Pack rat: blessing or curse?

If you know me at all or have noticed Felicity in some "vintage" (aka: dated) outfits, you know that my mom saves everything. Fortunately, (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it) I have inherited this trait from her. Personally, I see it as a good thing -- we have had so many laughs over old, funny things and been reminded of many sweet memories. I've had such fun dressing Felicity up in all my old baby clothes... and as an added bonus, if you can perfect the art of preserving things, as my mom has done, it can save lots of $$.

HOWEVER... I think she may have gone too far. No, let me restate that - she definitely went too far. She has been cleaning out some things from her house, which in itself is very impressive. Part of the curse of saving everything, is that before you know it, you can be sitting in piles of junk. But back to the story -- two weekends ago Justin was in Milwaukee for Northwestern Mutual's annual meeting, so my parents decided to come and stay with Felicity and me for a few days. Before they left Longview, she called to see if I wanted a few of her vintage finds; otherwise, she was officially getting rid of them. Of course, I couldn't say no, so I ended up with this gem (among others):

I'm saving this so I can crimp Fe's hair for her first 80's party (if it doesn't start a fire when I plug it in...)

And this:

I foolishly assumed it was empty...until I opened it up and discovered these treasures inside:

If you can ignore the disgusting used toothbrushes...let's take a closer look at that Flex shampoo sample, shall we?

EXPIRES JUNE 1, 1988!! That is more than 22 years ago! I was too afraid to open it up and see what it looked like. It went straight in the trash. Do they even make Flex shampoo anymore?

The best part about this lovely piece of luggage (that I should note, my mom got for her high school graduation in 1974) was that it was part of a complete set - 2 full-size suitcases, this makeup case and a hanging bag. Apparently, my grandma wanted one of the suitcases for herself, but I got all the rest. Grandma says if she doesn't use it soon, she'll let me have it. You see, this blessing/curse is an inherited trait that is passed down from generation to generation. So, Felicity - it is inevitable, I guess. You will be a pack rat, like the rest of us.

So...with that said, here's a pic from the weekend of my lovely mom, the best pack rat I know!

I love you, Mom!

And in honor of Justin's business trip, Felicity sported her latest Northwestern Mutual fashion for her daddy: