I bought 25 book size boxes at the box store yesterday just before they closed … last nite I started the packing in the living room … books … video games … movies … music CD’s … family photo albums … also the portable convection oven from the kitchen - I kept it’s box instead of throwing it away last Christmas - it stored quite well in the closet.
I still have one end table full of my grandson’s board games [Trouble, Chess, etc.] and a couple photo storage boxes of my photographs in the living room to pack but it is already looking like a zone of chaos. I started on my office this morning …. the 4 shelf book shelf is empty now except for the odds & ends of things put over there for sorting - I like my boxes organized into orderly sense … books together … watercolor paper …. stenciling / craft projects and the corner is now full of boxes.
Packing and having mountains of boxes all over ALWAYS make me wonder if I still live here … my biological mother was a compulsive pack rat who lived with tiny little paths [resembling snake crawl lines to me] amongst the floor to ceiling fully packed to nearly bursting cardboard boxes of …. things.
To sit on her furniture … for example, the couch … it was always full of clothing …. open cardboard boxes … you had to move stacks or layers of “something” at the very least to sit on even a teeny tiny corner of it …. sometimes you would just give up and find a kitchen chair and clear it off to sit down - those items had the least “permanently grown / attached there” feeling to them … usually they were just covered with newspapers or junk mail waiting to be put into cardboard boxes in the near future … though sometimes those stacks of newspapers on the kitchen chairs would grow to near the ceiling … and I remember at least once a couple ended up buried in surrounding stacks of newspapers not in cardboard boxes - she did not find those chairs until she moved to a bigger house - one 2 to 3 times the size of the one she moved from … and it only took her a year to fill it to bursting with cardboard boxes just like the smaller house. She never parked her car in the garage …. there were not even little paths … just solid wall to wall ceiling to floor cardboard boxes in her garage.
What kind of things did she have in all those cardboard boxes? A sampling only of just a few things known to be found in those boxes if opened.
1. She was a collector of … fabrics … she sewed and had several sewing machines too … but she probably had as much if not more fabric in a variety of fibers than the local fabric store. Even when she quit sewing much, if at all … she still purchased shopping carts full of remnant fabrics found on sale … and packed it into more cardboard boxes that stacked up … and up … and around … and around … with all the other cardboard boxes.
2. She would buy something … perhaps notebook school paper for her three kids living with her …. put it down somewhere … forget she had it …. buy another … some boxes were layers of her shopping excursions …. if you opened 10 boxes … there might be a package of handkerchiefs or children’s socks in each …. she tended to put things down on the table … then picking things up and stuffing them into cardboard boxes …. closing up full ones to make room for more open boxes on top of the closed boxes … until the stack was from the floor to the ceiling … then start on the floor next to that column of boxes.
3. She also had boxes full of craft projects … ones never started …. partially finished and completed. They were all mixed in with the masses of “stuff” … nothing was orderly, organized or easy to find … for example, she would be just as likely to put a half painted table cloth, finished embroidered set of pillowcases or partially crocheted rag rug in a box with recipe cards, junk mail advertisements that should have been thrown away, socks, underwear and old shoes needing thrown in the garbage.
4. Newspapers …. junk mail advertisements …. grocery lists …. gum wrappers … candy wrappers … bread wrappers …. package wrappers … xmas wrapping paper … towels … wash cloths … dish cloths … pillow cases … sheets …. clothes … cameras … silverware …. spools of sewing threads …. embroidery threads …. scissors …. fabric paint … embroidery hoops …. quilt blocks …. partial crocheted rag rugs …. partially crocheted doilies … family photographs … sewing patterns … sewing sketches to make her own patterns ….
Yes, she was a fire hazard … AND she was cited / fined at an apartment complex for actually being a fire hazard at least once to my knowledge [she had moved to a federally funded income sliding scale complex for disabled people - my younger sister & I cleaned out her house before she moved there and allowed her to keep too much stuff but not anything nearly as much as she wanted to keep]. She was definitely like those people you see on TV!
Incredibly horrible hideous way to live … trapped like a rat in her maze of cardboard boxes - between the age of 18 to about 22 - I lived in her house with her and her kids off and on a bit here and there … at the time … I did not realize that this was just another manifestation of her mental illnesses. Her kids slept with their toys and their clothes surrounding them in their beds … I slept on a fold down camping cot … and sometimes it took time to find it from the “stuff” surrounding it just from her daily living and burrowing around in her boxes.
She never worked outside the house once her younger kids came along … if she didn’t have a man to keep her … she was on ADC in Iowa …. then later on disability … supposedly for rheumatoid arthritis … though who knows the real truth? Her mental illnesses and behaviors drove me and my daughter away years ago … I don’t know if she is even still alive now or if she is dead.
Her mother that raised me was just the opposite … she had all kinds of stuff {VERY organized and orderly and easy to find anything quite easily once ya knew where to look} … she just packed it away [in the basement on shelves, under the beds, in the spare bedroom closets and her closet] where no one saw or realized there was so much stuff and kept the living areas scrupulously empty of anything except furniture, knick-knacks and any wall hangings like family photographs.
When I move, I unpack and throw away the cardboard boxes except for the ones of stuff that I need to keep [my son in Iowa left some of his stuff here that I am not going to throw away - his Dungeons & Dragons books and miniatures that I gave him years ago, etc.], papers that one day I will buy a shredder and actually have a shred party and old sketchbooks …. I like to look back and see what kind of sketching and notes to myself I made … art journaling … those might be worth money some day to my kids or my grandson …. LOL … my holiday decorations are in plastic boxes.
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A Box of Unfortunate Events/the Situation Worsens
$35.99
A Box of Unfortunate Events/the Situation Worsens
Merchant: KBtoys.com
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Penguin Trinket Box
$12.95
This enameled metal penguin-shaped trinket box has a hinged opening that reveals a padded and silk-lined compartment for storing tiny treasures. Ideal accent for night stand, bureau or curio cabinet. 2 3/4" tall.
Merchant: Whales & Friends
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Bone Toy Box by Pet Zone
$20.99
There’s no better place to keep your dog’s food or toys than in this bone-shaped storage bin.
Merchant: PetSmart
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Boxer Dog Breed Trinket Box
$7.45
These ceramic and metal trinket boxes are topped with a picture of your favorite breed to make a terrific addition to desktop, bookshelf or curio, and provide a place to store tiny treasures. Inside the box is a declaration of love. 2 1/2" x 2 1/2".
Merchant: Whales & Friends
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ArtBin Essentials Brush Box
$14.82
Store and protect up to 20 brushes. The ArtBin Essentials Brush Box saves delicate and valuable brushes from damage. Foam inserts keep them in place when transporting. Vented sides allow them to dry quickly.
Merchant: Dick Blick Art Materials
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Blick Paper Storage Box
$21.49
Blick Paper Storage Boxes are our most affordable print storage system. These economical storage boxes are perfect for keeping you organized and protecting the edges and corners of your important papers and print materials. The boxes seal with a Velcro tab closure to keep out dust and dirt. They come in black and are available in four sizes. Boxes are acid free. All boxes are 2" (51 mm) deep.
Merchant: Dick Blick Art Materials
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LAVENDER SPA BOX - DELUXE
$74.99
LAVENDER SPA BOX- DELUXE
Merchant: 1-800-FLOWERS.COM
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Carrot Cake Petits Fours Gift Box - Wisconsin Cheeseman
$16.99
Carrot Cake, there is nothing quite like it! Carrots, walnuts, and pineapple blended into a marvelously rich, tender, and delicious cake, layered with cream cheese frosting and drenched in sweet white confectioner’s coating.
Merchant: The Wisconsin Cheeseman, Inc
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Jewelry Box - Ashley - Jewelry Boxes by Mele - 823-11M
$22.00
Musical, spinning ballerina, divided section on top, swing out sides with 3 necklace hooks each, clock (AA battery not included), open drawer, hand lined with pink sueded fabric interior, decorative hardware.
823-11M Features: Some assembly required Finish:
Plastic
Dimensions:
6 7/8"(W) x 4 1/2"(H) x 7"(D)
Merchant: EverythingFurniture.com
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Blick Folding Palette Box
$3.29
Our economical folding palette is molded from lightweight plastic, so you can hold it steady for as long as you wish to paint. Both sizes have hinged thumb holes and are deep enough to hold short-handled brushes and small paint tubes. Measures 8" 8" (20 cm 20 cm), unfolded. It has 5 large and 20 small paint wells.
Merchant: Dick Blick Art Materials
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CHOCOLATE-COVERED STRAWBERRIES GIFT BOX -1/2 DOZEN
$34.99
CHOCOLATE-COVERED STRAWBERRIES GIFT BOX - 1/2 DOZEN
Merchant: 1-800-FLOWERS.COM
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DISH GARDEN IN SUEDE BOX
$49.99
DISH GARDEN IN SUEDE BOX
Merchant: 1-800-FLOWERS.COM
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Chocolate Rum Balls Gift Box - Wisconsin Cheeseman
$14.99
Dark Chocolate ever so good with a light mellow rum flavor. Meticulously decorated with silky smooth centers, a tantalizing confection chocolate lovers will find absolutely irresistible. Delicious with coffee.
Net wt. 16 oz.
Merchant: The Wisconsin Cheeseman, Inc
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Disney Princess Jewelry Box/CD Boombox
$49.99
This princess-themed CD boombox not only plays your favorite CDs, but it also holds all your little treasures!
Merchant: KBtoys.com
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ArtBin 3-Tray Art/Craft Box
$19.33
This box is great for organizing and storing your art, hobby, and craft supplies. With three solid plastic trays, the removable dividers let you create from 17 to 27 compartments. It’s built to last with a draw-tight latch and sturdy tongue-and-groove construction. The Tip-Guard tray prevents spills.
Merchant: Dick Blick Art Materials
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Seashell Trinket Box
$19.95
This shell-shaped, enameled trinket box has glittery clear stone accents to make a pretty addition to nightstand or bureau. The secure magnetic closure makes it a great place to store tiny trinkets. Seashell Trinket Box is 2 1/2" x 2".
Merchant: Whales & Friends
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Bonded Leather Travel Jewelry Case - Dina - Jewelry Boxes by Mele - 693-62
$40.00
693-62 Features: Dome shaped lid inside of the lid holds a mirror 4 necklace hooks and a shirred catch pocket 2 sections with watch cushions: 1 with ring rolls and 1 with a lid and 2 with protective pads Pad protectors are punched with holes for pierced earring storage Goldtone closure Key lock Hand-lined with ivory sueded fabric Finish:
See options
Dimensions:
9 3/4" x 7 1/8" x 3 3/8"
Merchant: EverythingFurniture.com
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ArtBin Prism Storage Box
$6.69
Crystal clear ArtBin Prism Box offers a clear view of what is inside. It is the perfect storage center for crafting and jewelry supplies. Each Artbin box includes 18 compartments and a hinged snap-shut lid. 1 3/4H x 11 1/2W x 6 1/2D.
Merchant: Dick Blick Art Materials
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Blick Metal Edge Archival Clamshell Box
$17.29
Store your valuable materials in these archival-quality, extra durable boxes. Metal edge fasteners at the corners help ensure that these boxes will stand the test of time. The convenient one-piece clamshell design is ideal for flat storage. Boxes are available in six different sizes, and are acid-free and lignin free (pH 8.5). Gray boxes have a white inner lining. Black boxes have a black inner lining. Each box is 1" deep. Please note the sizes listed refer to the artwork size the case will store.
Merchant: Dick Blick Art Materials
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Grandparents Day Gift Box - 12 Gourmet Cookies
$18.00
Our white gift box has been a best seller since it was introduced. 1 dozen cookies individually wrapped then placed in a clear sleave, tied with a ribbon and wrapped in tissue. What a great way to suprise any recipient for any occasion! Here is a little history about Grandparents Day: The impetus for a National Grandparents Day originated with Marian McQuade, a housewife in Fayette County, West Virginia. Her primary motivation was to champion the cause of lonely elderly in nursing homes. She also hoped to persuade grandchildren to tap the wisdom and heritage their grandparents could provide. President Jimmy Carter, in 1978, proclaimed that National Grandparents Day would be celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day. Let Grandma and Grandpa know how much you care by sending them a wonderfully scrumptious Cookie Garden Cookie Bouquet!
Merchant: The Cookie Garden
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Fancy Dates Gift Box - 1 lb. - Wisconsin Cheeseman
$12.99
Natural, plump, sweet, succulent dates and date confections, rolled in tender coconut and topped with blanched whole almonds. Fresh walnut and pecan nutmeats tucked into the tray provide a crunchy complement.
Net wt. 1 lb.
Merchant: The Wisconsin Cheeseman, Inc
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Good Luck Cookie Gift Box - 12 Gourmet Cookies
$18.00
Our white good luck gift box has been a best seller since it was introduced. 1 dozen cookies individually wrapped then placed in a clear sleave, tied with a ribbon and wrapped in tissue. What a great way to suprise any recipient for any occasion! This is a great gift if you want to send multiple gifts to a variety of locations. Just contact us directly or email your list of recipients.
Merchant: The Cookie Garden
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