Hoarder in the Making...

Anyone out there who enjoys mixed media knows what the "thrill of the hunt" means.  That dusty corner of an antique mall or thrift shop where you spy that "thing" that everyone else has overlooked.  That "thing" that would be so cool in a project-someday.  You buy it.  You take it home.  You place it somewhere that you can admire it.  For years.  because you are waiting for "just the right project"  or it's one of a kind and once you use it, it's gone. While sitting out front of an estate sale one day, an older gentleman once said (about the contents that were in the house that we were waiting to go in and snatch up)-"it's a shame she didn't use it-now she is gone and someone else gets to enjoy it" (another woman and I were 2nd/3rd in line waiting to hit the room full of sewing stuff)
    Those words really struck a chord with me.  It made me start to think of all the cool stuff i had accumulated that was sitting on a shelf or in a box-waiting for just the right project.  Some really cool stuff I might add.  For a while I did start using some of that stuff-usually on something for myself-that way i still had the item but I put it to use.  If it was a gift or for sale, i sometimes used the "2nd favorite" item :)
  Here it is-years later and a lot more stuff.  Couple that with a few years of major spans of time with no inspiration or desire to do art.  Occasional desire to hit an antique mall brought in more "stuff."
 Recently, as I mentioned my grandfather passed away-the last of my grandparents.  My parents and aunt had one month to empty out his house-as it sold a month before his death.  I've never had to help clean out someone's residence.  It's a lot more work than you think.  Even when they lived fairly simply with out a lot of clutter or "stuff."   You have to go through EVERY drawer in every room, every closet, every inch-which is what they did-and I helped some.
    That was my mistake.  Don't get me wrong, i was very glad to be able to help. There were certain items going to different family members-furniture mostly, some kitchen items and family photos.  Clothing was donated, misc given away.  The next round was letting the "junk guy" come take what he wanted. He had a thrift shop in their city.  When he loaded his truck and saw what was still left he had to get another truck and help.  Dad wanted no money-just wanted it out of the house.  Well, knowing that they were coming kicked my "hunter/gatherer" instinct in.  Big Time.  I set aside few smallish boxes for me.  Went out to the garage where i knew everything had not been gone through thoroughly.  Again, set aside some items for me or my husband.  Tool kit that had never been opened for my dad-and then i found "stuff."  The rusty metal, little wheels, rulers and thing-a-ma-jigs.  The laundry area downstairs had stuff stored as well.  And the boxes under the stairs and the large "closet"-both of which were full.  Probably things they packed up in st louis and never opened again.  The small moving box full of every cancelled check they wrote in the 50's and 60's.  The kind you see in an antique store.  Which i mentioned to my husband and before i could put them in the trash pile i thought "what am i thinking?!  I can use these, sell these and or give them to friends."  duh.  so that box went to my pile.   I don't know how many boxes I came home with-it was all stuff that no one else would have wanted.  It would have been donated or thrown out.  So it came to a good home.  The bad thing
is, my art room is already full.  Disorganized really.  If I would just get in there and consolidate/organize it would make more room for my haul.  I have more fabric, sewing notions, thread, rusty stuff, old jars, vintage christmas doo-dads, ephemera....Enough to start my own antique mall booth.
       It's going to be a big job.  So I keep putting it off.  So it sits in my hallway, my dining room, my breakfast nook. (and that doesn't include the furniture we're trying to find space for-and get rid of the old.  At one point there were 3 couches in my living room.  That has now been rectified.  Now just couch/love seat and 2 recliners.  oh yea, the treadmill just folded up and waiting for an empty spot again...
  Let's face it.  You can now call me a Hoarder.  I have the pictures to prove it.
but i have some cool "stuff."         UPDATE:  I am now working on the room (and garage) time to purge/sell/give away etc...