The HoarderRehab Blog: The Destiny of Things: Vintage PT Barnum Doll & Cocktail Drink Mermaids: The Destiny of Things, Story 303

Vintage PT Barnum Doll & Cocktail Drink Mermaids: The Destiny of Things, Story 303

Who would recognize this face? A kindred Etsy shop owner did with photo updates!

PT Barnum doll is sold out, but George Washington Carver is available here

and he's still in really good condition in his box too!

photo via Hoarder Rehab

When I was listing this, I was wondering if anyone would even remember PT Barnum or his face! He sold quickly and just as quickly I received an email from a kindred spirit, Linda from Laughing Pencil Art.

Here is her fun and funny email with the best part.... hoard photos!

Hi Kennedy!

I just love all the neat little things you sent me!

I want to tell you about my hoarding, except for I started really organizing it 15 years ago.

I tell anyone that comes into my "Cartoon Room", that my room is a look into what's really in my brain, haha! Most laugh, but I've actually had 2 different clients literally back up and say 'thank you' and leave! I love that!! This is where I always do all of my artwork now.

I used to do huge murals for 25 years and had hoards of painting supplies, enough to paint the '' Wall of China'! So after falling off of a ladder and completely breaking my ankle in half were it was pointed backwards (eeewww), I gave up all painting things to a couple of schools. Much better. I am way to accident prone and ditzy to be on anything higher than a fork, ha.

So anyway my journey in life has been absolutely a crazy one but the majority has been a blast. Staying positive, praying and using humor is the only way to make it through our lives. I'm sending some pictures of my studio so that you don't feel so bad, haha!

Continue your awesome and amazing journey Kennedy. Oh one of the neat things in my life was when my day worked in the White House with Kennedy until his assassination. He worked waaay underneath the White House were there is an entire massive complex . He was a Missle Controller. Best part is my doll and myself got to go down there a lot. Fun times! Oh in the picture look at the silver robot, you'll see Barnum!

Linda

PT Barnum doll is sold out, but George Washington Carver is available here

photo via Hoarder Rehab

Now take a good look at PT Barnum above, so you can find him below!

Now that is some beautiful organized hoard! Instant inspiration for me!

photo via Linda of Laughing Pencil Art

Could you find Mr. PT Barnum? While you are looking, I must say, "Where is the jealous button?"

Here is what I emailed back:

Hi Linda!

Thank you sooooo much for the inspiration! Your email and photos are over the top! I love your art room (and your art!) and my hoard used to sometimes look like your photos... what I call "hoarder brain" organized, but now I have really really bad allergies to almost everything and can not be near dust!

I love your stories, thank you so much for them. I hope you will allow me to use your email and photos on my Hoarder Rehab blog. I can either link it to your shop or leave you anonymous!

You are so funny! Thank you for the good laughs and I see Barnum fits right in! Thank you for giving him such a good home! I'm sure he's so happy to be out of my teacher fun box!

Again, thanks for making my day!
Kennedy

PT Barnum doll is sold out, but George Washington Carver is available here

and he's still in really good condition in his box too!

photo via Hoarder Rehab

If you can't find PT, maybe you can find him better in this close up photo!

He's so cute in between the hamburger and the robot!

photo via Linda of Laughing Pencil Art

I could let my eyes wander around for days and find all my favorite things! What memories! These photos remind me of my classroom, which looked like Pee Wee Herman had come and decorated it.

Here's a photo of her Pez collection (jealous button again!) and you can see her desk where Lisa created all her art that is also in her Etsy shop!

So inspirational, thank you!

photo via Linda of Laughing Pencil Art

Another funny inspiring email from Linda:

Hi,

Absolutely you can put my email on your blog and link it back. I also wanted to thank you for your compliments, that really makes me feel good.

I have an absolute blast drawing these caricatures and to be able to meet people from around the world. It's been crazy! Perfect for a Goofball Nuthead as my brother calls me, haha. Etsy has been a true blessing for me, yay!

Wow, to be allergic to your stuff because of the dust, that's just crappy. I try to lightly dust this stuff, but it's pretty impossible as you know. When my grand kids visit I let them play with all of the toys and before I put stuff back I can dust a bit. That is if I can find all of it. It's like a treasure hunt around here, I constantly am finding little tiny things behind something or stuck in the carpet. Usually my 6'7"very large and very loud husband is the lucky one that finds the teeny toys in the carpet. I just run and put on my earplugs, ha! Ok, got to go and actually start drawing.

Bye, Bye

PT Barnum doll is sold out, but George Washington Carver is available here

and he's still in really good condition in his box too!

photo via Hoarder Rehab

Saying Goodbye: Yes, it's such a bummer that I'm allergic to dust now or my art room would have all my collections organized like Linda!

Today when I was listing one of my favorite Day of the Dead ofrendas I had a slight twinge of anxiety of having to get ready to let it go and remembered my Mexican religious folk art hallway and shrine nooks from when I wasn't allergic to much.

I haven't felt that kind of dehoarding anxiety in a long time!

What I Learned:

1. Here is a very mini simple ofrenda I made the other day because I miss arranging my Day of the Dead hoard. Of course back in the 80s and 90s my ofrendas had tons of items and took up a lot space and I had several vignettes around my home! Lots of dusting!

Day of the Dead ofrenda shrine box with glass panel that lifts up available here

photo via HoarderRehab

2. Due to my allergies, the only shrine I'll be keeping is the brown wooden one that you can see in between the couch and my Empire State Building neon light because my Grandfather made it for my Grandmother out of scrap wood during while in Internment Camp during World War 2 in Arizona.

Inside it are mismatched Buddhist alter items my Grandmother used while she was incarcerated in camp with her three children, one being my mother.

3. Now that I've seen another hoarder with organized hoard, I'm a little sad that so much of my hoard is sold and gone! And I won't be arranging it ever again! When this happens I have to remind myself that I still have plenty of hoard collections still on hand in boxes and still taking up too much space!

4. It's not been easy changing my stubborn mindset from hoarding to dehoarding! I am getting somewhere. My stairway tansu can now be used to display whatever I want besides boxes of hoard to photo and list on Etsy! Ha!

George Washington Carver is available here

photo via Hoarder Rehab

Thank you Linda of Laughing Pencil Art for enjoying my little "thank you" package and letting me know through email and such wonderful feedback! I was thinking about stopping my blog and was cautiously wondering if I'd start hoarding again!

Go check out her shop, Laughing Pencil Art, you will be smiling, laughing and in awe while you browse around because she does serious or funny custom caricatures too! Very talented and versatile artist! Some of my favorites are here, here and here! Find some favorites of your own!

Thank you Etsy for the best Hoarder Rehab ever!

Thank you all readers from all over the world who have stopped by to visit my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!

My favorite cocktail figurines, available here

photo via Hoarder Rehab

I almost forgot about the little mermaid drink toppers. Linda must be a baby boomer too because this is what she said about these little charmers!

"Love my little mermaids! I remember them from my childhood when our parents had their cocktails parties. I was fascinated with them and now I have my own, yay! Thanks Kennedy! Fantastic shops!"

The red and orange colors are running low in stock and the new colors are yellow and neon candy red now!

Here are new little mermaid colors, available in 30,50 or 100 count here

These can be found at all our shops in different amounts and color combos

photo via VintageToGoEasy

I'm returning to my dehoarding goals and am starting to new list and relist at each shop again! My goal is to list 200 items on each shop again!

Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed daily and/or weekly: HoarderRehab with 180 items, The Destiny of Things- 174 items, VintageToGoEasy - 175 items and now JunkDrawerAndMore - 174 items!