ARE YOU A COLLECTOR OR ENTHUSIAST?



Good Morning to you,

Take a look around your home and tell me, are you a collector?

If you are, can you remember how your collection started?

Did it start with an item you bought?

Or, did it start with a gift?

Do you think the word collector is correct. I'm not so sure, as I do not see myself as a collector,  I see myself , more of an enthusiast. I know collector and enthusiast mean the same thing  but personally I prefer the word enthusiast.

Which leads me nicely to my enthusiasm for hearts. 

Thinking back, my love of hearts, began when I became engaged to George. The   engagement ring I chose had a heart in the centre.  Then for my 21st birthday, George bought me a beautiful heart shaped bracelet.

.... and so, slowly, and it was slowly, my love affair with hearts began.

George bought this heart for me in 1975. We were visiting the most wonderful Christmas Fayre in Dortmund, Germany. The Fayre had a whole range of Christmas items ready for eager consumers to buy. Dotted around the Fayre were people selling  Gluhwein. We enjoyed the odd glass or two, as it was freezing outside and it certainly  warmed the "cockles of our hearts".  As we walked around taking in all the wonderful sights, we  spotted a stall selling handmade wooden hearts.   George chose this little heart for me, which was so romantic. This heart has always hung  in my kitchen,  as that is where I spend most of my time, but at Christmas time, it finds it's way onto our Christmas tree, to remind us of wonderful times spent as a family in Germany.

This is the reverse side, "Ich liebe Dich" which translates .... "I love you".  It always reminds me of the film, GI Blues with Elvis Presley. Do you remember the song Wooden Heart?

This heart is made of star anise and  hangs in my kitchen. Don't you think star anise looks like an eight pointed star.  The seeds have an aniseed flavour and is one of the spices in Chinese five spice. This  star anise heart perfumes the air with a delicate spicy aroma.

This heart was given to me by Natasha, as a Mother's Day gift and I absolutely adore it. This is a Southern Indian, hand carved, wooden block. This block  is used as a technique to create designs on material.  Next year I will be sharing with you some more hand carved blocks, photographs of the artisans who use them and patterned material they create using these blocks. 

This little lovely also lives in my kitchen and "tings" when  the central heart is moved.

This heart was bought for me by Danielle, again as a Mother's Day gift.  My daughters know how to spoil me and make me smile.  I  love this heart as it always makes me think of Danielle.

This is a more rustic heart. There a three hearts, one large, one medium and one small.

Now for a complete change... my beautiful heart cushion.  This cushion has been machine embroidered with shiny white silks. I have two of these heart cushions and they are perfect for Christmas.

I know what you are thinking.....what has Audrey Hepburn got to do with hearts.....well to start with I love this cushion, so I think with the current thinking of " I heart you", alright I will use straight forward English, " I love you" it qualifies and secondly, but most importantly,

do you see the little heart motif....yes, the motif is small, but I love the cushion and the heart motif gives it enough reason to be included... don't you agree.

It has been lovely to think back to when some of my favourite things were bought and I hope you enjoyed them aswell.

I will see you later in the week, so until then, take care.