Scrapping Shop Block... Could this be the end?

Last week I went to a local store that sells cameras and Scrapbooking supplies. I'm on a self imposed spending hiatus, but I have had a gift certificate for this store for over a year now and I figured, since I had time to burn, that I'd just go check out what is "new". This sudden interest was spurred by a flier that I received in the mail that offered a $10 off $30 purchase coupon...I figured I could find SOMETHING to use the silly GC on so that it could stop looking pitifully neglected in my wallet.

The entire time that I was driving to the store, I was trying to think of SOMETHING that I needed to buy. I swear I gave myself a headache trying to conjure up a mental picture of my needing anything scrapbooking related. I finally resigned myself to just 'go with the flow' and to let the mood move me when I got there. "Good strategy," I thought..."I'll buy the first thing that pops out at me and call it a day", I surmised.

Well, if I had decided to wait for the 'mood' to move me, I will still have my stagnating butt sitting in the store.

The last time I visited the store, about a year ago, I remember getting giddy over some Maya Roads chipboard or something of that sort. This time I walked in and I was drawn to the door that I'd just walked through. I walked around that blasted store for 15 minutes of my life and as the seconds melted away, I felt as if I were wasting precious bits of my life force. I felt nothing.

Nothing at all.

I looked at some of the clearanced Bazzill, nothing. Just last year those crates of cardstock would've have me needing a bib to keep my salivatory droppings from destroying the beautiful papers.

I looked at the new rubons...nada. I do remember thinking, "cute" when I looked at the Making Memories Rubon booklets with the colorful phrase transfers...but I didn't even touch the package. Did I ever tell you how I have 52 packages of MM Rubon Alphas? There used to be time that I would fantasize about having the world's rubon supply at my disposal.

Not a single, solitary idea book or magazine called out to me. Well, I'm sure they were, but I lacked the ability to understand what they were saying.

I was a little unnerved by this experience, truth be told. I have been pretty much avoiding any targeted scrapbooking shopping expeditions for over 6 months because I was concerned that I might lapse back into my spendy ways. I guess I have nothing to worry about since I couldn't even bring myself to by a sheet of patterned paper that was clearanced down to a quarter.

I wonder if this means that Scrapbooking is coming to an end for me. Could it be that I have killed off the craving for 'stuff'? I keep telling myself that I've simply trained myself to see the value in what I purchase and not to purchase anything that doesn't add value to my hobby. Hopefully, when I run out of something, my shopping trips will be a bit more productive.

Till then...I still have that annoying gift certificate...