New Year Resolutions

New Year Resolutions? Did you make any, even one? According to recent statistics about half of you made at least one New Year's resolution. But the statistics are not promising, nor are the ones we make to our self. So what are some of these impossible resolutions made and not kept?

I researched the internet to find out.

WOW! Too many to list and really, I think you all know what most of them are, so I won’t repeat them here. But there were two statements I did find that relate to my blogs purpose, one from an unconstructive point-of-view, the other, constructive.

The first one: “Out with the old, in with the new: may you be happy the whole year through. Happy New Year!”
You may ask, what is so off-putting?
When things get old or are not used anymore, people tend to throw them away. Don’t! Things of age do have value and that value is in its history: who owned it, how was it used, what stories about it could it tell if given a chance. If everything old is replaced with something new, it cannot replace character such as charm, oddity, originality, personality, relevance. Of course I am not talking about, say a toaster or jigsaw puzzle that is missing a piece. I am talking about heritage; legacy, tradition, custom, culture. Did you stop to think that what is in your hand heading for the dumpster may contain all this? You bet it does and it should be saved. Therefore, “Keep the old, replace only what is needed.”     

Which takes me to the second statement: “A new year is like a blank book, and the pen is in your hands. It is your chance to write a beautiful story for yourself. Happy New Year.”
This is a good New Year resolution!
Open that box in the attic, basement, storage unit, or where ever. Take out the thing that has been regulated to the dark and shed a new light on it. Write down the history of the item, what you can remember is a good exercise for your little grey cells. If you are at a loss, ask someone else in the family. Take a picture of it, share it with them and have some fun being a detective. And once the mystery is solved, take care of it. Clean it, restore it, and give it a new life. And then show it off. Create a special place for your special things.

Need help? My book, Create a Family Museum and Save Your History is available on the publisher’s site https://heritagebooks.com/ and on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/             
The book will show you how to create a Family Museum in your home.

So as you end this year and begin a new year, make those resolutions, if for anything, at least as a check list of what you want to change or accomplish. It is always good to make lists, to write down what is important to you and especially to your family. And get them involved, too. After all, your family’s history is and should be on displayed and appreciated.

                                                                                                          Happy New Year!

Collecting vs. Saving: What Do You Plan to Do with Your Old Family Heirlooms?

What do you do when your home has become the designated family museum and you start looking to the future wondering what will become of these treasured heirlooms?

As Founder and Curator of The Family Museum and its Blog post, I have been immersed in family heirlooms for as long as I can remember. Since childhood, there has always been an artifact in my family’s home that was the property of another family member and sometimes friends. From Nana’s Nippon vase and dining room dishes, furniture and miscellaneous items like her meat grinder, these things were important to the family. As time went on, my parents made purchases for their house that I inherited; a piano, artworks, all of Nana’s things, and more.
After I was married, my husband and I started to build our own nest egg; furniture, dishes, artwork, etc. Then the moves came, from Illinois to Florida to Virginia. With each relocation, our stuff followed us and new things were added to the household. Then sadly, family members began to pass away, and more things came our way. Uncle Mike’s roll-top desk and highboy dresser, my father’s tools, Nana’s dining room

furniture, and many things from my husband’s parents after they passed away. My family is fortunate to have a commodious home where all of this and more fit in with our collections. But now, enough is enough! There is not one iota of space for anything more!
So after years of schlepping around boxes from attic, basement and garage, something had to be done with all of those little things that were saved along the way. So I created our Family Museum. 
Once that was done (but it will never be finished because we keep adding keepsakes) I began my blog, How to Create a Family Museum, writing about how others can and should create theirs.

As I wrote about the things in the museum, subject matter grew and I started to write about the family heirlooms and antiques that we lived with every day. And then it hit me; we live in a museum! Every room in our house has something from someone, passed onto my family. This was very enlightening. Each piece had a history & a story to tell. So I told many of them on my blog to the best of my ability, each narrative chronicled the life of the person who owned the object. Now has I walk through the rooms that have on display my family’s history, I am never alone; their memories are always with me.  

As for wondering about what will become of your treasured heirlooms? Like mine, hopefully they will stay with the family, get passed down to the next generation, securing their place in your family history. So don’t be too quick to dispose of something old to only be replaced with something new that has no family history at all. Create that Family Museum. Live with your heirlooms, use them; keep the memories alive. After all, "A concerted effort to preserve our heritage is a vital link to our cultural, educational, aesthetic, inspirational and economic legacies - all of the things that quite literally make us who we are." Steve Berry     


I hope this series of blog posts on Collecting vs. Saving, has given you some answers, some inspiration, and the courage to create your Family Museum. Watch for more posts on what is in our Family Museum. And this summer I am turning my blog into a book. I will keep you posted on its progress. And don’t forget, collectors and savers are happy people. So have fun while you create your Family Museum. Make it a family affair!

Any Room/Space

Custom-built Units

A disadvantage in using bookcases, curio cabinets and coffee tables for family museums is space limitation. Clothing or large items cannot be displayed properly. However, these items can be best displayed in custom-built units. First, determine both the size of the items and the collection as a whole. (Remember selection is encouragd). Then assess the room's space, traffic pattern and furniture arrangements. Once the space is determined, make a sketch or find pictures (many online) of what type of unit  you have in mind. Allow room for pieces that are large, such as a child’s wagon or dollhouse. Arrange the shelving (adjustable shelves add versatility) to accommodate tall items. If clothing is displayed, such as a wedding gown or military uniform, allow enough room  to provide space for the dress form (if you should use one). I did not employ any dress forms for the Keith’s leisure suit or my Dynasty Suite. I used strong gift boxes (ones for sweaters). There are a few other tricks to make the clothing displays work (I will fill you in on later).

 

Modular wall systems are very popular. The best units are often a mixture of display and storage. Equipped with adjustable shelving, cabinets, drawers, with glass front doors and other specialty options, these freestanding boxes and cubes can be stacked and rotated atop one another, giving you ample ways to display and store your heirlooms while organizing a myriad of objects associated with collections. They can work independently or in groups, depending on the size of your need and the space you have.

Built-ins work where a piece of furniture or a modular wall system cannot fit, allowing you to tailor the space precisely to your needs.

For example, within a thick wall, under a staircase, over a doorway and around windows. Though some pre-made cabinetry can be fitted to look built-in, they are better customized to your specifications by a cabinet-maker or finish carpenter. The prices vary depending on size, materials, complexity of the design, and labor. They are well suited to odd size items that need odd size space and save on valuable floor space. 

Pay close attention to the shelves back wall, where you can hang photographs, plates, even small items of clothing. Styrofoam blocks (found in craft stores) are good for building height. Step-layering shelves adds display space and dimension. By grouping interrelated items together, it makes a cohesive display. Arrange by age (baby) or time (school years) or hobby interests. Cluster a specific collection to tell a story. Just as in a museum, the display conveys an historical era or epoch, allowing the viewer to see a bigger picture of who, when, and how the person, place or thing came about and contributed to the family history.

I advise leaving a good portion of space under the top shelf for storage. Install curtains or doors over this area to conceal other items or the remainder of your heirlooms. You don’t have to display everything. One or two of a particular subject matter is sufficient, storing the rest. If you desire to change that display, those other items are in easy reach. The curtain also enhances the museum’s look.
 

Get the entire family involved with the project. You will be surprised at some of the suggestions they will make. Keep an open mind and Your Family Museum will be fun for everyone.

Next Post: Conservation/Preservation



Reintroducing How to Create a Family Museum

On March 4, 2014, Blogger published 60 posts on how to create your family museum. This week, I want to return to the first five posts to regenerate the awareness and enthusiasm that has been initiated by this endeavor to preserve and display your family heritage, bringing into effect the sense of accomplishment that your whole family can take part in and share in this honorable achievement.

Keith & Lizzie's Museum

“There’s a world of wisdom in our personal stories. Your life is a legacy, a gift that only you can give. Why waste something so precious?”            Dolly Berthelot



Tiffeni & Charlie's Museum

STOP throwing or giving your                memories away and START   creating today Your Family Museum. This blog will not instruct you on how to unclutter your home or how to rightsize, downsize, rearrange or reprioritize your life. It is about having fun selecting, displaying and honoring your family's history by  creating a special place in your home for your keepsakes, heirlooms and other artifacts that celebrates the family's heritage, giving a new meaning and value for you today and for the future.

As we all know and sometimes grumble about, most things these days are mass-produced, used, expended and discarded. However, what about those things that have lasted, perhaps several lifetimes that should be saved and passed on? If we do not preserve those things, what will we have that shows regard and respect for our past family members for the future? Now, you may agree with wanting to save your heritage, however, you may feel you are not sure how or do not have the space in your home to showcase your history.

 

Room after room, looking for space, but have no fear, I will show you the place!

 

Where to Begin posts will instruct and show how, where and with what you can use to construct your family museum. Detailed examples, step-by-step advice, pictures and stories will offer suggestions you may feel will help you to achieve creating your museum.  

                                                                                                                                                  Posts will cover a myriad of subjects related to the items in my Family Museum. Collecting/Collections, Thanks for the Memories, Daily Themes, and links to featured websites. Also information on preservation and conservation and helpful resources round out the blogs offerings. Future posts will be about creating children's, grandchildren's and Grandparents Museums. 

                                                                                                                                                     We all have stories to tell and I would appreciate my readers to share theirs. This may in turn give you an opportunity to reconnect with your feelings on what and why you saved the things you did. You can shine a light on a particular family member, friend or event that holds some special meaning for you. Heirlooms are most endearing, for many people can relate to your story because perhaps they have a like-wise item or memory to share.  

The past has value. It teaches us who we are and where we came from. This blog is not only about looking back, it is about looking to the future.  As you create your family museum, you will find the endeavor edifying, entertaining and most of all FUN! So get ready and create Your Family Museum.

 

“A concerted effort to preserve our heritage is a vital link to our cultural, educational, aesthetic, inspirational and economical legacies – all of the things that quite literally make us who we are.”                        Steve Berry, Author

Note: I look forward to your comments, remarks or observations. Thank you.

Next Post: What is a Family Museum?

Thanks for the Memories - Wedding Plans, con't

After thoughts: It seems that soon after I posted my last entry, I think of things I should have included. That evening, my family and I watched one of our favorite movies – “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” That’s when it dawned on me that I should have added that to the Wedding Plan post, as well as another very apropos movie, “Father of the Bride.”

In “Greek Wedding,” the scene when the bridesmaid dresses are revealed is hilarious. How many weddings did you stand up for where you dislike the dress?  I remember having to wear a mint green high-waist chiffon gown for a friend’s wedding. I was taller and skinner then the other bridesmaids and the dress just didn’t fit. But I wore it none-the-less and promptly donated it afterward. And the scenes of the gregarious Greek family imparting their wisdom and advice was so familiar to me being from an Italian family.

From, “Father of the Bride,” the scene where the bride’s father checks on his daughter sleeping on the living room couch, bride magazines scattered about with notes on ‘how to make your own cake’ and ‘get a friend to take the pictures’. That convinced dad to hire the wedding consultant.

There are many other movies that showcase the frustrated bride and groom and all the hurdles they deal with while planning their wedding. Never-the-less, whatever is planned and how it turns out, everyone will have a good time. And when you are invited to a wedding, whisper into the couple’s ear to have them remember to save the little things. If they ask you why, tell them that all their memories belong in the Family Museum they can start the day after they are wed.

Congratulations to all you new Brides & Grooms. May your marriage be a happy and long one.   

Wednesday Wishes

What do you wish you had but no longer do?

There is a common expression in English usually in response to someone making excuses all the time, meaning you cannot change the past. Yes, you could've done something, but you didn't... or you should've done something, but you didn't... or you would've done something, but you didn't. "Should've, would've, could've," but you didn't... now you have to pay the consequences.

That pretty much sums it up. I could have been more astute when things were being given or thrown away. I should have asked more questions about family members before they or the ones who knew about them passed away. I would have been more attentive if it were not for being distracted by things that turned out to be not important after all.

So now what do I do?

Start over!

Make a long list of the things lost. Reach into your memory and try to remember that time ago when you had it, what did you do with it, where could it be now. Stop longing to do something and do it now! Go to antique stores, secondhand shops, garage and yard sales, and find those missing things you long for. Bring it home, clean it up, and incorporate it with the other things that you cherish.       

Now, can this thing tell a story . . . your story? Make it special. Welcome it into your heart and don’t feel bad that it is not the original. As the idiom says, one person’s garbage is another’s treasure. And once you have given the new treasure a provenance . . .  the source and ownership history of your find . . . you will be proud to show it off and tell your story. What fun! Go for it! Enjoy the discovery!

And guess what? Your Wednesday wish came true.

 Next Post: Thursday Toys