Today’s List it Tuesday topic at Artsyville is Collections. My sister would probably laugh at this, but I don’t consider myself a person who intentionally keeps a lot of collections. Unintentionally? Oh yes, that I do. Magazines, paint brushes, blank journals, yarn and art books are just a few.

After thinking about it for a few days, I realized that one of my favorite unintentional collections is of reusable grocery bags. Pulling all of the bags out of the closet, I could see little bits of my history spread out in front of me, and I realized how much like a scrapbook it was. For many of the bags, I can remember in detail the place, people I was with, the weather, and specifics of what I was doing when I bought or received the bags. It was fun to use this List it Tuesday to document some of my favorites.

Left to right.

01. Powell’s Books. This reminds me of my move to Oregon in 2007. I remember how much I loved Powell’s, and how lucky I felt to be able to roam from room to room. This is still one of my favorite places.

02. Limes. This one is from a supermarket in Perth, Australia that I visited with my friend Hilary. I loved the little market, but more importantly loved the color of the bag and the fact that my last name was printed on it. My name is not super common, so it’s very rare to see it printed on anything.

03. Dog/Kitty Bag. The name is blurred out for privacy, but this bag is connected to my boyfriend’s work. It reminds me of how happy we both were when he found this job after his layoff.

04. Pukeko! This was my favorite bird when I visited New Zealand. This bag was sent to me by my friend Hilary, and it reminds me of my time there.

05. Green Canada. This bag is from my first trip to Vancouver, BC with my sister and cousin. I remember the three of us roaming around a supermarket looking for strange Canadian snacks. I also used this bag at the Granville Island Market.

06. Pike Place Market. This is from a couple of years ago with Bill in Seattle. We had just bought the most delicious fresh juice I had ever had, and then found some rambutan at about $18 a pound. I only bought a few of those, but we also got some really fresh peaches that day.

07. Intel. My ex-manager gave me this bag when she moved on to a position at Intel. This bag reminds me of that time in my life, and how it changed after she left. I got a good new boss, her old desk, and a lot more responsibility.

08. Target. This one doesn’t have any backstory. It’s just one of my favorites visually. I love the little black bird perched on top of the tree.

09. Clementine/Whole Foods. This bag reminds me of our move back to Portland from the suburbs last year. Whole Foods is one of our closest markets, and I’m there more than my wallet would like to admit.

10. Foodland. I love the little illustrations on this bag. It shows how to make Spam Musubi. We bought this in Lahaina, Maui last year. We were buying some fresh fish and vegetables to cook in our room that night. I think this was one of my happiest days ever. Bill made the most delicious fish, and we ate it on the table outside of our room under the stars.

Thanks for checking out my illustrated list! Hope you have a great Tuesday.