Memorabilia -- Use It or Lose It!

What do you do with those special items that have been passed down to you? Put them in the hall closet and hope the door will shut? Probably not a good choice for several reasons. First, you are unnecessarily creating clutter; second, if the item is very old and unstable, you will further the aging process; finally, and most importantly, what's the point of keeping these special items if the only time you enjoy them is when you move or get the bug to clean out a closet!

This summer my grandmother passed away and I was the recipient of many beautiful things, especially table linens. My grandmother enjoyed entertaining and her tables were always draped in an impeccable manner. As I started to sort through everything to see what I actually had, I found napkin-sized linens on which my grandmother had painted picnic scenes. They are so neat and I could not just stick them back in a closet for another 50 years.

But the dilemma was, what should I do with them? They were too precious to actually use as table linens, so I decided to have them framed to display in my daughter's room. I visited a local frame shop only to discover a vast range of options for preserving any and all types of mementos. For my project, the shop owner recommended conservation framing. The linens were very old and starting to discolor. The conservation frame process includes hand-stitching the fabric to a suede board, use of acid free mattes (very important because acid from papers and plastics can migrate onto your memento), and image perfect UV-filtering glass. The painted napkins turned out wonderfully and look great in my daughter's room. Now, every time I am in there making the bed or putting away laundry, I am reminded of my grandmother's big heart and gentle smile.

My Aunt Marcia has a particular knack for finding creative solutions for our family heirlooms. When my grandfather's health was failing, he always had a hand-stitched quilt over his shoulders for warmth. Family members had a very strong association between that quilt and my grandfather. After his death my aunt had the quilt taken apart and the pieces of fabric made into teddy bears for grandchildren and doilies for his daughters and daughters-in-law. In addition, a frame was presented to my dad containing his father's Bronze Star, the Executive Order, and the article from the newspaper, all arranged under glass using conservation techniques.

Many mementos are suitable for display, given the appropriate treatment. Things that may be considered include, but are not limited to: garments worn for a special occasion, a lone piece of china or silver, and special awards or medals. There are many conservation or preservation solutions available. Costs will vary depending on the size and detail of the project, but consider it a worthwhile investment in the preservation of a small piece of your family history. So run, don't walk, to your attic, closet or wherever you have hidden away a precious memento and find a way to put it on display now!

Copyright 2003 Bridget Messino

About the author: Bridget Messino is a Professional Organizer and co-owner of Clutter Free Living, Inc. Her work frequently appears on many Internet sites and on her own organizing site Clutter Free Living as well as in her monthly Home Organizing Newsletter How to Be Clutter Free. Subscribe to the FREE monthly e-newsletter by sending a blank e-mail to cflnews-subscribe@topica.email-publisher. com

---

Spring Cleaning: Mission Garage Organization

Spring is here and the garage door is open. This is a scary thought for Cindy. Her garage is so stuffed that she can't even park her cars in there. But the kids... Read More

Sticking to Your New Years Resolutions: Ten Tips for a More Organized Life

1. A calendar is an essential organizing tool ? start the year with one that works for you! And whether you use a paper or electronic version, using Post-it? notes as reminders will... Read More

Taking Care of You: De-Clutter

De-Cluttering our lives can be an extremely liberating exercise. There are many types of clutter than can hinder us having the quality of life we want and deserve. There is clutter that is... Read More

Feeling Overwhelmed and Unorganized? - How to Use Index Cards to Organize Your Life

Feeling Overwhelmed and Unorganized? - How to Use Index Cards to Organize Your LifeAre you still looking for the perfect organizing tool? Is your Filofax too bulky and heavy to fit in your... Read More

Words That Inspire - SIMPLIFY

What do you gain if you SIMPLIFY?Dictionary* says:to reduce to basic essentials, to diminish in scope or complexity, to make more intelligible.What it REALLY means:removing clutter and interference from your life and work;... Read More

Ten Signs That Your Life Is Cluttered

How do you know if you need to clean out? Here's a sure-fire ten-step way to spot (and deal with!) clutter in your life.YOU HAVE TO MOVE A PILE OFF A CHAIR SO... Read More

Three Effortless Ways to Win the Paperwork Battle

Buried under mountains of paperwork from your company? Do the projects seem to never end? Imagine how good you would feel if every day you could start with a clean and organized desk?... Read More

Without a Plan, You?re Doomed to Failure

"My job is an endless series of deadlines, I am constantly putting out fires" You've probably heard talk like that a time or two. You may sound like that yourself on occasion.Are you... Read More

Get Organized: 10 Universal Laws

The Law of the 1st StepA good first step in getting organized is to 3-pile everything:pile one is for those things to throw away, pile 2 is for those things that need immediate... Read More

10 Tips on Color Coding Your Paper: From Chaos to Coherence

Color-There Is No SubstituteIn anatomical illustrations you see the brain's visual system, where the optic nerve is actually 25 times faster than our audio nerves (hearing). No matter which processing style you depend... Read More

The Problem With To-Do Lists

Do you use to-do lists? Do you find it satisfying to check off the items on that list? Too satisfying perhaps?More than once I've found myself adding something I've already done to my... Read More

1-2-3 Sort

Article excerpted from the new book, "How to Do Space Age Work with a Stone Age Brain" by Eve Abbott1 - 2 - 3-SORT!Every time you start to clean up your office so... Read More

Clutter Is Natural

Nature loves clutter. Just think of all the stuff that drops from trees, washes in on the tide, or is blown by the wind into your backyard. Birds molt, animals shed, snakes slither... Read More

Organization Tips - How to Set Up Your Database

What's in a Name?Everything.What do you do with all the contacts you make in your organisation? Do you:Collect business cards and throw them in the bottom of your desk drawer hoping one day... Read More

10 Organizing Tips for Road Warrior Parents

Parenting is always a challenge, but particularly so if your work requires that you travel. Don't be too hard on yourself or on them when you find it difficult. Here are some tips... Read More

Identifying the Rocks: Organizing Your Priorities

In one of my favorite books, First Things First, written by Stephen Covey with Roger and Rebecca Merrill, is a story of the man in front of his class with a pile of... Read More

Introducing the Power Hour Concept to Plough Through Mountainous Tasks

Have you ever been totally overwhelmed by a massive task confronting you? Ever felt daunted by the thought of even making a start on such a massive quest? I thought so. Read on...Recently... Read More

Tossing and Turning

"The real question is, why do you want it? What are you going to do with it? That's where you've got to start; otherwise you're going to waste a lot of money."These are... Read More

Calendars and Personality Type

I recently conducted a survey to look at the relationship between an individual's personality type and his or her organizing and time management style, and noticed that the majority of participants said they... Read More

Family Management Tip #3: Getting Ready for the New School Year

Clothes. Check. School supplies. Check. No doubt you've got to have all the physical goods required to carry your child through the school year. But perhaps the most important way to get prepared... Read More

Declutter Your Home in 11 Easy Steps

Feeling overwhelmed at the thought of organizing your home? Start on a smaller scale instead and it will be a whole lot easier.For example, instead of starting with the entire house, commit to... Read More

5 Easy Tips on Light that You Can Use to Improve Your Day

Light, Work, and YouWinter is here-and with it, short days, long nights, and Seasonal Affective Disorder. It is scientifically proven that the quantity and quality of light plays a significant role in mood... Read More

Effective Closet Cleaning Tips - Let Go of More Than Skeletons

I know I have a problem when I have to battle with the overflow every time I try to shut my closet door. Well, okay, it's not really a closet, more like an... Read More

Improve Your Workplace to Make Your Life Better

What does "quality of life" mean to you? If you want to improve it, you have to define and measure it. Most people think of it in terms of lodging, car, financial income,... Read More

Family Management Tip #2: Choosing the Right Organizer for Your Family

What method do you currently use to organize your family? Do you mean my paper calendars or my electronic ones, you ask? If you're like the vast majority of people we surveyed, you're... Read More

Essential Tips for the Kitchen

* Cupboards and drawers should contain items that are grouped together.* Store items where you use them. Put your plates near the table, knives near island or cutting counter, glasses near the fridge,... Read More

Letting Go Of Your Excuses

At this point, you have probably run across some belongings that don't exactly serve a practical purpose in your life. Some items simply cannot be judged according to their function alone. Certain objects,... Read More

What Momma Never Told Me About Housekeeping

A lot of us grew up with Mom taking care of most everything. Now, we do things pretty much the way she did. What if there is a better way? If you are... Read More

Getting Things Done: A Guide To Next-Action Lists

Getting Things Done (GTD), is a productivity methodology designed by David Allen. GTD increases your productivity by getting things out of your mind, and into a reliable system that you can trust. This... Read More