Wait, it’s ceramic? I’ll take 10!

Like a lot of preteens growing up in the late ’90s, my room was filled with an inordinate amount of Beanie Babies. They rested on my bookshelf, on my bed and in baskets on the floor. Every nickel I had went toward adding to my ever-growing collection, and by the time I reached sixth grade, more than 50 of the bean-filled critters called my bedroom home. It seems excessive, I know, but I loved those Beanie Babies, and like with most collections, the line between “I collect Beanie Babies” and “I cannot resist the urge to buy every Beanie Baby on the face of the planet” was a little fuzzy.

Fortunately the madness stopped eventually. At some point my anti-clutter gene set in, and I was more concerned with having a place for everything than adding more plush animals to the family. Like most childhood collections, my heap of Beanie Babies grew out sincere love but zero practicality. Aww, to be a kid again.

As an adult, I definitely scrutinize my purchases a lot more than I did at 12 years old. Practicality weighs in a lot, and it’s hard to build a collection when “Where in the world are you going to put that?!?” keeps playing in my head. But there are glorious times when practicality and genuine love collide, and it’s in those moments that the childhood collector comes out full force. It’s official: White ceramic containers are the Beanie Babies of my 20s.

I first spotted these containers in the garden-y section of Target at the beginning of the summer. I loved that they were simple, streamlined, white and ceramic — perfect for housing plants, holding pencils or hiding clutter. There were three sizes, so I bought one of each. So three ceramic containers. No biggie.

Then I went back a few weeks later, and the smallest size was on sale for half price. I was loving the ones I already had, so a few more would be just as lovable and usable, right? Two weeks later, the largest size went on sale. A week after that, the middle size went on sale. You get the idea.

So now I’m the proud owner of almost a dozen ceramic containers in varying sizes (thankfully, Target ran out before I could do any more damage, though Ikea carries something super similar). And what do I do with them all? You’d be surprised how handy these guys are:

• Pencil holder on my desk (small)
• Knick-knack holder (paper clips, stapler, tape, etc.) on my desk (medium)
• Trash can for the office (large)
• Clutter-reducing key holder by the front door (medium)
• Flowerpot in the living room (medium)
• Dog food and treats hider/holder in the kitchen (large)

I’m still seeking the perfect use for the last few, but I’ve been pretty impressed with all the skills these ceramic masterpieces are hiding up their invisible sleeves.

So what are you collecting these days? Is practicality your No. 1 goal, or does the love factor hold more clout? Can’t wait to hear about it!

XO,
Katrina