yes, it would be nice to have the distance tracker, the timer, the heart rate monitor, and all the fancy features available to me, but I don`t need it to run.

However, I have come to discovered a few things I would call a need of late - for running, for scrapping. With Mother`s Day right around the corner, I thought I`d share in case you have a fit or crafty or stylish momma on your list to buy for. And just in case my hubby needed a few hints (hint hint).

Let`s start with scrapbooking. At the retreat this past weekend, one of the ladies at my table had a Canon Selphy printer like this:

She bought just before the retreat so she could print a few pictures on site. As she broke it out the box, she commented how she was about to waste a bunch of time setting it up and figuring it out instead of scrapping. Peshaw! It took her like 15 minutes to get it out, set up and printing her pics. It is small and light weight, making it extremely portable. It resizes pictures, allows you to crop, and just print, right from your jump drive or SD card. No computer needed. Seriously, how awesome is that. And the colour quality was amazing to boot! All for $100, plus ink + 100 sheets of paper at about $50. Can we scream dealio? I can totally see me using this with Project Life, saving time and trips to the store to pick it up. I could take it to crop nights, I could even take it on vacation and scrap a mini-book on the road. It wouldn`t completely replace external printing services, but it would be an awesome complement. Yes. Yes, this is a need indeed.

Now onto running. I have wanted a running jacket forever. Back when I was running the marathon, I had to invest in some decent running pants and shirts, new sneakers x 2 pairs, orthotics, and just didn`t make the buy. Over the years, my distance hadn`t been high enough to warrant the cost, I figured for shorter runs I`d make do with a heavier coat or fleece instead. I also tend to stick to fairer weather days when running. However, with the half marathon in a week and a half and the Tely 10 not long after, I`m at the point where I need one of these:

The reality is most of my running is now happening after work and on the weekends. The weather is getting warmer and that means I`d like to get outside more. Even if it`s drizzly or a little dusky. These jackets are lightweight, making them a good layering option. They have reflective tape for 360 degree visibility and repel water to keep you dry. They also have pockets now, important for a key or some gu. And in the wide array of colours, there`s an option for everyone. Me, I like the Jewel Blue best ... but Royal Blue, Ocean Blue and Burgundy are also lovely. Oh yes, I definitely need one of these.

Still on the running front, I could also make great use of one of these:

Call it the poor man`s Garmin ;) Seriously though, I find I run better and faster if I know how far I`ve been and how far I`ve left to go. Always. So a basic pedometer that tracks my time and distance without all the fancy features is a necessity for race day.

Last, I love me some lulu. I try to keep the purchase to a minimum as the lulu loveliness is a tad pricey. But I must admit I`ve always found the quality, fit, and style awesome. I have a few pairs of pants that, afte years and years of use and abuse, including a good chunk of mat leave living in them, I`m due for a new pair. My preferred style... Groove Pant and Groove Crop. Yep, needing a new pair of these:

There you have it, a few of  three of my current needs ... er wants ... er needs.

What about you, what are you needing these days?