Collecting is easy. Gather a group of objects. Amass a lot of things that are alike in some way. Assemble a library of similar works. No problem there. A bit of time, a bit of knowledge, a bit of this and that. Put it all together – bingo, you have a collection!
But the joy of it is something else entirely. There has to be love, passion, beauty, interest. Now that is much harder to find. The fun of gathering is to be found not so much in the things themselves or in each individual object, but in the serendipitous beauty of the whole creation. Whether it is small or large, the collection only takes on its true character of joy when all the pieces relate to each other and can be shared with others.
True collections should be seen and enjoyed by all, not just one. They need to be on display, to show themselves to the world, to be studied, oohed and aahed over, and given frequent applause.
My newest love and joy is ironstone and I am madly collecting it. It is a very durable china that has neither iron nor stone in it. Go figure! I love the white opaque color and the practicality of the pieces. Let me share some little groupings of my new joy with you.
This is on my dining room table. Can you picture this huge bowl filled with rose petals for Valentine’s Day?
The covered bowl with one handle is a child sized chamber pot.
I hope you enjoyed sharing my small collection. I hope you enjoy your own collections. I hope you enjoy sharing your collections with the world.
The Village Granny 
Hi Granny,
Thank you so much for sharing. 🙂 I really enjoyed this. I think my favorite picture is the first one in this post. But they are all so beautiful. I love collecting but don’t have much room in my new place to display things. But I love having my things out so that I can see them all the time.
Good and healing thoughts to you.
Kate
I too love to see my collections. I love to see little vignettes throughout the house of beautiful things arranged nicely. They make my heart glow.! Beauty and cuteness are very important to me as I have come to realize over the years. I’m not happy without them around me. That may sound strange but it is true for me.
I have less room in the new house than I did in the old house, so some collections were given away and some new collections were started. But anything new must fit into the house! That is the rule! The challenge adds to the fun of the hunt.
I also have a very strict spending limit on my collections – nothing more than about $20. Anyone can find great pieces for lots of money. It’s a lot harder to find great pieces for much less. Again it adds to the thrill of the hunt.
I’m glad you enjoy your collections as I do. That’s more we have in common.
Granny
Yes it is nice to see we have more in common. 🙂 I too love beauty and cuteness. That is a big part of my life. 🙂
Good and healing thoughts to you.
Kate