Why Collecting is good for the soul

I stumbled across a wonderful example of a vintage brooch collection which i just had to show you.. Vintage enamel brooches..Hard to come by.. and this many? in beautiful condition and looking so gorgeous together.. well.. i have collection envy.

I love collecting things.. I have an obsession with brooches, vintage leather handbags and embroidered purses and it caused me to wonder why do we collect?


They say that collecting is not only relaxing but is a proven stress relief!

People get great pleasure from owning things of beauty and enjoy a sense of ownership
Nostalgia and/or a connection to history ( i love this.. particularly if collecting to share with others.. it keeps certain parts of or culture and heritage alive!)

The other reason they say people collect is the competitive challenge.. The competition.. perhaps one has with their own self! of finding the next piece for a vast collection..

My obsession with collecting began at an early age with rubbers.. ( erasers!) back in the day when i was collecting rubbers.. rubbers was an inocent word..

i had a wonderful collection.. so gorgoeus.. my sisters favorite was an elephant and a tyre rubber. we loved the rubber collection so much most of our games used to centre around it..sad but true.. we had a little world.. created entirely out of erasers!

Now it has gone. vanished into the depth of used to be... I Am ready to revive it.. and have decided that it is my mission to reinstate my rubber collection.. an even better collection than the one i owned at 10.

It honestly gives me a sense of joy to start.. most people would think i was crazy but there is something about collecting that really really is so much fun and i encourage you to start your own one today.. Whatever it may be .. if it only does one thing.. it will certainly make you just a little bit quirky..

Ill update you will some pics of how my rubber collection is going in a few weeks.. lets hope they make them like they used too! If you are reading this.. ( perhaps i am dreaming that anyone will read this blog! LOL.. please feel free to share your collection photos or notes of what it is you collect. I LOVE LOVE LOVE talking with people about the little things they love so much)

XX feefee

Gene away watching the rugby tonight so taking a break from fashion i watched the most adorable film on the rialto channel called "My best friend"

It tells the story of François Coste,
A Paris antique dealer , a buyer and seller of beautiful things...

He is handsome and rich and has a devoted lover, but....

The relationships in his life although there.. are distant and unfulfilling. He suddenly finds himself.. middle aged and completely inept when it comes to doing the one thing that he really wants to do.. Make a friend. He becomes consumed with learning how to beguile ( sp?!) and draw people in... and along the way learns some valuable life lessons about what true friendship really is.

The movie was funny and touching.. and as with so many french films that i watch i came away thinking about things that i could take from it. Francois was a sad picture of how most of us live today.. So caught up with work and being gracious to all that he actually hadnt formed any real and true friendships..

I certainly could spend a little more of my time with the friends i do have.. A little bit of unselfish fun time.. I miss those crazy high school relationships where every thing is just a crazy laugh and you take risks for each other all the time..

There was this great line in the movie where francois says to another man " you have everything.. you can make friends with everyone" and the guy says " being friends with everyone is the same as being friends with no one"

Nothing matches a real friendship.. if you have one true friend that will go above and beyond for you and you for them then i think you are doing better than most. I think ive lost that BEST FRIENDS FOREVER thing that comes with youth.. why do we start seperating our time and give less time to more people? its kind of dumb when you think about it. Lets find one best friend and give them it all.. so that you can call that person at 3 in the morning if you needed to..

Watch this movie.. I totally recommend it.. and i know gene would too.. at least i think he would.. He usually loves french films.. Although he can be slightly annoying as he cant do two things at once.. So if hes eating he misses the subtitles and is always asking for the storyline.. Argh.. so stressful when you are actually trying to continue reading and whilst explaining the last bit you miss the next bit etc etc.. but no really.. he would have loved it.

So next rainy day trapse on down to the video store.. again its called
" My best friend" from 2006.

bonsoir ( i think? goodbye in french if i remember rightly)
XX fee

testing blog

I may have only 2 minutes as Elijah is asleep and he is not sleeping for long these days! There is a bajillion things i need to fit into 20 minutes so this blogging test must be short and sweet! Shineon is mine and genes baby.. we are about to launch our new website and we thought it would be fun to create a blog site for people to check out our fashion thoughts and feelings.. So here she is!

I would like to start by saying that SHINEON loves teaparties. I know it has been done hugely.. and that every baby shower i have been to in the past year have involved teapots and cupcakes but i have to say I LOVE IT! Just the other day Gene and myself were invited to a friends house for tea and she opened up a CABINET to get out her teacups!!

Gone are the days that you were passed a huge mug full of luke warm almost dull tasting dilmah...

Back in fashion are the individual porcelian teacups.. ( with matching saucers!!) eclectic mixes of florals and golds. There is something so beautiful about real teacups... the delicate nature of them! that if you slipped there could be a major chipping accident.... It makes you stop and be careful! Stop and savour!!! And dont get me started on devonshire!!

So at shineon this week.. in order to indulge our new obsession.. gene and myself have been scouring www.trademe.co.nz for amazing new vintage pieces for our at home tea parties.. And we simply cannot believe what is out there!!!Last night the most delicious of teasets closed at $16!!! ( more expensive as i was bidding on it!) i stopped my self as gene thought the tea pot too big.. But still! $16! all inclusive of pot and teacups... I have added a picture above of the delicious $16 tea set.

So i have to go but you must know that tea is not the same from mugs. You must try a teaparty.. with the old school tea set.. you will be surprised how much it improves your life. A little thing.. but huge at the same time...

XXXXXXX feefee