Hoarding. I think of hoarders as people with stuff forming a landslide in their homes.
Until we had our basement finished. And we designated a certain part of the finished basement to be unfinished. That was when I thought of our family as hoarders. We did a lot of purging and sorting. To attempt to revamp the hoarder self image.
My husband collects music. He has 10,000 vinyl records and 8,000 CDs. While the basement was being worked on, these boxes of music were stored next to the furnace in the designated unfinished part of the basement. He also encourages others to keep their collections. Or make new collections. He is the person who, when I posted on Facebook: “What should I do with all my Martha Stewarts?” (I have been collecting the magazine since she first published. I have every issue.) My husband said, “Keep them!”
Our house is immaculate. Each room, people go into, saying, “What a nice room to read a book in!” Very sparse. I have a thing about neatness and cleanliness. You can tell. But to read a book? I spend a lot of time maintaining the neatness.
We hoard. Not only music, but Fiesta dishes. Many different kinds of china. And crystal serving dishes. Clothes. Dolls. Little porcelain shoes, also in boxes like the dolls. Bordering on hoarding.
The music on vinyl has gone into decorative crates in the finished part of the basement. The CDs in shelving in the unfinished part. However, we too have that cliched hoarders characteristic. When we wanted to find something like the wire that hooks the computer to the printer, we had to sort through a box labels “wires”, and delving into the assortment of extension cords, picture wires and Christmas light blinkers was a journey unto itself.
Wow! That’s a lot of albums and CDs, Hollis! I would label your husband a collector rather than a hoarder. 🙂
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It’s hoarder-esque when the Martha Stewarts were encouraged. But then, I asked!!!!
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Ha ha! I agree…Martha…she’s got to go! 🙂
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Hmm, no I think hoarder is probably correct! I live with a family of hoarders – I’m always chucking stuff out as fast as they are bringing it in. Sorcerer’s apprentice springs to mind.
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Yes it is bad when EVERY record or CD is treasured. Some, of course, more than others. Got caught one time (again of my doing), inheriting 300 vinyls. There was a signed Miles Davis among the 300, but the deal was, my husband had to take all of the 300. Well, are the rest gone? Are you kidding. Yes Jenny, when the mix is show tunes and second rate violists along with Robert Goulet ( no offense to anyone), it’s hoarding. 🙂
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You and Doug are the most organized “horders” I have ever known. Agree with the above comment – collectors not horders.
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Lorraine, thanks for joining in!!!! See above! But thanks for the compliment about being organized. We are headed for The Strand (He collects books too) and guaranteed, we will have to have some. 🙂
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Landslide is the word. I hope the viewers of my house today didn’t open any wardrobes…
We are not too bad. Although now a lot of stuff has been boxed up for the garage to make the house more presentable, it does make me question whether we still have too much stuff.
I was thinking as I tidied up, it would be so much easier if we had a really big house, with lots of storage. But then that would be more to keep tidy, which I don’t want.
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I do agree, the more space you have , the more you fill it up. I am so proud that last year at this time I donated ten bags of clothing (yes) and this year’s winter/ summer switch was easier.
The clamps on these collages are just that. To hold the book open. They are all from The Sketchbook Project, which will be the basis of my new work. But I like your idea of a recording device. Sort of UFO ish anyway. Good luck with weeding out, Denise!!!
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Is the item in the bottom left a recording tape of some kind?
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Denise. No. I misunderstood. Nothing other than magazine paper and of course my own photo of the junction box, which I found fascinating at the time. Still do actually.
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You a hoarder, no way. Everything has a place and now very neatly and organized.
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Thanks Marjie! Yes we are organized. Organized hoarders. Wish you were here, eating Tiramisu! I discarded the tight pants and went for the baggy dress. TTYS!
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I’m a lazy hoarder (shove it in a box in the loft), hubbie would throw everything away if he could. When he’s had a ‘sort’ I go through the bin-bags and retrieve at least half. I hate the mess and clutter but I also hate throwing things away that might be useful and I hate adding to the landfill. We’ve kept all our kids’ paintings (because my mum never kept anything of mine) but someone said to me the kindest thing we could do is chuck it all away so they don’t have to in fifty years’ time!
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I disagree!!!! I have kept every single piece of artwork my daughter has done!!! Get two big card boards and staple them together. Mark the year on it. Then slide the kids’ artwork inside. Does not take up much room. Someone told me this when mine was four and I have been pretty much doing it ever since. Good to “see” you, Amanda!
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We have A2 art folders and they have each filled one a foot thick. Maybe I just need to winnow them down…!
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No, keep them. You’ll be glad. My daughter is leaving for college in 7 weeks and I am glad. Some or most of her stuff is hanging on our walls.( Or the ceramics are on tables) It’s really nice!
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Holiis, I really did chuckle reading this post. I think to a certain extent, everyone is guilty of hoarding at least, “something”. I love how the left side of your collage has what appears to be metal storage cabinet? Or maybe even a copy machine!? Very humorous and lighthearted piece – I love it.
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Thank you. You keep me going!!! You know how the art biz is. I need you to tell me stuff like that! 🙂
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Ha I wrote about this on my blog once too – for me it’s just art stuff I don’t have anywhere to put so it ends up becoming a part of the decor, like wig heads and light stands!
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I like wig heads and light stands. They seem to be “in” decor wise now! Thanks for following me!
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They’re very pretty wigheads, with false lashes and lipstick and everything. They look better than I do.
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🙂
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I’d call you a hoarder if one had to use a machete to break a path through your house, or at least if your walls seemed to made of towering book stacks rather than sheetrock. It doesn’t sound like your house is like that at all 🙂 My husband and I go through occasional purges of clothes, old computer stuff, magazines. We are loathe to cull our books though. My husband does collect fossils and rocks but we’ve managed to contain his collection a small curio cabinet. For years I bought yarn for the sake of buying yarn. And then there are our books. Always books. And I love notebooks and paper and pens. I have enough of those for several lifetimes. I think part of our desire to accumulate stuff was handed down through our depression-era parents. But also, like them, we’ve gotten weary of having so much stuff we don’t use or need. Clothes I may wear once a year and only because I feel I should because they are hanging in my closet. I feel another purge coming on 🙂 But first, I need to check out a sale on notebooks at my favorite vendor.
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Thanks for commenting and following. I have three blogs in mind, but have to get to it! (Something for you to follow!) Yes. Same. I love notebooks. I love them. I use them as sketchbooks and writing things down. But then I don’t ever fill them up. It’s always good to have a “fresh” one, right?
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