Holiday

[Catiele]

The best thing I have collected is Hummels. My favorites.

[onliner]

I am slowly buying more things that I can use year round.  I decorate by season, not holiday. The exception is Christmas.  I have 1 bin for each season in the garage and do not allow myself to buy anything unless I donate something.  I have storage ottomans and benches throughout the house that I can put things in if needed.

[ECBG]

The only "seasonal thing I want is a particular handmade santa-IF I can get the one I want which is quite large.  I wanted the one on the table and it was sold at the beginning of the line.

[CelticCrafter]

Last Christmas I moved something and put a decoration in it's place, 8 months later and I still can't find it.

[chrystaltree]

I don't have tons of Fall decorating stuff because I'm relatively new at doing a lot of Fall decorating.  Hubby bought me a huge, transparent plastic container and most of my Fall stuff is in that.  I put my glass pumpkins and a few other things on the top shelf in the linen closet.  Christmas is the BIG thing for me and I do have many big packing boxes full of my Christmas things and the things I inherited from my mother.  It's too much but my sisters are in small apartments and they do a lot Christmas decorating.  My girls have their own homes and they don't want any of it.  It's boxed and labelled with exactly what in each box.  The boxes are in our storage locker.  When I decide what my Christmas color story/theme will be, hubby will get the boxes for me.  

[chrystaltree]

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@onliner wrote:

I am slowly buying more things that I can use year round.  I decorate by season, not holiday. The exception is Christmas.  I have 1 bin for each season in the garage and do not allow myself to buy anything unless I donate something.  I have storage ottomans and benches throughout the house that I can put things in if needed.

Those storage ottomans and benches are a Godsend!  I don't know what I would do without mine.  I use them to store out of season clothes, I have three in my bedroom.  Also, the serve as extra seating if we need it when we entertain.  The bench is in the dining area and hit holds my tablecloths, placemats etc.

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[ECBG]

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@Catiele wrote:

The best thing I have collected is Hummels. My favorites.

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@Catiele OH MY!!!!!  Love those!

[Mominohio]

I'm a little late to the party on this one, but I do much of what others have already suggested. 

I try to use things like lanterns and flameless candles in the seasonal displays, but certain colors are for only certain seasons, so because I have so many candles, I bought an origami shelving unit, and set it up in my basement for just flameless candles, stands, plates etc that go with the candles. It made is so much easier to see what I have at a glance, organize by size/brand/color, and makes changing candles, pedestals, chargers etc. out for each season so much easier, and I actually use what I have because I can see it and easily get to it. 

Other things I put in the tubs that holiday comes out of. So today I'm getting fall out, and whatever I need to 'hide' for now will go in the four fall tubs I have. When I pack up the fall, that stuff will come back out and go into the Christmas containers, then after Christmas, when I put the Christmas stuff away, the 'regular' decor will come back out. 

I guess it only makes sense that when seasonal tubs/closet/or other storage space is empty of the seasonal stuff, to put the 'regular' decor in it's place. 

[Beauty Maven]

My best advice is:  "It's a journey, not a destination."  (That's what I tell myself.)  I've realized my collection of "stuff" is going to evolve, with a constant flow of new coming in and old going out.  

I've been through so many phases -- first Norman Rockwell plates, then Hummels, then milk glass, then brass candlesticks -- you get the picture.  As I move in and out of phases, I try to save only the best of each phase.  If it can easily be replaced, it goes.  I've never missed anything that I've let go, in fact, I barely remember what I had!  

My latest phase (thanks to Valerie Parr Hill) is gingerbread houses.  I was in Cracker Barrel today and they had the cutest gingerbread houses, two of them followed me home!

[Mom2Dogs]

@panda1234 ..I allow my self two tubs for fall decor and 2 for summer....Christmas does not count, but I probably have 4 LARGE tubs.  All tubs are stored in the garage except for the breakable/fragile christmas things.

I have an antique cupboard that I store off season collectibles, and decoratve items in...I like to pull out those item to use thru the house during any season and I have easy access.  

I see so many things that I would like to purchase, as DH and I go to several, 4-5,  juried art shows every year...but I don't buy much or I purchase something for a gift.  

I just decided at some point I cannot purchase new unless I let something else go....