The Burning House - day 4

Name: Carolyn Peeler

Location:  Langley, British Columbia, Canada
Occupation:  Sr. Creative Director for Melissa Frances

I was initially overwhelmed when Paula emailed and asked me to participate in this burning house project. What would I really make an effort to save? What things mean or represent the most to me? I thought I would have a list a mile long, and it's true. If I had hours to save things, I would certainly spend it dashing through the house and grabbing this and that. But, if I only minutes to save my favorite things, these are the items I'd try and grab (in no particular order - although the dogs would be #1).

1. Chandelier - Of all the objects in my house, this is my favorite. My husband and I bought this in Turin, Italy from a tiny antique shop. Believe it or not, we didn't break one crystal shipping it home! I can just picture how ridiculous I will look yanking this thing out of the ceiling, but a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do.
2. My puppies - My husband and I have two Bichon Frise dogs (I could only get one to sit still for the photo). I love these two girls to death, and they would be first things I'd save from the fire.
3. Scrapbooks - Photos and memories are priceless. These (and many other) albums would be tossed out the window to save them.
4. Wedding Rings - My husband and I do not wear our rings to bed, so if the fire happened at night, I would want to grab these from the counter.

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Name: Paula Cheney
City: Santa Maria, California
Occupation: gatherer, collector, all around gypsy girl

1. First I would go for my favorite Orla Kiely stem print bag.  Not because the bag couldn’t be replaced, but it’s so big I could put everything else inside it as I go.
2. Letters my mother and father wrote to each other the summer before they were married.     I never knew my parents as super lovey dovey but these letters prove it.  My mother kept them in an old See’s candy box and I can't seem to part with it.
3. My mothers handwritten recipe cards for favorite family recipes and her measuring spoons that we all learned to cook with.
4. My iphone to call for help.  It seriously is the greatest invention ever.
5. Of all my collections, my red tomato pin cushions mean the most.  The collection started with this little beat up one that was my mothers and then mine.  It’s been stitched together so the sand won’t escape more than once.
6. Trixie Belden, girl sleuth.  I keep these books in a stack right by the front door so I am sure I could get at least one in my big purse.  This was the first book of the series I ever read (sometime around 3rd or 4th grade) and I so wanted to be Trixie, mostly due to the outfit she was wearing on the cover.
7. Old Photos.   In my family, I am the keeper of all my parents photos now that they are gone...note to paula: time to digitize!
8. My first 7gypsies project - circa 2005.  My life literally changed direction because of this project. I didn’t really know what I was doing, so I just did what I liked.  I figured if I liked it, someone else would too.  Still my favorite project I have ever created.  

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I hope you have had a thought provoking week reading this series of posts...what would I save? What really doesn't mean much at all?  There is just one more post that I have saved for tomorrow, so please visit us one more time for the final episode of the Burning House.