Thomas and I went to an arts and crafts festival just outside of town. I LOVE rummaging through little markets like this one. We found the coolest handmade knick-knacks, and I even took home an hourglass necklace. 

One thing about me, however, is that I am not an impulse buyer. Thomas laughed at how many business cards I took home in ratio to what I bought-- about 12:1. 

My shopping philosophy is that I need to be in love with it for me to buy it right there on the spot. I'm the kind of girl that does not like to have a lot of material things-- less clutter, in general. So, when I do buy something like jewelry, a book, purse, hat, etc, I look for these: 

1. symbolic meaning 

2. long-term need 

or 

3. an unbeatable deal

In the case of my hourglass necklace, it was symbolic, and I instantly fell in love with it. Call out the English major in me, but an hourglass is LOADED with symbolism. For me, it's the concept of Time. It's so neutral-- it's not a friend or an enemy. It does it's own thing. Time can't tell if you want it to faster or slower; it just goes. 

Something drew me to the hourglass and made me think about how I'm spending my Time-- right now, in my 20s. Will I look back 30 years from now and think, "Damn, I really lived in my youth." Or have I measured out my life in garden spoons?