I love collections in my home. Things displayed in multiples seems to speak to my decorating soul in a powerful way. I have made some mistakes along the way….think 1990 Longenberger basket obsession…when I realized I was collecting what I thought I should be collecting rather than what I really wanted to collect. Expensive lesson for me. I am a wiser collector now. Let me share some life lessons I have learned on my collection journey…and show off a few of my most favorites at the same time
1. Display collected items together…they lose their impact if they are separated . Think of Grandma’s home with her ceramic cats scattered throughout the house on every surface….don’t do that! I like how my vintage rolling pins look in this giant egg basket…suddenly simple objects are seen as an elevated art display!
2. Collect what you love and what resounds with your soul…Be honest when you no longer feel the love and gift or donate. Also, don’t serve as a storage facility for family member’s “treasures” out of guilt or obligation . If you don’t love Aunt Lulu’s souvenir thimble collection , find someone who will delight in them…Aunt Lulu would approve! Many of the chickens on display on my dining room hutch come from a friend who inherited them from a relative. After 20 years of storage I was excited to give them an honored spot in my home.
3. Don’t collect with your child’s college fund in mind…unless you collect early Picasso abstracts. We all know someone with tubs of Beanie Babies in their basement just waiting for the magical buyer to show up and pave the way to Harvard. The price of my beloved Lusticru omelet pans (French flea market finds) on eBay tempts me to enlist my friends to send me every piece they can find…but then the memory of finding these beauties would be forgotten in the crush of enamelware.
4.Master the art of rotation. Seasonal collections are a great way to freshen decor with little effort. For example, I display seasonal vintage postcards on a 24 pane window in my kitchen. They make me smile. In May and June I display vintage French seed labels.
5. The best collections are aquired over time and experience. It is so tempting to see a beautiful collection on a blog and jump on the EBay express to immediately duplicate it. Most likely that blogger has been collecting for years and that collection represents her/his life and experiences. Let your collections represent you! This collection of antique kokeshi dolls is unique to me and my life experiences in Japan. I have never seen a collection like it and love the unique and unexpected element it adds to my home.
Someday I hope the Princess will share my love of collecting…beyond collecting compliments.
Let’s Party!
The Art of Homemaking Let’s Talk Vintage Inspire Me Wednesday
Show and Share. Wow Us Wednesday Work it Wednesday
BTTCG at Bernadeen’s Talk of the Town Home and Garden Thursday
No Place Like Home Elizabeth and Co. Share Your Cup
Tuesday at our Home. Share It Share Your Style
Tweak it Tuesday Thursday Favorites Thursday Inspiration
Inspire me Monday Suburban Simplicity Moonlight and Mason Jars
Inspire meTuesday Wonderful Wednesday Home Sweet Home
The Scoop Thoughts of Home. Feather Nest Friday
Titus 2 Tuesday. Rooted in Time. Friday Favorites
Thrifty and Vintage Finds. No Rules Weekend. Your Inspired Designs
Make it Pretty Monday. Vintage Charm Party Shabbilious Friday
Monday of Many Blessings. Making Broken Beautiful. 5 Star Fru Fru
Morning Cup of Joe. Home Matters Sweet Inspiration
Friday Favorites. Love Peace and Link. Best of the Weekend
Share it One More Time. Sundays at Home Inspiration Monday
Busy Monday. Amaze me Monday. Dishing it and Digging it
Dear Amy:
I love those precious Princess photos. I see the roosters are up high and the rolling pins are handy nearby! So cute. Lovely collections. So glad you shared and linked.
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The Princess loves the rolling pins! I figure they survived 75+ years of use, they are pretty tough. The poor chickens would not survive a morning with the Princess.
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I have my own collections although nothing as extraordinary as yours. The rolling pins are wonderful as are the chickens and the window panes adorned with seed packets; love it! I really like chippy things. Thank you for sharing with us and enjoy this new week.
Blessings,
Sandi
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My Grandmother would have found it amusing that I collect vintage rolling pins and grain sack material but I find it all beautiful and even more beautiful if it was used and loved well.
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I love your interesting collections and the wonderful tips, thanks for sharing.
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My pleasure
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Beautiful- and so is your princess!
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Thank you!
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Your collections are wonderful! I have a few old rolling pins. One belonging to my hubby’s grandmother.
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I have a few of my grandmother’s things…my mom just gave me her cookbook! They are very precious to me.
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I love your collection displays! Wonderful advise. Happy to find it via Wow us Wed! 🙂
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The rolling pin collection is fascinating – great idea for displaying them.
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Glad you enjoyed them!
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Thanks for sharing this beautiful post with SYC!
I definitely rotate my collections. I am fortunate to have an attic to store things so I can keep quite a few collections on hand.
I love your rolling pins and your fabulous red pans.
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We have a pretty big and dry basement and that helps. I have so many treasures stored down there just waiting for a “forever” house. Shopping the basement can be fun!
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Your collections are beautiful! I love the seed packets in the window but I especially love the rolling pins. I’m in the process of collecting them, too, and I love your idea of storing them in a basket. Thanks for sharing at Inspiration Thursday!
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Aren’t they fun…plus my little girl loves to pretend with them.
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Hi Amy, I am a collector as well. I enjoy adding to them a little at a time. Love your collection of rolling pins in the egg basket. I have one and have them displayed in a large crock. One of my favorite collection is that of my seltzer bottles. Your omelet pans are awesome! I have never seen them before. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
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I have a pretty seltzer bottle as well. I thought it might be fun in a bar area someday.
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Honestly, I’ve never collected too many things because I can’t figure out what to do with them but you have some wonderful display ideas. I am in love with the seed packets. Such a simple but colorful thing to do. Love love those red pans too! Thank you for the inspiration and for joining Thoughts of Home early this morning. 🙂
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Many boxes of stuff have been removed from the house…collections I no longer or never did love. The seed packets were an eBay discovery…I love them as well.
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You have some truly amazing collectibles and I love the stories surrounding them! I am crushing over your rolling pins something awful! I some some at a vintage market not to long ago but they were WAY out of my price range. The hunt continues.;-)
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They are getting harder to find…especially certain colors. The hunt is a big part of the collection love.
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Hopping over here from Laura’s (White Spray Paint) blog—I loveeeee all the collections you have…thank you for sharing. smiles
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Thank you…glad to meet other collectors!
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You’ve got some great collections and good advice on how to go about creating your own special collection. Thanks!
Karee
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I am envying that 24 pane window, but other than that I love your ideas on collecting!! I do have some collections I just need to pass on but some family and friends don’t notice they are not out anymore and keep buying me pieces…that ever happen to you? I feel bad getting rid of them.
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The window was a lucky find at a barn sale. My husband thought I was nuts. I envision it over a fireplace someday.
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I love your collections, and I have a rolling pin collection too!!
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Neat post! I love the window pane idea and your rolling pins are wonderful! I tend to collect things that I can use and find it works best for my small home such as milk glass and bubble glass which I use for our “china” as well as vintage tablecloths, linens and old jars which I employ in our pantry. Thank you for sharing with us on the Art of Home-Making Mondays at Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth! 🙂
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I love that you use and appreciate your lovely things. My Mother gave me a trunk of old linen and material as she is downsizing….I can’t wait to use them.
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What lovely collections you have and I absolutely love the displays, especially the window with the vintage seed labels! So so nice! And collecting rolling pins is so cool! Pinned!
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Such nice compliments! I am glad my collections made you smile.
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Hi Amy, I just wanted to pop in and let you know that I’ll feature your lovely collection at this afternoons Sweet Inspiration linky! Congrats! 🙂
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You have such a great eye for display. Your collections are wonderful. We so appreciate you joining the Thoughts of Home on Thursday gathering. May you have a delightfully lovely weekend.
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Thank you!
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The red pans are so beautiful!! I love to read your post!
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Great post! I love all your collections, the dolls and the seed packets are my favorites I think.
Tania
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I have a collection of chickens too! LOVE It
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I love the chickens….my husband said enough chickens however.
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Lovely collections, Amy. I agree that the joy of collecting is in the journey. Each thing I find has a special memory attached to it … where I found it, who I was with (usually my husband), and the delight I experienced in finding it! Blessings!
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So many memories in my collections…I love that most have a long history before me.
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Wow!, you have such stunning collections! I don’t know which one to favor or point out because I am loving them all. But of course the most important thing is to point out that sweet face!
Thanks for joining the DI & DI Link Party!
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What a great list for would-be collectors! I agree with all of your tips. I’ve been collecting for a lot of years now, and I still love it! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm!
xoKathleen Charm Bracelet Diva {At Home}
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My pleasure
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that’s a great things of collections! I’m sure your daughter will love collecting as much as you do 🙂
Thanks for linking up with Welcome Home Wednesdays! Live every Wednesday at 7AM EST.
liz @ j for joiner
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You articulated your thoughts in this post very well! Right now the hubs and I collect postcards from Postcrossing and snow globes from our travels. you are 100% correct that whatever you collect has to have meaning.
Thanks for sharing at Peace, Love, Linkup! The next party kicks off tomorrow at 6! Hope to see you there : )
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Love the window with the seed packets, what a gorgeous display.
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Good morning! This is just a little note to let you know this article has been * featured * today for our monthly feature on the Art of Home-Making Mondays at Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth! Thank you for joining us and have a lovely week! 🙂
P.S. We hope to see you at this week’s link up!
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So honored and pleased beyond measure! Thanks for the feature.
Many Thanks
Amy
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Your collections are wonderful! I am in love with wooden items and I adore rolling pins and have a large collection. Cutting boards and wooden bowls also warm my heart. Your rolling pin collection caught my eye in a photo in an earlier post. Your doll collection is wonderfully special!
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❤️ The rolling pins. I collect vintage kitchen utensils w/red or green handles. Great ideas for collections
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I just discovered your beautiful blog. Now I am binge reading. The way you display your amazing collections is so inspiring!
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Thank you for your lovely comment. It really made my day. So glad you enjoyed my house…come visit again!
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love your collection thanks for sharing your tips have a great week
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Thank you! Have a great week yourself…happy almost 4th
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Love all of your collections and your tips!! I myself have a ton of collections, lol.
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I love the suggestion of keeping collections together. I don’t collect much but I need to remember that for any future collections
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Collect what you love…that is the secret.
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What wonderful collections you have displayed. And all very good suggestions. Pinning.
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An awesome collection of goodies that you have there! I hope to have a collection of rolling pins like yours one day!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful collections with us over at Waste Not Wednesday!
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I love the history behind each one of them.
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I love how you display your collections of ordinary things like rolling pins or chickens. I agree about making collections personal to you.
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My husband can be confused about the rolling pins but he does admire how well they display in the kitchen.
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Hi Amy, you have so many wonderful collections, I love the rolling pins. How fun to reshare this post!!! Glad you stopped by to share, hope you get more viewers!!
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Wonderful rolling pin collection. I love to cook and I love vintage so they speak to me. I always enjoy your posts. Have a wonderful weekend, Kippi #kippiathome
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I love vintage kitchenware. I may have to put a stop to the rolling pins before they crowd us out.
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Just dropping in from Something Old, Something New. I think I’m getting to the point where there are things I don’t enjoy having in my house anymore. I need to give some stuff to Goodwill.
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It seems like the more I give away the more seems to pop up. I have a few bins right now to take to Lutheran mission down the street. Hopefully nothing in the thrift shop appeals to me.
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