# Obsession



## KanoasDestiny (Jan 25, 2010)

What are you absolutely crazy about? Do you have a hobby that you love? Something that you collect or create? Someone you'd give anything to meet? Please help me to not feel so bad!






I am obsessed with collecting songs by Darren Hayes! I fell in love with his music when him and Daniel Jones first came out with their band Savage Garden. I _almost_ got to see them in concert for my 21st birthday in 2001, but my husband was threatened that he'd lose his job if he took the day off. The group called it quits a month later.



Had we known that was coming, I would have been fine with my hubby losing his job.



My husband and I played 4 of Darren's songs at our wedding, and our first dance was to "Truly, Madly, Deeply". Darren went solo and it took 11 years for me to finally see him perform live. In 2007, I saw him perform at a small nightclub and it was magic! Then as luck had it, I got to go to his accustic show a few months later, where I got to meet him, shake his hand and get an autogragh.



I've spent the past 13 years and hundreds of dollars collecting his music and now I have 128 of his songs (some of which are hard/impossible to get). I still have a few to go and then my collection will be complete, until he comes out with something new.

I'm also a big Harry Potter fan, I have all the movies which I've seen a hundred times, and the books, which I'm getting ready to start reading again.

So what's your guilty pleasure?


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## Katiean (Jan 26, 2010)

I collect Disney animation figurines as does my brother. For Christmas I bought him the Brear bear, fox and rabbit from Song of the South. They cost me well over $100. I have some pieces worth some money. I also collect anything Ostrich. I had to have Madam Upanova from Fantasia. I still have 2 vases full of feathers from the ostriches I raised.


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## MeadowRidge Farm (Jan 26, 2010)

Oh gosh...my guility pleasures would be my Dept 56 snow village, along with St. Nicholas Square village. I have a HUGE display. I also collect Breyer horses, but have streamlined that down to just the Christmas Breyers, and Steiff mohair bears. Then I have a few collections..which I am not a aggressive collector of but do buy them if I come across one I like..those would be my Byers choice carolers, and antique stoneware jugs/crocks. THEN I hide the checkbook, after a good shopping spree...LOL..


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## jacks'thunder (Jan 26, 2010)

For me it's Painted Ponies and Dept. 56 Snow Village (like Corinne)! I check ebay *EVERY* morning to see what's up for the day! And I search craigslist and garage sales for good deals on these 2 things that I just can't live with out! LOL!



*EVERY DAY!!!!!!! *I'm truely obsessed!!!! LOL!!!

Leya


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## Matt73 (Jan 26, 2010)

KanoasDestiny said:


> What are you absolutely crazy about? Do you have a hobby that you love? Something that you collect or create? Someone you'd give anything to meet? Please help me to not feel so bad!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Okay...get ready to be jealous



In around '98 or '99, my partner was a producer at MuchMusic in Toronto. He was from Australia. He got to be the "Wrangler" for Savage Garden during the MMVA's (it was Darren and another band member). So...I was mingling with the celebs etc. and enjoying the food and wine



Darren came up to me and started chatting. He asked me what my sign was (aarrgghh). Then, after a while, he asked if I was with anyone. Okay...I was young and naive and just didn't think a pop star would want to "pick me up" lol. I also didn't know, at the time, that he was gay (he was "in the closet" then) I said no, only because Jason was "working" and although out, I just didn't want to...oh I don't know why I said that. So he asks if Jason and I want to hang out after the awards. Ummm, yeah! We all got in the limo and there were hundreds of fans screaming his name. Very surreal. We went to his hotel and had drinks. He talked to his partner on the phone and THEN he asked if I wanted to stay in the room with him while Jason and everyone else went to the after party



I said no and told him that Jason and I were a couple. I was embarassed and so was he. We all ended up going to the after party. The rep for the record company asked if we wanted drinks and then gave me the company credit card. I went to get everyone drinks and left the card with the bartender. It ended up that the bartender "couldn't find it" when we were leaving. Aaarrrggghh. I felt awful. Anyway, that's my Savage Garden story. We kept in touch for a couple of months after that.


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## REO (Jan 26, 2010)

You mean besides my horses?





Harry Potter





Archie digest comics. I have 100's, some 18 yrs old.

Ok! Ok!





THE NORT collection!

Nort is my stallion (avatar)

Most of these things came from loving forum members!

Things with my boy on them

A woodburn of Nort

3 coffee mugs

A painting!

A statue

A big Breyer done like him

a small Breyer

a teeny Breyer

3 buttons

a tote bag!

a tiny jointed toy Nort

A stall sign

"Flat Lotto" (Nort)

An artwork (watcheye)

A calendar

T-shirt

There might be more but that's all I can think of right now LOL


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## TheCaseFamily00 (Jan 26, 2010)

My family would say this forum,i'd have to agree



. Lets see I like what I call gold chunky,old mirrors frames et. I love antiques,old stuff with a history. Old velvet photo albums, Floral tea cups and saucers. I have to say lately it's been my barn,addition starting soon



.


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## Dontworrybeappy (Jan 26, 2010)

Frogs! We have habitat year round for our native Pacific Chorus Frogs and we look forward to hearing their singing season every year (usually roughly Dec/January to May/June). For a long time, it was hard to find froggy collectibles so the search was fun! We have hundreds and hundreds of frogs now - outdoor decor, all over the walls and ceiling of our bathroom, a huge pile of stuffed frogs, a curio cabinet of cool froggy stuff - I even have a tattoo of a frog sitting on my left shoulder! Now frogs are more available and we've become less involved in finding them - although no less involved with loving frogs and keeping the real frogs happy and singing! (I've already seen the first frog eggs and tiny tadpoles of the season!)

LEAFY SEADRAGONS! Talk about hard to find! They are such rare critters that most folk don't even know what they are! I so LOVE them that I've spent hours and hours watching them at the Long Beach Aquarium. And yes, I got a tattoo of one of these Seahorse relatives on my right leg. I have two small shelves of what little I can find of Leafys - mostly Aquarium gift store stuff, some things I got through ebay from Australia... and I have photos and prints of Leafys all around the walls of my bedroom.

Michael and I are both "collectors" and we have other collections... Breyers, Disneyana, and more, but the horses do take up the most time and money!


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## KanoasDestiny (Jan 26, 2010)

OMG Matt...are you serious??? You lucky duck, I AM jealous!!! Ok, not about the credit card thing, but getting to spend a cool night out with Darren. He's a really nice guy, and can you say HOT??? I've always had a feeling that he was gay, but that didn't stop the mad crush on him. Lol. Richard is one lucky man. I've searched high and low to find some of his songs, and although I do like his new stuff, his older stuff is my favorite. He just has one of those voices!





I have never heard of Dept 56 snow villiage. Sounds interesting. It sounds like there's others on here that are just as obsessed as I am.





I guess I should have mentioned my Iris Johansen collection also. I have EVERY book she has ever released in paperback, clear back to her Love Swept days. I've met her as well as corresponded with her via email, and she is a wonderful woman with a good sense of humor. That makes her extra special.


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## Matt73 (Jan 26, 2010)

He was a very nice guy. Totally down to earth and cool.


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## barnbum (Jan 26, 2010)

Fabric for quilting.


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## Watcheye (Jan 26, 2010)

I LOVE Darren Hayes music! You guys are lucky. Other obsessions would be obviously the minis. Guinea pigs. Oh man do I love my guinea pigs! Avatar (both the movie and the animated series). WATCHEYES (lol no kidding!) I love eyes and the color blue for artsy stuff. That is all I can think of at this time



....ok forgot a very big one... Petoskey and Harbor Springs, Michigan... The fact that I forgot that makes me sad. I am really obsessed with those places. Charlevoix too.


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## jleonard (Jan 27, 2010)

Interesting that there are some Dept 56 collectors on here, didn't think there were many left



My parents used to be quite obsessed with it, but they've not bought anything new in years. We still have all of the old ones that go up every Christmas (just came down) and cover every surface of the house



None of us cared for the changes they made when they began making them glossy looking, that's around when they quit buying new ones. They have the North Pole series, Santa's Village, most of the Dickens ones including The Christmas Carrol, the twelve days of Christmas, Victoria's Abby, and so on and so on. It wouldn't be Christmas without them!


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## hobbyhorse23 (Jan 27, 2010)

I had to think at first as the minis, driving and of course LB are my major obsessions at the moment but I finally thought of an odd one. I am OBSESSIVE about finding and collecting dressage philosophy books!



Yeah, I know, I didn't know they existed either until I found the first one. Most dressage books are more "how-to," involving specific seat and leg aids and all that...hardly useful for someone who is doing driven dressage. But it turns out there's a tiny subset of slim books out there by some of the classical masters that talk more about the horse's energy and the _why_ of dressage instead of so much the _how_ and I find them fascinating! Erik Herbermann, Nuno Olivera, Paul Belasik, Charles de Kunffy, I love their stuff! I've got quite the collection of out-of-print classical dressage and driving books at this point including some reprints of 1800-1900's carriage driving manuals. Way fun.

I am a total bibliophile, no question.

I collected customized Breyers and artist resins for years after my Arab retired from showing and got pretty obsessive about collecting and showing Creata Winner's Choice Micro Minis (now Breyer "Mini Whinnies"). I was one of only a few people in the country who did performance tack and setups for them and showed them to the National level (and titles



).

I'm also a die-hard fan of Savage Garden.





Leia


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## dixie_belle (Jan 28, 2010)

I collect chickens. That's right, all kinds of chickens. In fact, when I got married 7 years ago, my husband to be was wearing a chicken costume!!! My kids call me the chicken woman. I've got chickens of all sizes and shapes and I just love them. I believe a house is not a home without a chicken or two or a hundred LOL.


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## candycar (Jan 28, 2010)

I guess my one great obsession is my pets. The minis, cats and chicken. I will do whatever I can to make their life better and happier. My/hubbys family think I'm nuts





This is for you dixie belle, I love my chicken too! So much that she still lives in the house, I don't have the heart to kick her out to the pen in the winter.


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## Matt73 (Jan 28, 2010)

candycar said:


> I guess my one great obsession is my pets. The minis, cats and chicken. I will do whatever I can to make their life better and happier. My/hubbys family think I'm nuts
> 
> 
> 
> This is for you dixie belle, I love my chicken too! So much that she still lives in the house, I don't have the heart to kick her out to the pen in the winter.






Is she wearing a diaper?! That's too funny/cute.


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## Sterling (Jan 28, 2010)

candycar said:


> I guess my one great obsession is my pets. The minis, cats and chicken. I will do whatever I can to make their life better and happier. My/hubbys family think I'm nuts
> 
> 
> 
> This is for you dixie belle, I love my chicken too! So much that she still lives in the house, I don't have the heart to kick her out to the pen in the winter.


OMG that little chicken is wearing a pamper!!!



Silkies are very tender and delicate so I hear you.

Let's see...hmmmm...I'd have to say my first love would have to be my dog/dogs. Playing with them, walking with them and just plain interacting with them. The others would be my horses, making soaps, the moon and stars, gardening in the spring, and historic novels on a quiet afternoon or night with my pups sleeping at my feet. Can't get any better than that!

OH!! Almost forgot...my new indoor hobby this winter is tropical fish!


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## TheCaseFamily00 (Jan 28, 2010)

Candycar you crack me up,that's to cute



.


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## Marty (Jan 28, 2010)

WATER MONSTERS

My obcession is Water Monster movies of all kinds, Killer Gators, Giant Octopus, any thing that comes up from the sea and getsya, but mostly JAWS

I can't ever get enough Jaws. And beginning on Memorial Day Weekend out comes my shine to Jaws on the credenza and I watch all 4 Jaws, rotating them so I get to see one per day until September 1, Labor Day when summertime is over.






I have many other obcessions such as Christmas. I play Christmas carols all year round and I really try to keep the meaning of it in my heart every day. I shop for it too all year round. By Christmas, I usually have plenty of little gifts already stashed.

I'm also obcessed with horse rescue, community service, and Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. I know I can't save the world but its better than doing nothing at all to help.


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## candycar (Jan 28, 2010)

LOL




I told you I loved my pets! you should see her in her little John Deer diaper! that's cute


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## KanoasDestiny (Jan 28, 2010)

Ok, I have to be honest, chickens scare me. Well, all big birds scare me. But your chicken with the diaper on is soooooo cute! Was it hard to train her to wear one? I can't imagine manhandling a chicken long enough to change a diaper.


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## TheCaseFamily00 (Jan 28, 2010)

Please take a picture of the John Deere diaper on




.TOOO FUNNY!!!


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## Leeana (Jan 28, 2010)

Cleaning - No, seriously








I am OCD when it comes to things being in order, clean and where I want them. I clean the house, barn, truck, my car ext (I have things that have to be in certain places everywhere..) and make sure everything is in place or else I feel very stressed out to the point I cannot think / sleep or even relax. It can get pretty bad when i'm really stressed over something - You can almost tell as the house will be spotless. I actually have medication from my doctor to take when I get to frustrated over things being out of place (valium)...its sort of how I handle my stress if that makes sense? Things being in place and feeling "right". Its a daily thing with me ...

It can get pretty bad at a hectic horse show, as i'm OCD about the tack stall and horse trailer being neat, clean and everything in order. Several times a day at the shows I have to say "okay...stop...lets clean first". When my little nephews come over and make a wreck in the house is a really bad time for me....





I poke fun at it a lot and its not something i'm shy about, its just part of who I am.

Apart from my crazy OCD - I do enjoy watching Ghost Hunters (TAPS) !!!!! I watch it almost daily (catching up on past seasons on youtube)!

I found this picture the other day and it made me giggle...me to a T!


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## Dontworrybeappy (Jan 29, 2010)

Leeana... we need you - want to come visit????


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## sfmini (Jan 29, 2010)

Note to self, keep Leanna out of our house!






it would give her a major breakdown!

Let's see, computer time is a big one, I can be online all day and not run out of things to do, and no, I don't do any of the Facebook thingies.

I love Dept. 56 too, but finally reined myself in and will only buy horse related things or Christmas tree things, well, unless it is something really cool. Snow Village only.

My dogs. I love my Corgis, and foster rescue dogs. I have a long term rescue right now, not a purebred and ugly to boot, but we may be placing her soon. We'll see.


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## krissy3 (Jan 29, 2010)

I like to buy paintings..I love origional artwork. My mother , grandmother and G grandmother are all painters, so I guess thats where it came from. I love living in Europe, I find beautiful old paintings, in the "Brockihause" here and in Italy..



If you were to ask my horses this question , they would tell you that I collect halters and blankets that I dont need.


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## MeadowRidge Farm (Jan 29, 2010)

Jody, I now you reined yourself in from Dept 56



but have you seen the DV Wilkenson & Kidd Saddlery? I got it for X-mas and love it, even though its Dickens Village...lol..., its in my snow village.. it has a animated horse with a woman rider, riding sidesaddle, and when you look in the lit windows you see a rack of saddles. Its a cool new piece, and its horse related...


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## sfmini (Jan 29, 2010)

Awww you are killing me! I'll have to go look.

It will be your fault, you know. Ignorance WAS bliss.


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## KanoasDestiny (Jan 29, 2010)

OK! Does someone have a picture of their snow villiage??? I'm beyond curious now. My dad built a tiny city once, that was on a piece of plyboard, and had miniature trees, homes, and all sorts of things. Is that what Dept 56 is? Like a train going around a town?





Edited to add...I went and researched Dept 56 and I think I'm familiar with that now. How big are your collections? Do you set them up on a big table, or do you decorate shelves? I imagine with so much to collect, you guys would need a lot of room.


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## jleonard (Jan 30, 2010)

l took pictures of all of our villages this year, l'll have to post some tomorrow. We set them up on counters, tables, the piano, over the tv, and one village has special tables that are set up just for it.


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## Frankie (Jan 30, 2010)

I have read this several times, so decided to add mine. I have one some what like Leanna's, but in her picture, not only was it the pencil off to the side that bothered me, the other pencils weren't sharpened to the same length!!

But my newest is snails! I got a fish and some snails several months back but it was the snails I ended up watching, not the fish!



. I have been reading all I can find on them and have added some more, and plants. I just find them fasinating! Very matter of fact in all their moves, they watch me as well and I can't wait to add more! I have yet to find anyone who understands, so I haven't talked any about it. Now that its out, I'll go hang out in a plant with them!


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## KanoasDestiny (Jan 30, 2010)

Frankie said:


> I have yet to find anyone who understands, so I haven't talked any about it.


I totally understand! When I was little, we lived in Redding California and after it rained, the snails would come out. I couldn't wait to go out and "play" with them. There's nothing quite like the feeling of a snail moving across your arm.



The only bad thing is trying to hopscotch across the yard so you didn't step on any. That was NOT fun!


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## hobbyhorse23 (Jan 30, 2010)

Frankie said:


> But my newest is snails! I got a fish and some snails several months back but it was the snails I ended up watching, not the fish!
> 
> 
> 
> . I have been reading all I can find on them and have added some more, and plants. I just find them fasinating! Very matter of fact in all their moves, they watch me as well and I can't wait to add more! I have yet to find anyone who understands, so I haven't talked any about it. Now that its out, I'll go hang out in a plant with them!


Hey, I LOVE snails!! I was always fascinated by the tiny aquatic ones in my dad's fish tanks when I was little and since we don't garden I'm quite fond of the occasional few that I find around our property. (Mostly we have slugs- yuck!) I think the most guilt-inducing sound in the world is that nasty crunch when I step on a snail I didn't see on my way out to the barn.





I also love tiny lizards, like newts and chameleons and such. I get so excited when I see one during visits to desert states! They seem magical.

Leia


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## jleonard (Jan 30, 2010)

Here are a few pictures of our Dept 56 villages

The North Pole Series











Santa's Village











Cathedrals






Fezziwig's from The Christmas Carol






Scrooge's house











Victoria Station, one of my favorites











Fox Hunting


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## KanoasDestiny (Jan 30, 2010)

Oh my goodness, those are just beautiful! I can see why you love them and collect so many. My personal favorite is Scrooge's house. Wow.


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## jacks'thunder (Jan 31, 2010)

Here is my Dept 56 Snow village from 2006. It has grown at least to 80 pieces in size not counting the acesseries.


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## Taylor Jo (Jan 31, 2010)

My obsession would be my mini's and dogs. I take very good care of them. I LOVE Limestones Miniatures. Can't tell can you. I'm just a big Billy Idol and Hawk fan. I guess my other obsession would be my boots, I LOVE my boots. I think I've got 10 pair. I wear them all too, depending on what outfit I have on and during show season I wear them out in the ring. I've ALWAYS been a shoe and purse freak. Love to collect good smelling pink bottles of perfume. My "favorite" is Brittany Spears Fantasy, man that stuff smells good, another one is Pink Sugar, I like it too. Mainly ALL my money goes to the horses and dogs. OH AND I LOVE, MISS ME JEANS!!!!!! I have 4 pair!!!!!! LOVE, LOVE THEM!!!!!!!! I WANT MORE!!!!!!!! TJ


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