A Psychiatrist....

would likely have a field day studying my obsession with boxes. I can't seem to throw one out unless it is ancient or bent - and even then it is hard  for me. It's not just cardboard boxes either - I have a gracious plenty of plastic bins and crates , and when I was cleaning the house and storage areas to get ready for my garage sale, I was appalled at just how many I had. I suppose when you are a hoarder, you need boxes and bins in which to keep your "stuff" - but what is the problem when what you hoard is boxes????!  (and what is the problem when every time you mean to type 'when', you type 'with?'   Sheeesh. I spend all my time correcting typos. )

On Sunday afternoon, I went into our attic to get out our Christmas decorations and also the last of the holiday inventory from my former business. I discovered some things I had forgotten were up there.  For the past 4-5 years I have only gone there to retrieve Christmas stuff at the very last minute, usually December 15th or so - which left me no time to check out all the boxes and bags.

I found what I have no doubt would be at least 100 boxes, and some of them were purchased for a holiday party I had almost 20 years ago. It was a party for Hardee's in Rocky Mount, NC, and I made centerpieces using three stacked, wrapped and beribboned boxes - which had flowers coming out of the top center. I bought more boxes than I needed, so the remainder have been in the attic ever since then - when they could have been put to good use wrapping our presents. In addition to those are boxes full of other boxes. The landfill will be happy to see me coming, I'm sure.

Anyone care to speculate what causes that type of neurosis? 

Can You Take a Few More Boxes?

Mr. kenju's corner on the bar area in our den. A wooden tobacco box, which I suspect was fabricated sometime in the last 25 years for sale at an antique show, and thus not really an antique. That didn't bother me, so I bought it anyway, and it holds some tobacco and matches (as well as the books stacked on top).

This is not specifically a box, but since it is an enclosed, wooden container, I think it qualifies. My mom picked this up somewhere; probably a re-sale shop or antique show.

This is an old dresser box. It used to be a part of a dresser; the boxes were beside the mirror and used to hold small items. I bought 2 of them at a junk shop, painted and antiqued them and decoupaged the design on top. It sits on my desk in the kitchen and holds junk of no consequence.....LOL

An old shipping/packing box. I keep it under the table between our TV chairs to hold magazines and crossword puzzle books.

Now.....would you believe this is not all the boxes I have? There are at least 3 more I haven't shown you, plus all the cardboard and plastic ones I have in the garage. So at this point, I probably classify as a real oddball, right?

Yet More Boxes!

Another set of mr. kenju's tobacco tins.

Box o' flowers! (silks, of course)

A flower-covered hexagon box; sometimes used to hold playing cards and small toys for my grandchildren. It is empty now, and I stood it up in the bookshelves in the den just to brighten up that area.

A tobacco humidor with a hand-made, inlaid wood horse head. I really admire the craft of inlaid wood, and I bought this at a silent auction fund-raiser ball for a children's advocacy group here in our area.

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I have been really lazy today. After working nearly 38 hours in 4 days, I was worn out, plus I have picked up either an intestinal flu bug or food poisoning. It could be the quality (or lack thereof) of the foods I ate all week: Monday lunch was a chicken parmesan pita wrap, and while it was tasty, it was full of fat. The accompanying zucchini strips; breaded and deep-fried, were wonderful, but sinfully rich. Tuesday: a grilled chicken sandwich from Mickey D's - only because it was near the flower shop. Wednesday: the flower shop provided chicken tenders from Chick Fil A, along with a veggie tray of celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes and cukes. I ate plenty of everything. Wednesday evening, they ordered pizza, which I ought never to eat, but did, with relish. Thursday, it was (someone's) homemade chili at the shop, of which I only ate a small bowl - thank Heaven for that. Either that did the dirty trick or it was a combination of everything else that did it. I also drank 3 diet cokes with caffeine; something which I seldom do and that may have added to the trauma.....LOL

It seems to be under control now, and I have had plenty of liquids today to offset the losses. Tomorrow brings a hot stone massage, to which I am treating myself for working so hard this week. I think I deserve it!

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I had already posted, but I forgot something I wanted to tell you. Yesterday at the flower shop, I was told to make an arrangement of 12 sunflowers. I searched for the perfect container, and found a golden glass pitcher. So I did the arrangement, with the sunflowers, yellow solidago as filler and some yellow acacia spilling out over the rim of the vase. I told my co-workers that they should title that one..."You Are the Sunshine of My Life". I didn't think it would sell, since most men want (or think their women do) red roses and babies breath (gag). But about 6pm on Valentine's Day, a man chose it to take home to his wife. I approached him and asked if he'd like to know what I called it. Of course, he had to say yes, if only to be polite. I told him, and he got a big smile on his face and said "That's perfect and I know my wife will love it. " Don't you know it made all those hard hours on my feet worth every minute?!

This is an antique doll trunk. It was in my parent's basement and after my dad passed away, it was one of the treasures I brought home. It's empty now. Someday it will go to one of my granddaughters.

This is an antique document box. My mom kept letters in it, but it is now empty.

This is also an antique document box; handpainted by my aunt in the 50's. Some of you may recall my posts on tole ware on Just Ask Judy. This is one of those pieces. It sits in my guest bathroom and sometimes holds hand towels.

This is one of mr. kenju's collection of tobacco tin boxes. He has quite a few, but we have stopped collecting anything, since we are getting to the age where we need to pare down, not add to our clutter. In the last post, some of you mentioned looking inside the boxes. Most of them are empty, except I keep my postcard collection in the large oval Shaker box.

I Promised You Boxes.....

A stained glass box with a mirrored base. This was a gift.


My mother's Shaker boxes.

An old spool cabinet, which I use as a jewelry box. That's mr. kenju in the photo; at Miami South Beach, circa 1978.

Hat boxes; the two on the right are pretty old )1940's), but the ones on the left are from the 80's.

Red and gold metal.

A hand painted tin; meant to be a jewelry box. It was painted by the daughter of the first florist I ever worked for (1958).

A hat box. A friend was giving me some green frog dishes and she bought the hat box to pack them in. It looks great in my bedroom.

I'll post some more soon. I worked nine hours on Monday and today too, so I am headed to a hot bath and more Epsom Salts.