Linked In | Memories on the Shelf

Growing up, my mom had a lot of nick-nacks, on Ah. Lot. of shelves. 

And as soon as I was old enough, it was my job to dust them – All. Once or twice a week, I would take EVERYTHING off those shelves one by one, dust the shelf and the trinket and put them all back.

I hated it.

Yet I unwittingly fed into this curio collection by buying little things are yard sales in the neighborhood, coming home and joyously presenting them to my mom.  She in turn proudly added each one to a display on a shelf and I began the process of dusting yet another useless piece of junk found treasure

20100802-IMG_0247 (My most cherished find for my mom. I still remember when and where she came from.)

After my mom passed I was tasked with cleaning out her home. All the years of tchotchke collecting stared me in the face. Wooden Buda's and elephants from Thailand and India, porcelain dogs and figurines from England,  a trio of nuns that wound up to play a tune, vintage Avon bottles shaped like Victorian women a collection of brass piggybank 1920’s style cars from a bank, little cottages and don’t forget all those little add-ons from my childhood yard sale days – plus SO much more.  They all has sentimental value. I couldn’t discard them, but I didn’t want all of them either.

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I was conflicted.

Thank goodness for shows like Clean House and Clean Sweep, though!
I loved watching these shows any chance I got and I learned a few things.  Two things I gleaned: 1) I kept what I loved and what meant the most to me (all the vintage books and most of the china) and 2) I took pictures of the rest for memory’s sake then lightened the load.

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tchotchkes2-2

 

Now days I still have Tchotchkes; what can I say, I am my mom’s daughter.

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But I have a lot less of them and
They are VERY dusty any given day.

And we won’t talk about my obsession with vintage Asian bobble-head dolls and globes!

Go visit other “Link-In” memories with Jenn,Heather, Tracey, Stacey, Andrea, Amanda, HeatherJanet, JeanKristi,Carla, Rose, Tracy, Heidi, Kristin, Hanne, Liza and Rhonda.

7 comments:

Lisabella Russo said...

I think photographing some and just keeping some is really smart! I'm trying to do it myself, but some weeks are better than others...

Rose said...

Lisa Isabella Russo, I love the name of your second blog, "The Unbearable Weight of Material Possessions" Oh how I relate!

Unknown said...

Oh, funny, very dusty and Asian bobble head dolls.
I like that idea of taking pictures then lightening the load (need to do that)
Amazing how we end up doing the exact things we swore we wouldn't do, and I always prayed I would not have my mother's big arms when I was older (ha! Guess what)
I love memories.

Tracey said...

Rose! I just discovered those little Japanese bobble heads. I picked up two wooden ones last winter at an antique store and I thought they were just little random bobble heads. Then a month ago I found another one! Then I got the bright idea to google them. OH MY! I had no idea. So now I am always on the look out for them.
Love yours!

Carla said...

I also hate dusting. Love all these "treasures." I do need to keep the clean sweep mentality in line - it might get my house in order a little more. I have taken photos / scanned some of my boys' artwork and made them into books. Cut down on the clutter and made for nice presentation. :)

Rose said...

Zeldamom, I always swore I would have my mom's mid section when I got older! That didn't work out so well - LOL! yes, taking pictures does help in letting things go that I really didn't want in the first place (and lessens the sting of things that I can't salvage).

Tracey, I would love to wander your curio shops up north!

Carla, I STILL can't get a grip in my home. I would scoop everything up and toss it out... if I could. :)

Jean said...

I know, I would collect a lot of nick-nacks, but really have no shelves for them. I used to collect everything else though, like candy wrappers, little notes from friends, pretty napkins, etc.... One day, I cleaned them out and weighed 100 lbs less. I don't know where I got that from, b/c neither parents were like that? Maybe b/c they weren't like that that's why I'm like that? eh.

I hate dusting, too. The next day, I wake up, it seems as if I were crying for days... dang allergies.

I love the books & camera! Lovely!!

And thanks for showing some love. Kitty was a sweet one.

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