Collection: Living Room

My wonderful red couch!

I have been married for almost 17 years. During this time, we've moved around a lot. That's probably a good thing. If I hadn't moved around so much I would likely have things piled up to the ceilings. I've got a secret: (I'm a bit of a pack rat....shhh! Don't tell!). By moving, I'm forced to get rid of stuff. Oh, don't worry...I still have plenty of other stuff to keep.

We have collected things through the years...used furniture, knick-knacks, etc. Actually, until this past spring we've never had a new couch...or any other pieces of furniture really. As soon as our tax returns came in, off to IKEA we went to get something new! And with the new, you blend with the old...

New coffee table...rarely ever seen this clean. It's usually got my husband's laptop and other such items on it.

Side table with my favorite coasters on it.

This picture to the right here...well, that's going to be changing soon. We'll be adding another bookshelf and television soon. The TV will be nice, but I am really looking forward to having more shelves to fill with stuff.

Speaking of...

Let's get to the stuff...

Wow, from this angle it looks pretty pathetic, doesn't it?

Collection of photos from Jersey Island, England. That's Dean on the bottom. We went there when I was pregnant with Anais.

Picture I took of Dean in downtown Youngstown when we were dating.

Books. And great ones they are!

This is a book that my aunt gave me when I was a teenager. Same lady that would put her knuckle down my back and insisted that my acne was my fault.

My camera collection. I used to have some old Brownies as well, but I've lost them somewhere along the way.

Doc's camera. He was a dentist and used it at work.

Spies also used to use it.

I like to take pictures...just in case you haven't figured that one out.

The Pentax was given to me one Christmas while in college at Youngstown State. I was taking photography classes (one of several majors that I've had) and it soon became my sidekick wherever I went.

The other camera is very special to me. I've never used it (although I would love to try sometime...you can still get and develop film for it). My grandmother gave it to me when we were cleaning out her condo when she was unable to live there anymore. It belonged to her husband.

This page and the one next to it go together.

Keegan at a soccer game.

Scrapbooking.

I love to scrapbook. I don't do it terribly often because it's time-consuming and I tend to make a mess. I do not make quick pages. Lots of thought go behind everyone that I do. I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to doing most creative things, and if I am not usually 100% pleased, most people won't see it.

Dean.

Anais.

Lars.

Anais and some cousins back when she was a toddler.

Dean being a smart-ass. He put the empty frames up here to "motivate" me to add some more pages to the wall.

Some odds and ends...

A teacher gift from and old student of mine in Florida.

Not sure if this was a teacher gift or not. If it wasn't, maybe it was part of a gift exchange?

Vase with hat pin and writing instruments.

Curtain fabric.

Old wooden shoe from Europe. One of my great-grandparents brought it over, I think.

A book of favorite poems that my grandmother typed out either as a teenager or young adult.

My baby book.

I have old plates scattered about the house.

Some come from Dean's family.

Some from mine.

Doily. I didn't make this one, but I know how. I need to start doing that again. It's relaxing.

Bookshelf.

Photographs that I still need to sort and a Sex Pistols book.

The photograph in the frame is one of Anais and I. Screwy's skeleton guy that he drew me. Lars sleeping in our old van. Windmill teacher gift.

Teacher books.

Old family books.

Kids' books.

Scrapbook design book.

Architecture books.

Inside a book given to me by a class last year. Saw this picture at the end and got all teary.

Another book that I got from the other class. It made me all teary, too.

Doc Martin shoe book.

Hahahahaha! Like that will ever, EVER happen!

Silhouette of Lars done at Disney in 1995.

And one of Anais done at the same time.

Glass bunny that I bought at Target one year for Easter.

Family heirloom.

Old music box.

I want to say an old teacher gift. Pin cushion.

Print outs from my parenting board when Keegan was a baby. Glad that I have this because I lost a lot of the original pictures.

A book that Anais made for school when she went to the School of Arts and Sciences in Tallahassee. It's about South America.

From the beach.

Candle holder that I bought years ago at a candle party.

DC pictures.

Coaster that I bought last week at the Eastern Market.

There you have it.

A little old.

A little new.

All of them holding a memory or emotion.

A little bit of me and mine.




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