Just a few acquisitions...

A few items made it past the spending moratorium in recent weeks.

First of all, we got new dishes--and they're great. I've always owned light-colored dishes, so it never occurred to me that food might appear more attractive on darker dishes--but it does! Our new dishes have a dark blue, almost navy, interior, and when you have a mix of other bright colors on the plate, the food pops (figuratively speaking, of course). New dishes were a sound purchase.

Second, we bought new luggage. The set consists of three rolling suitcases (which nest inside each other for convenient storage) and a smallish bag that can be used as a carry-on or for cosmetic-type items within a larger bag. The set is forest green with taupe accents--not very exciting, but B will be able to use the set for work travel, and it will stand out more than every other black suitcase.

Finally, we bought new shoes for our honeymoon. I suspect "shoes" does not top the list of honeymoon must-buys for most people, but they were a necessary purchase (that's my story, anyway). Here's why: We don't want to look like Americans in Europe.

Granted, this situation will be unavoidable due to our height, teeth, and language skills, but we don't want to be identifiable in a crowd, and shoes and clothing are a good place to start if you want to fit in. We bought sporty shoes that are sneaker-like in their comfort but are a bit dressier looking--I wouldn't wear mine to a fine restaurant, but I feel a little dressier than I do in my Nikes. And I think they'll blend better than glowing white sneakers.

Oh, and it was necessary for me to get 2 pairs of the same shoe, one in brown and one in black. After all, you want to be prepared for every situation.

I'm trying to put the brakes on any other purchases--from here on out, only wedding-oriented buying! But these acquisitions were such good ideas that it's hard to hold back.