I think my mom had been waiting for the moment I moved out of my parent’s home!  I instantly became the “Collector.”  Don’t want it, don’t need it?  “Give it to Carla; she can use it.”  So I have a rock and seashell collection, three sets of formal dinnerware (most people don’t even have a need for one set), countless teacups, a handful of one of a kind chairs… are you starting to get the picture?

If I showed an interest in something cute like a birdhouse, a little porcelain replica of a cottage, baskets and containers (you know the kind gifts are packaged in at Christmas);  what did I end up with?  You guessed it!  A collection! 

Twenty some years later I have to admit I still have a few of those collections.  And, yes as my tastes change my collections have changed or have been edited to just my favorite pieces.

A collection can make a huge decorating statement if used correctly.  Go shopping around your home and bring together all the pieces that make up your “collection.”  Play with the pieces to create a pleasing arrangement; once you have a display you like – let’s put it to work!  Display your collection on top of an entertainment center, above kitchen cabinets, in a bookcase or even on a coffee table. 

Use a collection in an unexpected way.  I use three of my collections together to keep my bathroom organized.  Mason jars that my grandmother used for canning (these hold part of my rock collection, q-tips, cotton balls, brushes…) and  a couple of my baskets make everyday items easy to reach and it looks great!