I don’t have too many collectibles, because you have to dust them, ultimately they multiply, and in the end you have to figure out what you are going to do with them. Once your friends and family discover you are collecting something . . . said items tend to accrue at every gift giving opportunity. For that reason, I try to limit the accumulation of such things.
I am however a huge fan of Jim Shore, Heartwood Creek – especially the angels. Recently I came upon this wonderful angel lamp, and decided that it would be the perfect addition to my collection.
I was very excited to bring her home and place her with the others. She would be perfect!
At least that is what I thought, until I set her down and discovered that the white lampshade looked terrible beside the off-white lampshades which adorned the lamps on my end tables. ( You may want to enlarge the photos to see the other lamps.) So, now what was I going to do?
Some of you may remember that last year I decided that I needed to brighten my bedroom with the addition of red lampshades. Thankfully, I don’t purge my home of decorating castoffs too often. I tend to wait for a rummage sale, a plea to benefit a local charity, or a sufficient length of time to determine if I will need said item again. So, I ran to the corner of my basement where I store these castoffs until the appointed time.
Yippee! There they were – last year’s beige lampshades! I told you I don’t purge too often. So, what is the point?
1. When you find yourself in need of something – look around your house, you might have it right under your nose.
2. Keep it simple and basic when you go out in search of that new lampshade. Why?
3. If you keep it basic – you can move them as needed.
4. It is fun to decorate basic shades to make them work specifically for your home – I have friends who have stenciled lampshades, covered them with fabric, etc.
Whether you are collecting or not, enjoy the approaching change of seasons. Mix things up, move them around, and let us know your favorite ideas.
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1. Hi Deb,
I too am a big believer in use-what-you-have! Because I stage homes, I have an inventory storage area in my basement of wonderful accessories.
So if it comes down to it, I can usually find something down there for my own home – it’s just too tempting not to!
Susan
by Susan — 9/3/08 at 7:53 pm #
2. It’s all in making it fresh and keeping it excited! I have said before that I really don’t like to clean, but I love to decorate. When I come up with a new decorating project everything gets a thorough cleaning at the same time.
I do believe that I would have to give into temptation, too, if I had an inventory at hand to choose from.
Thanks as always for your great comments.
Deb
by Deb — 9/4/08 at 12:01 pm #