Oh, Julienm1 and WMU - your comments really resonated with me! I have been quite vocal about wanting to use only stash and really restrict my purchases to what is absolutely necessary, and I have also been heard! A local fabric chain store is closing one of their locations and have had a 70% off sale for the last few weeks. My quilty neighbour nicely told me the other day that she went and had a big shopping spree there and "was going" to invite me but she knew I was trying not to add to my stash so she didn't. I have also mentioned in her (and others') hearing that neutrals are on my "allowed" list, so I'm still not sure if she was kind or cruel (although I do appreciate her support)!
And Paddingtonbear, I'm sorry - while I'm sure they mean well, it sounds like your friends aren't really being helpful to your quilting journey. I have had similar experiences where people have shared their opinions and it has changed my feelings about a particular project. I'm glad you can find joy in shopping for a new project (if it breaks a negative emotional cycle I'd call it a necessary purchase) and I agree with what some others have said here - do what YOU love/enjoy, let things go (temporarily or permanently) if they aren't working for you and keep thinking creatively. I'm sure the right project will come up for your little squares, even if it takes a while. :-)