Hi everyone and welcome to our first Favorite Things post!
I had such a hard decision on what to write about. The first thing you need to know about me is that I’m a collector. I collect all kinds of things – teapots, coffee cups, coins, books, western memorabilia to name just a few.
But today I’m going to talk my rock collection. My fascination with rocks started when I was a little girl. My dad would get so irritated to get home from a trip and find the car loaded down with rocks. He’d grumble for a week and the next road trip he’d lay down the law. No rocks! But it would be same thing. He finally gave up.
I love anything that comes from the earth. It’s like God’s gift to me and I have no choice but show my appreciation by picking them up.
No, it’s not hoarding!! It’s not. It’s just collecting.
Rocks are my beautiful treasures and they fill my heart with joy. I have them all over my apartment in every room. I keep select ones next to my computer.
This is called a Calligraphy stone. It’s a collection of fossils and shells compressed by the earth’s natural movements. It’s supposed to help creativity.
I’ve combined a lot of smaller rocks to save space. In the first box is raw emerald, raw citrine and raw amethyst. Blue agate is so pretty and next to it is two pieces of ocean jasper. Then, there’s amethyst crystal and to the left of it is a sugar rock that really sparkles under the light.
The second box contains desert jasper, malachite, tiger eye, an amethyst palm stone, and an amethyst chevron.
In the third box are two fossilized rocks. The gray is a cephalopod and the brown one is an ammonite.
I really prize this large piece of Labradorite that my sister gave me for my birthday. It’s gorgeous under the light with it’s changeable color.
These are just a few of my favorite things. I probably have two hundred. They make me happy and fill me with contentment and that’s what it’s all about – finding things that bring joy to your life. I’m unable to walk across any piece of ground without scouring it for rocks that grab my eye.
Leave a comment about something you collect and I’ll enter you in a drawing for one of two $10 Amazon gift cards!
What a neat post. I have tea pots as well and a small collection of rocks that give me joy.
Good morning, David Bibb. We’re kindred souls. My teapot collection got too large and I had no place to put them so when I moved, I sold a lot. Now, I only have a few special ones. A rock collection is easy to maintain. They can fit in small places and don’t take up too much room. I just enjoy them so much. Be safe and warm. It’s cold out.
Beautiful rocks.
I have a heart collection. It’s on display for Valentine’s Day.
Good morning, Denise. I’m curious about your heart collection. Are they paper or ceramic? Or some of both? I don’t really know why collecting things makes us feel better about ourselves and our lives. But whatever we collect brings contentment. Have a safe, warm day!
I have mostly trinket boxes in crystal, silver, ceramic, china, porcelain, wood, one is encrusted in shells, etc… trinket dishes in crystal and ceramic, and other assorted heart-shaped items I toss in. I’ve collected them over a lifetime.
When we were kids, if we had like items, we had a symbol to differentiate ownership. I was heart and my brothers were star and diamond. Hearts have just always been my thing,
Not being a teenager, I put out most of my heart items at Valentine’s, but there are others out year-round. I have shelves with heart cutouts. When I was deep into the country decor, I had heart-shaped rugs in the kitchen. I still have them, but they’re by my washer and dryer where no one can see them.
I have some carved from soapstone, too.
Good morning Miss LINDA, oh I love your rock collection. You & my mom could talk for hours, she’s a rock lover herself. I collect a lot of things, mostly antique cookware, blue/white granite cookware, salt and pepper shakers from the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s. Like you anything western draws me in. Thank you for sharing your rock collection with all of us. It’s 11 with a -5 windchill right now, I know it’s cold where you are too, so stay warm. Love & hugs!!!!
Opps I meant, It’s 5° with a -11 wind chill, but when you get that low, I don’t guess it really matters the numbers, it’s just blustery outside.
Good morning, Miss Tonya. How special that your mom is a rock collector too! I knew we were kindred souls. 🙂 This is first time I’ve shared my rocks. Some people roll their eyes when I talk about a new rock or when they see me carry one around. 🙂 I remember your old salt and pepper shakers and antique cookware from the time I visited your house. I loved it. And I remember the antique shaving things in your bathroom. You have a bunch of beautiful things all over your house that bring you joy. We love a lot of the same things.
Yes, we’re both in the deep freeze this morning. We have very icy roads and I don’t plan to get out. Nope. Nothing I need. Stay safe and warm. I hope you’re working from home today with your special assistant Miss Casino. 🙂 🙂
Good morning Linda , beautiful rock collection my grandson and you wou get along great !!
First I went through collecting Angels, my curio cabinet is full . Then I went through my Snowman stage where I have all different sizes but then I turned to Stain Glass Snowflakes. They are beautiful, all different shapes , sizes and they turn colors according to the light. I hang them in my window at first snow and they stay up till spring. I always hate taking them down they’re just so special to me .
Good morning, Miss Rose Ann. I would love to see your snowflake collection! I know they’re beautiful. But why take them down in spring? I would leave them up year round. They bring you such joy and peace to your soul. Some collections are quick to get out of hand. I found that out with teapots and books. Rocks don’t take up much room. 🙂 Have a safe and warm day. Much love.
What a beautiful collection. I collect mugs and keychains. My grandmother for my birthday one year have me a keychain from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
Good morning, Jess! How wonderful of your grandmother to gift you with the Tokyo Olympics keychain! That’s very special. When I was a girl, I used to have a keychain collection. I liked finding unique ones. Happy collecting! Stay safe and warm. It’s cold up there! 🙂
I love your rock collection and we have a few rocks like that my son collected when he was in school. My sister use to gather geodes for a man and he made her a piece of jewelry out of one of them he got rock out of the center a polished them up and made pieces of jewelry out of the rock. The main thing I collect is thimbles from different places. I don’t have a lot of them but I cherish each one of them. I have a cabinet that my brother in law made for me to keep them in.
Quilt Lady, I think I remember you telling me about collecting thimbles. They have some really unique ones. I’ll keep my eye out for one from here and send it. Geodes are very beautiful and I do have a few of those but not many. It’s so surprising to me how ordinary, ugly rocks on the outside can be so gorgeous when you break them open. I’m sure your sister treasures that necklace. Keep finding things that bring peace to you. The little things in life are so important. Love you.
That would be awesome to get a thimble from there. You are so right about the little things in life are very important. Take care and love you also.
Hi Linda! Thanks for sharing your rock collection. Like you, I collect a lot of things – books, bookmarks, salt and pepper shakers, candles, water globes, ornaments, and anything kitten-related. Some started with my grandmother, others with buying one and wanting more.
Linda R, thank you for coming. It is funny how these collections start. Sometimes it’s completely by accident. 🙂 Happy collecting! Stay safe and warm on this cold day.
Like you, I have quite a few collections. Coffee mugs, books, book markers.. In my teenage years, I collected shaped candles and clip-on toys. I don’t know the actual name for them but that’s what I called them. They were those cute little things that you pinched the back of and they opened their arms. I had so many that I crocheted a line to hang them on that criss-crossed over my bedroom ceiling. I still have them and the Happy Meal toys. Fun memories. Thanks for sharing your beautiful rocks and for the chance to win a prize.
Good morning, Vickie! Wow, that line of clip-on toys must look beautiful criss-crossing your bedroom ceiling! I’d love to see that. Most people throw their Happy Meal toys away. Glad you keep yours. They used to have really good prizes and now they’ve gotten so cheap and a little crappy. A lot of collections begin early on in life and I’m not sure why that is. Keep on doing things that make you happy. Stay safe and warm.
I am not really a collector, but I do like it when I find an angel figurine or someone gives me an angel ornament. I do have some China cups and saucers that I have been given over the years, but as I get older, I don’t collect things. I am starting to purge now. But I won’t say know if someone gives me something they know i love.
It’s a cold morning, Kathleen. I hope you’re staying warm. Angel figurines are very pretty but they soon get out of hand and you run out of places to put them. That happens with a lot of things. I often wonder what will happen to my rocks when I pass on but I’ve told my kids to just put them back outside or make a rock garden. That’s easy. Thank you so much for coming. Love and hugs.
Good morning! I have to say my biggest collection is books! I had a strawberry collection that I started as a young girl but most of it ended up in a storage building of my parents when I moved into a mobile home on our feedlot in Dublin and I didn’t have room for it all. Along with my basket, Avon collectaes and tin can collection. I never got any of it back and in 2020 my dad ended up selling the storage (train car) with contense because it had been decades and none of us had the want-to to go thru it. I’m just now thinking of those collections.
At this point in life I’m a hoarder I think by not exactly my fault. Lol I spent the great percentage of the past two decades not in the best of health. Especially the young years of my girls lives. My girls always had too much. Lol So when they no longer wanted things those things would go into 1 of 2 storage areas here at our house. I did go through them about 4 years ago and had a summer of years sales. I did get it down to a small area in one building. I now need to go thru my home and condense it. The amount of stuff my family has had in their lifetime is just crazy!
Things I love and collect are now very small are decor boxes, baskets, tins, Avon collectables, butterfly decor and Magnolia decor. I do collect and hoard crafting supplies and need to get back to using it all! I love western things too but it doesn’t currently fit into my homes so-called decor so most of what I’ve had I’ve gradually added to my dad’s western and Indian styled enclosed patio and my parents western bathroom.
We also love rocks and have a small collection. You have a beautiful collection! One of our favorite places to go in Tyler is a business that is a converted garage at a residence that they’ve added on to. They sell rocks, herbs, teas, natural remedy type things and such. It’s so fun to go thru their rocks, learn about them and their roles in healing and such.
Good morning, Stephanie! 🙂 It’s sad when we have to say goodbye to a collection but that’s the natural way of things. We simply run out of room. It is crazy what we end up with after a lifetime of living. 🙂 I’m going to have to get the address of that place in Tyler. My oldest sister lives just outside of town there. Yes, I think some rocks are very powerful, some with healing properties, metaphysical power, and others with protection. I’d like to make me a medicine bag like the American Indians so I can carry some with me. Have a good day, warrior buddy. Stay safe and warm. Much love.
I used to collect sea shells, but only have a few now. My real love are books and material with books being the most important. I have quite a collection of fiction, school books from past homeschooling, sewing and quilting books, and a bookshelf of Bibles and reference books. I also have a bookshelf full of gorgeous material that caught my eye.
Karijean, books are like family to me and no way can I get rid of them. Some are very old. I’d love to see your collection. Do you have some Dick and Jane books? Or McGuffey Readers? Sometimes I see pieces of fabric in stores that I would love to have a dress made from but so far I’ve been able to walk past. Stay warm and safe.
No I don’t have a Dick and Jane book though my mother does. The oldest school book I have is a literature book that was printed in 1942. The material I have I occasionally use in quilts, but of course when I start a quilt I buy new material as if I need it.
I collect glass doorknobs. I have scouted old antique stores in the West for most of them.
Some have turned lavender from being out in the sun.
My favorite one I got in St Louis, Mo and trying to get it past customs in the airport was something else. They thought it could be used as a weapon. Geez
Anyway, it is unusual to collect something like this but it is fun seeking them out.
Joye, I love old doorknobs and drawer pulls! Some are so beautiful and unique. I can see why you’re drawn to them. How funny that the guy thought they could be used as a weapon! Sheesh! Why don’t they focus on the guns that are getting through? Keep finding the ones that speak to you. Stay warm. It’s cold today.
You forgot to add scarves to your list of things collected, sister. 🙂 We share a love for stones of all kinds and I love all the ones you have and the ones we’ve shared over the years. Thank you for posting them here. Just beautiful!
Hi Sister, glad to see you. Yeah, I forgot my scarves! HaHa! I happen to love them and they’ll come back in style one of these days and I’ll be ready!! We do share a love of rocks. I’ll always treasure this piece of labradorite you gave me! It’s so gorgeous and speaks to me. You have a larger rock collection than I do with rocks I’ve never seen before. Love and big hugs.
I collect Nutcrackers, different kinds of money, Precious moments stuff, jewels & gemstones if I can find them and jewelry.
Hi Crystal, I’m glad you came. I’m sure your collection of Nutcrackers is quite impressive. I love seeing them at Christmas. You’re quite a collector. I, too, have a modest collection of old silver dollars and other coins. I collected all the state quarters when those came out. You mention collecting jewelry. I have an antique necklace and earrings I bought when I was a teenager. It shimmers in the light and I love it. It’s not part of any collection though. Keep warm and safe. Thanks for coming.
I collect books and bookmarks. These are my treasures.
Ruth, my books are family. It’s funny that when I moved, those went into the van first. They bring me such joy and I’m sure they are very cherished in your house. Keep a fire going and don’t freeze.
I love unique items that are small and special. Tiny boxes, pins, watches, and decorative glasses and plates.
Laini, I’m sure you have a lot of special pieces that bring you joy. That’s what collecting is all about and we’re as unique as the things we love. Thanks for coming. Stay warm!
I love your stones, especially the first box with them not polished!! We used to have a store called the Rock Shop. We loved that store!! Every time we went we’d find something! Amethyst, moonstones, jade, coral, tiger eyes, alexanderite, and more! Such fun!! I collect Precious Moments pieces, Willow Tree, teapots, and all things lighthouse!
Trudy, I love my raw pieces of emerald, amethyst, citrine, rose quartz and others. They’re very special in the natural state. I would love to have gone to the Rock Shop where you live. Wow! I can spend hours and hours and also a lot of money by the time I come out. How wonderful that you collect lighthouses! That’s a bit unusual but how wonderful. I love lighthouses. They just draw me to them. I once thought I wanted to live in a lighthouse and write books! Ha! I’d love to see your collection 🙂
I collect books, I have a key chain collection, postcards, dogs/puppies, stuffed, ceramic, then my huge collection is Pitcher/bowls. My pitcher/bowl collection, I started when I moved from Wyoming to Long Island New York, I started small, then started getting 1 from each state I visited, then towns, I have several that look very old, and plain, then I have some very beautiful colorful sets. My collection is so big, most of it is still boxed up in storage, keeping my very large stuffed puppies collection company.
I collected rocks when I was a kid, but somewhere in moving as a kid, they got lost. I have a very hard time throwing anything out, so my Hopeless Trunk is full of some childhood stuff.
Veda, you are serious collector, lady! I’d love to see inside your storage. 🙂 You’ve shared a few things on FB that were stunning. Keep on gathering things that speak to your soul. Stay warm! It’s cold out.
I collect old Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books–the really old ones from the 30s!
Oh my goodness, Abby! Wow! My sister and I read all those old Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Mysteries growing up. I kept a few that I passed on to my kids. They were so good. Big hugs. 🙂
I collect horse statues, which include unicorn and pegusus too. I have statues in wood, rock, ceramic, resin, metal, etc.
Colleen, that sounds amazing! I would love to see your collection. Thanks for coming. Much love.
I collect salt and pepper shakers.
I also collect t- shirts from places we visit.
Hi Laurie, I love seeing the things that people like or feel compelled to collect. Really interesting. I hope you’re staying warm on this cold day.
I have a huge collection of Hull Brown drip dishes – the ones you used to get free in laundry detergent! And many quilts and books!
Teresa, I love that Hull brown drip pottery and I used to have some of the bowls. Don’t know what happened to them. I didn’t know they used to put them free in laundry detergent. Wow! I’d love to see them and your quilts. 🙂 Stay warm!
I used to collect unicorn stuff and my youngest grand daughter collects rocks and we collect Boyd Bears. My living room has about 15 bears. What can I say. She is my youngest grand daughter?
Hi Miss Tonya, glad you could make it. A unicorn collection is different. Wow! And the bears. You must have a large living room. Yes, we do lots of things for our grandkids. Love and hugs.
I collect books. For special authors who are dear to me, I will purchase all their books in paperback. I’ve been doing this since I retired nine years ago. I save bookmarks too. I think your rock collection is awesome Linda! I like western stuff like wagon wheels, lanterns, yokes, harnesses, etc. We haven’t had horses for a long time, but I’ve saved the ribbons we won at Quarter Horse shows. That means life to me. The different stages we’ve lived through. Now, we’re big time into grandkids. Such is life! So blessed.
Miss Kathy, that is how we measure life. Our collections show how we live. Books are very special and mine are like family. I can no more part with them as to stop breathing. We are truly blessed. I love you dearly.
Hello there, Linda – what pretty rocks. I have a few special ones scattered here and there. I suppose I collect the usual things like (of course) book, tea cups and saucers, mugs, salt shakers but mostly instead of any large, exhaustive collection I have the wide variety of gifts from my family that take up the space on my desk: candles, unusual pens, clocks, little figures. They are all fun and special to me. Have a wonderful week. xx Sally
Miss Sally Cootie, it’s great to have you come by. Collections don’t have to be organized into all one thing and that’s the beauty of it. The main thing is to enjoy each item and take joy from it. Blessings and love.
I have a small collection of rocks we have found on our farm—-quarts, pink granite, gray granite, petrified wood, and others. They are interesting to me. Some I keep on a window sill, others are in my rock garden. My husband brought me one that looks like an egg that he found when he was setting irrigation pipe in the pasture. One I picked up has flakes of pyrite I think. The flakes are shiny gold color, definitely not real gold.:)
Alice, I need to come visit your farm. Wow! You have a lot of different ones. That egg rock is interesting. I wonder what it is. Who knows? Maybe one day you will find gold. We can always keep our eyes open. Blessings to you.
I think the egg is mostly quartz. It makes a great “darning egg” when I occasionally mend a small hole.
Alice, it stands to reason it’s quartz of some kind. How funny that you use it to darn but an excellent use!
Your rock collection is beautiful. I especially like the Labradorite. I collect teapots and Christmas ornaments from our travels. I hope that one day you will share pictures of some of your favorite teapots.
Hi Cheryl C, I’m happy you enjoyed reading about my rock collection. The Labradorite is my favorite rock of all. I just love it. I’m sure you have some gorgeous teapots. Yes, I’ll post a picture of my teapots one day. Blessing and love.
I enjoyed reading about your rocks. I have been collecting rocks since childhood. I also collect antique and vintage dolls, vintage kitchenware, antique pressed glass and depression glass.
Hi Sreesor (fellow rock collector), I’d love to see your rocks. I have a doll that I got as a child that must be 60 years old. I keep it protected and wrapped up in a box. I don’t know exactly why I’m holding on to it. I used to have quite a few pieces of depression glass but I’ve sold most of it. Thanks for coming to share your collections. Blessings and love.
I like collecting or keeping little things I win from time to time, especially from authors. I have books mostly, but other trivia also.
Connie, keep finding things that fill you with joy. That’s important. Stay safe and warm.
I would have to say that I collect books. I have so many that my Dad keeps asking anytime he comes to our house, don’t you think you have enough books. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
How funny, Debbie. You can never have enough books. I once knew a woman who built bookshelves along every room in her house and they were all filled with books. She probably had around a thousand. She loved to read. Thanks for coming. Stay warm.
I collect things with dragonflies on them. I also collect cookbooks. I love that Labradorite stone you said is a favorite. So pretty.
Cherie, I love dragonflies. They’re really pretty. I used to have some old cookbooks but I had to get rid of them when I moved. No room. I love my Labradorite! Stay warm.
I collect Native American items. Having grown up in Arizona I was close to areas where many Native Indians lived. I have pottery- a rather large piece my dad found on one of his quail hunting trips, Navajo rugs-one which my parents bought in 1938-arrowheads and other relics. Needless to say my home decor slants towards Southwest. Lol
Jackie, Native American pieces are so pretty. I just love their weaving and beadwork. Each time I go to Santa Fe I load up. I have a lot of flint that the tribes used to make arrowheads from. It’s everywhere in this area. Thanks for coming. Stay warm.
You have some wonderful stones in your collection. I have collected some in my travels. I climbed the cinder cone of an active volcano many years ago. (The soles of my sneakers melted while climbing) I carried a tote basket with me and collected pumice rocks from around steam vents as I climbed. They had different colors of deposited minerals around the edges. I shipped them back to the states and took them with me when I married. When we moved from our first base to the second assigned base, the movers lost both boxes of rock specimens. I could have used them many times in lessons and talks over the years. I have collected many different rocks and other specimens over the years. I found a pink crystal arrowhead while hunting sharks teeth along the beach in VA. It is 3 to 4 inches long and must have been used for ceremonial purposes. I do have some nice shark’s teeth. My sister has walked that beach for years looking for indian artifacts and found none. She did finally find a very nice megalodon shark’s tooth. Most of my “stones” are in jewelry. There is something special about the beauty that the Earth has produced.
I have many other collections – old books, bookmarks, dishes, native artifacts from the Philippines and other places I have traveled, teddy bears, and antique furniture.
Thanks for sharing your rock collection.
Pat, there is something very special about things the earth produces. It creates beautiful rocks, shells, etc. How sad that you lost two boxes of your rock specimens that you melted your shoes for!!! Oh my goodness, I would’ve killed the movers. Love you lady.
Welocme. My mother would collect rocks and she knew what so many of the were. And if she didnt, she would look it up. She had tons of lovely rocks in her house. Bookends, etc. She passed her love onto all the grandchildren. She would take them on an outing and find a rock store. She would give them one of those bags and say, “go have fun picking out your favorites” When our son married, he took all those bags and such with him. And his new wife looked at me and said “Rocks?” LOL yes they are all around their house. He particularly loves the many book ends that his grandma got him over the years. Me? I used to collect fabric and snowmen. quilting dash lady at comcast dot net
I have some seashells I like to collect them