Cross Nicho Day of the Dead Party Ofrenda: The Destiny of Things, Story #126

Cross Nicho Day of the Dead Party Ofrenda:  The Destiny of Things, Story #126

Not my favorite Cross Nicho!

photo via VintageToGoEtsy

The story I received was from an Etsy buyer turning 50 with her best friend!  And instead of throwing her usual over the top spooky, gross out Halloween Party, she thought to celebrate this year differently.

And in honor of her Father and those before her decided that a celebration of life was in order with a Day of the Dead Party!

Side Note:  How cool is that?  A double birthday party celebrating life from the past to present!  Happy Birthday my cross nicho rescuer!  And I wish you many more!

photo via VintageToGoEtsy

Today Denny from Etsy shop, Antqnjwlry asked me what "Day of the Dead" or "dias de los muertos" was all about, so here's a little background history of Day of the Dead:

It's a Mexican tradition for honoring your ancestors, but it crosses into many cultures around the world. Often families have a small gathering at the grave site in honor of their loved ones and clean and decorate the grave site with marigold garlands, candles, etc and your ancestors favorite food, drinks and traditional foods, like sugar skulls.

At home you might tidy up and renew a nicho ofrenda, a private alter or shadow box shrine area that has memories and keepsakes in it, like their personal possessions, their Saint day and other religious objects.

I remember when it was just an informal quaint tradition, but it's becoming more and more commercial now.  It seems now people in my area of Los Angeles have parties and advertised public whole reunion celebrations at cemeteries now.

From wiki, The celebration takes place on October 31, November 1 and November 2, in connection with the Christian triduum of Hallowmas: All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.

Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl. The holiday has spread throughout the world: In Brazil Dia de Finados is a public holiday that many Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries and churches. In Spain there are festivals and parades, and, at the end of the day, people gather at cemeteries and pray for their dead loved ones. Similar observances occur elsewhere in Europe, and similarly themed celebrations appear in many Asian and African cultures.

  photo via VintageToGoEtsy

I used to have quite the Day of the Dead collection from the 80s, but I only have a few pieces left for sale this year.  I love my Mexican Folk Art Nichos, every one of them! I have and had over 20+ pieces if you count my Mexican Folk Art Wall decor and Religious Folk Art I've made myself!

Most of them have sold last year and there are few pieces left in three shops, here at VintageToGoEtsy, here at HoarderRehab,  here at The Destiny of Things and here at JunkDrawerLoveEtsy.  My handmade religious folk art is here at The Destiny of Things.

It left with it's crooked candle and a penny stuck to it's top!  I have no idea how they got like that!  I used to put either put little colorful religious knick knacks or my ancestor family things, like my Grandfather's jeweler's magnifying glass and scarf pin from my Grandmother in the little side compartments of the cross.

Here is how I used it:

I had a Day of the Dead ofrenda (shrine) since the 80s and changed it weekly until the late 90s. It makes the perfect focal wall decor for one! I would put my paternal ancestor pictures on the left side of the cross and my maternal ones on the right of it. Makes a beautiful display with sepia and black and white photos.

Just when I thought I had opened all my Day of the Dead boxes and had listed them last year, I
found this one in my "other" religious box with my Buddhist and Catholic - Christian box. 

I have my Grandparents Buddhist shrine that my Shinto Grandfather made from scrap wood and sardine cans for my Buddhist Grandmother during their internment in the War Relocation Camp. I also have Tenrikyo in my family too! I mixed them all together to honor my ancestors during the various cultural acknowledgments, for instance in Vietnam, the entire month of August is for honoring your parents alive or past and your ancestors with charity work, good deeds and donations.

So on display in a section of my living room there used to be a Multi-Religious corner with all my family ancestors religious artifacts, shrines mixed in with all the ones I loved too!  It was very eclectic!  For instance, my Grandmother's Buddhist shrine sat on top of my other Grandmother's Tenriyko stand.

 photo via VintageToGoEtsy

 

Saying Goodbye:  This was a tad difficult, only because if I weren't allergic to their metals and the dust they collect as wall art I'd never have parted with them all!  However, it couldn't have gone to a better new life.  I know I'm in good company when someone turning 50 with their best friend celebrates by remembering their ancestors with my cross nicho!

In my family with so many different religions we seem to be honoring life and our ancestors on a regular basis!  So much so that when my brother and I were in our teens, we just called them, "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid Parties," which got shortened to "Dead Men Parties" after the film starring, Steve Martin.   A comedy mystery movie is both a parody of, and an homage to film noir and the pulp detective movies of the 1940s.  The movie was okay and I don't really remember it, except the title!

Here are some pix of my favorites that are still available, starting with my most most favorite! I know it's a little late if you want these for Day of the Dead, but it's never too late to honor your ancestors!

This is a three way nicho retablo!  Three pictures in one! Walk by one way and it's Mother Mary and baby Jesus, walk pass the other and it's Infant of Prague with Mother! Straight on it's Lady of Guadalupe or the Virgin Mary! See the other two pictures here!

This is my last available nicho, it's quite large with birds, but turtle shaped!  See more here!

One of my creations of mixed media art influenced by my Mexican Religious Folk Art collection that spilled into Russian Folk Art.  I used a Russian Saint Michael Plaque and Tibetan bone skull rosary beads.  Visit it here for different views.

"When Angels Meet," made by me also with 140 beaded pins.  This has an insteresting descriptions, read it and see more different views of it, here

These are my handmade milagro crosses, I made the garden cross to turn my black thumb into a green one and one as a lover's cross, click on the highlighted links to read more about them.

Last but not least, I love Day of the Dead kitsch!  This triples as a vase, candle holder and incense burner!  Just add some sand to the bottom of it to hold a tall candle and incense.  I have it in cobalt blue here and in deep red, here.

What I Learned:

1.  Obviously my love for Mexican Religious Folk Art or any Folk Art from any culture is alive and well!  I am so inspired and enthusiastic about it's beauty and kitschiness!  However, I have to take pre cautions to not go overboard and remember that my goal is to have Minimalist Organic home with minimal things to dust because my allergies do not tolerate it and dust bunnies can become life threatening monsters! (Well, only if they mix with mold)

2.  I've never seen another cross nicho, except on the wall of good friend of mine.  So I can visit mine here or go over there and see it lit with a candle over a cup of tea!

How will you honor your ancestors from October 31 to November 2?  I will burn a little incense, tidy up my Grandmother's Buddhist shrine and go through pix of my ancestors and thank them for something.

Thank you Etsy buyer from VintageToGoEtsy for sending me an email.  I am so happy you found the cross nicho as perfect as I do and that it is now one of your favorites!  I am fortunate it belongs to you now and I find relief knowing it's in good care!  Thank you.  And thank you for letting me know...

Thank you Denny from Antique 'n': Jewelry for asking for an explanation of "Day of the Dead," sending me inspirational emails every once in awhile and for your good guy discount!    Check out his shop with over 250 items, including handmade earrings, toys and more!

Thank you Etsy for making some cross roads meet for more than one unique connections!  Nothing like a win win situation!

Thank you US, Canada, Germany, France, Malaysia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand and Ukraine for your visits the past few days and joining me in my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things! 

Click on the shop names to visit my hoard listed daily: HoarderRehab,  The Destiny of Things and VintageToGoEtsy and now JunkDrawerLoveEtsy!  There are about 84 items listed on JunkDrawerLoveEtsy and will be listing 1-3 new things there daily and 1-2 items at the other shops!  Maybe you'll help me downsize and share your story!  Thanks for looking!

Related Stories:

1.  My Virgin Mary Tin Nicho:  It went to a home where someone knew it was going to need some time to settle in before it found it's perfect comfy spot and what exactly would go inside it.  Read it here!

2.  Coincidental Copper Anniversaries:  Sacred Heart Mexican Tin Nichos:  The Destiny of Things, Story #10 and #11

3.  From Hoarder Lite: Mexican Folk Art Tin Frame and Cards, The Destiny of Things, Story #21

4.  Day of the Dead Wedding Topper made with my skull bead destash, read it here!  Thank you Jim Gould at Etsy shop, Your Tops!  Also a confessed hoarder or at least questioning it by his wife's acknowledgements!  See his handmade Day of the Dead wedding cake topper with my white skull bead destash here!

 !Feliz Dia de los Muertos! Happy Day of the Dead! oh and Happy Halloween first!

Spooky Tooth Lockets - Halloween Candy Alternatives: The Destiny of Things, Story #125

Spooky Tooth Lockets - Halloween Candy Alternatives:  The Destiny of Things, Story #125

Short and simple message went a long way for me!  Thank you!

photo via Hoarder Rehab, Spooky Tooth Lockets, available here!

It just said:

"Perfect for spooky treats!  Thank you!"

 photo via Hoarder Rehab, Spooky Tooth Lockets, available here!

Those sentences got me thinking.... Are these alternatives to Halloween candy?  or is a tiny candy going to put in side?  Then my mind went on and on about how to make these spookier!  The red already looks like stringy red fleshy stuff.  The green could be gross decaying stringy stuff.  

Tooth decay could be drawn in with a black Sharpie and added fresh from the grave look with dirt (Oreo cookie crumbles) a black sharpie with bugs and worms crawling out too!  Blood could be drawn on and cotton or cotton candy for torn and hanging gum tissue, like it was just pulled out of a ghoul!

Gold and silver crowns, etc... a whole set of false teeth!

Black or glow in the dark cord could be switched out for the necklace.  It could be a pre Halloween Night craft activity!  With making up spooky teeth tales, talks over interesting facts of teeth and bones, even dental hygiene importance, etc...

Anyways...

photo via Hoarder Rehab, Spooky Tooth Lockets, available here!

I usually put a heart pony bead inside in boy and girl colors, unless someone let's me know how they are going to be used before I send them.  If I know it's going to be an all boy party favor, I put skull pony beads inside them.  I think they are going to adults I sometimes, I put little fortune cookie fortunes in them.  I always put something in them because that's how I check to make sure they aren't faulty before I send them out.

You can spook out kids and perhaps some adults by telling them someone's dead or alive tooth is inside it and rattle it right in front of them!  And then say, "you open it and find out if it's dead or alive!" and toss it at them!  That's what my friend Ali and her daughter did with her kids.  They thought I had left some teeth in them and had quite a hoot about it!

Saying Goodbye:  I hope I never have to say goodbye to these!  I have a stash saved for myself with only a few ideas on what I might make with them!  I do like the thought that these are going to be spooky treats and would like to know the outcome as Halloween candy treat alternatives.

Which reminds me.... back in the late 70s my Mom had us pass out toothbrushes for alternative Halloween treats!  The kids at the door looked so distraught, shocked and bewildered and then kinda upset angry as they turned to leave!  

Many gave them back, even after I would quickly try to conceal it in my hand and drop it in their bags!  They'd fish them right back out faster than spit!  The older kids were worse and I thought for sure our house was going to get toilet papered or egged! 

I don't remember hearing any "thank yous" except from a few parents, who said consoling things like, "now you won't get cavities from all the Halloween candy" and "good toothbrushes are expensive"

Needless to say, my mom let us pass out candy every Halloween from then on.

However, there was this one time when I was so frazzled from teaching that I had totally forget it was Halloween to the outside world and had spent all my time and energy on Halloween for my classroom.  I was too tired to go buy candy and since I don't eat it didn't have any in the house, so I was at a loss.

At the time, I had just moved into a house that had over 40 stairs to climb to get to the front door.  The only person I knew in the area was another teacher who I knew was just as exhausted as me!  So I didn't think anyone would come knocking and I kept the entry light off too!

Just my luck, someone did come knocking and knocking and knocking! They knocked longer than my ignoring! So I answered the door and there were three cute little third grade aged kids all costumed to the hilt with flashlights!  I told them I didn't have any candy and they groaned and I got the funny feeling like when I had passed out toothbrushes that my house might get egged or worse!

So I told them to hang on a second and went to my teacher bag and got my leftover body parts from teaching Halloween Death Anatomy and let them choose from the box.  And left and bought candy.

The body parts were better than candy!  I had kids and lots of teenagers coming and asking if I was the lady passing out body parts!  They didn't want the candy!  I would offer them the candy and most would say, No, we heard you are passing out body parts!  

I think they must have loved them because I remember some of them taking so long to decide which ones to choose and asked for two!  Others tried to come back for more helping of body parts!  Needless to say I didn't get much rest, but it sure was worth seeing their faces when I opened the box!

I am still amazed by that story I had forgotten, so there is hope now for better alternatives to Halloween candy! (and my hoard alternatives)  Here are the few that I still have saved from leaving some on my teacher desk that day!

photo via The Destiny of Things

What I Learned:

1.  It never fails to amaze me how times change and mostly for the better too!  I am so thankful and reminded that although change might take a long time, it is hopeful and worth it!  Look at my hoard, over 480 items have found new homes!

2.  It never fails to amaze me how a little sentence goes along way to conjuring up memories that help me let go of things, instead of hoarding them for reasons unknown to me.

3.  It never fails to amaze me how little by little I am learning to manage my stress release better by finding alternatives to shopping, buying and hoarding! Then later guilt and buyer's remorse set in causing more stress and creating my hoarder viscous cycle!

Side Note to Self:  Although I have gone on a wee tad shopping spree for my alternative hobbies for hoarding, at least it has come to my attention that  I can't go in the opposite direction and feel guilty every time I buy something and must come to terms and figure this out with some intended balance!  That is a whole other posting!

What never fails to amaze you?  Loving the present from the past!  Let me know yours in comments!

Thank you Etsy buyer from Hoarder Rehab for leaving me a short and short message that brought back some long lost mega memories for me!

Thank you Etsy for the endless connections from kind strangers, acquaintances to even full on friendships who are helping me with my HoarderRehab adventures!

Thank you US, United Arab Emirates, France and other countries who visited over the weekend to support my Hoarder Rehab and  The Destiny of Things!

Click on the shop names to visit my hoard listed daily at: HoarderRehab,  The Destiny of Things, VintageToGoEtsy and now JunkDrawerLoveEtsy!  There are about 81 items listed on JunkDrawerLoveEtsy and will be listing 1-3 new things there daily and 1-2 items at the other shops!  Thanks for looking! 

Spooky tooth lockets, fairy tooth lockets, toothy tooth lockets can be ordered here and here!  Pirate treasure chests for little tooth keepsakes can be ordered here and here!

Related Stories:

1.  For a good old fashioned Halloween party without candy in a tree house, read here!

2.  These shipped out ASAP for a loose tooth! Read about it here

3.  A mother hunts down these tooth lockets for her daughter's presentation here!  with updates and pics!

4.  Tooth locket story from a fellow teacher for a family of loose teeth, click here!

5.  These plastic tooth lockets maybe molds to make sterling jewelry at an Etsy shop, here!

6.  Pros and Cons of Organic Toothbrush Twig called, Miswak here

7.  Update on Miswak, here, yes I still love it and use it twice daily.  New update coming in Nov!

Sorry this is so long and unedited, the cold finally caught up to me over the weekend and I slept today in to rid of it.  I have no filter and no time left!

UPDATE: In the Tree House for Halloween Scary Stories, The Destiny of Things, Story #124

UPDATE:  In the Tree House for Halloween Scary Stories, The Destiny of Things, Story #124

I'm always talking about being a fly on the wall so I can see my hoarded item in it's new life...

 photo via Ali of Etsy shop, HeyAlleyCat

Well, here I am as a spider on the ceiling!  And I'm watching everyone settle in as the scary stories begin!  Then slowly the story unfolds reeling in the reader and listener like there's no tomorrow!

  photo via Ali of Etsy shop, HeyAlleyCat

 BOO!  The classic looks just fall from listening to More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark!

 photo via Ali of Etsy shop, HeyAlleyCat

The photo above brings me such a chuckle every time I see it and memories flood from years of reading that book to my classes year after year!  Thanks Ali for sending me an update with photos!  I love to see my hoard in it's new life and this has got to be one the most ultimate dehoarding surprises!

And I'm still up on the ceiling waiting to see what happens next!

Read what happened!  from Ali of HeyAlleyCat's email

I came to know Miss Kitty Kat Kitsch through a friendly hello on ETSY, she has become a dear friend. I started browsing her four shops looking for something special to do with my grandsons for Halloween, she told me all  about the Scary Stories to Read in the Dark and how she read them aloud to her classroom with a darkened room and how the students clung to her every word. I had to have the book! and some other fun stuff from her unusual shops.

When I received the package it was loaded with cool items and with hand written notes about each item. Loved it!  She even gave me creepy suggestion on fun stuff to do at the party!

On to the story, my husband, Jimmy started building this  tree house last summer and kicked it into high gear for the party. We had it on a untradtional day because it was also our second anniversary. We decorated it with garage sale finds and cute stuff from the dollar store, I made Halloween cupcakes, which is another entire story. Kit Kat had included her teacher destash 'tooth locket necklaces' in the package and while my youngest grandson Jaxson was eating one of my cupcakes his tooth came out and we put it in the locket, thanks for the memory K K . 

 

  photo via Ali of Etsy shop, HeyAlleyCat

We waited till dark and we, granddad, grandma, our daughter and two grandson squeezed in to hear the frightful tales. Tasha our daughter read the stories aloud in the dark with a flashlight and the boys eyes got bigger and bigger, at one point during the commotion Clayton fell of his stool and went crashing down the slide stool and all, we all thought he might be hurt but within seconds he had climbed the rope ladder popped his head in the door and scared us!

After we read a few stories Jimmy said he forgot something and when he came back up the ladder he scared the dickens out of us with a full head goul/monster mask on. oh what a fright! Then we turned on the strobe light and that was the end of reading the stories, the boys went berserk clapping hands and freaking out over the delayed reaction caused by the light....We all exited the tree house down the spiral slide thumping and bumping along the way, I think grandma was the only one screaming. 

 

 

  photo via Ali of Etsy shop, HeyAlleyCat

 

All in all it was super,great,fun and scary...something we will always remember, and it all started with a friendly hello to Kennedy Miranda my new BFF in Calif. I think it's wonderful by her dehoarding she is able to give so much to others and help herself too.

Grandma Ali

 

 

 Okay, I'm down off the ceiling now!

 

Ali sent me a second story about the loose tooth on Halloween night! She was so surprised that her grandson's tooth fell out without incidence, she sent me this pix and email:

 

  photo via Ali of Etsy shop, HeyAlleyCat

 

Hi KItty Kat,

The tooth lockets you so kindly gifted me from your shop, The Destiny of Things must have some true fairy dust in them. I  got them out to show my daughter and when it rattled she thought "OMG she must have forgotten to take the tooth out of the locket," we all had a good laugh when we saw the miniature skull as I explained to her about your teacher destash hoard. 

 

The best part later that day we were eating Grandma Ali's homemade cupcakes (from a box with chocolate chips in them), and my youngest grandson Jaxson had this weird look on his face and said "MY tooth came out" we thought he was kidding because it's usually a lot of drama for one of his teeth to come out. So it must be the fairy dust that helped him lose his tooth with no pain. Later that night the tooth fairy came and left some loot, and made off with the locket. I better order some more!! Another instance of your ability to let go of your hoard benefiting someone else!!

 

Thanks again for the lockets, I'm sending you a picture of his mouth, cupcake mess and all!!

 

Kindest regards,

Ali

 

 photo via The Destiny of Things tooth lockets can be found here

 

How funny is that?  Leaving a lost tooth in the tooth!  I wonder if I can find some tooth beads to do that!  What a fun idea!

Saying Goodbye:  Ali bought a bunch of stuff, you can see her Halloween Loot Deluxe Package and her first story here.  All of it went to make at least five people happy and that's gotta be a record of my hoard going out into the world and creating that much scary fun!  At least that I know of!

 

Although it did feel a little strange to see my book markers in the book at such a new place.  The book didn't startle me, but the book markers did!  It was a little jolt of starking shock and then it passed.  And then it was pure happiness seeing the book bring such classic priceless looks to everyone involved, even the spider on the ceiling!

 

What I Learned:  

 

1.  I never know when I'm going to connect with someone and find good friends!  I didn't think my HoarderRehab adventure would be this fun or meaningful while building good friendships!  This certainly is a first for me and I've purged and thought I had quit cold turkey many times!

2.  My hoard is leaving at a faster pace again, but it seems this year I'm okay with it, although I did have a slight slip up gigantic relapse, but that's another story!

3.  I hope I get more updates like this one with photos and now that I think about it I do have another one!  And I've become good friends with her too!  And I was talking to another "maybe" hoarder and after a few emails, she was inspired enough to open her own Etsy shop!  Maybe I'm on a roll!

 

What song did you sing today?  Mine is:  "Let the good times roll, let the stories be told, let them say what they want...let photos be old, let them say what they want...." by the Cars listen on Utube.

 

Thank you Ali for your daily support and sending me pics of all kinds, including the ones for this story and your latest thirft splurge, so I can live vicariously through your shopping sprees!  Visit her Etsy shop, HeyAlleyCat and see her latest vintage loot and also, she's letting go of her own 70s home furnishings!  There's nothing like having something from it's original owner!

Thank you Etsy for yet another amazing connection in friendship while giving me also a dehoarding outlet!  My life only gets better and better and even though I still have no idea where it's taking me, I know it's better than where I started!

It's been worth taking the baby steps into a thousand step journey!

Thank you US, Australia, China, India, Netherlands and UK for being with me and my my Hoarder Rehab and  The Destiny of Things!

Click on the shop names to visit my hoard listed daily at: HoarderRehab,  The Destiny of Things, VintageToGoEtsy and now JunkDrawerLoveEtsy!  There are about 77 items listed on JunkDrawerLoveEtsy and will be listing 1-3 new things there daily and 1-2 items at the other shops!  Thanks for looking! 

The "hard to find" audio cassette of Alvin Schwartz's book, series 1 "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" told by George S. Irving, who was in the original, "Oklahoma" and was a guest actor as Edith Bunker's cousin on "All in the Family" with the book, can be ordered here!

My last copy of series 2 "More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark can be ordered here.  It is the most popular out of the series and it's been tested by over 500 of my students and never failed at having students clinging to each other with such scary fun!  I read many of those stories over and over endless countless times!

Related Stories:

1.  Ali's first story from the Alvin Schwartz book, More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark:  See the tree house where the stories will be read out loud from an Etsy shop owner, thank you Ali! (click for her Etsy shop)

 

2.  My first Alvin Schwartz, More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark story is here from an Etsy shop owner, Thank you Molly! (click for her Etsy shop)  She remember the scary illustrations from childhood. 

Most Read Story of the Week, Month and All Time:  My Louis Vuitton Collection: the end of my collection is the beginning for someone else.  The last piece of my LV collection, my 80s LV gold cornered wallet is available here at The Destiny of Things! 

See you on Monday!

Swivel Key Chain Clasp Clips: The Destiny of Things, Story #123

Swivel Key Chain Clasp Clips:  The Destiny of Things, Story #123

A simple short story from an Etsy buyer!

 

Email from Etsy buyer:

Good morning,

I am going to use those clips to put on pacifier holders to clip to diaper bags etc., so I prefer a variety of colors. Thanks for asking.

photo via The Destiny of Things, the last five in green only, available here

What a great idea!  I haven't heard of that one until now!  Thank you!  She bought my last set of ten.

These are from my teaching days and were rewards.  My students loved these since most of my students were latch key students.  Do they still use that term?  Anyways, they used them on their backpacks, belt loops and even doubled them strung together for a simple latch lock.

I use them to attach my keys to my purse for easy quick access, usually on an outside or inside zipper pull hole and if it doesn't have an attachment spot I just sew on another round key ring or attach a ribbon to the keychain and loop it around the purse handle and use lanyard style, just pull up on the ribbon and wa-la there are my keys.  Works magic in deep or large bags, no more fumbling around or emptying my bag just to find my keys!

Last set of five all in green only available here at The Destiny of Things.

Saying Goodbye:  I've squirreled away some (at least it's not all 100 or so of them!) of these because they are so handy.  I've been using mine for over seven years and mr. oz has had his for over 5 years.  I tend to lose them before they break, which is maybe once and I've never had one wear out on me either.

What I Learned:

1.  I just realized these came in a bulk order of 144!  These were in my classroom treasure chest with other items, like flag erasers, mini figurine erasers, pencils, tooth lockets, classic spider rings, mini pirate treasure chests, Little Little Golden books, stickers of all kinds, book markers, charms, some small educational puzzles, toys, like jump ropes and much more!  The really good stuff is long gone!

I remember oohing and ahhing and having so many delightful choices over the treasure chest at my childhood dentist visits and wanted my class to have the same memories.  I had two or three treasure chests.  A paper one for whole class rewards and a deluxe tin one for individual rewards.  I have run out and reordered more of these in the past.  These are quite popular with children in the 80s and 90s.

2.  I become more attached to my hoard when ill.  The office personnel at the chiropractor's office I frequent is taking turns getting sick and I've been fighting this "off and on" cold for over a month now, but it's gotten worse the past couple of days. 

Every time I go to an office appointment (3 times a week) I start feeling all kinds of symptoms by late afternoon.  Organic oranges seem the best to ward it off, but I take several organic herbal alternative with teas and plenty of water all day.  I go to sleep usually by 8pm and wake up between 3-5am and feel fine, but by the afternoon it starts all over again.

The good news is Monday was my last chiropractor appointment ever!  (knock on wood, cross my heart, hope to live and never get in a car accident again!) but I am feeling all the cold symptoms by mid morning and I'm out of oranges.  The bright side:  I don't have insomnia or the blues and the sun just came out!  Just in time to soak some up with fresh air and an outside lunch.

3.  I've hoarded stories once again and will be posting three to four times a week so I don't relapse like last year and post daily for the entire month of December to start the New Year fresh!  Part of learning from my mistakes is remembering them!  Key word,"REMEMBERING!"

I just planned out a blog schedule and I have stories all the way until the end of November!  Oh my!  See you three times a week now!

What was your favorite thing to choose out of a treasure chest?  Mine was the umbrellas, plastic faux flicker wrist watches or little fans that opened and closed and of course opening up each package in anticipation!

I thank another kind Etsy buyer for leaving a quick note of relief by letting me know this going to be used in diaper bags as pacifier holders!  So clever!  Maybe they'll be opening an Etsy shop soon?

Thank you Etsy for helping me find new lives and better homes for over 470+ items and bringing me together with so many different people, hoarders and non hoarders alike with many happy shared connections and new ideas.

Thank you US, Poland, UK, Netherlands,China and Ukraine for your visits to my Hoarder Rehab:  The Destiny of Things!

Click on the shop names to visit my hoard listed daily at: HoarderRehab,  The Destiny of Things, VintageToGoEtsy and now JunkDrawerLoveEtsy!  There are about 77 listed items on JunkDrawerLoveEtsy and will be listing 1-3 new things there daily and 1-2 items at the other shops!  Thanks for looking!

The last five swivel spring loaded clasp clip key chains in green only, available here.  Other items mentioned in the treasure chest, like flag erasers, mini figurine erasers, pencils, tooth lockets, classic spider rings, mini pirate treasure chests, Little Little Golden books, stickers of all kinds, book markers, charms, some small educational puzzles, toys, like jump ropes and much more!  Just click on the highlighted links to order them.  View all four shops for more trinket treasure chests finds or email me and I'll help you find it!

Related Stories of other items loved by my students:

1.  Latest Alvin Schwartz book, More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark:  See the tree house where the stories will be read out loud from an Etsy shop owner, thank you Ali! (click for her Etsy shop)  Photo update coming this Fri or Mon with classic pics of scared children!

2.  A Little Girl and her Miracle Fish, here! Thank you Etsy shop owner, John!  (click for his Etsy shop)

3.  Tooth falling out -need tooth locket quick!  Read the story, here with a coincidental story pertaining to the tree house Scary Story book!

4.  Mosler Bank Vault for a boy who loves Hugo-esque mechanical fun, like in the movie, here

5.  Spanish Dictionary for a bilingual child's library and a family that loves vintage, here 

6.  A mother hunts down these tooth lockets for her daughter's presentation here!  with updates and pics!

7.  Tooth locket story from a fellow teacher to a family of children, click here!

8.  For nieces and nephews, these 100 stickers went inside a treasure chest:  100 Sticker Story

9.  A 100 stickers for a family of 3 from an Etsy shop owner too, Thank you Jenny, (click for her Etsy shop) read her - my - our story, here.  She used to get these stickers as a reward from her Doctor visits as a child!

 

Related Stories from Etsy buyers from Childhood Memories:

 

1.  The first Alvin Schwartz, More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark story is here from an Etsy shop owner, Thank you Molly! (click for her Etsy shop)  She remember the scary illustrations from childhood.

2.  An Etsy buyers orders my Joan Walsh Anglund planters as a childhood reminder for her Mom and herself for Mother's day for classic African violets!  Read it here.

 

3.  Mr Happy for a brother for his birthday with an inside joke, story here! with update photo!

4.  Freddie the Frog puppet with Etsy buyer's childhood endearing memory story here

 

5. I got a snail mail letter about nostalgic childhood 100 stickers!!! !  I just love snail mail!  

 

6.  "You are Special" Waechtersbach Red Plate Special for a replacement dish for a kindergartner who broke it on her first day of school.  Read it here!  This was my very first story!

 

7.  Smiley Face Enamelware photo prop for Weeliscious Children's cookbook here

More Scary Stories Book and Halloween DeLuxe Package: The Destiny of Things, Story # 121

More Scary Stories Book and Halloween DeLuxe Package:  The Destiny of Things, Story #121

Ali of HeAlleyCat on Etsy ordered a Halloween Deluxe Package for her grand sons for this!

 photo via Ali from HeyAlleyCat on Etsy, visit her vintage shop here!

Ali and her husband are going all out for their grandchildren this Halloween and even chopped down a cedar tree (it was growing into another tree) to build a tree house for the reading of  More Scary STories to Tell in the Dark!  How cool is that?  If you get too scared take the fast way out down the yellow slide and skimmy on into the house!

photo via Hoarder Rehab

She ordered the almost new More Scary Stores to Tell in the Dark series 2, order the "new" last one here!

She also ordered an assortment of very fun goodie bag items for Halloween fun!

The Halloween Diamonds are sold out and I am so excited they are going to be opened by her two grandsons on Halloween Night! even my pink diamond sold too, more diamond destash coming next week, but click here for some Halloween glass and bone bead destash of mine.

photo via JunkDrawerLoveEtsy, order your own drink animals here! Order the jigger here!

Party Animals for Halloween!  No monkeying around the dinner table, unless it's with your drink monkey!

photo via The Destiny of Things, order some Miracle Fortune Fish here!

Ali even emailed me her story!  Here it is!

Good morning sunshine,

Happy, happy, happy...your treasure box arrived yesterday! The first thing I almost blew a gasket over was the box, bowel detox !!! Now I know what to buy my husband, he keeps wanting to try a cleanse, so thanks!

 

I enjoyed so much opening all the tiny packages each so detailed and put together with love and care. The book is so cool, the grandkids will be thrilled and chilled when we start reading it up in the tree house, love your suggestions on how to creep them out. I'll be sure to take a few photos when we do our halloween party up there. I plan on opening the treasure diamonds then too but probably on the kitchen table over a towel lest we lose any of the tiny treasures.

 

You made the frogs yourself? They are so cute, I just last weekend got the Tiddly Winks out and they finally got the hang of it so the frogs will be great, we'll draw up a board with a pond, rocks, cat tails with different points and make up our own version. You are so creative, loved the artistic card in the tiny wax bag with the red and white string, all the little extras for the boys packaged so orderly and equally distributed, very special. 

 

I'll be able to give them items in their goody bags from your stash for quite a while. I'm going to save the drink cup mini's for a special occasion. I could go on and on about all the little goodies and will I'm sure in the future but for now I want to add that the hand written notes so detailed and informative will be put in Grandma Ali's treasure box, thanks so much!

 

Ali

 

P.s. The fortune fish are amazing, I want to use them as thank yous on Etsy (if I ever have another sale!) My fish curled up entirely, I'm passionate! whoo hooo!  you are too sweet thanks for the tooth necklaces!

 

 

Ali didn't buy anything for herself, so I sent her a little mini ACEO card, order some like it here or here!

Of course I wrote her back, but this post is about as long as my letter, so I won't bore you with my details!  However, I would like to say about the box....I do recycle every chance I get, it's an ingrained part of my OCD hoarder duo, so yes, you might find some creative oddities as packaging in for shipping!

Off topic:  The funniest most creative shipping I received was around the time back in 2010 when I ordered a Japanese obijime folding storage display stand and small glass Kimax beaker and it all came wrapped safely in adult diapers!!!!  I was laughing so hard I had to sit on the ground to finish opening it and finding the little beaker was like searching for treasure in a sea of blue adult diapers!

 photo via Ali from HeyAlleyCat on Etsy, visit her vintage shop here!

A Texan Tree House built for Halloween Night!  Imagine the memories in anticipation and suspense just waiting for their grand sons!  And in a tiny way I am part of it!  I'd like to be the spider on the wall to see all the scary fun!

Saying Goodbye:  Easy peasy, but there is still one More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark book still available, so if it doesn't sell, I'll just keep it for my library.  I had so much fun making the Halloween Diamonds that I'll make more next year and had fun making a new "Red Diamond" for teachers and another Pink Diamond, so maybe this is another alternative to dehoard and to replace my hoarding ways!

What I Learned:

1.  I never know when, where and how I'll meet a new friend, but I did through an Etsy connection and Ali is one of my biggest Hoarder Rehab supporters by sending me fun, funny and encouraging emails about my dehoarding, reading my many postings on my blog and commenting, she reads my little stories at all my shops and comments on them and sometimes even adds her own stories too!  I love it!

2.  In my last posting I talked about how my hoarding and possibly my insomnia too now, might be related to my diet, especially gluten.  Well, while I was cleaning out the frig this morning, I found an almost empty bottle of shoyu or soy sauce and although I just use a little at a time and it's gluten free, it's made from soy.  I'm allergic to soy too.

Also one of my organic shampoos that I thought used to be gluten free now has wheat protein in it, so I can't use that anymore either.

I really really really need to be more careful, especially when I start to feel better and sleep better!  When I start to feel better, I tend to try and go back to eating some of my favorite foods from the past and fermented soy is supposed to be healthy, well, not for me!  I'll definitely retrn to coconut aminos, it's the closest alternative to shoyu I've found so far.

3.  I think it'll take just one more week and I'll be caught up and back to my healthier routine from the new project fiasco, read about it here, however the "future" music art room still needs more work to get it back in the condition it originally, however there is a silver lining! 

While working in there, I have managed to better organize some of my past art boxes, so I might have some foxy snowflakes and groovin reindeer Christmas cards listed by mid November!

What are you planning for Halloween Night?  I'm not a big Halloween fan and usually take an overextended bath and watch a suspenseful movie!

Thank you Ali from HeyAlleyCat for ordering so much of my hoard and sending me a story about it all, but most of all, thank you for being a new friend and showing me so much support in more ways than one! Get Well Soon too!

Check out her vintage collection and upcycled goods at her Etsy shop, HeyAlleyCat, by clicking  here!  She's been collecting vintage for over 25 years and says, as long as she can pry it out of her husband's hands she'll list it!  I think she listed new items while he was out building the tree house!

I love her upcyled cedar slabs collage assemblage art from the tree they downed to build the tree house!  A "must see" favorite of mine is the buri squirrel woodland assemblage here.  If you love buri animals as much as I do, you'll love it too and the cedar will keep many types of insects, like moths from invading because they don't like the smell or something.

View all her beautifully and clever handmade upcycled items, here! 

My other favorites are a scary looking kewpie doll, click here and an adorable Donald Duck vintag baby item from the days when one rested the baby bottle on it, like a no hands bottle rester!  He's got a lot of well loved character!

Thank you Etsy for a connection that has given me so much! I never know what other happy surprises an order will bring!  A new bff in Texas!  Thanks a million!

Thank you US, South Africa, China and Ukraine for reading my posts about my Hoarder Rehab:  The Destiny of Things!

Click on the shop names to visit my hoard listed daily at: HoarderRehab,  The Destiny of Things, VintageToGoEtsy and now JunkDrawerLoveEtsy!  There are about 73 items listed on JunkDrawerLoveEtsy and will be listing 1-3 new things there daily and 1-2 items at the other shops!  Thanks for looking! 

The "hard to find" audio cassette of Alvin Schwartz's book, series 1 "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" told by George S. Irving, who was in the original, "Oklahoma" and was a guest actor as Edith Bunker's cousin on "All in the Family" with the book, please order it here!

Related Stories: 

1.  The first Alvin Schwartz, More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark story is here!

2.  The closest posting to Halloween from last year is here, my first HoarderRehab Epiphany!

Most Read Story of the Week:  Hans Vilhelm Hansen's Version of  St. Laboure's Miraculous Medal

Most Read Story of the Month and All Time:  My Louis Vuitton Collection: the end of my collection is the beginning for someone else.  The last piece of my LV collection, my 80s LV gold cornered wallet is available here at The Destiny of Things!  

Sorry, I have no idea what happened to my usual font and size, bold or unbold and I am so late in posting this Friday.  My apologies.  I only have time to check format, not even proofread, let alone edit!