Friday 14 October 2011

Ridiculous Obsessions & Possessions

I over-heard Mr J and P complaining to someone recently that we had too many jars and that they were cluttering up the work surface in the kitchen.  Do you know what?  The man is goddamn right.  Take a look at what Mr J and P is referring to:

This is just a small selection!

Dear readers, this is what happens when one has a ridiculous obsession - you literally cannot stop yourself from buying copious amounts of what you have already - albeit on a slightly different theme.  For instance, for a family who doesn't take sugar in teas, coffees, cereals etc, we have three sugar jars - two of which are recent purchases:

From left to right:  Burleigh Ironstone; Arthur Wood; Hornsea "Bronte"

To add to the general mayhem, I bought this set of 3 tins from Bargain Madness when we last visited grandpappy J and P for £2.45 (blimey, you couldn't get cheaper in a charity shop could you?):

Mmmmmm apples and pears - very Orla Kiely dontcha think?

Get a load of the glorious gingham lids:



Gorgeous though they are, I can't keep them.  I haven't got a single thing that I can put in them.  Try as I might (and believe me, I've tried) I cannot think of a thing to put in them.  All my bits and pieces are sadly catered for by my enormous collection of jars and other receptacles.  How annoying.......

Being a collector of anything and a hoarder of everything is a terrible affliction so much so that I may need to operate a "one-in-one-out" policy to curb my collections.   My plates, for example. 

Here is a piccy of our kitchen cupboard packed to the gunnels with crockery:



And here are some of my latest purchases:

Jas Broadhurst "Revel" 

Pyrex - forgotten the name:  4 of these.

Kathie Winkle for Broadhurst.  The design is "Calypso".  4 of these.


Sheets and pillowcases are yet another ridiculous obsession.  Feel free to drool all over these:









Obsessions and possessions....... The constant craving for more errrmmm stuff........ Fripperies and trifles, that's all they are.  Dear readers, I  feel that it's important to remember that the pursuit of happiness does not lie in the mere possession of material things.  (Blimey, what's happening - I've come over all philosophical!).  I only wish that I could tell this to some of the students at the university where I work......

The story is that a particular wing in a halls of residence was found to have bed bugs.  The wing had to be fumigated and the students were given black bin bags to pack all their belongings in.  The cleaners came in and temporarily cleared out all the rooms putting the black bin bags outside the building.  Horror of horrors, the bin men came along and took them all away!  Eeeeeek!

And on that horrific note, I'll love you and leave you. xxxxxxx

35 comments:

  1. oh my those poor students I bet there is a slight uproar going down at that uni now,and some lucky seagulls finding some really good stuff at there local recycling centre .
    are you sure you cannot think of anything to put in those lovely tins and you can always fill those sugar jars with various different sugars for baking.nice tidy cupboards puts mine to shame
    xx fee

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  2. Ouch to the black bags outside the building hope the students were compensated......
    I think personally it is just a phase that each of us go through. I had an obsession for brooches, but now I feel I need to get rid so I am now trying to sell my obsession. Perhaps thats what we do, we buy to look at at our own personal "museum" then when we have had enough we sell our collections.......I wonder.........
    Julie xxxxxxxxxxx

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  3. Oh no!! The poor loves!! I took so much comfort in having familiar things around me when I moved away to Uni, hope none of them lost anything to precious or personal! :-(

    On another note: £2.45!? Total bargain!! They're bound to make a pretty Christmas gift for someone. Perhaps you can get a friend started with a jar/canister/pot obsession?! :-)

    Jem xXx

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  4. Ha ha - so pleased that I am not the only one!!! I have had to stop buying all sorts of things because I just have too many of them!!

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  5. Yep it's time for you to turf some stuff, I say! I can't believe you have those pyrex rose plates, my mother has the matching set of mixing bowls that were a wedding gift in 1965 and she still uses them daily...I've never seen the plates before though.

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  6. You are a hoarder but so am I lol I just dont collect alot of crockery jars Its vintage dresses and accesories for me.I know my family would love me to see it all but .....

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  7. Wow thats a lot of canisters! I'm totally drooling over those pretty floral sheets and pillowcases. I suddenly seem to have a lot of collections and not a lot of room. I blame the thrill of the hunt.

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  8. I'm sure there must be some foodstuff you can put in them - I mean, as long as YOU know that there's popcorn kernels in the jar marked sugar, it doesn't matter if guests get confused!

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  9. I had to give in and put lots of my jars into a cupboard - the work surfaces were being overtaken. Shame as I loved having stuff to hand.

    Perhaps a blog challenge is in order - no spend on non essentials for the first 1/4 of 2012????

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  10. *Puts hand up* I am a jar hoarder too! You have a mighty fine collection there. I did laugh at the uni story, yes thats my mean streak. I would have been gutted too when I was at uni for that to happen, but tbh my uni possesions probably added up to £10 in total ;o) Scarlett x

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  11. Well I've heard even the best places have had bedbugs (top London hotels), but poor, poor students. I'd find that hard to forgive. :%

    Obsession. That's a word close to my heart. White pillowcases, candelsticks, toucans...

    Thanks for dropping by my blog. xx

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  12. Yes, you do have a lot of jars!! lol maybe you could lose 1 or 2 into a cupboard and then swap then around in a couple of weeks? I know your cupboards are probably all full as well but I bet you could squeeze in a couple of things, I know I always can :) this saves getting rid of things for me!

    Bee happy x
    Have a delicious day!

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  13. Oh I have far too many Hornsea Heirloom jars, plates, cups, teasets and everything else! Would now love to get rid of it, but can't find anyone who wants it, even on Ebay. May try again soon.

    Your uni story reminds me of a similar disaster which befell some crafters including one at the class I was in. Their fabulous items were in bin bags in London awaiting a big exhibition - the cleaners dumped them! My colleague had spent all year making a wonderful fabric mosaic based on Gaudi. They got only a tiny compensation. :( x

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  14. Oooh, by the way, I've got a Teatime Giveaway going on at the mo. Do have a look and pass it on xxx

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  15. Can you have too much vintage? Oh my:) I use the things I really love, and keep the things I simply love,and try and share the things I HAD to buy. The Revel plate is gorgeous, that's a keeper.

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  16. Great storage jar stash and snap! - I brought some Dorma pillow cases in the same pink and white pattern as yours and turned them into a summer top for Monkeychild. A fabuloso bedding collection!

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  17. Blimey, I thought I had a collecting problem. Yep, obsession is the word and yep, I agree with Vix that we need a no spend on non-essentials. Yep, that's sorted then. Problem solved and we can smile again, unlike the students!
    Love from Mum
    xx

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  18. Oh jars, yes I share that love too. And plates and jugs. It's just too easy to love them all.
    Big ouch about the belongings for the students.
    Lisa x

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  19. I've been moaned at for having too many jars on our worktop too but they're too pretty to be hidden in a cupboard. Love all your jars, especially that mustardy colour one with white print (think I recognise that as Habitat?). Love the plates too. x

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  20. Oh but it's all so pretty! I know you might not NEED any more jars, sheets or plates, but they are so lovely!!
    I say this as someone who is slowly but surely filling every available surface with stuff. Other Half has been heard to mutter "It gets more and more like the bloody set of Abigail's Party in this house". nd he says that like it's a bad thing....

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  21. I love your obsessive collections, I think you can justify them, it's all practical and doesn't break the bank like buying new would. I can't justify a lot of mine, the vintage marbles,dolls heads and Quality street tins....Linda x

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  22. Bugger!Surely more space would solve the problem?! Like,Mr J & P could build something big and fabulosu to house all your lovelies in?! hahaha,he'll hate me!
    I adore cannisters/jars like your,YUMMY!XXX

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  23. OMG to the students!! In other news - those jars....could you use them in another part of the house? Storage for bathroom stuff, or cosmetics, make up brushes etc?

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  24. im a hoarder like you too, cant stop buying but no place to put or use what i bought! but i totally lovee those apples and pears jars! i'm drooling over the lovely fabrics of sheets and pillowcases and totally love your crockery collection in your kitchen cupboard, wish mine is that neat! love love the new latest purchases of plates you bought too! i'm sorry about what happened to those students, what a tragedy! but i do hope you'll have a marvelous weekend!

    susan

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  25. We always say that our house was big until we moved in and now we're struggling for space. I do love a vintage cannister but I've started to control my urge to acquire more at jumbles and leave them for someone else (unless they are really, really nice).
    Poor students! Ouch! x

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  26. Looks like there's a lot of horders amongst us. The problem in our house is everyone has a hording problem, except me of course, mine is all essential :)
    Cate x

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  27. Oh my word, those poor students!
    But i have to admit to being a hoarder too -which causes numerous 'tiff' around the house due to all my fabric and sheets and pillowcases and jars... LOL

    You need to start selling 'em my dear. that way you can enjoy 'em for a bit then pass the enjoyment on to someone else whilst you pop out to the shop with the money you just got and buy some more!....See?

    Have agreat week my lovely, and take care.
    xx

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  28. Amor,
    Look at all those lovely jars!
    I am trying not to be hoarder ,but I do like collecting nice crookery.especially my Pyrex addiction. I have that pyrex rose ,but in a the bowl version.love your pillow case fabrics.I am drooling over gingham tins.
    You need to sale them on Ebay..free listing till today.
    besotes

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  29. I love your collections! I cannot resist collecting things either, but oh what pleasure!

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  30. I love your Jas Broadhurst 'Revel' plate, I've got the rose-print pyrex pattern too but on a casserole dish. I often complain that our house is too small for the two of us but the truth is probably there's nothing wrong with the house, we've just got way too much 'stuff.'

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  31. I am an intermittent hoarder - I have now filled up my flat (bneen here just under a year!) so it's time to have a serious think about my stuff!

    I love your storage jars and covet those 3 tins and your pink linen... especially the linen!

    Those poor students - not a good thing to happen, hope it all got sorted somehow in the end

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  32. Thanks for visiting my blog.. I am a new follower :)
    I can relate to this post, I am a hoarder as well..guilty as charged. I can not blame you for keeping all those lovely canisters, I think I would have a hard time parting with any of those pretties. I have far too many teacups. I can't help buying them. I have gotten to the point where I have to stack them..one day they all will look like the leaning tower of pisa (in teacup form :P).
    I have the same pyrex rose dishes as you..I bought them at a boot sale a few weekends back :)
    Love the vintage sheets and pillowcases, such pretty patterns!

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  33. Oh my gosh, what an awful thing to happen to those poor students. I would have been devasted if that had happened to me!!Bet they didn't get much compensation for it either, think of all those personal 'can't be replaced' possessions they would have lost :(

    I do like your collections though :) I have quite a bit of clutter but no proper collections to speak of, just random bits all over the place! Jenny xx

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  34. If I was defending you to your husband, I would say - yeph, but all the things she has are original!!! I love you collection - lots!

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