It's More Than "Things"

I love things.

I don't mean just things tho.  I'm not one for clutter and junk. 

I mean sentimental things.  Family heirlooms and things that you can't buy at a store.

And I try to keep them in one of two places.  My china hutch (who needs to keep china in there!) and a curio cabinet.

Yes.  It looks like an antique store.  On the top is my original Kermit the Frog from the 1970's, a picnic basket that my mom gave to me and Ken when we got married and a Easter basket that Owen made when he was 3.

You'll notice Greedy Smurf in the front.  That's an original.  :heart:

Dolls from Germany, my grandfather Hawk's scrapbook from the 1940's (lots of great pictures of antique cars are in it), a lock of Shane' baby hair, Ken's baby book, a clay hippo made by Owen when he was little and a Michael Jackson record are on this shelf.

On the far left is a Christmas bell given to me by my grammy Eckhardt, a cookbook from the 1950's of my grammy Eckhardt, a little origami outfit made by Shane, a Thomas train that Shane loved and a Christmas ornament made by my dad when I was about 2 are on this shelf.

My first teddy bear and baby blanket, Owen's beloved Elmo, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy (a Christmas present to my dad when we were little...we lost Fozzy), a Pop-and-Fresh doll from the 1970's and a clay dinosaur made by Shane are on this shelf.

A bunch of the dolls that my parents collected for me when I was little are on this shelf along with the tie that Ken bought from Good Will and wore to a PKA/DZ mixer that we met at back in college.  On the bottom shelf are Fiesta plates of my grandma Hawk's from the 1940's and Ken and my class rings. 

I also have older pictures scattered throughout the cabinet.

Notice my grandmother's Eastman Brownie camera from the late 1920's.  And a picture of my dad's first car that he carried in his wallet for YEARS.

A letter from Ken's mother to his grandmother Freeman when he was a baby. 

The little "Ninja aliens" that Owen collected from the toy machines from the Giant grocery store when he was 2.  I let him go and get one when he was potty training as a reward.  And a little bunny that Shane made out of clay.

A red velvet signature book from my great, great, great grandmother Mary Vosseller.  The earliest signature is around 1875.  I love this one!

A close up of the dolls.  :)

This stuff may be "things" to you.  But to me, they're much more than "things".  And my china cabinet looks much the same way.  I can't help it.  More stuff has been added to it since I originally put the cabinet together.

And the boys have added some things to it.  Cause they know it's more than just "things".  :)