Collection or clutter? Don’t you love it when clutter becomes a collection? Is there a difference in clutter and collections? How do you determine if it’s clutter or a collection? What do you keep? Why are you keeping your “stuff”, these things? What do you get rid?
This feels like clutter to me!
WHY DOES IT LOOK AND FEEL LIKE CLUTTER?
Because it’s all stacked up together, no rhyme or reason. This makes it hard to know if this is clutter or a collection in the making.
There is a rhyme. They are sorted.
The aluminum pots are all together. There is a stray copper pot. Hmmm! It needs to find a new space.
The white vessels are side by side. So is this clutter or collection?
And the glass items are grouped.
And actually, there is a reason. These pieces are all stacked on top of a cabinet in the Art Studio waiting for their time to be models in one of my paintings. Some have already been included in my art.
Like this one called Blowin’ Off Steam. I painted this in the hospital room while hubby was recovering from surgery. He was in the hospital for 6 days. I was glad I took this to work on. This little painting won numerous first place awards and several other awards. You can purchase a print HERE.
What is a collection? According to the dictionary, a collection is a group of similar things that you have deliberately acquired, usually over a period of time.
I think these things might qualify.
What is Clutter? Clutter is a lot of things in a messy (dirty, not neat) state, especially things that are not useful or necessary.
The truth is that it looks really messy but because it is above my eye level, it is out of sight, out of mind.
In the process of doing the kitchen renovation, I cleared and cleaned the tops of my cabinets. In the space, to the left of the sink, I had a small collection of 3 ceramic pitchers. With the new grey paint, they just faded from sight. It was time for a transition. How many items does it take to classify as a collection? No one knows for sure!
CAN THIS TRANSITION FROM CLUTTER TO A COLLECTION?
To determine if the clutter can become a collection there are a few things you need to ask yourself.
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Is this something I love?
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Am I keeping this for sentimental reasons?
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Do I have plans for this or am I keeping it just because?
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How many of these do I have and why?
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Do I really need to purchase another one?
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Am I currently using this? Will I use this in the near future?
Is this something I love?
Yes, I love aluminum teapots and coffee pots. So does my friend Renee. You have got to read the story of her aluminum coffee pots.
Am I keeping these for sentimental reasons?
Yes! These are not family heirlooms and they have not been in the family for generations. But, these were purchased as hubby and I went on some of our trips. We would always try to find an antique shop to stop and shop at. Aluminum teapots are not very expensive.
My favorites are these tiny pots.
I was so excited when I found this teeny, tiny aluminum coffeepot at an antique shop in Coleman, TX. It still has it’s little glass percolator top. It didn’t even bother me that it had a little dent.
The little aluminum coffee pot still has the strainer basket inside. I don’t know for sure if it was a toy or a salesman’s sample. It really doesn’t matter to me.
Do I have plans for these things?
Do I have a plan for this collection? Oh, yes, I do! I sure do.
How many of these do I have and why?
5 teapots, 3 coffee pots, one tiny teapot and one tiny coffee pot. It’s just the right size for a collection. Note: This is just the aluminum pots. There are copper pots and enamels pots. They are some more of my collections.
The white enamel pots have found a home in my kitchen, also. Are they clutter or collection? Collection!
And just so you will know, I can resist temptation.
Do I really need to purchase another one?
On an outing today, I happened into a junk store and spotted this little pot. It was the right price but there was no lid. It was even the perfect size for the empty hole on the rustic coffee rack. I was able to walk away and leave it sitting on the shelf. It was easier than I thought.
Am I currently using these?
Will I use these in the near future?
Yes, I will. Some of these will be chosen as models one of my paintings in the very near future. I have moved these from the storage area in the Studio to a prominent spot in the kitchen.
That gives them a new status, a new name. They are no longer called “clutter”, now they are called “a collection”. There is nothing different about them. They just have a new purpose.
Because I moved them, this collection is now out of hiding and has become a focal point.
These vintage aluminum pots are one of the first things when you walk in my front door.
Moving this bunched up clutter of coffee pots and teapots from the studio to their new place in the kitchen makes a nice display. I have also decided that I am not getting rid of any of these pots.
I added a vintage Coke box and a Royal Crown Cola sign that we have had for years. This new, old look for my kitchen is just what I was after. Because the coffee wall has those touches of red I will be adding that in a few other spots, too. Just a little here and there.
This clutter was hidden and now it is on display as a wonderful collection that I really enjoy. I see it every time I walk into my kitchen and my guests see it when they come into my home.
Is there a moral to this story?
God often does that with us. We feel left out, unseen, neglected, overlooked, or hidden. We feel like we are no longer useful and like we have been stuck on a shelf somewhere in a back room. And then one day, He moves us from a place of hiddenness and obscurity into the limelight, so to speak. He did that with Moses, with Joseph, with Esther, and He even did that with Jesus. He has a purpose and a plan for each one of us. So be patient. Be still and wait for His timing.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
I am so glad you stopped by.
’til next time,
Nathalie
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