Wild Fire: Sentimental

Well.... let's start with some general organization of sentimental items.......

What is sentimental to you?  I don't know.  Some general categories:  photos, framed pictures, scrapbooks, journals, baby stuff, letters, family furniture, jewelry, heirlooms, collectibles.

I can tell you what is sentimental to me:  photos, journals, kid stuff, baby books, love letters/notes, a small collection of randomness:  two September figurines, some 2 dollar bills, my jewelry, a few small antiques. 

Add in from Hot:  his grandfather's rocking chair, arrowheads, & coins.  The grass basket & doll.  And, of course, his antler collection.

So the first step is to identify, find and list what is important to you.  Go room to room.

I'm not going to go into specific organization techniques in much detail... although it would be really good if you were already a master organizer....  If you are completely at a loss.... start by gathering like with like.  Assign a tub to each family member and gather any sentimental momentos....  I have one for each kid but need to do better for the adults.  Get all the photos in one place.  Scan.  Scan.  Scan.  Split the photos into a box that goes with you and a box that is scanned and can burn.  Actually.... I confess...... ALMOST all of mine can burn.... but I do need to grab the box of negatives in the safe in the garage.  And the video tapes (that really should be changed to digital).  I am, at heart, an archivist.... I do believe in maintaining the native media source.  This means I keep negatives even if the pictures are scanned.  And I will keep the video tapes even after they are converted to digital.... so those things should be either in our safe or in my sentimental tub.... in a perfect world.

So.... I'm going room by room looking for sentimental items and make a hard-copy list of things to take.  I'm also doing some photo-documentation for insurance purposes.  Not that I have anything of huge value.  My mother-in-law loads all of her dansko/keen shoes in a basket and takes them when she evacuates.  The collection is truly could NOT be replaced.  And involves some cash outlay.  So if any of you have fur collections lurking in your closet... document away. 

Here's what I found in the dining room.....

A picture of me with Niki that I need to make sure I scanned.

A little creamer set that was my grandmothers.... definitely not an emergency grab but something I would save if I had a day to pack up.  Also the horned door knocker..... from Hot's family.

A lovely framed poster but not pricey or particularly sentimental.... on the one-day list.

Another lovely piece of art by Mike Capser.... not sure of the value.... framed... maybe a couple of hundred dollars.... again... the one-day list.

This shot shows Hot's hat collection that has migrated to the outside of the coat closet.... I put the hanger up and he was so excited, "YEAH!  I LOVE this.  What a great idea.  Why didn't you do this before?"  My response.... I hate it.  It is completely a compromise of marriage.  My purse is in the closet and my cell phone is on the shelf.  These are things that are important to grab... definite 5 minute evacuation items.

There are also some deer antlers on the table.  All antlers are on the one-day list as far as I'm concerned... I may get debate about that from Hot.  Not much of value in the closet... maybe Hot's hunting boots?

The kitchen contains only a few sentimental items..... an antique liquor thing on top of the fridge and two pieces of serving silver from Hot's family.  All on the one-day list. 

Ok... I'm getting tired.  I'll work on the laundry room and bathroom tomorrow night.  Then on to the exciting living room and bedrooms.... oh... then the garage... that will take some time.