Christmas Memories . . . The Decorations

How many boxes of holiday decorations do you have? Over the years my family has amassed a collection of Christmas decorations, so much so, we could personally decorate several homes.  And over the years we have organized and re-organized these boxes, storing them in closets, basements, attics, and the garage. We have gotten better at this task and after 45 years of Christmas decorating, we have it down to a science, but like all organizational tasks, it takes time and patience, but it does pay off.  

Let’s start at the end of the holiday when everything goes back into their box. This is the time you really need to take your time and it is also the time you don’t want to take because honestly, the holidays are over and so is the excitement. So, as the saying goes, it takes time to make time.  One box at a time and if possible, purchase the boxes that are made to store holiday items. These boxes are pretty sturdy and are well marked so you know what is inside them. And label the box as well. For example, “Family room decorations.”

The tree ornaments need special care, especially when they have been in the family for a long time. Over the years we have collected some wonderful ornaments that have special meanings and memories. I would love to put one or two into our Family Museum, however, space is limited. But when they come out of their wrappings and are once again hung on the tree, all those memories can be shared again, for at least a month or so.

Decorative and tree lights are always my bane, and I must admit, after I have literally pulled them off a mirror or the long string off the tree, I don’t plug the lights back in to make sure I didn’t pull a light out or broke one, which means either I fix it right then and there, or buy a new set, which is not very economical. So again, taking the time to make sure all the lights still work will be a blessing next Christmas.

Outside decorations are another animal. Big, bulky, and messy from weather-related events. For storing these items, purchase those big green plastic containers and again, label the containers with what is inside. And whether you store them in a garage or basement, you want to be sure the containers are air-tight for all the reasons you know.    

So now with all your decorations are organized and preserved, you can look forward to the next time you begin this endeavor and perhaps when you start your decorating, you will feel like a “Who in Who Ville” instead of a “Grinch.“

Blog to Book . . .

Hi everyone. Thanks for reading my blog How to Create a Family Museum.  

The purpose of the blog is to inspire, encourage and motivate you on how to preserve, protect and display your family’s history. It is vitally important to do so, and if you have yet to do so, start today. It is only too late if your history has been disposed of; and I am not talking just about things like souvenirs, collectibles, objet d'art, novelties, bits and pieces, odds and ends – another word stuff, if that word rings a more familiar bell. I am talking about all of these things and more; the everyday things used in the past and present that need to be saved for the future, because it is history, your history, and all of it has a story to tell – your story. 

I have been writing this blog for over a year, however, compared to some who have been writing their blogs for years, my time is not very long. But that’s OK. All of my posts are thoughtfully written and visually educational. As of this date, there are 116 posts covering everything you need to know on how to create your family museum. Being traditionally minded, I am conservative when it comes to social networking sites, so as the saying goes, “I have put all of eggs in one basket,” my blog. However, it is now time that I count those eggs and turn them into pages in a book to expand my message and help you save your history.

Now, I am not talking about another how-to book on home organization, storage, de-cluttering, downsizing, re-purposing, etc. Though there is a plethora of advice in those books, as well as online help, in newspaper articles and on television shows, they all have one thing in common – establishing some orderliness in your life and home. That’s good and necessary to keep your living space clean or organized, however, by doing so you may, even sometimes unintentionally, throw away, get rid of, or donate something near and dear to you or someone else, resulting in a loss of valuable memories and memoirs that literally make you who you are.

So as you organize whatever mess, clutter, disorder, jumble and jam, and are needing to confront, face up to, tackle head on, and deal with, this is the time to set aside your precious things and create a place in your home, even your office, that is designated as a showplace, a personal museum, that will display, protect, and preserve your history.

I truly believe making a book available to my readers with all the how-to instructions, pictures, renderings and narratives that appear on my blog will guide you to creating this very special place in your home and in your family’s life. Once the book is published, it will be available for purchase at bookstores and online booksellers which I will provide links to. And I will continue to write my blog offering edifying information and entertaining quips that keeps on inspiring and encouraging you to create your family museum.      

Please and thank you for your support and comments.   Liz 

 

(Mockup of cover design; subject to change)  

      

 

HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR HEIRLOOMS: FINDING, SELECTING, DISPLAYING

 

As this last week and weekend of summer comes and goes, I will be writing about a new installment for my Blog spot. Therefore, to give myself some much needed time to write and research, the next four posts follows, "Reintroducing How to Create a Family Museum."

Sometimes it is good to review because, as I have found myself, I had missed something the first time I read it or watched it. Better to do it again rather than never have done it at all.  



 

 

 

The key word is organization - one box at a time. It is overwhelming at first, but as they say, "Rome wasn't built in a day."

The finding is the easy part. It's all there; just look and you will find it. And as you do, you will be surprised at the things that were saved for one reason or another. For instance, my husband saved all of his naval uniforms. Why? It's not as if he was going to mop the deck anytime in the future. And he was so skinny thirty-five years ago! So out of that collection he picked his navy hats and the photograph of himself when he made Chief Petty Officer.

The selecting part takes time.

Picking the items out, deciding between one or more of the heirlooms, dividing the space equally, and sometimes having to draw the line as to who gets to put what where and how many. When it came to my Barbie dolls, I wanted to put all of them into the museum, along with their kitchen set and dress case. Woe was me to have to select. But I did. And I got it all in and still had room for more.

There is an art to display. Look at a large museum's intimate collections, department store windows, or antique shops. The space you have will dictate how you will display your heirlooms. Organize items in groups. The main idea is to express through display the meaning behind the person, place, thing and event. You want to invite your guests to look closely at your collections, to touch them, encouraging them to ask questions so you can tell your stories.

However you go about putting your family museum together, find, select and display a good cross section of heirlooms because variety is the spice of life.

     "Any color, so long as it's red, is the color that suits me best,
       though I will allow there is much to be said for yellow and
       green and the rest."                   Eugene Field


Next Post: Where to Begin
  





WHERE THERE IS SPACE IN YOUR HOME

Take a walk around your house, apartment, condo, where ever you call home. Pay attention to all spaces, particularly those that are not used. For example, a guest bedroom, hallways, even closets. Living and dining rooms may have a modicum of space, as well as the family room. Assess the space. What is in there now? How is it used? Can it be changed? Or can you eliminate what there is now and/or moved it to a better place in the house?

If one, a few or all of these suggestions can be done, after you have mentally envisioned the empty space, imagine a bookcase, china or curio cabinet there. Furniture pieces make great family museums. Perhaps you already have this type of furniture in your home that is filled with books, dishes, or a specific collection. If you are satisfied with this, then let it be. However, if you take off some of those books and incorporate other items such as photographs, personal belongings of the person whose books are on the shelf, or along with those dishes add a photograph of the special occasion where you used those dishes, maybe adding the invitation to the event. With that special collection in the curio cabinet perhaps you can include a picture of the person who owned the item. What is happening here is that you are developing a more in-depth look at not only the thing, but it's history.

                                                                            

My first intention was to put my family museum up in the attic. It was a commodious space, but it needs to be air conditioned in the summer. Heat is not good for antiques and heirlooms. Notice how cold it is in a museum? However, that plan did not happen. We chose to convert the attic into an apartment for my disabled parents. Though we lost that space, we were able to have my parents live with us in their twilight years.              

After bringing down all the boxes from the attic and going through cherished items that were stored for years, I was overwhelmed. What should I keep and where do I put it all? The only space available was converting a linen closet (story to follow). Cleared of everything that was in it, using every nook, corner, cranny and niche, incorporating shelving and cabinets where there was room, and after painting the walls, building shelves and making curtains, our family museum was created.

Then came the real challenge. Selecting what went into the museum, displaying it with thought and care, and parting with those things not wanted. That was difficult, however, donating the things to a worthy cause took the angst out of giving the items away. The total time it took me to place everything in the museum is irrelevant. The putting in and taking out, the arranging and rearranging, have no time restraints. There is no limit to how long it will take to create your family museum because it really is an ongoing project. Like life!

Everyday you encounter new experiences, new knowledge, sometimes new things. And the memories keep growing. You may not put in your museum what you accumulated that day. You may not do it for a week, a month, or longer. But that is OK. There is no schedule. No deadline. For me, there were many times that I did not attend to my family museum. So I let the things pile up, slid them in, put it where ever I found the room. Eventually, the museum did not look so fine and that's when I pushed up my sleeves and organized. And as I did, I changed things, put some of the heirlooms away, and in the process, found new ways to display the things I love.   
                



So have no fear. You will find the place and space for your family museum.

 

                        "Every cubic inch of space is a miracle." 
                                                   Walt Whitman

 

Next Post:   How to organize the heirlooms - finding, selecting, displaying