Hi Everyone! Take a seat and stay awhile as I welcome you to the Hoarder Rehab blog: The Destiny of Things! My name is Kitty Kat Kitsch and I am a Hoarder. If you are a struggling, conflicted and/or annoyed collector, pack rat, in or out of denial Hoarder than you've come to the right place and I hope whether you are a Hoarder or not, you feel right at home here.
Dehoarding has surprised me with several new dreams and goals. (One dream come true is this blog!) My first intention for this blog is to make my HoarderRehab fun, insightful and to make connections with others, like you, who may or may not feel the same way or have the same issues, but find something in common with you. Also, a place to share the stories of "the destiny of things", which I call "the stories behind your purchases" which I've been collecting since July 26, 2012. A BIG thanks with my Kitty Kat Kitsch smile to you all who have shared your story with me! Another wish is to evolve my winded writing style to short and sweet. I am also techless, but even that is changing! I never thought I'd have a blog or one beyond text, but now I can add pictures as well! Lastly, I wish others will connect with me in any manner, share their stories and send their tips and experiences about their HoarderRehab! Thank you for being a part of my HoarderRehab!
I wanted to show you a picture of my Hoard, but I'm not brave enough yet to go that public. See the picture above, and know, it is a daily challenge for me to keep that room clear of hoard and some days I win and other days are not so happening. If you would like to imagine what it might be like for me, go to the listings and sold items in both etsy shops and imagine them-multiplied by at least 1000- packed into file boxes and apple crates (most of which are mislabeled) piled on top of each other to the ceiling in two rows across two walls, while others are piled waist high, as work areas to sort and organize through it all. Also in the family room, there is an allotted space for the listed items in boxes ready to move to their new homes.
HoarderRehab: It's all here, except for the one thing that isn't here
The etsy shop, HoarderRehab feels like the main shop where the listed items are what I call "heart felt", which means I have issues with letting go of them. I know it's not rational in my head, but in my heart it feels like I've found long lost friends and now I am going to lose them again. Saying good bye to them forever seems daunting and impossible at times, so I've started this blog where they can have a virtual home and I can imagine or see the new lives promised to them.
Both etsy shops lessen the load of my hoard and most of the time I'm happy to pass on some vintage goodness and handmade items to others in hopes that all my beloved cherished items have found good homes. As this happens, I continue to practice learning to say good bye to each until it's instantly painless and instead, straight full gratitude has taken it's place. But as you may know, as a hoarder or not, this can be difficult, confusing, conflicting and sometimes downright impossibly stressful knowing it's just a thing, but also something with such a terribly high emotional value attached to it. Key words being "attached to it" (some things feel as attached as my other Siamese twin!), so to help me detach (which can feel like cutting off one of my own limbs), I've been collecting the stories of where my items are destined, which I call, "the story behind your purchase" and to see how it helps my HoarderRehab therapy. So far, it's helped immensely and has made detaching more peaceful, easy and even at times, delightful. I hope that by going "public" with my hoard adventure and collecting these stories instead of things, it will help eliminate my hoarding pattern that has been following me around all my life and something new and just as exciting can begin in it's place.
The other etsy shop, which is actually the first shop,VintageToGoetsy was an experiment to see if I could let go of my small designated donation pile which I was less attached, yet none of it had budged any closer to any donation center and another pile by the fireplace for this coming winter. (I thought burning them would give me complete and visual finality, but in the end it just caused anxious nervousness) These small piles got listed for $10 or less---mostly at $5 and VintageToGo adopted the slogan, PricedToGo!
Thank you and a round of applause to you for reading this far through my unorthodox carefree writing style, run on forever sentences and self proclaimed made up words! I hope my thoughts and ideas were understood, if not let me know and I'll try again or email your editing for me to consider! (The more I edit the longer this gets and it's starting to feel as though it may never get posted, so I gave myself 15th of Oct. as a deadline and I must post it "as is"!)
Thank you and standing ovations to Mr. Oz for setting up the two etsy shops, this blog, the photos and the patience and never ending tech lessons. Friends and clients for every kind, inspirational and encouraging word and stories behind your purchase. To etsy and Allee Willis and her Museum of Kitsch, awmok.com I am eternally grateful for finding these positive sustaining outlets to heal this life long challenge.
As a hoarder, I have fought, purged countlessly, wished away, complained to no end, worried, stressed and felt misplaced and well placed confliction, anxiety, depression and loneliness with all the embarrassment,secrecy and shame connected with hoarding, until I just gave up and even did a whole lot of nothing about it. Now I am looking and finding new ways and learning to identify, acknowledge, ask scary questions of myself and live with all the feelings hoarding creates, if not love them to death, figuratively and literally, at least the negative ones and am surprisingly finding positive ones. I feel as though they are uninsurably bringing me closer to something unknown, but with hope, a much more different life, one better than I ever expected.
"Very interestingggg", (remember Colonel Clink from F Troop in black and white),I learned about myself from this bog, I am not a hoarded after all, just an extreme collector, really don't have the attachment to my hoard just $$$ in my head, which is mostly where they stay. My husband on the other hand....with his constant mantra "NO you can't have that to sell" IS the hoarder in our happy home! I've made a promise to myself to read your entire story Ms. Kitty Cat Kitsch but it may take me months to do it :)
ReplyDeleteAlley Cat
Thank you for your words of encouragement and humor! It's one of the many reasons that keeps me going! Thank you for taking the time to read my entire story! No worries, it's taken me over a year and I'm still learning more each day! It's been a "Very interestingggg" journey and many thanks for being a BIG part of it, in more ways than one!
ReplyDeleteHi , I bought an item from your shop, and tracked down your blog site. As a hoarder myself, I know your struggles . My biggest down fall is the thrift store, garage sales, ect . I have a shed full of STUFF that I will use one day, but now in my heart, I really need to go through it and get rid of alot of those item's, You give me confidence that I too can let go, and move on with a smile...
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