beargreasekkk

　　Collections are the outward manifestation of a deeply-felt principle or emotion, and are quite different than ordinary garden-variety "clutter." One man has a love of photography and bearing grease takes pictures of everything. Another woman buys more shoes than she could ever wear, to make up for having hand-me-downs as a child. Someone else might keep all of her mother's old clothes and papers after her death. Whether we love hats, unicos, or butter tubs that we "might use someday," collecting makes us feel good -- it fulfills some NEED in our lives. What do you love to collect?However, as much as we love our keepsakes and mementos, any collection can become overwhelming if it isn't kept in check.

One of my clients actually considered building on an extra room to house dozens of antique cups -- until she realized it was a choice between the renovation and her son's college tuition! Another client spent hundreds of dollars a month on storage units, because she couldn't bear to part with any of her children's clothes or toys. The trick is to establish a set of RULES for sorting, storing, and purging your mementos. Even if you aren't buried in memorabilia, it's important that you properly store and protect your keepsakes -- after all, your treasured memories deserve some respect!You may decide to establish a physical limit for your belongings.

Perhaps you tell yourself that you will keep no more than 10 ceramic frogs, setting numerical limit. Or, you could determine an acceptable spatial limit -- I won't buy any more shoes than will fit on this shelf. Finally, you might decide that you work better with an in / out ratio -- you get rid of one magazine every time you bring a new one home. Either way, you are creating a very specific method for keeping your belongings in check. You never need worry about losing control again!Collecting, like everything in life, should be about quality -- not just quantity. Resist the urge to own every colored glass bottle on the planet -- be about your "favorites." Perhaps you can select a few representative samples of your collection, display them beautifully, and discard the rest. Take some time to examine your treasures, asking yourself which ones really mean something to you. You may find that a once beloved collection has lost its appeal.

Take picture or shoot a video tape of your collection for posterity -- then you will feel more free to let go of the past without completely discarding years of memories.The first rule for protecting your memorabilia is to select a space that is accessible, but not part of your active storage. If you clearly separate mementos from those items you use regularly, they are less likely to get damaged or lost. You may use any kind of container, but one with a lid will keep out dust. I happen to prefer a cedar chest, because it insures that no creepy-crawlies will decide to munch on my keepsakes. Insect infestation is a particularly important conce if you are keeping old clothing or dried flowers.