Loteria Game DIY Mexican Theme Wedding Table Cards: The Destiny of Things, Story 221

Loteria Game DIY Mexican Theme Wedding Table Cards:  The Destiny of Things, Story 221

I'd love to see how these turn into wedding table cards!

Loteria game set available here

photo via The Destiny of Things

Here is the note I received:

Bought these for my wedding - it's Mexican themed as my boyfriend proposed in Tulum last summer! These will be part of the table settings! They are perfect - just need to decide who gets which card, my Fiancé is a drummer so he will have the drum one! 

How appropriate a Mexican themed wedding from a summer proposal in beautiful Tulum!  and how fun deciding which guests get which cards!  I'd love to see how these get transformed on their wedding day!

Tulum, photo via Google.  Information via wiki.

Tulum is the site of a Pre-Columbian Maya walled city serving as a major port for Cobá.

We've received several large requests for these cards for weddings and other crafts!  The loteria games sell out quickly in large amounts.  We just sent out 15 orders a few weeks ago and we have a request right now for an order of 12 sets to France to be transformed into this below:

 photo via Etsyian

How beautiful and fun!

These loteria game has the traditional games and calling riddles on the back!

photo via The Destiny of Things, available here

Saying Goodbye:  Well, well, well, in this case, having a hoard might have a silver lining for me!  I used to use my favorite loteria cards in my art in the 90s and have always loved the graphics on them and now use them as part of my "thank you" fortune themed package with each order.  Now it seems others do too!

 sample "thank you" fortune package with loteria cards

photo via VintageToGoEasy, available here

What I Learned:

1.  Other people like the same things I like to hoard!  A small example are the loteria game, Fortune Fish and Swami Fortune Teller cards!  What a way to make my Hoarder Rehab into a win win situation!

2.  It's always nice to have the loteria game handy because it's fun and easy to play.  Little ones love to rip up scrap paper or go pebble hunting for markers.  It's a fun family game for all ages!

My 90s loteria art cards were in little shrines and I think I gave all of them away

but I do have photos of them somewhere in my hoard. 

one of my lastest loteria art pieces, here

Thank you kind Etsy buyer for letting me know your story with these loteria game cards which helps me think about mine!  Congratulations and Best Wishes to you both on your wedding day!  Drum on!

Thank you Etsy for best Hoarder Rehab outlet ever!  Every time I get overwhelmed about it I try to be more thankful for all the help from you and the Etsy community with my Hoarder Rehab journey!

Thank you US, Germany, Canada, Chile, UK, France, Norway, Russia, Ukraine, China, Luxembourg, Greece, Ireland and many others for your continued support to by taking part and visiting Hoarder Rehab:  The Destiny of Things!

My GOAL to have 175 items listed on each shop has been met on three shops, Hoarder Rehab, The Destiny of Things and VintageToGoEasy, so I'll be listing at least one new item daily on JunkDrawerLoveEtsy until the goal is met and am thinking of listing 200 on each shop next!

Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed daily: HoarderRehab with 183 items ,  The Destiny of Things-192 items , VintageToGoEasy - 177 items and now JunkDrawerLoveEtsy - 169 items!  Thanks for looking!  Maybe you'll find something to take home and share your story too!

Related Stories:

1.  Loteria Mexican Bingo Game Wedding Crafts:  The Destiny of Things, Story 188, here

Most Read Story of the Day:  UPDATE Neon Googly Eye Outfit for Las Vegas EDC:  The Destiny of Things, Story 218 

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

"Start living the life envisioned."   

Twilight Zone's Nick of Time and Ask Swami Fortune Cards: The Destiny of Things, Story 220

Twilight Zone's Nick of Time and Ask Swami Fortune Cards:  The Destiny of Things, Story 220

There seem to be Twilight Zone themed parties going on!

photo via Ask Swami Napkin Holder Fortune Teller, F.E. Erickson Company, 1950s (exact date unknown), dispenses a fortune card.

I've sold many complete sets and some in random specified amounts.  I didn't think these would be so popular, but people must remember them as I do.  Such nostalgic memories!

photo via Hoarder Rehab, available here

Someone was kind enough to send me an email and said they were using them  for a couple of parties.  I've seen several of the complete sets in other people's favorites among Twilight Zone ephemera and other Twilight Zone related items.

A complete set is 52 fortune cards, which are more like slips of paper printed on newsprint.  They are double sided and quite interesting fun!  It's set up like a deck of cards with hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs with kings and aces and everything in between but jokers.

Here is a complete set of 52, via The Destiny of Things

Click here and then zoom in for a closer look

These bring back memories when my brother and I would hit the thrift shops and antique malls at the "Orange Circle."  Afterwards we'd stop by a cafe that had the penny Swami napkin dispensers, just like William Shatner in Twilight Zone's "Nick of Time."  It felt like it was our personal gateway to the Twilight Zone!

 napkin dispenser side

photo via EM Arcade History Index 

One of my best finds back then from thrifting at Orange Cirlce was my Louis Vuitton coin purse with a see through divider that was only 5 bucks!

 One of my best finds at a thrift shop at the Orange CircleI know 5 bucks!?!  This was so long ago when one could still find authentic Louis Vuittonat thrift stores.  I used this til the Saks Fifth Avenue material was ripped up, but I didn't mind because it was like having two more dividers!

Anyways, back to the Swami Fortune cards.  I tried to find that cafe that had the Swami napkin dispensers, but no luck, but I did find a photo of this:

photo via EM Arcade History Index

Of course, I'd always try it, but always lost my pennies because they were always out of fortunes!  I love fortune related ephemera and since I'm on my own dehoarding journey and have no idea what my life is going to be like after I dehoard, I send out a little fortune package with each order. 

 Here is an example of one.  Photo via Hoarder Rehab, available here

Each shop has a different sample.

I used to put one of these in each package, but since they've become a popular sale I've forgotten until now.  The fortune contents changes over time, except for the Fortune Fish, penny to change someones fortune to good luck, a fortune cookie fortune and loteria cards and there are always stickers from my hoarded sticker collection and other fun stuff I find.

What other fortune related items could I add? I'd love to find four leaf clovers, but haven't yet.

 photo via VintageToGoEasy, available here

Saying Goodbye:  I have plenty stashed away for myself and have considered using them as wallpaper, but since they are double sided it seems the print may come through each side. Anyone out there with other ideas?

photo via VintageToGoEasy

What I Learned:

1.  They are big hit slipped into napkins, but beware Swami isn't always gracious nor the romantic type, so his answers might crush some sensitive hearts!  I haven't had a chance to read them all, but remember they are from the 50s-60s, so some might not be PC or politically correct.  So if there are kids at the table, one might be doing some history explaining!

2.  I do love paper and think I have enough.  Now if I can some how prepare myself to let go of my vintage Sanrio and Paper Moon stationery that I've collected from the 70s on.  What to do!

When I was sorting, I did find that the aces had different versions from each suit

and there were a lot more aces in my batch.

Thank you Etsy buyer from Hoarder Rehab for letting me know that these are going to be in a couple of parties.  Of course, I want to be a fly on the wall to see how these will be incorporated... slipped in guest cocktail napkins?

Thank you Etsy for everything!  especially the interesting people I meet along my journey!

Thank you US, Ukraine, Chili, France, UK, Philippines, Canada, China, Germany and many others for your visits since Monday and taking part in my Hoarder Rehab:  The Destiny of Things!

My NEW GOAL is to have 175 items listed on each shop and three have been met at Hoarder Rehab, The Destiny of Things and VintageToGoEasy, so I'll be listing at least one new item daily on JunkDrawerLoveEtsy until the goal is met and am thinking of listing 200 on each shop next!

Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed daily: HoarderRehab with 183 items ,  The Destiny of Things-190 items , VintageToGoEasy - 177 items and now JunkDrawerLoveEtsy - 167 items!  Thanks for looking!  Maybe you'll find something to take home and share your story too!

 Watch the promotional for the episode on youtube, here

 and the full episode on imbd, here

Related Story:

1.  See how another Etsy buyer uses these Swami Fortune cards, here

"You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension - a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into the Twilight Zone"---Opening narration of Seasons 4&5

Walter Skolnik's Sonatina Sheet Music: The Destiny of Things, Story 219

Walter Skolnik's Sonatina Sheet Music:  The Destiny of Things, Story 219

Around the end of May, I got a story from an Etsy buyer-fellow hoarder just asking a question!

 

60s Walter Skolnik's Sonatina F horn & piano sheet music T157

 photo via The Destiny of Things, available here 

She didn't order it, but she gave me a story in her email inquiry.  While you read, listen to one of his Sonatina's, here:

One of the things I've always (since I was 3) wanted to do was to learn to play a plethora of instruments. I just turned 47 and my mom's family would pick up practically ANY instrument and be playing like a pro within 20 minutes or so...most of them never learned to read music, but they'd be able to play by ear. 

My favorite aunt had played the organ as a child and my uncle bought her a huge organ with 3 or 4 rows of keyboards. She just got frustrated (I don't think she ever played it), but my uncle sat down and started playing by ear as if he were born playing, even though the only instrument he'd ever taken lessons to play had cost my granddaddy 25 cents for lessons on playing the mandolin. 

I took clarinet lessons in Jr. High school and could read music, but felt way more comfortable playing by ear. I'm realizing that there are way too many family friends who've passed away with regrets about the things they'd always thought they'd have time to learn later. I've been taking acoustic guitar lessons for 2 months once a week now.the piano and saxophone are also on my list of instruments I want to learn to play. 

My question is...is piano sheet music going to be of any use to me with the guitar lessons? Thanks! From one hoarder to another.

 60s Walter Skolnik's Sonatina F horn & piano sheet music T157

 photo via The Destiny of Things, available here

Here's what I wrote back:

What a beautiful story! I just love it and thank you for sharing it with me.

Your relatives and you must have more than stupendous musical genes running through your family to be able to play by ear like that because learning to play an instrument, knowing how to read music or not was a trying learning technique in itself for me, just to learn how to play a flute, clarinet and violin with a note sounding how it's supposed to sound, took me unimaginable time and practice and is most likely why I stuck with only piano!

If you've been wanting to play a plethora of instruments since you were 3 years old and you can play by ear and have many relatives that can guide you, I don't think you'll be needing this sheet music!

I don't think this sheet music is geared towards guitar. It's for horn and piano. I have a friend who played horn for decades and then gave it up, so I bought this for him as inspiration, but it didn't work.

I do have this listed when I was interested in returning to piano and guitar and for the time, when I could write music again in variations, so it might help you now... Chords were so important to me in music...

Chord dictionary guide listed here:

www.etsy.com/listing/156729932/90s-piano-chord-dictionary-musician-song

How are you doing as a fellow hoarder? and musician in crime these days?

Please excuse my tardiness in writing back, it's been so busy on Etsy for me, it's crazy! But at least my hoard is leaving one item at a time! (which isn't always easy either!)

Thank you for the inspiration and motivation. I hope I can use your story on my blog and if I don't hear from you will leave you anonymous.

Feel free to write me anytime, when you have the time, since hoarding is a full time job! lol.

Kindest regards,
~Kennedy at
www.etsy.com/shop/HoarderRehab
www.etsy.com/shop/thedestinyofthings
www.etsy.com/shop/vintagetogoeasy
www.etsy.com/pt/shop/JunkDrawerLoveEtsy
hoarderrehab@gmail.com

Read 200+ stories from Etsy buyers who help me stay focused on my HoarderRehab!

hoarderrehab.blogspot.com/

“It's never too late to have a happy childhood." ---Tom Robbins, Still Life with Woodpecker. Author of "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues," one of my favorite novels from my college days.

 60s Walter Skolnik's Sonatina F horn & piano sheet music T157

 photo via The Destiny of Things, available here

Saying Goodbye:  Well, I haven't had to say goodbye to this sheet music yet, but I did say goodbye to the friend who I got it for and never had the chance to give it to him.  I didn't realize how many of my friendships were based around socializing with food or drinks, until I became bedridden sick, even family too.

 Piano Chord Dictionary, available here

Many of my piano books and sheet music have sold

There's still a bit with other books here

What I Learned:

1.  Interestingly enough, they say one never knows true friends except those who stay through thick and thin and in my case, sickness or poverty stricken times, even a messy hoarded up house, but it wasn't until I got bed ridden sick that I found true friends.

2.  My friend played the trumpet, but I suppose any horn can be played with it.  I did find Carlos Estevens playing with a French horn and José Ramón Martín on piano.  According to the youtube title, they are playing W. Skolnik's Sonatina, but do not know if it is the same Sonatina.  It's quite beautiful.  Listen to it here

1907 Distressed Antique Sheet Music, On the Road to Mandalay

Words by Rudyard Kipling - Music by Oley Speaks

photo via The Destiny of Things, available here

Sung by Frank Sinatra here

Thank you Etsyian from The Destiny of Things for sending a story with your question!  So interesting and insightful for me and my Hoarder Rehab!

Thank you Etsy for a surprise connection that turned into a helpful story for me about evolving friendships and passing through time with them.

Thank you US, Germany, Australia, Belaris, Canada, China, France, India, Luxembourg, Russia, Philippines, Taiwan, United Kingdom, Italy, Malaysia, Ukraine and many others for your supporting my  HoarderRehab and The Destiny of Things!   

My NEW GOAL is to have 175 items listed on each shop and one has just been met at Hoarder Rehab, The Destiny of Things and VintageToGoEasy, so I'll be listing at least one new item daily on each shop five days a week! 

Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed daily: HoarderRehab with 183 items ,  The Destiny of Things-190 items , VintageToGoEasy - 177 items and now JunkDrawerLoveEtsy - 166 items!  Thanks for looking!  Maybe you'll find something to take home and share your story too!

 photo via The Destiny of Things

Yoga for Musicians by Eleanor Winding available here

 inspired by her husband, Kai Winding 

Related Stories:  From other self proclaimed hoarders....

1.  Spice of Life Enamelware, here

2.  From Hoarder to Hoarder:  Chocolate Milk Caps:  The Destiny of Things Story LXVII

3.  The Destiny of Things:  Mexican Tin Frame, Story XXI 

4.   The Destiny of Things:  Day of the Dead Calavera Skull Beads, Story V  

My Sheet Music and Piano Books:

1.   Duet Piano Book by John Schaum:  The Destiny of Things, Story XCIII

2.  Beginner Jazz Piano Books:  The Destiny of Things, Story 189 

  Francis Underwood House of Cards Harmony quote reversible washi tape collage 4x6 art PRINT

photo via Hoarder Rehab, available here

 

"Harmony.  It's not what's lasting or permanent.  It is about individual voices coming together for a moment.  And that moment lasts a length of a breath, or in my instance a transaction.  That's what I think about my time here."---Frank Underwood from House of Cards or in my case, I think it's "destiny, as well as harmony."

View my House of Cards - Frank Underwood, Harmony quote double sided reversible washi tape collage art here, here and here!  It's a series of three so far!

UPDATE Neon Googly Eye Outfit for Las Vegas EDC: The Destiny of Things, Story 218

UPDATE Neon Googly Eye Outfit for Las Vegas EDC:  The Destiny of Things, Story 218

So fun to get an update with photos!  BEFORE:

100+ Neon Googly Eyes, available here

photo via JunkDrawerLoveEtsy

See that face on the rock?  That's me!  Surprised in so many nice ways from this person's story and photos!  This work in progress is super creative, fun, funny and outrageous! 

DURING:

 photo via kind creative Etsy buyer

I can't imagine the time it took to glue on these on!  But you will see from the photos below, it was totally worth it because it turned out gorgeously neon WOW! and that's a WOW with some POW!

She started this costume towards the end of May for the Las Vegas EDC event, it stands for Electric Daisy Carnival and is a three-night electronic dance music festival!

Here's the email she sent me after the festival with photos of her wearing her outfit:

Here's a photo of my outfit, for some reason I didn't take very many pictures lol. It was the best edc I've been to. I feel like every year it gets better. I got a lot of compliments on my design. I feel edc is a great avenue for creativity and freedom of expression. Thanks again for the googly eyes. 

AFTER:

photo via kind creative Etsy buyer 

Thank you for sharing!  I'm so happy the googly eyes got to be so creative!  I'm speechless! and perhaps a little googly eyed myself! Talk about some googly fun!  Everyone is beautiful!

Here's another photo she sent:

photo via kind creative Etsy buyer

Saying Goodbye:  I think the most creative award will have to go to the Etsy buyers who order googly eyes!  It's a toss up between this googly eye outfit and eye bombing with googly eyes!

What do you think?  I think people with googly eyes have more fun!

What I Learned:

1.  I've used googly eyes in many ways as a teacher, but I must say it was definitely "G" rated.  It's good to see other fun creative outlets.

2.  Let your imagination run wild!

Thank you Etsy buyer from JunkDrawerLoveEtsy for your first email with story and photo update and for sending me an "after" update with photos too!  I think you are the first person to do that and it's much appreciated!

Thank you Etsy for another happy sale with surprise updates and fun!  It''s been a very long week and it's nice knowing the kindness of strangers is still alive and well today!

Thank you US, Russia, Luxembourg, Canada, China, France, Germany,United Kingdom, Poland, New Zealand and other countries for your visits and company at my  HoarderRehab and The Destiny of Things!   

100+ Neon Googly Eyes, available here

photo via JunkDrawerLoveEtsy

My NEW GOAL is to have 175 items listed on each shop and one has just been met at Hoarder Rehab, The Destiny of Things and VintageToGoEasy, so I'll be listing at least one new item daily on each shop five days a week! 

Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed daily: HoarderRehab with 183 items ,  The Destiny of Things-191 items , VintageToGoEasy - 176 items and now JunkDrawerLoveEtsy - 163 items!  Thanks for looking!  Maybe you'll find something to take home and share your story too!

 100+ googly eyes in traditional style, available here

photo via JunkDrawerLoveEtsy

Related Stories:

1.  Neon Googly Eyes Top for Electric Daisy Carnival Part 1, here

2.  Eye Bombing with Googly Eyes: turning city eye sores into street art, here

3.  A Record Breaking Order: The Destiny of Things, Story #145:  This Etsy buyer had a huge order, read what she's eye bombing with her googly eyes!

 Eye Bombing with Googly Eyes:  turning city eye sores into street art, here

photo via Rob Johnson

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

Have a fun googly eyes weekend!

300 Large Plain Shipping Tags: The Destiny of Things, Story 217

300 Large Plain Shipping Tags:  The Destiny of Things, Story 217

Sometimes having a hoard of something has a silver lining!

Craft shipping tags with reinforced hole: large 4 3/4" by 2 3/8" #5 string strung

photo via JunkDrawerLoveEtsy, available here in different amounts

This person needed a rushed order and still sent her story!

I am stamping my logo on them and using them to hold smallish clips at a big sale I am hosting in 2 weeks. But we leave for Texas, where I'm hosting the sale, in one week, so I need them here before we go. I thought the office store would have them, but they didn't have ones like this.. I only checked one of three stores, but decided I'd rather support a fellow small business anyway :)

That is such a good idea.  It's like a DIY double duty business card and display card for small clips.  Of course, I'd love to be a fly on the wall for that sale and take a peek at the log and product!

Craft shipping tags with reinforced hole: large 4 3/4" by 2 3/8" #5 string strung

photo via JunkDrawerLoveEtsy, available here in different amounts

She's so right, these are getting more difficult to find, especially strung with string.  I've seen them strung with wire lately and they are more expensive expensive too.

I use mine for quick notes, impromptu name cards, gift wrapping, collage and stamp art.  

--for teachers these are easily safety pinned on and or tied on name tags for many different uses: reuseable too! 3d art work, bulletin boards, garlands, flashcards, water bottles, etc

--kids love to decorate these for any occasion and also love to write their wishes or fears and hang them outside on a tree to come true or to help battle fear or use them as bookmarks or keep under their pillows.

--kids love to decorate them like little kites and watch them flutter in the wind when they run! Also an addition to backpacks like a zipper pull that they made!

--mount and show off small jewelry creations, especially for Mother's day!

--from modern to rustic: garlands, textile art, paper collage, washi tape cards, journaling spot

--from shabby, woodland to vintage inspired: greeting tag cards, art tags, stamping, gift tags

How will you use them? I'd love to know in email!  For most occasions, I usually stamp mine with this vintage stamp kit:

Custom orders using these any of these stamps, here

I've used them for occasions such as, Baby Showers, Housewarming, Travel and Leisure themed Bon Voyage Cruise parties, Retirement, birthdays and Back to School.  They are great to stamp in black ink and let the little ones color using colored pencils.  Remember doing that as a child?  They can too and follow the picture or do their own thing.

 photo via JunkDrawerLoveEtsy, available here

Saying Goodbye:  These are becoming more and more difficult to find now, so this will probably be my last batch.  Time to move on to crafting something else.

What I Learned:

1.  My "Hoarding without Hoarding" experiment works in this case because not only is Etsy buyer supporting another small business, but she's supporting my project days too!

2.  My "Hoarding without Hoarding" experiment is not working in other areas, but that's another story!

3.  Rushed orders are best ordered with PayPal because payment clears instantly.  Credit cards take at least one business day to clear payment, so for instance, if something is bought on Saturday or Sunday, it will not clear until some time Monday and most likely will not ship until Wednesday, unless indicated as a RUSH order because we only ship on Mon, Wed and Fri, unless a Tues or Thurs shipping day is requested.

We do our best for rushed orders requests, but some are just not possible and we only ship rushed orders that are guaranteed delivery by USPS because we have no control over the shipment once it's in their hands.

4.  It's interesting how in the beginning I was listing in bulk, until I go many requests for small amounts.  Small orders still seem to be the norm, but lately it may be shifting as I am getting requests for amounts in 100 or more, but I no longer have large amounts with most of my items now.

Still working my way to a Minimalist Organic home with a music art room!

photo via JunkDrawerLoveEtsy, available here

Thank you Etsy buyer for taking the time to send your story despite the rush you were in and I hope you had a successful business trip with many happy sales!

Thank you Etsy for another happy transaction and the learning experience of how to best rush an order by PayPal payment with USPS shipping delivery with a money back guarantee.

Thank you US, Russian, Moldova, China, Luxembourg, Germany, Turkey, France, United Kingdom, Canada and many others for your past visits and support towards my HoarderRehab and The Destiny of Things!

My GOAL is to have 175 items listed on each shop and two have been met at Hoarder Rehab, The Destiny of Things and VintageToGoEasy, so I'll be listing at least 1 new item daily on each shop five days a week until all 4 shops have at least 176 items each!

Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed daily: HoarderRehab with 182 items ,  The Destiny of Things-192 items , VintageToGoEasy - 175 items and now JunkDrawerLoveEtsy - 158 items!  Thanks for looking!  Maybe you'll find something to take home and share your story too!

 

 Retirement Travel & Leisure tags, available here

photo via JunkDrawerLoveEtsy

 

"We give up leisure in order that we may have leisure, just as we go to war in order that we may have peace."   ~Aristotle

US Flag Erasers and Cocktail Mermaid Ornaments: The Destiny of Things, Story 216

US Flag Erasers and Cocktail Mermaid Ornaments:  The Destiny of Things, Story 216

I'm not the only one who loves little trinkets from my childhood!

photo via The Destiny of Things

more US flag erasers available here and other patriotic trinkets here

I was fortunate enough to meet someone who is the opposite of a hoarder, yet loves childhood trinkets too!  

And left me this email about it:

Hi, Kennedy--

I read your mission statement regarding hoarder rehab and I thought I'd share why I purchased the items I did (flag erasers and little plastic mermaids). The short answer is I had erasers very similar to (if not identical) these as a kid (I got them at a 4th of July carnival during the Bicentennial), and the mermaids remind me of the little creatures my late grandfather would get in his afternoon cocktails, save, and bring home to me.

Now, here's the long answer. For most of my life I was sort of the opposite of a hoarder--I purged stuff. With the exception of my childhood Breyer horse collection I kept nothing. I thought nothing of giving things away, tossing them out, moving on. Cousins got old toys, broken things went in the trash, etc.

Then, in 2001, my son was born. In 2003, he was diagnosed with autism. One of my fondest childhood memories is of my mother telling me about "when (she) was a little girl". Suddenly I longed for just a few things from my past to show my son...to say, "This was one of Mommy's favorites," or "I played with this for hours". Over the years I've acquired a small collection of things--two photoboxes filled with trinkets and small toys. Basically, the boxes are like my girlhood junk drawer. I can dump one out with my son and talk to him. I can tell him the story behind each item he picks up. It's an activity we both enjoy.

Karen

 Breyer horse collection via google images

I have an overload of childhood collections but I didn't even know about Breyer horses until today!

How cool is that?  So much cool stuff going on in her email from remembering a US flag eraser during a Bicentennial carnival to making a girlhood junk drawer!  Makes me wonder what things would be inside my mom's childhood junk drawer and my father's and even my grandparents!  

I have my own little junk drawer type collections of things they've given me growing up and little things that belonged to them, but what a great idea to make one to share and connect with others, like Karen has with her son!  All the little loved comments and stories that come from just picking up on of the items that catches one's eye that day!  All the old memories mixing together to make new ones.

Who doesn't remember and love their junk drawer?  I remember our family junk drawer.  Not only was it communal, but it was activity to explore.  We could go in there any time and either add to it or take from it, no questions asked.  

Now that I think about it we even had a huge cardboard box in the garage that was like the junk drawer in the house, but it held all kinds of old clothes from my parents high school days, my dad's stuff from his army days, old farm tools and old rusted out gadgets we could never figure out.

photo via The Destiny of Things

mermaid drink charms available here

These little drink mermaids seem to evoke a lot of childhood memories for so many others besides myself.  I remember coveting having one in every color and taking it everywhere as my little pocket friend until her arms broke off. 

I'm not sure what kind of magic these mermaid posses, but I remember them being the most beautiful things in the world!  What do they bring for you?

photo via The Destiny of Things

more US flag erasers available here and other patriotic trinkets here

Saying Goodbye:  I do love my trinkets!  However, I do think it would be quite meaningful and symbolic for me to make junk drawer boxes from my grandparents things as an art project.  I wonder what kind of stories they would tell?

What things would be in your childhood junk drawer to share with your children?  I would definitely need a limit of how much my childhood junk drawer could hold because it's already a reality of overflow!  But what would be in my grandparents childhood junk drawer sounds like fun speculation and I could actually have my parents make one for me! Hmmmm.....

What I Learned:

1.  There are so many kind people out there willing to help a stranger and it's so exciting to find out how their story is going to help me with mine!

2.  I wonder when I get down to the nitty gritty of my hoard what will actually be left and will those things be the most important to me... because right now, almost everything still seems important to me!  Perhaps taking the time and making a little trinket junk drawer box that my grandparents would have had and made for me will help me in ways I can't see just yet.

The mysterious box Amelie finds in her apartment and she makes it her mission to return it to the owner,

thus begins the chain reaction of changing, not only this stranger's life, but many others, including her own. 

Watch the movie, Amelie and see what memories the stranger beholds from trinkets.

photo via madovermad

Thank you Karen for taking the time to read my Etsy profile from The Destiny of Things and writing me an email to start a different kind of chain reaction in a stranger's life!

Thank you Etsy for the many wonderful connections and thoughtful insight that has brought me change and a different kind of happiness.

Thank you US, Russia, China, Germany, Spain, France, Ukraine, India, Turkey, Canada, Luxembourg, Netherlands and many other countries for showing your support towards my HoarderRehab and The Destiny of Things!

My GOAL is to have 175 items listed on each shop and two have been met at The Destiny of Things and Hoarder Rehab, so I'll be listing at least 1 new item daily on each shop five days a week until all 4 shops have at least 176 items each!

Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed daily: HoarderRehab with 181 items ,  The Destiny of Things-194 items , VintageToGoEasy - 173 items and now JunkDrawerLoveEtsy - 159 items!  Thanks for looking!  Maybe you'll find something to take home and share your story too!

 

 Originally entitled Yankee Doodle, this is one of several versions of a scene painted by A. M. Willard that came to be known as The Spirit of '76.  A familiar symbol of American patriotism

 

In Memory and Thanks to all those who have made our Independence and our Freedoms possible!  Enjoy a safe Fourth of July holiday weekend!