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Monday, April 2, 2012

sentimental packrat - take 2

I've already admitted that I'm a sentimental packrat and I save things the average person wouldn't hold onto for years. This is not an easy thing to be when you are in the process of purging your house of unnecessary items.

I'm happy to admit that I was able to let go of lots of things like my wedding binder packed full of ideas/plans for my wedding that happened 4 years ago, a 60+ page research project I wrote in college, and a box full of random movie stubs. Under other circumstances, I may have hung onto these things for another 30 years.

One thing that I came across, that I absolutely could not part with was my box full of cards. I'm already a sucker for a great looking card, but this box was full of ones from people I love. Ones that had special notes in them about moments in my life. These, I could not part with.

So instead, I decided to organize the cards by year. 

Just going through and re-reading the cards made this easy to do. Then I punch a hole in the center of each card and tied them together. For the front, I stamped a piece of cardstock with the year.


You might think I'm a little crazy, but when I was finished I could pick up a year and remember how in 2008 Josh's mom wrote me the sweetest card a couple days before I married him and became her daughter-in-law.

I could fall in love with Josh again reading a heartfelt card he wrote me on my 24th birthday in 2009.

I could remember the thoughtfulness of my parents sending us a housewarming gift when we moved into our house in 2010.

And have myself a good cry over the letter my best friend Megan wrote me before she moved away.

I felt the bond of friendship reading out-of-the-blue cards from great friends.

And was reminded how much something as simple as a card meant to me when I was going through one of my hardest times.

It really is a great way to look back and reflect over a particular year.
And since I took the time to organize them, I can go in my cabinet and grab a year whenever I feel like a stroll down good ol' memory lane.



Anyone else out there a card-saver? What do you do with all your old cards?


4 comments:

  1. I know how you feel I'm very sentimental over stuff too. But, I'm sure you heard about the hoarders here in town (just down the street from me) after that I've been throwing out like crazy!
    I like your idea for saving cards. I'm never sure just what to do with them but, I don't want to throw them out.

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    1. Thanks! Yeah, I've watched that Hoaders show and it definitely makes you want to start throwing stuff out..haha. I feel like this is a good, contained system for saving cards that doesn't creep into hoarding territory. :)

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  2. I love this idea! Personally I don't save many cards, only the ones that are really special, but for those who do this is perfect! Shel - I keep the card that you gave me before I left for Spain in the front of my Bible - that's where I keep the really special ones:)

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  3. Aw, glad to know you keep some of my cards. :)

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