Today, we are constantly plugged in. I know that I am guilty of having my iPhone and iPad within arms reach at all times. As a society, we are constantly connected and do most of our collecting and curating online (oh hello Pinterest). While I thoroughly enjoy blogging and social media, I believe that it is important to unplug and actually have tangible things to create, curate, and collect. I read more and more about people actively turning off their computers, leaving their phones in the other room, and reconnecting with the real world - you go Glen Coco!
To unplug, I enjoy baking, scrapbooking, and spending time with my family. I also think it’s important to have something tangible to collect. Whether it’s stamps, snow globes, shot glasses, or shoes (accidental alliteration there), collections are little tangible reminders of memories made.
I had a small bedroom growing up then moved to the dorms in college and now live in a tiny one-bedroom San Francisco apartment so I’ve never had a lot of space to work with. It would be difficult to house a collection of garden gnomes or antique globes in that sort of space. What I do collect does not take up much room and though I never really set out to start this collection, over time I have found this collection expanding into something very meaningful.
I collect greeting cards. I have kept (almost) every card I’ve been given since around 1999/2000. What I love about this collection is the memories attached to each card. I can look back at a card and think of how I celebrated a special occasion or who was there or who took the time to send a special note my way. I also have several messages from those loved ones I have lost, with their handwriting and words of love frozen in time.
If you visit our apartment, you will see our cards displayed on our wall. I have to switch out the cards as new ones come in but I keep everything. I love seeing them as I walk through the door. Currently, there are a lot of baby shower and welcome baby cards with a few Valentine’s, birthday, and Mother’s Day cards thrown in.
