Best Purchase of the Year

Every year one purchase made ends up standing out as a real winner. Some of the winners have been things I knew I wanted, but didn't realise how much they would change my life/give me pleasure. The second half of the 2000s have seen a shift, though. Instead of buying things I knew long in advance I wanted, the more recent items have been thoughtful impulse (hey, I AM known as "The Pragmatic Pollyanna") items, and all have in common the sheer surprise in how USEFUL they are.

Just to give you a little history.. In 1987, it was a much longed-for PC AT, in 1991, a leather motorcycle jacket, in 95 a Black Volvo, and 1998 a beautiful house of my very own.

The 2000s started off slow, with tools for house remodeling such as the RotoZip being the focus of my life, though 2004 saw the purchase of a giant television - named "Sumo" because it was "the gigantic Japanese guy in the corner," and 2005's best was a set of trekking poles for walks I hoped to take on the beach and in the mountains once I got back to the Northwest.

2006, and Towanda the Wonder Bus entered my life, along with For Sale signs on the house. In the driveway, while a steady stream of people flowed through my beautiful home, I turned my school bus into an rv/rolling studio. We closed one week before all the terrible economic news that began the downturn, and off we went in Towanda, back to Western Washington.

2007's best purchase was an electronic label maker, in 2008 I found Copic Markers (the art world may never be the same), 09 and although the Scor-It turned out to be a marvelous tool for scoring paper in order to create perfect folding seams in paper (really, it's brilliant!), the real score of the year was my beloved Husquvarna Viking Platinum sewing machine. It. is. amazing.

2010 was a strong year, with a Ford Ranger truck and a CLC wooden kayak strong contenders, but the winner was a bright red Hamilton Beach electric kettle I bought on a whim at Costco because of V's very English tea habit.  Sadly, it died by the end of 2012, and had to be replaced, so maybe the kayak and truck really DID win. :-)

That brings us to 2011, when the FABulous Iris plastic storage cases from Costco were purchased. The plastic case contains 12 more latching boxes that slide into place in the big case. Marketed as a place to keep photographs, the small cases are the PERfect size for my Copic markers, and for a slew of other items, too. Pencils, pens, watercolours, and on and on and on. I have all the cases filled, and could probably fill more.

2012 the best product that came into my life wasn't a purchase, but rather a gift. The Derwent Rep was generous enough to give me a set of 36 Inktense penciles and 12 Inktense blocks.  I loved these so much that I wrote a full review, if you're interested. That was the year I also snagged a set of five metal plan drawers for $100!  You know, the kind architects use?  Yep, I now have a place for all my watercolour and handmade papers, and so much more.  Fabulous addition to my art life!

2013 was a year in which the best product was something I bought for someone else.  Steel-toed boat shoes for V.  As a Sailmaker, V is constantly working around boats and boatyards, both of which are NOT safe places at all.  He has to have shoes that make no marks on boats, are skid resistant, and look good.  In the past, he's purchased Sperry's, the leading boat shoe manufacturer.  The problem with Sperry's shoes is three-fold: 1) they offer zero support 2) they wear out very fast, and 3) they're extremely expensive ($150ish) compared to other brands.  So I looked around for a more industrial shoe that fit the aforementioned criteria. And I found a model that has the additional plus of steel toes, something that is very nice to have when working daily in an industrial setting.  Made by Rockport, and selling for a reasonable $100, these leather shoes have  a steel toe, electrical hazard protection, and the essential slip and oil resistant sole. Oh, and they look good, too!

For myself, 2013's best product was the funny old solid maple rocker I got for $15 that I use every. single. day.

Last year, my favourite purchase was a beautiful and LARGE tryptich print of salmon I got (again) for $15 (thrift stores are so wonderful!), but the best product was the fantastic Daylight Foldi led light that can be powered by battery, usb from the computer, or off plain old 110ac in the wall.  It folds up, comes with a carrying bag, and is deLIGHTfully portable, allowing me phenomenal light when I need it, even while out on our boat for a cruise.  HIGHly recommend these lights.

There are many other purchases I have loved the past fifteen years - a red couch, a marvelous little handmade black walnut cabinet that holds my stone fetish collection, some dvds that continue to give me great pleasure, and so MANY wonderful additions to my art supplies.  I have no idea what 2015 will bring, of the abundance that will certainly arrive, or which will be the stand-outs, but I look forward to it all.