And I have proof.
My mom and dad own a ranch a few miles from their home. For Dad's retirement he is irrigating, mowing, baling&bucking hay, etc. Sounds relaxing, huh? The ranch house is 100% darling. Totally mid-century mod and I love it. My mom loves it, too. Especially for all its storage space. One of the first things she did when they bought the place a couple years ago was move all of my crap out there. You know, the stuff I collected in my youth and couldn't bear to part with. It is taking up an ENTIRE CLOSET out there.
I spent a few hours out there last week to start the process of de-junking and had myself a seriously good (like peeing my pants good) laugh. When I texted my friend, Danielle some pictures of my treasures, she requested a post. Yer in luck, Danielle. I give you...A gajillion dance costumes. What's great about this is that they come in all sizes. Not only did I wear bright sequined tutus at age 6, but I also wore hideous gold lamay pants at age 15. We're going to have one rockin' dress up box at the blue house. (=totally keeping)
M&M lights. A total necessity in 7th grade. Not so much anymore. (=trashing)
Multiple boxes full of baby dolls, baby doll clothes, Barbies, and Barbie accessories (i.e. Barbie's hot dog stand, soda shoppe, corvette...) As I am willing to keep birthing children as long as I physically can (& without going insane) until I get a girl, I have determined that I will have daughters--and we don't need to go re-buying all of these fun toys. (=keeping for sure!)
Frighteningly small sampling of sunflower, sun-moon-stars, and angel collections. (Let's hear it for 1994!) Beth, do you remember when you announced that when you got your first car you were going to get a vanity plate that said "sunlvr" (sun-lover)? And I was so incensed because I was the one who loved suns?!! Bless my mom's sentimental heart, she doesn't think she can part with this stuff. Uh...I can. (=ditching)
Oh wait, did you think those other boxes contained all my Barbies? Oh no, my friend. You forgot about my habit of collecting Special Edition Barbies until like last year. Did you know I have a baby blue Barbie Vespa? It's freakin' rad. And I have not one but TWO BYU cheerleader Barbies. (Rise and shout, the cougars are out!!) (jury still out--should I let my daughters play with them? Try to make a couple bucks on ebay?)
Ceramic name plate made by aforementioned Danielle in 6th grade. Found this gem in the same box as my "Newsies" poster and my ceramic theatre masks. Nickname "Curly" given in 5th grade when I had the serious perm of all perms (aka total fro). Danielle, it was awfully nice of you to be friends with me when I was wearing blazers with shoulder pads and sporting the fro. I think a photo of it will do. (=ditching. Wait, Danielle, are you totally offended?)
Pez collection. Wow. At least this kept Blaine occupied during the sorting session. Turns out a lot of them still contained Pez. 15 year old Pez? Mmmm. Probably has a 15-hundred year shelf life, so I think we're good. But Blaine probably has about 42 cavities after that episode. (=Ditching.)
Frighteningly small sampling of sunflower, sun-moon-stars, and angel collections. (Let's hear it for 1994!) Beth, do you remember when you announced that when you got your first car you were going to get a vanity plate that said "sunlvr" (sun-lover)? And I was so incensed because I was the one who loved suns?!! Bless my mom's sentimental heart, she doesn't think she can part with this stuff. Uh...I can. (=ditching)
Oh wait, did you think those other boxes contained all my Barbies? Oh no, my friend. You forgot about my habit of collecting Special Edition Barbies until like last year. Did you know I have a baby blue Barbie Vespa? It's freakin' rad. And I have not one but TWO BYU cheerleader Barbies. (Rise and shout, the cougars are out!!) (jury still out--should I let my daughters play with them? Try to make a couple bucks on ebay?)
Ceramic name plate made by aforementioned Danielle in 6th grade. Found this gem in the same box as my "Newsies" poster and my ceramic theatre masks. Nickname "Curly" given in 5th grade when I had the serious perm of all perms (aka total fro). Danielle, it was awfully nice of you to be friends with me when I was wearing blazers with shoulder pads and sporting the fro. I think a photo of it will do. (=ditching. Wait, Danielle, are you totally offended?)
Pez collection. Wow. At least this kept Blaine occupied during the sorting session. Turns out a lot of them still contained Pez. 15 year old Pez? Mmmm. Probably has a 15-hundred year shelf life, so I think we're good. But Blaine probably has about 42 cavities after that episode. (=Ditching.)
And let me tell you, that is the smallest smattering of what that closet contains. Old letters, school projects, ballerina figurines and posters, t-shirts galore, baby clothes, photographs, and on and on. The thing is, it's tricky because you don't want so much crap cluttering up your life, but at the same time, these funny little trinkets jog your memory like nothing else can and fill your whole soul with laughter and smiles and gratitude. I am only twenty-seven years old and already feel like I have had such a full and blessed life. Not because of Pez or anything, but because of education and experiences and opportunities and relationships. I have often recorded in my journal, "My cup runneth over." And I'm sitting here in my blue house looking at the gorgeous zinnias on my kitchen table and smiling because my two delish babes are snoozing upstairs in their beds and feeling that same thing again. "My cup runneth over."
Miniature cabbage patch doll made out of soap, anyone?
Miniature cabbage patch doll made out of soap, anyone?
13 comments:
Did you already trash the PEZ, because I might want those. Also, if you ever get rid of the Barbie hot dog stand or the "cafe", I'll kill you. This is hysterical. And good job de-junking.
That is some amazing stuff you have there. I kept my dance costumes and my girls think they are the most beautiful of all their dress-ups. And all the barbie stuff, amazing. You just can't get good barbies anymore! I say unless those collectible barbies are really worth a lot, just keep em. Fun fun.
I wish you had some pictures of you with your curly hair and sport jacket with shoulder pads. I am sure you looked adorable.
Liz, how could I ever get rid of my Barbie and the Rockers Cafe?? It was my reward (from you) for quitting sucking my thumb (at age 14 or something)
Ha! I think it's hilarious whenever I go back through some of the junk I have kept. I totally got rid of tons of PEZ stuff recently but I might still have a few--hopefully PEZ free! If you have any time here in UT I would love to have lunch or anything (I eat like 6 times a day, so whenever!). If not, I totally understand!
This reminds me of my mom and I about a year ago....we dejunked the attic and of all 10 kids, I by far had the most junk. Barbies, sports schedules, weird unicorn head my brother gave me for Christmas....and all those collector Barbies in the box. Maybe I should have kept those instead of giving them to donating them to Provo Hospital when I got married and they wouldn't fit in the car. I totally agree about keeping the toys...no sense in rebuying that stuff. My husband wanted to junk it all, but now that Noelle plays with the little people house constantly and uses my childhood rocking chair, he can't complain. Thanks for all the pics - what a great post. PS I am not even going to mention how many half-finished YW projects I found. Cross stitch bibs, knit scarves, crocheted potholders, latch hook rugs. Yikes.
I just came back to visit this post again (it was that funny) and thought I'd share that if anyone is trying to visualize Anne in 5th grade with her shoulder pads, just think blonde poodle. I hope that's not unkind, but that was totally a poodle 'do. Also, I totally remember that cabbage patch soap (do you think it might have been mine and I gave it to you?). What a random piece of paraphernalia -- who sits in a marketing discussion and comes up with stuff like that? And more importantly, at what point was that important enough to you that you KEPT it!?!
You are funny!
You have to keep all those suns, moons and stars! I mean, I braved Rare Earth in downtown Ashland when I was 13 to bring you half of those gems! Ha! I am totally kidding, please dispose of all those incence smelling trinkets!
Every once in a while I'm actually grateful that I am one of the oldest in a large family and that I grew up during the poor phase. Although It also probably helps that I am the opposite of a pack rat. Is there a name for that? I totally had the moon and stars stuff from Rare Earth though and I too rocked the perm.
This is good, Anne. So funny! Liz's comments are "crackin' me out," as Henry would say.
Miss you!
Hilarious! I have some similar items at my parents house too. Except replace barbies with the entire Kirsten American Girl collection.
It is so nice that your mom kept all that stuff for you. Between all my parents' moves, I barely kept anything, and the stuff that remains at dad's is mysteriously Christina's!!
This was hilarious, thank you for letting us play with all of your "junk". And by the way, one thing no one could have anticipated was the lovely dance outfit you let Keaton take home completely shedding all of its glorious bright blue sequins everywhere...I mean they have even ended up in my bed, but hey, she loves it, with it's shoulder pads and all!
p.s. I do not recall my vanity license plate at all, but I can see why you would be jealous, it's pretty awesome.
Post a Comment