What do collections and clutter have to do with each other? A lot. We all tend to do this. If one or two shells are neat, a hundred would be a hundred times neater. Wrong. A hundred shells (unless you are studying the mating habits of shellfish), quickly becomes clutter. Cleaning, rearranging, storing, and shopping for something for our collections takes precedent over just living.
Watch how easily this happens. My mother had a beautiful hand-painted poppy plate. It is now my poppy plate. I decided I really loved poppy plates. Next thing I knew I had about fifteen hand painted poppy plates. I spent untold hours searching for more poppy plates on ebay. Then I spent hours figuring out how to display all those plates.
One day I looked at all those plates and decided I had gone a bit crazy. I sold all but four - the original and three of my favorites. All the rest were sold on ebay. Why four? Because that's the number of plates my display thingy would hold. Someday I'll tell you about the elephant collection...
My Four Plates
I love the yellow and white poppy on this plate...
It has wonderful detail...
Do you have some collections that have gotten out of control?
Linked to My Romantic Home "Show and Tell Friday" Head over and check out all the great entries.
Linked to My Romantic Home "Show and Tell Friday" Head over and check out all the great entries.
23 comments:
Hi Adrienne...Oh, I know what you mean about collections bursting at the seams. Hmmmmmm. How would I know that? ha! I LOVE your poppy plates...just beautiful. And I can't WAIT to see the elephants! I LOVE collections. Could you have guessed? Sincerely, Susan from writingstraightfromtheheart.blogspot.com
Susan - really - you do not want to see the elephants. It started about 30 years ago when I was "gifted" with an elephant. Next thing I knew I had about THREE HUNDRED FIFTY elephants. Granted many of them were teeny tiny - one was about 1/8th on an inch. There were type-drawers full on little ones. There were sub-categories ie: glass, wood, porcelain,etc
Truly - it was awful!
I got rid of all except just a few special ones...haven't missed them one bit!!
those poppy plates are just beautiful! the detail and colors are so pretty!
OMG I have been looking for poppy plates for sometime now, because I am redoing my kitchen and bringing in this lovely flower...these are beautiful!!
This is funny that you ask this question today. I just was talking to my friend about my salt cellar collection. I have 44 now. I started with 2. She couldn't believe I have so many....but compared to 350 elephants at Adriennes, I don't feel too bad!!
Debbie - dang - if I had known that I would have hung unto all those plates. Only kiiiiiding
Head to ebay and put in hand painted Poppy Plate or just plain poppy plate and search title and description. Be sure and change the default setting to "ending soonest". You'll find lots of cool plates...
Ceekay - the elephant thing was truly awful
At least salt cellars are small. I have a set that belonged to my great grandma. I love them. I definitely had the "urge" to get more but pounded my head on the wall for awhile and the urge went away...
Your plates are very beautiful....nice display too.
I've started many collections that I haven't kept up with or outgrown....I give things away to family and friends and if all else fails, the thrift store....LOL.
I have a plate fetish.......your plates are gorgeous. Maybe I will post some of mine on my blog this weekend when I update.
Lenore - the hanger thingy was an ugly black shiney metal cheapie thing. I painted it sage green and doctored it up with some gold to give it a verdigris finish...
Collections are really a form of black plague (but fun!)
Susan - I would love to see your plates. I have others but not near what I used to have. I have to take special precautions or I would haul the entire world home.
My hubby has, for some unknown reason, developed sort of a plate obsession for our day-to-day dishes. Now he wants a whole new set of day-to-days because the old ones are "too boring" How weird is that??
We have actually found some of our best plates for every day at the Dollar Store. My favorites have - wait for it - poppies on them. I think I'll have to post those...
hmm, collections out of control?? well, it used to be books...till I married a man who thinks it's okay to **GASP** throw away a book.
I know I know.
we've thinned and thinned over the years as our family has grown and the house...sadly...hasn't.
to where I really don't have any collections anymore. I do still have the 87 Agatha Christie titles....and all of Earlene Fowlers and Harry Potter...but that's about it for collections. There are a couple collections I've inherited...like my grandmother's 5,624,642 spools of thread...or the tubs of fabric hiding under the workbench in our garage... but that's USEFUL...I mean those things are EXPENSIVE!! ;-)
oh, I didn't mention our collection of dust bunnies....but do pets count as a collection??
I love the rich, beautiful colors in the plates. Very pretty.
gorgeous plates.
They're beautiful!
What a pretty collection of plates. Thanks for sharing them with us.
Mighty Mom - I used to be just like you abut books. It is probably the single hardest thing for me to get rid of. Agathie Christie really needs to go. Those are all available at the library.
Dust bunnies definitely count as a collection. I have tons of those - HUGE ones
Diann/Thrifty Groove - Thanks so much for visiting. I LOVE your blog. Visit every day...
Haha..yes my collections have gotten out of control. I have too many shells and too many cherubs. Is there a support group for us? I can't stop buying them! Your poppy plates are beautiful!!!
oh my gosh.. another lovely collection! i love all the plates! the colours are so vibrant!. love it.. thanks for sharing.. happy FS&T
they are very pretty and that would be my favorite too.
What a pretty collection.
So cheerful! I could see how just one isn't enough.
I've become a "collector" of Polish stoneware. Mostly because the mugs are awesome for coffee. But, now that I only really need 2 mugs for my dh, a couple for company and a few cups for the darlings, why do I have 20?
And three baking dishes, four bowls, teapot, creamer and spoon rest?
BTW, the gorgeous Cobalt blue doesn't 'go' with my kitchen. (I like white/cream dishes with changes in linens for colors.)
Why do I keep them?
You've inspired me to try my hand at Ebay!
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