Show Us Your Life - Collections

This week KellysKorner is having Show Us Your Life - Collections. I haven't entered in a while because we have just been so unbelieveably busy! But I thought I would like to sit down a moment and show my collection of Russian things. It has taken me many years to get this far and there is far more stuffed in boxes under my bed, in the garage and at my mom's storage. I left my camera in my car (husband took it) and so I snapped these quick photos with my iPhone.


When I was a child I feel in love with Russia. Maybe because Texas is always so hot, I wanted to go somewhere colder, maybe because the photos look so pretty... maybe the rich history of the country... maybe all of those. I just fell in love. When I was around nine years old I found this picture in an old book in my town library. I tore it out and promised myself that when I had my own home it was going to go somewhere in it. It now sits atop my mantle. Read more about the picture here. I used to have a whole collection of nesting dolls on my mantle but decided it was time to do something a little more grown up.. so down they went and up this went. I found out about eBay several years ago and this is where the majority of my pieces came from. It's funny because when I started collecting them they really weren't expensive (probably why I have so much) and now they can get pretty pricy! These plates are all from the Bradford Exchange. I have 20. Each one depicts a fairytale (skazki) or some story. There are still many more plates in the collection but I don't want to overdo it!

These are a couple of my favorites....

This one shows the Red Square during a New Year Celebration... This particular plate is really hard to find and can get expensive.

Another one of my favorites. This style is super expensive and I found this one for around $10 and was sooo super excited to get it for such a steal. When I received it, it was cracked. I immediately went to the auction page and the seller did state that it was cracked. I was just too excited to pay attention. I love it anyway!

I think this one is my favorite...Snegurechka...the Snow Maiden. She was one of my first purchases and I love her!
These are small versions of the Russian tray. There are supposed to be four but Lena knocked on down and I have put it back up yet. I also have three above the pantry door but I didn't take a photo of that because Emil knocked one down being silly and never put it back up! These trays and the plates are all hand painted.

This is my wall of Russian cutting boards. They are all hand carved. Some of them are hand painted and depict some type some of story. The big one in the left corner, I out bid my friend on. You should have seen her face when she came to my house!

This is the other half of my wall with more cutting boards....

Svetlana brought me this clock from Russia. I am sooooo happy. I love, love, love it. This style is called Khokhloma (hock-low-mah). The big Khokhloma tray above was also given to me by Sveta. She told me the next time she comes she wants me to serve food on it. I am too scared.. it's sooo pretty!

These are my Russian tea cozies. They are quilted underneath and are to be placed on top of the tea pot to keep the water hot. Please click here to look at more pictures of them. It's worth it!

I bought this tray of Ivan and the Firebird. I love this tray.. I love the vibrant colors, I just don't have anywhere to put it. So for now he lays in a kitchen drawer.

These Russian dolls are so beautiful. They have porcelain faces and hands. I love the intricate dresses and head pieces. I had many more but I was sick a few years back (at our previous home) and thought I put my tea kettle on and instead put on a pan of grease. The stove caught on fire and my dolls burned. I was so sad. Now they are so expensive I haven't been able to begin collecting them again. This one Svetlana brought when she visited from Russian. She's about nine inches tall. I love, love, love her! She used to be on my mantle and now lives on my dresser!

This necklace and earring set is in a style called finift. It's all hand painted. The necklace broke and I haven't had Emil repair it yet (my jewelry is always last!).

These collectible are in the style of gzhel. They are produced in major ceramics center just south of Moscow. This is just a dribble of figurines my mother-in-law gave me.

There are gzhel tea sets, serving dishes, chandeliers and candlesticks....you name it! I definately want to expand my collection of gzhel!

I thought I had my collection of Russian lacquer boxes on here but I didn't post that photo. So, you can click here and see them. Again, these are just a few of the ones that I own. I had given my mother a lacquer box with the Snowmaiden on it. At the time it was around $10 and now those boxes easily go for around $50.

Thank you so much for stopping by and looking at my collection of Russin items. I hope you enjoyed them. See more of everyone collections here!

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Tomorrow I plan to go to the Home and Garden show at the Alamodome. It's supposed to be huge and some hosts from various shows on HGTV (my fav) are going to be there so I surely don't want to miss that! I'm going to dig out my comfy tennis shoes and get ready for tomorrow! Sunday we are going to a going away party for a co-worker. She is moving to North Carolina because her husband comes home from Afghanistan mid-March and will be stationed in No. Carolina. I will miss her so much, she is such a sweet and genuine person but I hope to visit her there! What do you have planned for this weekend? Anything exciting? Or one of those wonderful, quiet weekends at home?