The other day Nad of HugsXHearts asked me exactly how many bracelets I have. I jokingly answered “ONE MILLION!” But then I started thinking about it. I might actually have one million bracelets. It’s more than a bit obscene. See the pic above? That’s them. About a million seems right, right? Anyway the thing with my collection is most all are gifts (one exception being the albatross ivory bangle). Each has a story and special significance. Most are from my dad and with his death I find even cooking the pasta from his pantry breaks my heart. I am foolishly sentimental with everything so I could never give away or sell any of my collection.
“But Margaret,” you might be saying, “I have definitely seen bracelets on your wrist that are not in that lot of one million bracelets.”
Well, you would be right. When I buy myself a bracelet (most always second hand) it is with the knowledge that I am the temporary guardian of it. It’s the capitalist in me, I suppose. I buy books with the intent to sell them back to the second hand store. Ditto clothing. Ditto jewelry. The great thing with owning a store, I can sell these items more easily than most people.
Also with a collection it somehow feels like cheating to just go out and buy an item. That makes it too easy. I have maybe 3 Hermes bangles that I bought for myself. Those 3 leave me with an empty feeling because there is no story to them.
Do you have a collection? What does it mean to you? How do you go about adding to it? I know Nad’s got some rings galore.
Very Bangled 
I am a collector of anything and everything Kate Spade. I just find her merchandise so pretty & classy.
I love her colors! And she has very reasonably priced jewelry. I like her stuff too. Do you collect like bags, clothing, jewelry? Anything specific?
I really love her bags but it is really anything and everything Kate Spade. I added a coffee mug to my collection a few days ago.
Cute! Post a pic of it!
Wow Margaret, I totally loved this post and I can see that you have a nice collections 😀 I’m sorry to hear about your dad 😦 ❤
Thanks for saying that. It’s really what provoked me to write so damn much about my bracelets because they are so connected to him.
I’m glad that you told us that story and now i have a deeper understanding! You are just an awesome person ❤
Ugh I collect way too many things. Only its not really a collection as much as it is just a pile of junk that I can’t throw away. 🙂
I want to see it!!
I am so glad you are not selling anything from your gifts and especially ones your Dad gave you! I did not check back upon my comment the other day but this post answered it! I would treasure anything, well not the pasta, but almost everything your father gave you, my dear! I think it looks like a wonderful collection and not that hard to keep. i had a bird collection, whittled it down when I sold my house (well, one week before it got repossessed, but this is not the time nor place to discuss that story!) Anyway, I kept all the ‘best’ robins, sold the cardinals, blue jays and owls. The roosters were really pretty and sat up high on a shelf in my kitchen… I just painted for my Mom in November, 2014 for her 86th birthday a pair of cardinals. Needless to say, my name is the reason I received so many birds. My Mom loved dolls and we had a man in a truck who bought 250 dolls from her attic, she had sincerely believed we would someday all be ‘rich’ from their sales. So sad, not worth what she paid for them! Don’t feel you cannot buy your own bangle, if you wish to. This is my final thought for the day! smiles and hugs
You are so sweet, all the time, with your comments. I can totally understand a desire for a bird collection. I needlepoint and often the bird canvases are the ones I’m drawn to.
Such a great collection. But I also love the background, too! 🙂
Thanks, that’s a Canadian brand blanket!
It’s so sweet to see in the photo also the bracelet that your niece have made for you!
Yeah! 😀
I have a massive collection of Batman and Wonder Woman Statues, figures, comics and anything else I can find with their images on it. Problem is I have no room left for anything new … yet I still can’t help but buy more!
That’s interesting, are the statues only Batman and Wonder Woman? I find it so interesting the rules we make for ourselves regarding collections.
I do have some others, but I would say at least 80% are of Bats and Wondy. Love the characters and just have to buy anything I see with them on it. I love all the things I have purchased of course, it’s really just the fact of running out of storage space for the various boxes and packaging.
I bet there’s some job out there like a closet organizer but a collection organizer. I definitely struggle with a way to “display” my collection in a way that I can see everything but it still protects the bracelets. Storage + presentation are definitely the biggest challenges of having a collection.
Gorgeous collection! I really love how each of them has a special little story behind them…makes your collection all that more special. And the 3 that doesn’t? Well, I still think they say something about your style. I mean…there are a bajillion bangles out there and yet you chose those 3 to keep. That’s special!
I don’t have a collection per se…I have a problem. I collect a lot of makeup stuff and currently, I have easily over 100 lipsticks. And that’s without cheating and counting glosses or liquid lipsticks. I seriously have enough makeup that can be willed to my descendants for generations to come. Considering makeup expire, I think I need to pause and chill out a bit with this stuff!
I’m convinced “makeup expiration” is a myth of the makeup industry to get us to buy more stuff. It’s so hard to throw out makeup!! I am always like “well I need to keep this purple blush in case I need to dress up like a zombie. And this gold eyeshadow in case I’m invited to a disco party.” When do these things happen? Never.
That just means we need to throw a zombie disco party when we meet up…that is the most logical solution I can think of. And I totally know what you mean about the expiration dates being a myth. I keep hearing people say that you know your lipsticks expire when their smell changes – and I swear I have lipsticks from 10+ years ago that still smell and feel the same.
I think the one concern would be bacteria growth, like if you get an eye infection and continue using the same mascara. But I keep all my brushes clean and mascara I replace regularly. I guess lipstick you can just chop off the end, right?
I LOVE your jewelry collection! As a lady with only a handful of jewelry items total. I think two rings and three necklaces… I always love seeing well curated collections! I do have a few hundred dresses though so I think that definitely counts as a collection hehehe
Your dress collection is inspirational!! How do you store all of them? In your closet, or do you do something special?
I store them mostly in my closet but I also have about five dress racks full of vintage dresses that are stored safely in a cool, dark and dry place hehehe
Pictures!! I want to see pics! Tho I do love that last series of instagram shots with a bunch of them laid out.
Hehehe thank you! I do need to take a closet tour once I get it all organized and color codes like I want! Hehe. How do you store all of your jewelry?
That’s the question of the day! I need a new system so I can see everything but keep it safe, too. My honey installed a towel rack that lifts out for my bangles, I like to keep them rainbow organized. But cuffs and chains don’t work well in this system