Let’s go shopping!

My shopping spree would consist of three places — a hardware store, a craft store, and a hole-in-the-wall shop that no one knows about.

Let me explain.

If I was able to shop and had the time to do anything with my purchases, I would go to a hardware store so I could paint or craft something. I love crafts — I’ve made my own wooden toolbox, stained glass windows, jewelry and more. I also love the thrill of accomplishing something — laying out self-adhesive laminate tiles, putting in a new sink faucet or shower head, figuring out a unique way to keep our pet on the porch — I could go on. The hardware store is perfect for that kind of project.

But I also like the projects that help make our house a home. Some of my favorite memories as a kid revolve around things in our house that were uniquely ours. A quilt, made by my mother, I destroyed while dragging my sister and her friends around our neighborhood. I loved that quilt.

I also had a love-hate relationship with the clothes my mother made for me as a child. I was too tall to fit in the store clothing because — like my oldest son — I was too tall and too skinny to fit into clothing that fits. While the fact she made clothes for me was cool, the fact the clothes didn’t have the name brands my friends wore wasn’t cool.

I’m currently working on my second crochet blanket in as many years. I used to make jewelry. I intend to start up with that again because I love beaded jewelry but I’m rough on it and tend to break it. I have a lot of beads that need something new to shine on.

The third place would be some place that no one has discovered yet. Like this shop I went to in Toledo, Ohio, that was a wine shop but also served charcuterie. Every time we went, there was no one there except the shop owner and her husband. There were shelves full of wines you could look at and then pick something to sample or drink right there in the shop. They also suggested cheese pairings. It was an absolutely divine experience, as you felt like you were treated like the most important person there. It was like being with family.

I’ve also been to bookstores that also serve as an art gallery and coffee shop. Small businesses that fill a niche no one knew existed.

That would be my shopping spree.