Okay, I’d like to think I’m not a materialistic person.  I like nice things but I care about quality, not about designer name brands.  I feel like designer brands you pay for about 30% quality and 70% for just the brand name.  I could care less about owning a Louis Vuitton, Prada, or Fendi handbags, or expensive clothes that are over $500.  I think you can get a really nice quality item for $300 that will be the same quality as $1000+, you’re just not paying for the brand name/”status” symbol, which I could care less about also.  My goal in life is to actually not own any super expensive handbags or super expensive clothes/accessories.  Jay has taken me to the mall a few times and told me, “You can pick out any one item you want inside this mall.” and every single time, I refused his offer and told him I don’t need anything and I got everything I need.  When we attended breakfast at Tiffany‘s, he surprised me and told me I can pick out a jewelry of my choice.  I gratefully refused and let him buy me a $20 purse from H&M instead.  Last year he gave me a $500 Visa giftcard.  I didn’t spend any but used it for groceries and for the kids.  I have a hard time spending a lot of money on myself!  I feel like there’s more important things than materialistic things(clothes and accessories) and things are just that, things.  You can’t take things with you to heaven, and they’re worthless in the end.  

BUT…… a few days ago my husband told me I can get a really nice sewing machine that’s about 4 times the price range I was looking at.  I was looking at the least expensive Bernina sewing machine, Bernina 215 but he went to a Bernina dealer without me knowing and talked to the experts and told me I should get the Bernina 560.  My first reply was no way, I could never spend that much money, no, it’s too much!  But the more I think about it, the more it’s tempting me.  This deal I just can’t seem to gratefully refuse!  A sewing machine is a material thing, but it teaches you skills and knowledge that are useful, unlike clothes or purses that don’t make you any smarter, or better.  Am I trying to justify it?  Maybe.  So I want to ask any of you who know anything about sewing machines, which one should I get?  Do you own any of these models?  Do you love it?

I’m debating between the 350, 380, or 560.  560 is a sewing and an embroidery machine, a machine with lots of room to grow into.  If I buy the 560, I plan on keeping it for as long as it runs(hopefully 20+ years!), and if I get the 350 or the 380, I might upgrade later on.  I’ve never embroidered before but if I do get it, I can see myself getting into it and using it a lot.  Any of you embroider?  Do you love it?  What do you make with it? I’ve only owned one sewing machine for the past 14 years and it’s a very simple, basic sewing machine so I’m excited to upgrade, I just don’t know how much I should upgrade to.  To embroider or not to embroider.  I’ve been obsessed with deciding which sewing machine to get the past couple of days, so please help me out here!  It’s a huge investment so any help/advice/tips is appreciated.  Thank you!