Little Miss Momma: One Momma's Junk is Anothers...

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

One Momma's Junk is Anothers...

I tend to use the word "collect" a bit too loosely around my home.

For example,
the hubby and I are cleaning out the garage.
He turns to me with a box full of movie ticket stubs from every movie I have ever seen since my teenage years.

HUBBY: Can I toss this?

ME: Oh, no you can't. I collect those...

He shrugs {knowing better than to ask questions} and we continue to clean.

A few moments later, he stumbles upon my drawer full of nothing but buttons, and he turns to me with the same expression on his face.

ME: Nope, not those either. I collect those too...

Then its the box of brochures from every vacation we have ever gone on and all the nice restaurants we've eaten at together {because one day I will scrap book them, right?}.

ME: Collect--those are sentimental {an excuse I know he won't bother arguing with me about}.

Then it's onto the fabric scrap pile {of which most pieces could be rendered useless, but I can't bear the thought of throwing them away, "just in case I need them one day for some project".

HUBBY: Are you sure honey? We could probably get rid of some of these scraps.
ME: No way--because with my luck I'll come up with an idea for some grand project and I will need the very scraps that I threw out the day before.

And as we continued to organize the garage, my mind began to wander as I took a mental inventory of all of my "collections".

Sure some of my collections are pretty legit.
Like my knob collection,
my magnet collection,
my heart shaped rocks collection,
my sea shell collection,
my book collection,
and my baseball card collection {yes, I have a baseball card collection}...

Even if my list of legit "collections" is a bit extensive.

But what's my excuse for the drawer filled to the brim with highlighter pens?
The cupboards over flowing with empty baby food jars...
The bins filled with "gift bags" I plan to re-use...
The closet full of every shoe I have ever owned since the beginning of time...

And that's when it hit me...

"COLLECTING" is really just a fancy way of saying "HOARDING"!

And if I'm not careful...

What do you hoard--I mean "collect"?

Labels: LOL

22 Comments:

At September 22, 2010 at 9:17 AM , Anonymous said...: OMG?! Are we sisters?! Everytime I go to the theater I get mad at myself that I haven't kept the tix since the beginning of time. I've got the button collection. I've got EVERY wedding, funeral, graduation announcement/program/invitation. And I'm afraid my newfound addiction to Goodwill makes me a certifiable hoarder :)
At September 22, 2010 at 9:20 AM , Katie @ This Chick Cooks said...: Well I actually hate clutter so I always purge then sometimes I wish I had that item later :)
At September 22, 2010 at 9:43 AM , Unknown said...: without my hubs, i would be a serious hoarder. i am a children's coordinator at a library with no budget, so EVERYTHING has potential...thankfully he keeps me reeled in!
At September 22, 2010 at 10:51 AM , Samantha @ The Douangphilas said...: everytime i watch hoarders it motivates me to grab a trashbag and toss some of my things i've collected for "someday". I never ever ever want my home to be that bad lol
At September 22, 2010 at 12:03 PM , Michelle {Daydream Believers} said...: so funny - I always joke that crafting is turning me into a hoarder! You just never know when you'll have a brillant idea and need 30 baby food jars, some pipe cleaner bits and yards of mis-matched ribbon! ;)
At September 22, 2010 at 12:07 PM , tnrosales said...: I grew up having an aunt who was a legitimate hoarder (like the pictures shown) and told myself I would never ever be like that so I usually throw just about everything away and then kick myself later because I thought of something I could have used it for. I call myself the anti-hoarder...and then my husband complains because I have to go out and purchase the things I got rid of :) Although...I DO collect buttons. I use them for just about every project and even trade them with friends! I loved this post!
At September 22, 2010 at 12:25 PM , Kama said...: Great post! My brother is also a collector of ticket stubs and doing that actually kept him out of a heap of trouble once by being able to prove that he wasn't where he was being accused of being, but he was at the movie...in another town hours away!
I am also a "collector" and I learned it from my mom! I collect books, fabric (tons of it), "useful" items of all sorts, "great deals" (especially baby clothes) for future gifts, scrapbooking supplies (that I'm sure I'll use one day), and I thought I was the only one who collected empty babyfood jars (I finally found someone on craigslist that needed them, so they went to a good home). :) I find myself telling others who are getting rid of items that I'll take them and find some use for them! YIKES. My husband is quite the same. We make a lovely pair and have a horrible garage. He has 3 Mustangs he's "re-doing" that are in parts in 3 different garages. Long story. Hey, maybe I'll write a blog about this too! :)
At September 22, 2010 at 1:36 PM , Nina @ Momma Go Round said...: Haha, your garage is pretty stuffed... but I'm just jealous I don't have one :P
At September 22, 2010 at 3:23 PM , Cyndi B said...: I love this! I keep way too many things too...ESPECIALLY when they have sentimental value. I have ideas and plans for some of my sentimental items (brochures, movie tickets, plane tickets, etc) but have I done anything with them yet? NO! I want to make a table top with all the paper memorabilia from our honeymoon is one of the plans. The way you keep collections from turning into hording is keeping them organized (which reminds me...I need to re-organize my craft closet).
At September 22, 2010 at 3:36 PM , Unknown said...: I 'collect' a lot of things as well. But I have learned to use it or get rid of it. For the most part anyways. I remember I grew up with a hoarder, my mother. Whenever I remember this I end up cleaning and taking a trunk full of stuff to the local Goodwill. Which reminds me. It's time to go threw my closet again. Before I start to need another closet. My mother has 3 closets packed so tight you can't even pull the clothes out. Not to mention tubs of clothes she hasn't touched in years in the basement. Yup time to asses my closets contents.
At September 22, 2010 at 3:47 PM , Lee Ann L. said...: My Dad was a packrat and I am too. It's hard for me to give up certain things. But, it's gotten easier over time.

I collect fabric and buttons... I collect tassels... I collect ceramic banks... I collect glass beads... I collect office supplies...

Granted, most of the stuff I collect will be used... Eventually. :-D
At September 22, 2010 at 6:16 PM , Sara said...: I collect film tickets too! I also collect things that are 'meaningful' - invites, brochures of places on holiday, letters, train tickets for special journeys, some pieces that fell off a dancer's dress at the Moulin Rouge in Paris... I have them all stored in a box - to scrapbook one day!
At September 22, 2010 at 10:12 PM , Allison {A Glimpse Inside} said...: That is so funny! I used to keep every movie ticket stub- I've stopped that one.

Now those buttons- you can REALLY use those! lol I'll take some off your hands if you don't want them. hehe
And I am the same with with scraps of scrapbook paper and my fabric. Every time I put a piece in the bim or have to look through my scrap paper I think "why do I still have this one?" Because... JUST IN CASE! lol

I don't have too many collections- i don't think. I still have stuffed animals from when I was young- why? Because I plan on having kids. Even though I am sure they will have tons of their own, I still can't get rid of them.

I should get rid of stuff. Being a military family we don't need "extra crap" with all the moves we do but all well! ;)
At September 24, 2010 at 9:24 AM , A Servant of Christ (who tries to be humble) said...: ;) You are so funny!

We are purging as we go along, but it is so hard to keep on top of clutter sometimes . . . especially when your house is your classroom :(
At September 24, 2010 at 11:04 AM , Debbie - Families and Literacy said...: I recently threw out most of my scrap materiel collection because my husband and I downsized to a smaller apartment. Such a relief!

But never throw away those buttons! I adore button collections, and which I had a better one. They always just need a pretty tin to keep them in... :)

My husband and I are definitely book collectors. Our tiny one bedroom apartment is flooded with them. We have one big bookshelf and one tiny bookshelf and they're both filled to the gills. Then there are the boxes of books in the bedroom, not to mention the books lying around on random tables, chairs desks... you get the picture, right? ;)
At September 24, 2010 at 2:28 PM , Krystal said...: I just stumbled on your blog and I absoulutly love it. This post made me laugh out loud because well I'm the same way anyway I have an award for you on my blog

http://puppiesandpacifiers-krystal.blogspot.com/2010/09/first-blog-award.html
At September 25, 2010 at 2:15 PM , ASK said...: I "collect" baby food jars as well! too funny. I always think I can use them, one day, for something... My boyfriend thinks it is so pointless!!
At October 1, 2010 at 8:26 PM , ~Mallory~ said...: Well I'm just glad I'm not the only one :) I have recently started washing and keeping my daughters baby food jars bc I figure I can use them for decorating or something!! LOL! But I also "collect" buttons, fabric leftovers and all our brochures from vacas (which are all in a folder, to be scrapebooked one day!) Somethings are just hard to throw away!
At October 3, 2010 at 12:01 PM , Mrs. Benintende said...: http://www.spoonsisters.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=121209&Category_Code=1004000&Product_Count=263
Thought of you when I saw it!
At October 4, 2010 at 12:18 AM , ashley @ little miss momma said...: Mrs. Benintende, you are my new best friend for introducing me to the coolest ticket stub book EVER! Thanks for thinking of muah *wink*

ashley
At November 30, 2010 at 11:32 AM , dallinscloset said...: I have every type of ribbon known to man. It is really unhealthy!
At December 2, 2010 at 4:55 AM , Unknown said...: Baby Announcements.
I tell myself they are for my kids so they can look back at all their besties when they're older.

This Page

Little Miss Momma

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

One Momma's Junk is Anothers...

22 Comments:

About Me

Previous Posts