Some Strange Significance

Soldiers

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:50:34 -0500

-What is it?

A pot of model soldiers.

-Where is it from?

My dad painted them.

-How did you come to have it?

I asked my Dad to save them for me, when he was getting rid of stuff.

-Why is it important?

When I was little, my dad built me a model railway on a fold-away decorating table. It had paper mache tunnels and the lot. Trains were good but battles were better. So model soldiers were necessary. Dad would spend hours in his study, under a bright desk-lamp, painting these little soldiers while I played in my bedroom next door. He is a good dad. There were pots and pots of them, from all different periods of history. I seem to remember him being keen to point out historical inaccuracies (e.g. no trains in the 14th century) and me not really listening.

Years later, when I was 18ish, I would set the soldiers up in subtle places around the house, fighting tiny battles that would go unnoticed by my parents for weeks. I thought I was funny. At this point Dad would still spend hours at the same desk in the room next to mine, patiently tolerating second-hand smoke, and the sound of hormonal amateur DJs learning to scratch and saying the sort of stupid self-important things that boys of that age do. Instead of painting model soldiers he would play Doom or Quake on the PC and in the rare moments of quiet we would hear his gunfire.

- Where do you keep it?

On my bookcase, along with other things that don’t really have an obvious home but don’t deserve to be banished into storage.

-What is it? It’s a little fluffy bunny toy. -Where is it...

gelpisipisi — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 06:51:17 -0500

-What is it?

It’s a little fluffy bunny toy.

-Where is it from?

It was probably a gift from my dad. He brought it for me from one of his business travels to Austria.

-How did you come to have it?

When I was a little girl, my dad was traveling so frequently because of his job. He always brought me presents when he got back to home, so that I can see a good side about his travels.

-Why is it important?

It is not just a toy but a character that my mom was using while telling me stories that she made up. His name is ‘rabbit benny’ and one of my most favorite adventures of him is the one he lost his tail and then discovered its hidden in his jumpsuit. It is so important for me because he still has a unique place in our relationship, my mom and I still refer him in our dialogues. It is a remainder of my childhood, the witness of my experience of growing-up and also the symbol of my strong ties to the idea of childhood. He always embraces me, gives me strength and provides me a sense of security every time I need it.

- Where do you keep it?

I keep it in our bedroom on the top of our dresser and sometimes he visits me on my working desk.

What is it?A set of wooden finger puppets from the...

lizzystewartillustration — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 17:39:27 -0500

What is it?
A set of wooden finger puppets from the 1960s.

Where is it from?
Czechoslovakia.

How did you come to have it?
I stumbled across the puppets while browsing on ebay a couple of years ago. Me and my brother had a set when we were children and I remember playing with them for hours. I loved their little wooden heads and the different fabrics of their simple dresses. I have no idea where our own set went and when I saw those little guys on ebay, I knew I had to own them again.

Why is it important?
It takes me back to my childhood, and reminds me of our happy hours of playing with Mr Cat, Bear, Horse, Dog and Donkey. There’s something so nostalgic about re-finding lost items from your youth and I love that I own this set again. I am also a huge fan of 1960s and 70s design, and love the bright colours and bold images on the packaging. Why can’t toys nowadays be as simple and lovely!? I feel happy every time I look at it.

Where do you keep it?
It sits on top of my fabric shelves in my sewing room, proudly on view and available for playing whenever the mood takes.

gazelle

stephenmorton — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 17:37:56 -0500

- Im pretty sure its a gazelle. Its made of some kind of plastic.
- on the back it claims to be from France. Think my Father aquired it years ago, possibly from Morocco.
- it was found in the work shed of my house. I gave it a new lease of life in my early teens by hanging it on the wall of my room.
- its been a great thing to have. I remember writing some song with it in mind and drawing it when I was younger, such unusual objects or artifacts can really help fuel the imagination, especially at an early age.
- I’ve put it back up on the wall of my room.

What is it? It’s an incredibly long red and black striped...

lizzystewartillustration — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 06:24:39 -0500

What is it?
It’s an incredibly long red and black striped woollen scarf.

Where is it from?
It was knitted for me by my ex-girlfriend’s mum.

How did you come to have it?
Around nine years ago I decided that I wanted to own a Dennis the Menace inspired red and black scarf. I had recently moved away from my native Dundee, where Dennis was created, and I wonder now if this urge was based on some kind of odd instinct to carry a little piece of my home town around with me. It’s worth noting here that the city I had moved to is only an hour away from Dundee. My girlfriend at the time said that her mum was big on knitting, and that the task of making me a scarf would be right up her street.

Why is it important?
Firstly, it’s the longest scarf I’ve ever seen which has to count for something. The scale of it doesn’t come across in the photo but once you start unravelling this thing it just keeps going and going. I think its length is the secret to its cosiness. Secondly, it was knitted specially for me which is pretty cool and I will always be grateful to the artisan who generously crafted it. Thirdly, it’s a nice little reminder of when I had just started art college, the newness of it all, the possibilities, the friendships I forged. And of course it will always be connected with the good times that I spent with someone who is possibly the soundest of all people, the boyfriend-girlfriend thing may have only lasted a few months, but nine years later we’re good pals and the chat is great.

What is it? A simple garland of Japanese paper stars made from...

lizzystewartillustration — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 06:23:30 -0500

What is it?

A simple garland of Japanese paper stars made from magazine cuttings.

Where is it from?

It’s handmade.

How did you come to have it?

My parents have established something of a tradition where every year, in the first weekend in December, they travel up from Devon and come to stay with my girlfriend and I. On the Sunday morning we walk down to our local flower market and buy our Christmas tree, take it home and decorate it together while listening to festive music and eating a very seasonal lunch. A significant part of this tradition is that my crafty mum teaches us to make something christmasy to adorn our flat with. Each year she helps us create something festive from handmade baubles for the tree to a homemade wreath made from locally found ivy, berries and fur cones to hang on our front door. My mum taught us to make this Japanese star garland in our second year after helping out at a Japanese friend’s wedding where they made hundreds of these 3D paper stars as confetti on the tables. We altered their original design and strung them together with cotton thread.

Why is it important?

Its become part of a weird, sentimental collection of handmade festive objects, each of which come with their own memories of our Christmasy weekends together.

Where do you keep it?

For 11 months of the year it is stored away, coiled up in newspaper, inside an old leather suitcase that used to belong to my girlfriend’s dad. At Christmas, they are strung up above our mantlepiece, hung from an artist print of a pair of lips which makes the garland look like some kind of necklace.

-What is it? A tiny French-English dictionary -Where is it...

lizzystewartillustration — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 06:21:20 -0500

-What is it?

A tiny French-English dictionary

-Where is it from?

Last year, my friend and I used to go to the Emmaüs second-hand “shop”. It is a French charity founded by l’Abbé Pierre. People give them stuffs for free, then, the members of the association, mostly homeless people, resell them at a very low price. By this time I was living in a very small town in the center of France, Nevers, which seems to has been isolated from the rest of the the world since the 70’s. Therefore, this town’s Emmaüs is full of treasures.

-How did you come to have it?

As often, we went there to find costumes for a party (as far as I remember it was Bourgeois vs Hick (from a French movie)) but, as usual, we had a look to everything, especially the bookshop part. I found a lovely old French-English dictionary (not this one). When I went to pay for it the guy gave me this small one, as a bonus gift.

-Why is it important?

I have bought the first dictionary as a symbol of my move to London. It made sense, a French to English translation dictionary, from Nevers to London. This guy used to give us so many free books, he was giving away everything being within reach. I reckon he was just happy to be here. When he gave me this other dictionary, putting it in my hand and telling me “ooh you like English?! So take this other one, take it, it is more practicle, take it, take it”, suddenly this new object was a much more stronger symbol. It REALLY made sense then, not a sense I had made up, but a real sense. It was a gift and it was carrying a true memory, a true moment, this generous guy yet who had nothing of his own , Nevers, Emmaüs, my friends… Now, I do not even know where is the dictionary I have bought in the first place.

- Where do you keep it?

On my shelves, with other old books and the new ones. I do not look at it often, I do not even think about it. But I know it is there, and that is important to me.

What is it? a small pottery jug with a chip on the rim -Where is...

lizzystewartillustration — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 15:16:23 -0400

What is it? a small pottery jug with a chip on the rim
-Where is it from? Buckfast Abbey in Devon -there used to be a pottery there, at least there was in 1950 when my parents visited.
-How did you come to have it? My mum died in January and I inherited it from her.
-Why is it important? My mum met my dad in the war, in 1940. She was 17 and my father 18. They met in Woolworth’s where he was buying polish for his RAF buttons. They lost touch for awhile, as he was posted to Gibraltar, and in the interim she became engaged to a Canadian in the RCAF, who died in Feb 1945 (with all his crew) when his Halifax was shot down over the Baltic sea. My parents met up again in 1945. In 1950 they went on a motorbike trip all over the southwest, and although my mum always kept a diary, the one from 1950 is the only one that survives from these early years with my dad. They stopped at Buckfastleigh and bought the jug as a memento. My mum always spoke of this trip as one of her happiest times with my father; pre-babies and very much in love. They were both very good looking in their prime. I imagine them flying along the Devon lanes, no crash helmets, minimum of baggage and carefree.
- Where do you keep it? on my mantlepiece, always with fresh flowers from my garden, and next to a photo of my darling ma.

What is it? A segment of a branch, which was cut from high up a pine tree as the tree itself was...

lizzystewartillustration — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 15:13:28 -0400

What is it?

A segment of a branch, which was cut from high up a pine tree as the tree itself was being cut down. It’s roots were gradually rotting away and the council felt it was too much of a risk to leave it standing in case it fell. When the photo was taken it had washed ashore after almost a year at sea.

Where is it from?

Fox Rosehill Gardens in Falmouth. A public park next to the Woodlane campus of Falmouth University.

How did you come to have it?

The night before it was cut down, I slept next to the trunk and was woken by the tree surgeons arriving. From a little way away, I then watched the scene in perfect silhouette: a man climb and dissemble a mountain. I went back and collected one of the segments I had seen fall.  

Why is it important?

One of the first advice posters for a project I run was designed by a friend and was of this tree. It said: ”For late afternoon sunspots (between May and August) find this big tree in the college gardens’

After it was cut down I went back and the top half of the trunk, minus it’s canopy and branches, was laid on it’s side amongst other cuttings, pine cones and sawdust. It felt so like a whale. Both it’s size and scale, but also that you never expect to see it so close. Something that had lived vertical up to 90 feet is lying horizontal. When looking at it, wonder is combined with a hesitancy at a lost privacy, that something which should be viewed with a craned neck and a squint, is right there in front of you and each knot and wrinkle can be compared against the size of your thumb, can be reached out and touched.

I didn’t want to forget my view of it, my memories of it and the feeling of it: something great, both in scale and strength of each decision made, carried through to the tip of each branch.

At the time it was cut down, I was trying to understand what it meant to me. I still don’t quite know, a mixture of all these things, but marking it felt important. In doing so, the metaphors fall away, the understanding grows and I hope the feelings remain.

Where do you keep it?

At sea.

On the day I collected it, I took the branch to the beach and set it on the water. It was a difficult, school gate farewell. Afloat on the water it righted itself so the pine cones which grow from the trunk sat upright like survivors clinging to wreckage. In the dusk light it became unfamiliar, a body in the water, with an aquatic privacy, part hidden below the waterline.

A year later, I was overjoyed to find it again, washed where I had set it to sea almost a year ago. Though the wood was smooth, I could recognize the chain saw cuts from each side, I knew how far it fell and on what day, where exposed branches had been worn away. I took it home and when the sea was warmer, I swam out with it, as far as I could go, nudging it, floating with it, holding on and left it loose on the tide.

-What is it? A lucky seed. I’ve never thought about what...

marzipan86 — Thu, 31 May 2012 13:45:34 -0400

-What is it?

A lucky seed. I’ve never thought about what it is actually called until now - but apparently it is from Ormosia coutinhoi, or red horse eye bean. I don’t much like the sound of that name, so I’m sticking with Lucky Seed for now. It was really tricky to take a picture of - it’s much more orangey red and beautiful than it is in the picture!!!

-Where is it from?

Guyana, South America

-How did you come to have it?

I found it on an excursion to the rainforest and was told it was a lucky seed. I was quite young at the time and I just remember them seeming so magical and unlike anything I had seen before.

-Why is it important?

Partly because it reminds me of my heritage, my family and partly just because it is pretty and nice to hold in times of trouble. And maybe I do believe it’s lucky….

- Where do you keep it?

I keep it in my purse, so that it is with me all the time. It’s really nice and smooth, so it’s nice to hold in your hand!

-What is it?It is a Telescope -Where is it from?My dad’s family...

lizzystewartillustration — Wed, 30 May 2012 18:02:06 -0400

-What is it?
It is a Telescope

-Where is it from?
My dad’s family have a long maritime history. One of my great grandfathers was an Engineer Commander and I think this telescope was his. His name was Albert Collings.

-How did you come to have it?
It was my Grandfathers and when he died my Grandmother gave it to me.

-Why is it important?
We don’t know too much about Albert. His rank meant that he was in charge of the engineering for a whole fleet. Apparently he was a modern man, which back then meant spending time with his children. My grandfather, George, remembers being taken to see the ships engines being stoked; huge boilers with tiny men shovelling in coal. He died when George was five. There was a large military funeral, attended by admirals and the like.
The telescope has clearly had a working life. This is why I think its Albert’s. Its bruised and scratched but is in fine working order. It is a connection to my family’s past and as well as my culture’s past. It’s from a time when England made things and made them to last, when the Navy was a great part of British identity.
My grandmother’s father was also in the navy. He was a ships surgeon and in my mind his life blends into the story of the telescope. I’m sure he must have owned a telescope at some point. He went to Japan and saw and did a great many people. I have a few of the treasures he bought back from the Orient, which I rightly treasure.
So here in my hand sits my family’s history. It’s a beautiful object unto itself and has a reassuring heavy weight. I can hold it and smell the salt sea, oil and fire. The command and respect; orders and strategies; arguments and friendship; its all there. It is an engine for the imagination.

Where do you keep it?
On a shelf.

Biscuit Tin

lizzystewartillustration — Wed, 30 May 2012 07:56:00 -0400

-What is it?

It is a decorative old biscuit tin. It has colourful flowers on it, made to look like an embroidered design.

-Where is it from?

I bought it for a ridiculous amount of money (for an old empty tin anyway) from ebay - that’s right ebay.

-How did you come to have it?

I won a bidding war. It was about £20

-Why is it important?

As soon as I saw it on the screen, I connected to some forgotten memory from my childhood that I didn’t know existed. My Nan had, had the exact same tin to keep her embroidery threads in. My Nan passed away a few years ago, I only vaguely remember it being in the dining room, where she kept her sewing machine, but as soon as I saw it on ebay, it was like ‘BAM’ - I have to have it. A few weeks later I also saw the old biscuit barrel she used to have, on there, but I lost the bidding war, I was so disappointed. It isn’t like I don’t have items of my nan’s (there is a tool box and tools she used for upholstery, and a print that used to hang in the hallway) but it just felt so odd that they would appear like that, I’m sure there are plenty floating around out there, but I haven’t seen them again anywhere else since.

- Where do you keep it?

I keep the tin on top of my bureau, I keep my polymer clay tools in it. My Nan was a creative, and practical lady, so I felt it had to be used for a creative and practical purpose.

-What is it? A St. Christopher medallion and my...

nyxfox — Sun, 27 May 2012 18:31:09 -0400

-What is it?

A St. Christopher medallion and my grandmother’s religious medals on an old necklace chain.

-Where is it from?

My grandmother received the religious medals (which close to just show a flower) when she was 18. She had replaced the chain several times, and the chain I wear is the last one she bought before she died in the 70s. The St. Christopher (patron saint of travelers) medallion was a Christmas gift from my parents.

-How did you come to have it?

My grandmother died when my mother was 19. Neither my father, my sister, nor I ever met her. One day in my senior year of university, while (with permission) trolling through my mother’s jewelry box for some turquoise rings I came across the medals. I liked them so much that my mom said I could wear it, and that it was better to remember someone by using what they left behind rather than keeping it locked away. When I received the St. Christopher medal I just added it to the chain.

-Why is it important?

I’m not a very religious person, but I do like to believe that there’s a connection between me and my grandmother when I wear the medals. I used to talk to her, when I was little … it’s nice to think that maybe (just maybe) she’s protecting me somewhere. And I can’t help but believe that the St. Christopher medal protects me a bit, too. When I moved to London from America, my Dad told me to keep my wits about me, and St. Christopher close.

Where do you keep it?

Unless I’m in the shower, it’s around my neck.

-What is it? It is a vintage porcelain floral planter, at...

florawillsaveme — Wed, 23 May 2012 05:51:39 -0400

-What is it?

It is a vintage porcelain floral planter, at least it was given to me with a plant in it.

-Where is it from?

It is stamped on the bottom by its maker, Arthur Wood, and was made in England.

-How did you come to have it?

It was given to me while I was in hospital at age 13 for a serious eye injury.

-Why is it important?

Near the end of Grade 7, when I was 13, we were all playing baseball in the school field for gym class. I was walking toward someone and walked into the path of a high-speed pitched baseball that my friend Eddie had thrown and it smashed into my right eye and I fell over, unconscious. The next thing I remember was Eddie picking me up and carrying me into the school and someone teasing him, yelling, ‘going on your honeymoon, Eddie?’ because he was carrying me like a groom carries his bride over the threshold. He rushed me into the school. The nurse examined me and I couldn’t see anything out of my right eye, just yellow. I was rushed to the hospital where I would stay for about three weeks, the first two of those with bandages over both of my eyes (so my left eye movement wouldn’t cause movement in my right eye). I would fall asleep on a pillow and I would wake up with sandbags on either side of my head so I couldn’t move it. Two other girls (older) shared my hospital room with me. For the first two weeks I was there, I experienced what it was like to be blind. Not fully, I wasn’t walking around or anything, but I could only hear the girls in my room and I imagined how they looked and would lie there listening to all the sounds of the hospital. My only visualizations were in my head, my imagination. When they took the bandages off after two weeks, I looked first at the girls who shared my room and they looked totally different than I had imagined them to be. Reality was so different. Like that strange story by Daphne du Maurier (the blue lenses) where the woman’s bandages are removed from her eyes and her nurse has the head of a snake, and she looks in the mirror and sees the head of a deer. Later, my mom would tell me that the doctors believed I would either lose all sight in my right eye, or it would recover, a 50/50 chance of me going blind in that eye. My eye recovered and I did not lose my sight. Eddie Joseph was the first African-American kid in our grade school. He was a good friend. He was sweet, funny and a really stand-up guy, I remember he wouldn’t let any of the smaller kids be bullied in the school yard. He and his family came to visit me in the hospital. I will never forget that. I remember he was all dressed up in his sunday best and it meant a lot that he came to see me. My family moved that summer to Chicago and, as kids do, we lost touch. I wish I could thank him today for acting so quickly and rushing me to the school nurse. He probably helped save my eyesight. The floral planter was given to me while I was recovering in the hospital. It is a reminder to me of my youth and of change, and things we take for granted, like friendship, like senses, imagination, the body’s natural ability to heal itself, and of those moments when you realize that someone was in your life and then goes out of your life but you will never forget them, they will always be a part of you, of your history.

- Where do you keep it?

I keep it on my bedside table with my favourite jewelry and bits and bobs in it. It is something I treasure that holds some of my treasures.

-What is it?A dog made of shells. Wearing a hat, made of...

hellojenuine — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:06:45 -0400

-What is it?
A dog made of shells. Wearing a hat, made of shells.

-Where is it from?
I wish I knew. When I moved into my first flat, the previous owner had left a few items. One of them was this. It looks like it’d be some some of souvenir, but there’s no exotic location or seaside resort inscribed anywhere. It’s a mystery.

-How did you come to have it?
I kind of inherited it, with the flat. I think it’s completely hideous, but I felt compelled to keep it. We’re in the middle of selling the same flat, & I considered leaving it there, handing it down to the next owner, but I know that it’d go straight in the bin (unless the new owner was anything like me).

-Why is it important?
I don’t think I’d ever use the word “important” to describe him (I’ve used “it” up until now, but in truth I think of it as a him); I wouldn’t be devastated if we were ever parted. But it’s an object I have a certain fondness for. Everyone is kind of repulsed by him on first viewing, poor thing. He’s had several names, mostly given to him my best friend & old flat-mate, but none of them ever stuck. I’d ask “what’s his name again?” & neither of us could remember. I think one of them was perhaps Jasper. There are a few shells missing from his base & face from when we thought it’d be nice to give him a bath, but the water dissolved the glue, to our horror. Just as well we didn’t leave him to soak, otherwise he’d be naked.

- Where do you keep it?
In my old flat, he lived on the kitchen windowsill - he was heavy enough to prop in front of it so that it wouldn’t open all the way into the kitchen. He now lives in a cabinet alongside a bunch of other significant objects.

What is it? A basket-style purse. Where is it from? The United...

mallorymcinnis — Tue, 15 May 2012 07:59:07 -0400

What is it? A basket-style purse.

Where is it from? The United States / it used to belong to my grandmother when my mother was a child.

How did you come to have it? My grandmother gave it to my mother and I claimed it as my own when I was little: it became part of my “dress-up” wardrobe…. one of the prized pieces in the dress-up wardrobe, actually…

Why is it important? The purse is doubly important to me - as something that once belonged to my grandmother (who turns 90 in a week or so) and as a memento from my childhood - dressing up in elaborate costumes was one of my favorite things to do (then, as well as now, to be honest) and there are so many photographs of me as a kid carrying this purse while wearing a dress, a pair of my mom’s old heels, tons of jewelry and a David-Bowie-in-Labyrinth-style-wig.

Where do you keep it? I have a pile of purses and totes that I use all the time by my bedroom door, and then I have a cupboard full of more…. “unusual” bags: this guy goes in there. But I do use it in real life! When the right occasion / outfit arises.

-What is it? My grandma’s opal ring.-Where is it from? My...

lucyrnb2 — Fri, 11 May 2012 13:04:43 -0400

-What is it? My grandma’s opal ring.
-Where is it from? My grandad bought it for her a long, long time ago.
-How did you come to have it? Grandma sat me down with a cup of tea and some biscuits. She said she was going through a few of her belongings and wanted me to have this ring.
-Why is it important? When Grandma gave me this ring she said she wanted me to have it when she passed away. I told her not to be silly, she was very active, fairly young (for her age!) and I thought that time would never come. Sadly it was less than a year later but I am so glad she gave it to me herself and we had that little chat. She was a lovely lady and it reminds me of her and makes me smile. The opal glitters in the sunlight, sparkling like she did.
- Where do you keep it? If I’m not wearing it (which I’m a bit scared too in case anything happens to it) I keep it in a pretty, green, glass jewellery box on my dressing table.

What is it? It’s a (now faded) brown baseball-cap with an...

idlemountain — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:38:39 -0400

What is it?

It’s a (now faded) brown baseball-cap with an embroidered logo for ‘Rodeo Gear’ along with the image of a suitably bucking horse.

Where is it from?

I bought it in Flagstaff, Arizona the first time I went to the US, the best part of ten years ago.

How did you come to have it?

Blazing desert heat combined with a pale Scottish head demanded a hat and one that would keep the sun out of my eyes. Now, back in Edinburgh, it more regularly keeps the rain off my glasses.

Why is it important?

It’s important to me as it reminds me of spectacular South West US scenery; epic road trips, running excitedly to catch a vista in Arches National Park, white water rafting in Colorado. The excitement of travel, basically. A couple of years ago it also accompanied me to Australia and New Zealand where it performed it’s original function rather than it’s secondary Scottish one and kept the sun out my eyes.

Where do you keep it?

Other than on my hirsute head, it sits on a shelf in my front hall ready for whatever weather gets thrown at it.

Empty Bottle

lizzystewartillustration — Fri, 11 May 2012 08:09:00 -0400

-What is it? A brown glass bottle labelled ‘empty’ with a red ribbon tied around the neck
-Where is it from? Fagin’s Antiques, Cullompton, Devon.
-How did you come to have it? In Autumn of 2004 I was in the tentative stages of a friendship with a boy from Exeter. We visited Fagin’s, an antiques/junk warehouse nested between endless fields and not much else, after hitting upon the fact that we both had a predilection for old books and dusty furniture. I spotted this bottle and loved it, its shape, the cork and the fact that someone had bothered to label it ‘empty’. But as a somewhat penniless teenager I left it on the shelf. Two months later, at Christmas, a box showed up with no clue as to the sender’s name. Inside, wrapped in green bubble-wrap and with a red ribbon neatly tied around it (a ribbon that has never been removed or re-tied) sat the bottle.
-Why is it important? The tentative friendship, eventually and after much awkwardness, became a relationship, one that lasted over five years and, despite it coming to an end, the boy from Exeter remains very important and as thoughtful and good now as he was then. The bottle, and its surprising appearance that christmas, signifies a pretty momentous moment, the point which I knew…I was probably going to end up, just a tiny bit, in love with him.
- Where do you keep it? I took it from my parents house to university, where it sat on various shelves in various students flats and then on the fireplace in the flat we shared. Now it is on my bookshelf- a testament to something nice that happened once.

Parasol

ilikethejavajive — Fri, 11 May 2012 07:36:52 -0400

-What is it?
A cheap wooden red silk parasol with printed on flowers, that’s got a broken catch and some pink masking tape wrapped around it

-Where is it from?

Chinatown in San Francisco, a big shop full of chopsticks and tea and clothes and tat

-How did you come to have it?

I went to a festival in the desert and being a pale Brit I needed some sun protection rather desperately, so I went on a mission to find a parasol, and I found one, rather successfully!

-Why is it important?

I had it with me the whole time, and it’s the only thing I really brought back from the the festival that I still have displayed, that I bought especially for it. It still has dust on it, from the dessert. The festival (Burning Man) was quite a huge experience for me as I’d wanted to go for about 5 years, and it gave me many fond memories. I was kind of known for walking around with my big red brolly. as i called it. So pale!

- Where do you keep it?

Open, facing out on top of my wardrobe in my flat in Finsbury park covering my guitar and a load of old rubbish.