...we all have them. I have quite a few. There is something magical and special in surrounding yourself with the things you love. I got to thinking about collections and what they mean. My conclusion? A home IS a collection; it is not one that can be purchased as a grouping or found at pottery barn or IKEA; it is a culmination of memories, travels, family, friends, music, musings, and things that inspire... some are more tangible than others but equally important.
For example, when I entertain, I like to fill the house with songs from a collection (aka a playlist). I set the table with my grandmother's dishes and silver along with my collection of candlesticks and white pottery filled with a combination of flowers from my garden. The menu is even a collection of sorts... a myriad of recipes that have been tried, loved, and some that have been passed down from family and friends. It is all a way of honoring the past and at the same time feeling alive in the present. Items, objects, art--whatever you want to call them, can come into your life in many ways. They can be received as gifts; they can be found (i.e. old signs, architectural salvage ); and of course they can be purchased. Now I realize that not EVERYTHING can be purchased and held as a memory... that would be ridiculous; however, to strive for thought and emotion behind objects d'art can really take an okay room to a WOW room. I strongly believe that people feel a connection when they walk into a room or home that is a true reflection of the owner's personality... and collections help us feel that.
I can remember the very first thing I ever bought that gave me a sense of meaning and memory... an etching of the city of Florence, Italy. It is a lovely little scene of the Duomo, cyprus tress, terra cotta roof tops, and the Arno river from the point of view of the surrounding hills outside of town. When I was in my twenties and moving practically every year from one apartment to another, I had a box of my favorite things... my first collection... it was always the last to be packed and the first to be unpacked. It was a security thing really. It is what made me feel instantly at home no matter where I was... that is what collections do.. they soothe. Like the blanket you had as a baby, or the favorite stuffed animals you had as a small child.
So the moral of this little story? The next time you find yourself in a quaint little shop, day tripping, or just happen upon an item that reminds you of another time in your life... buy it... collect it... bring it home and give it a place of honor. That way when you pass by it, meditate on it, or eat and drink from it, the memories will be there with you. Those memories can be just like hearing a favorite song and remembering where you were when you first heard it and it changed you life.
