Crafting schizophrenia

One of my favorite inventions of the previous decade is the Amazon shopping cart. As I read about an intriguing book in the paper, on a blog or hear about one on the radio, I can click on over to Amazon, find the book and tap "add to shopping cart." And voila! I have a nice little online pile waiting for my credit card. Currently my stash has a total of $260.84. Because these books haven't risen to a critical need (a self-defined term), it's unlikely that I'll actually buy them. It's just that I could. There is a weird sort of satisfaction about identifying these books and not actually spending the money to get them.
But what really makes the shopping cart unique is that it holds your wish list forever (or what appears to be forever). There was a time when I thought I wanted to own a copy of The New Book of Middle Eastern Food. That wish is still in my shopping cart with a note that says I added it to the cart on June 27, 2005. It's been there for two years and I still haven't ordered it, so it probably is not a must-have. The cart allows me to dawdle over decisions...it doesn't rush me with threats of limited stock or seasonal styles....and also keeps track of my desires. It's an online shopping journal!
I wish I could find something similar in the world of art and craft supplies. Sometimes I think I suffer from a sort of schizophrenia about them. It may come from a childhood desire to own the 64 box of Crayola crayons (it was one of the happiest days of my life when I got them). Much of my time this week has been spent on a major studio purge in preparation for a studio supply sale at the end of this month. It's been incredibly liberating and I find that as the studio shelves get organized I'm happy to spend more time there.
On the other hand, I can spend a happy hour on the web trolling for new supplies...silk threads, vintage wooden textile blocks, glitter. If only there were an Amazon-like shopping cart for these virtual shopping trips. Someplace where I could click away on items I'd like to buy (or at least think I want to) without damaging my credit card or cluttering up the studio space again. Maybe it will show up someday as a "10 list" over on the left hand side of this blog. Sometimes just naming things is all you need to do to feel better.