PresentPast Collection: Personal Collections

Those of us who consider ourselves collectors probably can't recall when we started collecting. It usually starts out as something small, seemingly innocent. Like a cherished souvenir from a far away place. Or a trinket picked up while on a outing with friends. Few of us probably made a deliberate decision to start a certain collection.

I am an avid collector. Of many things, all of which I love to be surrounded by. Take for instance my love for lighting. Vintage chandeliers to be specific. And if not vintage, they must have the appeal of a time before mass production. Many people are afraid of vintage lighting because of the need to often rewire or change the sockets. Over the years I have used the same "lamp guy" to do such projects. There have been so many I've lost count. I know others who are able to rewire the fixtures themselves. I personally don't have the desire to learn a new trade, so I stick to the lamp man. I should have taken a picture of his workshop. It's a dirty, dingy, crowded, fire hazard kind of place. There are lamp pieces all over the place. I have no idea how he keeps track, but he always knows exactly where the piece I need is located. Organized chaos.

The top photo is from my dining room, the middle is from a hall entry and the lower one is from the kitchen breakfast nook. I've been thinking of changing out the kitchen one. Why? Because that's the other side to collecting. If it's not "just right" you're always on the lookout for the one that is......just perfect. I was going to share with you tons of photos and stories about my other collections but I see that they might be too long. So I will save them for future posts this week. See you soon!