That's a "Collection" of Clutter!

Oh, collections... They're so near and dear to our hearts! Everything from cherished childhood memories to crafts and hobbies in our adult years can be right there in our homes on display. What a wonderful conversation piece, right? Your various displays help people to get to know you better, showing your interests and character. But what if people are getting to know you in another, unspoken way at the same time - as a clutterer -  someone who can't let go, someone whose home always feels cramped, messy, and even dusty or unclean?

Too much of a good thing.

There's a fine line between tasteful display of collections and clutter. Too many of anything can be difficult for the eye to take in and appreciate. And cleaning a large collection can become such a daunting task that it often gets pushed off to seasonal cleaning rather than kept in the regular routine. A good idea is to display a select few peices of any collection and then rotate out new ones every once in a while. That also helps to keep the conversation going when guests arrive time and again at your home.

If your collections are random or disorganized, they are not ready for display. Keep with themes that people can comprehend and enjoy.

If you're drawn to garage sale items "just because," or you collect things for undefined "later" use, then you may be leaning towards hoarding, and you've got to try to control that in the interest of fighting clutter. Is it "OPJ"- other people's junk? If so, let them handle it by donating or disposing of it before you take ownership just to drop it on a pile in your garage or basement.

Finally, to your friends who give you cat-themed items because at one time or another you mentioned that you like cats, it's perfectly fine between gift-giving seasons to say (as sweetly as possible) that you've changed, and that cat items aren't your thing anymore. And, when you think about it, you have changed! --You're not into clutter any more! Congratulations!

SK