Cherished Collections Blog Tour

Today I have my contribution to Casey's Cherished Collections Blog Tour! I am super excited about this and can't wait to see everyone else's collections! I have two to show you today. Both are somewhat silly, but I love them very much! I actually collect a few other things (like anything Nancy Drew or Wizard of Oz related), but I think these two are my favourite! I hope you enjoy!

Up first is my little collection of singing children figurines. I used to teach music to kids ages 3-12 and loved it! A few years ago I found this little choir boy and thought it was so cute! And pretty soon I started finding more, and so this collection was born. Honestly they aren't the common to find which makes finding one all the more exciting, but I think it's kind of hilarious that most of the ones I found are all little carolers. Anyone who knows me knows that I adore Christmas music (like, absurdly!) and I always loved going caroling as a kid. So I guess this collection has a two fold meaning!

Second we have my favourite collection. When I was about 14 I fell in love with a certain Scottish actor. It's a long story and highly embarrasing, because I went on his website every day in an effort to make him fall in love with me. I was convinced that I would marry him some day and we would of course live in Scotland. So I started learning everything I could about my would be home. My library card was incredibly abused. I checked out all the books about the country, and pretty soon moved on to actually reading Scottish literature and poetry. I watched Brigadoon more than is healthy, and my mom finally let me see Braveheart. I'd already long been obsessed with England and dreamed of visiting one day, and I'd always been curious to learn more of my Scottish ancestry. Pretty soon I fell more in love with the country than the original object of my affection. When I did eventually get the chance to visit the UK I was incredibly sad that I wouldn't get the chance to visit Scotland (the trip I was supposed to go on went there but I was transferred to a different group for some reason), so I still dream of one day visiting and seeing all those places that captivated me as a teen. Some people dream of Paris, Rome, Hawaii, and California, but my dreamland is Scotland. I was never much of a conformist. (by the way the Prince Albert tobacco can is also of significance. When I was a little girl I had an imaginary friend named Albert. He was a prince. His father sold used cars, and his mother's name was Sally. He had 17 sisters and 16 brothers. My great grandpa used to tease me that he was Prince Albert in a can, and I used to get really irritated and insist that he wasn't in a can. Someone finally explained to me that Prince Albert in a can was a reference to the tobacco and ever since then I've been trying to find a can. Last year I did. It is one of my most beloved possessions.)

This collection actually started in 2004 when I went to the UK. I bought the patch as a sort of consolation prize for not actually getting to go to Scotland, and soon followed the rest. Books, postcards, hankies, anything I can get my hands on that is in anyway Scottish. Naturally Scottie dogs are very much a part of that (and totally double as Toto!). I've actually been quite surprised by the number of Scotland themed jewelry pieces I've found. These thistle earrings were a gift from my parents, and I found the thistle scarf clip just a few days ago. I was so excited that they matched! Someday I will have a Scottish Terrier named Angus and we will finally get to see the country together, but until then this little collection makes me smile each day.

What do you collect?

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHELSEA!