Lessons learned while giving the niece a few things from my closet

With thought and care, I had set aside a bunch of things for Ella, who is 14. One really awesome pair of black kind of combat boots but with heels and these strappy straps. Anything but basic, these boots.

She took them, but it felt just a little bit like she was doing me a favor.

I also offered her a cute kind of trendy velvet blazer. She said she didn't want it. I was like, what if you need to look business-like for something? 

It was a commence eyeball roll here situation. Apparently 14 year-olds do not envision themselves in business-like scenarios. Then again, I have a vague recollection of graduating from college and thinking that a leather blazer-ish jacket would be an excellent choice for the workplace. Turned down the corner of that page in the catalog I can tell you. 

Bottomline, I made Ella take the velvet blazer. One of these days she'll appreciate it.

I think there were a few other things, including a pair of designer shoes that were slightly beat up but she probably could have sold them on eBay if she really wanted to. 

She did not want to. I put them in the "donate the charity" pile.

At the end of our little Aunt/Niece marginally successful bonding moment, we both paused and stared at the little pile of stuff on the end of the bed. I went into my closet to find something to put it all in.

I came out with a New Yorker tote bag. I own probably, conservatively, thirty thousand tote bags. So it was like hey whatever, here's a bag.

New Yorker tote bag kinda
like the one I gave Ella

At the sight of the tote bag, Ella lights up like thousand-watt bulb. She wanted that tote bag. Screw the rest of the crap I'd meticulously set aside for her. Luckily I jammed it all in the tote bag fast enough, so she couldn't make off with just the bag.