Um, I have this small problem. I’ve had it for years. I want to call it a collection, but in reality, I’m hoarding.
I’m a hoarder.
I’m not sure when it all started, but I have a *slight* fascination with pretty paper and all things stationary. I can’t help it – it thrills me. Thrills me, I tell you.
I had boxes of the stuff all over the house: stashed in end table drawers, or stacked on shelves like bookends. I had boxes in kitchen cabinets. You should never, ever see what’s in my basement. *shudders*
I had boxes of invitations to birthday parties. To dinner parties. To Christmas parties! To cocktail parties!! Man, I do so love a party… but inviting people and actually hosting are two very different things. And you know what? I email people for just about everything. Poo. (I think that also makes me a slacker.)
I had just about every gift tags known to man. Some even had the dreaded glitter on them, but I kept them anyway since, you know, the holidays are all special and whatnot.
I’ve got ’em in English and in French. I’ve got blank ones, and ones filled with pithy hilarity. I’ve got one with beautiful drawings on them, and others with funky patterns. Need an anniversary card? Got one. Someone die? Awwww, balls… here you go. Celebrating Kwanza? Well… actually, you’d be out of luck there, but I’ll bet I could whip up something wonderful with my zig-zag scissors and some stray glitter. (There’s always some stray glitter. It hangs around for months. Hence, my hatred of glitter.)
About two years ago, I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t buy any more stationary of any kind, until I used up about 20% of what I currently have. I pared it all down. Totally edited. Cleaned it up. I’ve been a good girl about it, I have to say.
After some renovating last year, I gathered all my wares into one large pile, decided one one place to keep it all (which is the sane way to do things) and ever since, it’s all tidy in one splendid drawer in my kitchen, and I love the way it looks when I pull it open… *gasps* You see:
This kind of nerdiness just pleases me. And you’d think I might actually mail letters to people… but no. It’s all just too pretty to use. I hoard it instead.
I hoard it.
I’m a hoarder.
I’M A HORDER!!
Okay, that doesn’t sound any better to my ears, no matter how often I say it out loud. I have to get rid of some – this addiction is killing me. (No, not really… but it’s a bit silly, isn’t it?)
So. *ahem* Hit me up if you want a letter or something…
Et tu? Do you hoard anything in particular? Spill it here.
Oh gosh, Hayley, I have to stay out of the kid section on just about all things, or I will BUY THE STORE!! I know. Toothbrushes… bandaids… GAH!
RIGHT, sistah! Amen.
You are so smart…
Hi Tracey,
I’m not sure if it’s actually hoarding, but I do have an obsession with kid’s toothbrushes. They are just so darn cute!! Princesses, elmo, spiderman, batman, hello kitty etc. There are thousands of them! I don’t think it’s hoarding because my kids do use them…just because I have more than they or their children will ever need doesn’t make it hoarding 🙂
I also have a thing for kid’s bandaids but don’t ask!!
Hayley
How can anyone NOT love – and keep buying, despite not using – pretty, pretty paper?! I don’t understand. These people have hearts and eyes of stone.
I recently pared mine down and also organized all the greeting cards into those clear plastic shoe boxes by type so I can find exactly what I need. now it’s useful, right? RIGHT?
Good to know I’m of the harmless variety… sometimes I worry.
And I soooo know the lure of scrapbooking – the delicious aisles in the craft stores are the very reason I never took it up. Then I’d also need a scrapbooking ROOM, I swear to god.
Have fun with your organising! You know what a nerdy-freak I am about organising stuff too… somebody stop me…!!
Scrapbooking supplies. That’s my hoard. Stacks and stacks of beautiful paper, ribbon, stamps, inks and doo-dads, all to beautiful to use! Funny I should read this today, actually, since I made it my goal this child-free weekend to unpack, organize and – gasp – USE some of that stash of mine! So I sooo get your beautiful paper thing…I do, I do indeed.
I wouldn’t worry if I were you, Tracey. Just the fact that you have it all contained to a drawer (ONE drawer) and your stationery is ORGANIZED and you are able to GET RID OF some of it shows you are not a hoarder. Just a collector. A harmless collector 🙂
Oh, thanks for thinking my collection is beautiful… I won’t show you my “collection” of baskets in the basement though. Ohmygod. And did I mention that the boy child just started a rubberband ball? Let’s hope this is just fun, and not, say, genetics.
How bad is it that I desire a wrapping room though? I mean really. With the tissue and the ribbon (ribbon!!) and the gift wrap… oh. I am a hoarder alright. I should have a show called “Hoard This House” or something. Eek!!
“I don’t got all my teeth” hoarder. Heh. That’s funneh, Julie. Hee!!
Um, you know The Place that Rhymes with Sinners is where I bought most of my stationary… of course. Sooooo lovely. Blank cards are my nemesis, but still, I love loving them. Where do you stash yours, Amanda?
I’m a terrible mother who trashes that stuff regularly – http://www.urbanmoms.ca/on_top_of_the_mutherload/2011/02/trashing-the-arts.html – but I’m actually getting set to frame a few of my favourites.
Maybe I should give the artwork a drawer? But wait… where would I put all the pretty paper? Balls. This is haaaaard.
“Stationary whore-ing” has just become be the working title of my book. Heh. That’s awesome, Ann… thanks!! Hahahahahahahahahaaaa….!!
I know the hell of the art projects, lady… they go directly into the trash. I AM TERRIBLE about that stuff! But I have a definite weakness for pretty paper… *swoons too* 🙂
THIS IS NOT HOARDING.
Hoarding is where you have a newspaper room (yes and entire room dedicated to collecting newspapers
Hoarding is where you keep every elastic band that comes wound around those newspapers, or broccoli, or leeks. If you make it into a bouncing ball you are fun, but if you save them you are a hoarder.
This darling grumbler is a COLLECTION. And a beautiful one at that. A style maven like you should have this drawer of delights.
i don’t see any cat skeletons or flies in there so i think you’re only borderline 🙂
you have a lovely drawer…you are more of an “extreme couponing” hoarder and not a “i don’t got all my teeth” hoarder so i think you will be okay!
I was just at Winners today and bought a huge stack of blank cards. I go through them, so it’s worth it. I covet your collection, Tracey! Well done. 🙂
Ok, so pretty. I like paper too but usually manage not to go too crazy. Kids artwork – here’s the trick: take pictures of it then pitch it.
But that sationery drawer, ooh la la!
So I see you raided my favourite drawer!! Aside from a love of good paper, there is another kind of paper that’s been piling up in my house: kids artwork. We’ve framed a few favourites, but what do you do with it all?
It cannot possibly count as hoarding when it looks that good. Stationary whore-ing maybe.
🙂
It’s beautiful, Tracey! I LOVE paper. Especially pretty paper. Especially pretty paper organized so neatly in a drawer. *swoons* I don’t think I hoard anything. I mean aside from my kids’ craft projects. But I’m getting better about that…. really!