Raindrops on Roses...

This is a really fluffy, trivial post, really. I was out shopping with some friends today and we were talking about things we collect and pretty possessions, so I thought I'd just post a few from some of my collections - favourite things, stories, stuff.

Most people know how much I love my camp blanket (and there are plenty of pictures on here) and my instruments (no pictures). Also, I mentioned Henrietta, my beautiful rag doll from D that she gave me in our last session, but never put up a picture. D also made a badge for my camp blanket - double win! Yes, those (along with my Speak Out trophy) are probably my most prized things, but I thought I'd share some of my other bits and pieces and treasures.

Precious Things

Most of my most precious things live in one of three boxes. The My Little Pony is the San Diego Comic Con 2008 exclusive. She lives in my "geek box" and is incredibly special as some very good fandom friends paid for me to go to SDCC that year. 

The box in the second picture is my memory box, which includes a DVD of my baptism, souvenirs bought by school friends, special cards and letters, my first gifts from pupils and much more. On the top is a card from the Millennium Dome when I was a Young Leader!

The charm bracelet was a gift from Colette, the head of contingent for Roverway. We each got a passport, a hand (to help us with our work), a teddy bear (the contingent had teddy mascots), a trefoil, a key and a little button painted as a Finnish flag. Some of us got extra little things and mine was a wine glass. When all the blue paint came off my button, I replaced it with a little charm and a Moomin charm. I wear the bracelet whenever I need reassurance - I managed two weeks in Finland when scared of woodland, I can manage ANYTHING!

Henrietta... what can I say? She was handmade by the lovely D for me, and is the first thing I see when I get up each morning and the last thing before I go to bed. She's one "person" I don't ever mind giving a hug and is a little bit of D that I get to keep.

The key ring says "change your thoughts and you will change the world) and is something I bought in Belgium in 2012. The trophy was for the Speak Out competition and both remind me that I have a voice and need to use it, whatever the cost.

Props

I collect film props and have all sorts of things from the Tybalt scene from Shakespeare in Love to gloves from James Bond and Wonka bars! But the things here are some of my favourites - a plate from Titanic, prop money from Doctor Who's Runaway Bride, a programme for the art exhibition in Love Actually, a letter from Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone, a donation receipt from Evita, a letter from PS I Love You and some coins from Pirates of the Carribean.

Victoriana

I have a family bible that dates back to the early 1800s, but that is tucked away. This, however, was a secret Santa gift and is from the London Illustrated Times. Absolutely beautiful.

Books

 This is what we were talking about today, books. I love them and have some really random things that people might laugh at. I have Kevin J Anderson's Hellhole, for example, because he was a favourite author when I was about thirteen. I also have a couple of signed books by China Mieville (but can't find my book addressed to Dolphin Girl, which annoys me!).

Other than the Grimmerie, most of the books are self explanatory. The Grimmerie is signed by the principle original London cast, including Idina Menzel. I never got Katie Rowley Jones or Nigel Planer as they always used different exits, but one day I will!

The J K Rowling book isn't signed, but was a limited edition of The Tales of Beedle The Bard and is stunning. The book pictured below it was bought when I took the Rangers to an evening with David Almond (which they loved!).

More Treasures from the Geek Box

There are two bits of the Noble Harry Potter collection. They did some beautiful pieces and replicas. These were on sale at a time when I had very little money and were special objects for me! The Continuum premiere invite is gorgeous too, and precious for a different reason. When my friends paid for me to go to San Diego, we were lucky enough to see the premiere and it was amazing!

When I see these things here, I have split emotions. Each item has a wealth of memories and stories, which I haven't necessarily gone into detail about, but seeing the things listed makes me feel a bit guilty and materialistic. Other than a recent splurge on two new books, most of my collection is several years old. I stopped collecting pretty things so that I could go to Finland and Belgium, do things for charity and make sure I had a car. And as much as I feel I should give up these things and store my treasure in the things that really matter, the memories are just as precious as the items themselves!