Don't Save Your Stickers

When I was a kid I thought getting stickers was just about the best thing. Ever.

• Stickers for a birthday present.
• Stickers as a treat from Mum if I was well-behaved at the shops.
• Stickers in a show bag.
• Stickers in books.

Stickers were awesome. So pretty. So brightly coloured. So...limited.

Once a sticker was peeled off the backing sheet, stuck on the page and admired for a moment, it was done.No longer usable, the excitement always dissipated.And if you try to peel it off the page and re-stick it, you're likely to peel the paper away too - leaving you with a ripped page and a useless sticker. Trust me. 

Great. Why the Hell Am I Telling You This?

I was a pretty cautious kid. I didn't want to make mistakes, disappoint anyone, regret a decision. (I remember crying at night for at least a week because I decided I didn't want to do gymnastics class anymore and was terrified that mum and dad would be upset. They totally weren't.)So do you know what I did with the majority of my stickers? 

I left them on their backing paper and tucked them away somewhere safe. Maybe in my desk drawer, or a dedicated sticker box.

Saved them for a special occasion. A project that was worth using them on.

And guess what?

I never used them.

 When I was older and was being forced by my mum choosing responsibly to tidy up and declutter my room I found these abandoned stickers and admired them once again.But the time to use them had passed. I was into Presidents of the United States of America, op-shopping and basketball. (An enigma is what I was.) Stickers had no place in my life.The opportunity to experience the joy and beauty and creativity of using them had passed me by.Don't let this happen to you. Don't discover too late, that you had something of joy and beauty at your fingertips, only to let it slip by, too afraid to "use it all up" or break it.

We're Not Talking About Stickers Anymore, Are We?

If you keep one thing in mind this weekend - it's this:

Don't Save Your Stickers.

Use them. Whenever the mood strikes. With wild abandon if possible.

Enjoy the rush. Embrace the feeling of living in the moment.

 (No, we're not really talking about stickers anymore.)It's a well-covered cliche, but important enough to state again:

• Use the "good" china. So what if it gets chipped? It's being used. That's a good thing.
• Drink your cheap wine from the crystal goblets - they're just gathering dust.
• Wear that fancy perfume - even if it is only to playgroup.
• That perfect coloured, expensive lipstick? Put it on! You will look beautiful, even if you're in your pyjamas.
• That gorgeous hand cream? Slather it on, or you'll find it has gone out of date.
• Let your kids paint. Isn't it there to be used?!
• Jump in muddy puddles. And stop pretending you don't enjoy it. Who cares about the laundry?! You're the one who does it anyway.

Stop Saving Your Stickers, Folks.

Otherwise one day, you will rediscover them, only to realise the time to use them has passed. What stickers will you use this weekend?The kids and I have a painting date, and Sparky and I will enjoy a $10 cleanskin from $200 crystal wine glasses. (Cause we're fancy like that.)