Monday, October 8, 2012

Memory hoarders

dress & shoes: Francesca's | belt: estate sale

Last weekend, Chris and I went to an estate sale - my first one in a long time, since they always seem to be scheduled during working hours. This sale was a little bit unusual. It was not an estate sale for someone who has passed away, but rather someone who was still alive...in this case, a hoarder. A literal hoarder, as in Hoarders, like you would see on TV. Her children had finally convinced her to get rid of her stuff, on the one condition (her condition) that she wouldn't have to be there while it was taken away. 

I've never seen so much stuff jammed into a small space in all my life: rooms of clothing, more dishes than you can imagine, random trinkets and eyeglasses...a one-person antique shop, really. It was spread throughout all the rooms, the garage, the basement, and even an extra tent to make room for it all. I walked away with this belt (25 cents), three vintage wool skirts ($1.50 each), and a wooden box with a Gibson-girl-esque design (a splurge at $10). As we walked away, I couldn't help imagining what it must be like to live that way. How do you let it get that far?

And yet, in a way, I understand. I've only started to break out of my packrat tendencies in the last year or so. I've gotten rid of enormous bags of junk, and it feels wonderful. But there are still things I can't part with: books, shoes, and the huge wooden box under my desk table - the one that holds all of my scrapbooks and photographs. And you know what? If it turns out that I can never part with that box full of mementos, then so be it. I don't mind being a hoarder of memories. 




These are the memories I'd like to hoard right here. Autumn, this year. (It's honestly the most colorful one I can remember.) Going to see the outdoor ArtPrize entries with Chris, in the rain, on a cool October night when hardly anybody else was out and about. Learning to make black bean soup and then eating it for just about every meal except breakfast. Taking walks in Grand River Park and having my breath taken away by the stillness and beauty.

I wish autumn lasted longer, but I'm grateful for the wonderful memories I am blessed enough to have time to create.




You know, I'm glad I have this blog. It makes it easier to hoard memories without them taking up physical space! I'm planning to get an iPod touch (I'm still too cheap for an iPhone) so I can take photographs more easily. More hoarding. Is that a bad thing? I tend to think not, in this case.

What about you? Have you been known to hoard anything?



23 comments:

  1. I love that dress! The color is great (:

    http://somuchfashionsolittlespace.blogspot.com/

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  2. Wow beautiful pictures and great outfit! I love nyc but sometimes I was closer to real nature.

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  3. Those shoes are beautiful, your whole outfit is grand <3

    Best,
    Colour Me Classic

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  4. 1. that dress!
    2. those portraits!
    3. that belt!
    4. those shoes!

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  5. i love where you set your photos, always so pretty! You have impressive taste

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  6. beautiful pictures, I have definite hoarding tendencys, really trying to get rid of stuff at the moment, too much stuff for the amount of space I have!
    http://ahandfulofhope.blogspot.co.uk/

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  7. I love the idea of being a hoarder of memories. Well, at least when those memories are good. :)
    I am quite the hoarder of books. I have a few bookcases stuffed full in my house and then boxes of books still waiting for me at my parent's house. Many of them remain unread since the day I purchased them, but there are quite a few whose spines are badly damaged from the many hours I have spent reading and rereading them. Books feed my soul, so perhaps this kind of hoarding is okay.
    -Aubrey

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  8. beautiful fall color shoot! love the gold dress!

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  9. I love estate sales! And those shoes and that dress!

    Whiskey for Breakfast

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  10. love. those. shoes.

    www.dailycatie.blogspot.com

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  11. haha yes, I hoard vintage clothes, but at least I let some of them go.
    I know what you mean though, since I go to estate sales all the time and I am blown away by the piles of junk. Site lab this year had an exhibit that was basically an estate sale rearranged, and it was sort of haunting to me to see all that stuff on display. I commend your efforts to detach from things, I am always trying to improve on that ability.
    In other news, great photos as usual! Is this roselle park?

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  12. those leaves. those colors. that outfit. swoon.

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  13. I gasped when I saw your shoes! So darling. I hoard books. I do. And I love them. What a beautful place you live, and that yellow dress is so pretty!

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  14. ohh, i love the autumn-ness of this outfit! The yellow dress and your shoes and your hair! Breathtaking!
    X Jane

    http://thetaleoftwobuttons.blogspot.com

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  15. love the colors of these pics!
    and you are so gorgeous!

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  16. LOVE this autumn outfit!! i'm feeling very autumn-esque lately too. its such a cozy, layering time of year! :)

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  17. I love this color combination! You look gorgeous and so ready for Fall.
    http://shannonhearts.blogspot.com/

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  18. Ahhh Michigan fall colors are so amazing. I can't imagine being anywhere else this time of year! I love that yellow dress with your hair color. Just beautiful!

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  19. That dress is so beautiful!!! :) And it goes perfectly with the shoes. Love the outfit. xo. Deanna

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  20. This dress + those leaves in the background make such a beautiful autumn post!

    xo Jennifer

    http://seekingstyleblog.wordpress.com

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  21. love the dress and the shoes. :)


    Irene Wibowo

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  22. Another lovely dress. You're like the goddess of autumn :)
    Again, excellent blog.

    P.S. I also got hooked on Delightfully Tacky and decided to create my own blog after browsing hers day and night :)

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