Collections: OPI

I have a bit of an obsession with nail polishes. I now have a large collection of OPI nail lacquer. I just got a set of five bottles using an online deal. They sell OPI at HEB and every time I go grocery shopping I'm tempted to buy a bottle. So far I have resisted.

Collection: Eye Glasses

I have quite the eyeglass collection.  You see, when Ross first started working at Bell Helicopter we had great insurance.  We were able to get glasses every year--and expensive ones.  Since then I discovered Zenni Optical and because I don't have a strong prescription I can get glasses without spending a lot of money.  Poor Ross has poorer vision, and whereas I can get photochromic lenses for 20 dollars, he has to pay 140.  I can easily get 3 pairs of glasses for the price of one pair of Ross's.  So I have accumulated quite the collection.

Check out those mondo-big glasses at the bottom.  That was my first pair of glasses ever--I got them at age 16.  I actually lost them, got another pair that was exactly the same, then found the original pair.  I think I donated the other pair--and I should do the same with this pair.  The next two pair up are back up glasses--I keep a pair in each of our cars.  I don't wear my old brown pair very much anymore, but all the others I wear on a regular basis. I have 6 pairs in the house and there are still times I can't find a pair!

As you will notice, all the glasses have plastic frames.  I did have a pair of metal glasses, back in the day, but I think they broke (or I donated them).  When I bought the next pair of plastic glasses I knew I'd never go back to metal rims with the nose pad dohickeys.  I also had a pair of half-rim glasses, but they broke pretty quickly--luckily, I had 4 or 5 other pairs of glasses to wear.  Ross is not so lucky.  He only has one pair of glasses, and they are damaged.  I just ordered him two new pairs from Zenni.

These "wooden" glasses are my newest pair.  I got them free--just had to pay shipping on firmoo.  I like that they look like wood, but are plastic.

I wear these red glasses a lot and get compliments on them.  The sides are all carved and fancy.

Collection: Ginkgo Leaves

I started collecting leaves in 2005 and taping them to my plain vanilla lamp shade to kind of spruce it up. I collected all sorts of leaves, but I'm especially attracted to ginkgo leaves and I still collect those. I love the shapes. I like how some of them are split, and some aren't. They also aren't necessarily symmetrical. I really, really want a gingko tree. I want to get a small one and see if I can turn it into a ginkgo bonsai. Maybe I can grow one from seed.

My ginko collection is mostly on the sewing machine under a sheet of glass. I've thought of scanning them in to make a pattern that I could embroider on something. I'm not good at embroidery though. I even have a ginkgo leaf that I picked up in NYC in a frame with a picture of me and my mom at the Statue of Liberty. The sewing machine is getting full. I'm thinking maybe I should start putting the leaves in a book and label them with the place and date I picked them up. All OCD like.

Unlike my shoe collection and my hanky collection my ginkgo leaves are pretty much useless. Maybe I can get a couple of small leaves and shellac them and make earrings out of them.

Collection Subset: Miz Mooz Shoes

I often lament that I'm not good at anything. I look at my collections, and think that I don't even have a decent collection of anything. Then I realized I have a beautiful collection of shoes. I have over 40 pairs of shoes. My Miz Mooz shoes are special. Except for the flats each pair of shoes represents a trip to New York City. I buy shoes instead of souvenirs. I really want to show off my new boots, but it is a little too hot right now. I think I'll show off my strappy sandals for now.

Collection: Fountain Pens

My fountain pens is one of my stalled collections. I have about a dozen pens, and I haven't bought one in more than 5 years. The pens all work, but they aren't in great shape. I have some pretty cheapie pens, a couple of Esterbrooks, a couple of Shaeffer's and my Visconti. Before I started working at Hopkins I was practicing my handwriting. I guess I should get back to that.
This is my Visconti fountain pen. I bought it as a graduation present to myself and haven't bought another fountain pen since. I should start using it again.

Collection: Handkerchiefs

I've always thought of myself as a collector, but not a very good one. I collect various things, but I don't have a substantial collection of anything. I do have at least a dozen handkerchiefs. I don't just use collect them, I use them, so they aren't all in great shape. I'm not even sure where they all are. I probably have a few hanging in the closet, stuffed in one pocket or another.

I always travel with a perfumed (lavender) hankie. It helps with headaches and nasty smells.

This handkerchief is the latest addition to my collection. I've always wanted a completely embroidered piece like this. I found it in Ross's grandmother's fur muff.

I am always fascinated by what beautiful (and useful) things some people can create with their hands. I think embroidery, cut work, drawn work, tatting, and lace making are dying arts. I'd like to make a beautiful handkerchief some day. Not one this elaborate, but maybe something with ginkgo leaves (one of my obsessions) and a monogram.

Gargoyles West of Santa Fe: Mirrors

Ross's mother had a mirror collection hanging in her entryway. Most of the mirrors were made by Gargoyles West of Santa Fe. Ross liked the particularly strange ones, not the cute and flowery ones. Our favorite is the frog/eye mirror. We brought seven of the mirrors with us back from Texas.

Yesterday we spent quite a while cleaning them. They were a bit dusty, but it seems that someone also painted something nearby without covering the mirrors or taking them down. All of the mirrors had white paint flecks on them. I was able to get most of them off with my nail. Then I hung the mirrors up in our room.

We are very pleased with our set of mirrors and I think we are both thrilled that they are on display instead of packed up and waiting for us back in Texas (like some of the other things we got from his mother.)