treasures.

I love the concept of flea markets and yard sales. One man's junk is truly another man's treasure. There is something fascinating about the history behind the items that someone once owned. A set of china tea cups could have been used between two friends, divulging the details of their lives over a pot of tea. Oh, and old pictures and postcards! I could stare at those for hours, just imagining the stories behind them.

In addition to history, I also love organizing; breathing a sense of structure into chaos,clearing out things that haven't been used in years, and only keeping the useful items around. On rainy days, one of my favorite things to do is clean out a closet. This is even better when it is a closet in my mother's house. God love her, the woman saves everything. There is a room in the basement of my parent's house where 50 to 60 boxes live. My mother has not touched any of the contents in 10 years or longer, but don't even think about trying to clear them out to create space! Last fall, I opened a few and found that they contained school work from my brothers and me (painted hand prints, cursive practice sheets, pictures colored by out little fingers)--from preschool all the way up to 4th grade. On the flip side, if you ever need a receipt for the t-shirt purchased from The Gap in 1998, she's your girl! Sigh. My momma is a pack rat, it is what it is, and she will most likely always be a pack-rat. :)

Perhaps my love of cleaning and organizing stems from this very fact!

A few weeks ago, I was in Dallas with my friend, Christine, and we found a yard sale. This was one of the most amazing yard sales I've ever seen! It was the kind of display that prompted Christine to call her friends to rush down and check it out. Before we knew it, we had accumulated a pile of lamps, containers, wall hangings, picture frames, and hooks. Then it hit me that I was flying back to Nashville, and space would be limited. In situations like these, I like to encourage my friends to buy all the items that I will leave behind. At least someone will give them a good home! (I have to say, I have excellent sales skills when it comes to talking a friend into buying an item. I can make a compelling argument for why you need the DREAM sign for your future children one day. I should have been an attorney!) Once we deliberated over our pile, I'm proud to say we both did a remarkable job of only purchasing things that were useful and beautiful.

My friend Susanne, told me about a quote years ago that always plays in my mind when I am moving (which is often) or cleaning. She told me that you should never own anything that wasn't beautiful, meaningful, or useful. I think this is actually a Feng Shui principal, but I like to give her the credit. I think this is a great philosophy for a consumer like me!

Here are photos of the items I was able to carry back to Nashville. My suitcase was considerably heavier!

a Café jar that now houses my supply of Enfusia

my "new" mercury glass lamp, which is now illuminates my room

lovely little wall hooks

i love the picture on the right of the little boy boxing.

These frames (almost) match my lamp!