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Dear Diary,

Whenever I was in college and a new season of shopping was approaching, I always took out my designer planner, turned to an empty page, and began writing what I call my “Lust List” for that upcoming season. This list was typically 10-15 designer items that I needed wanted to have in my life and just couldn’t live without. I would take note of their prices and put together a plan that was a combination of setting aside money each week to contribute to my purchase and then planning these purchases around sales and coupons that I had stashed aside.

Working in the retail industry while going to school never really allowed me to purchase everything on this list. Typically, I ended up with 2-3 items from the designer stores and then found lower end alternatives of the rest of the items.

Then, when I was pregnant, I wrote a Lust List that revolved around items that I needed wanted for Branden’s arrival to the world. On the top of my list was the Vera Bradley diaper bag (it’s important to look cute while carting around diapers and butt cream), which I now use as a gym bag.

This list evolved again once I had a home of my own. I began to fill my list with kitchen utensils and living room furniture that helped to complete the overall look that I was going for in my home. Luckily, Chris and I have very similar taste when it comes to decorating, so making these decisions on my own was never a problem.

Then, as I’ve gotten a bit older and started to really understand the person that I am and what I want out of life, my list changed again. It now is a list of achievements, things that I want to conquer during my time on this planet, a sort of “bucket list”, if you will. It’s not just for me, though a lot of it is related to me, but relates to my family and things that I want us to accomplish together, as a whole.

For some reason, whenever I put things into writing, it makes them more concrete and tangible. I feel like my mind is always going a million miles a minute, and, when this happens, important thoughts can easily be forgotten. Writing things down in ink means that they can never be washed away or forgotten. And, just like my designer shopping lists from college, seeing it in writing makes me that much more motivated to attain every item or accomplishment on the list. After all, I only have this one life to live, so overlooking the things that matter most to me and concentrating on everyday mundane tasks would be a terrible waste.

Maybe it has something to do with maturity, but it inspires me to be able to think back on my priorities over the years and see how things transform. I realize now that it’s not always about being the best dressed (as long as I am carrying a killer handbag, LOL), but about my perspective on life. Now that’s where my lust is!

What’s on your “Lust List”?

Fashionably Yours,

Allison