Suitcase Vacation

I apologize for vacating my blog for a few days. The flu found me and I found my bed. The funny thing is that even in my semi-conscience moments all I could think of was what I wanted to do to make-over my bedroom.
Because I haven't paid much attention to blogging this week I am going to change the deadline for the 31 gifts giveaway from this Saturday to next Tuesday, February 22nd at midnight. That will give you plenty of time to check out the catalog and enter the giveaway.
Speaking of vacations, do you see that big empty corner in my living room? That's where my suitcase stack usually resides. It's also the spot where we put the Christmas tree, so when Christmas came the suitcases took a vacation to the basement. After taking down the tree it seemed so nice to have an empty spot that I didn't rush to bring up the suitcases again---that and I was feeling too exhausted to make the trip down and up the stairs five times carrying suitcases. Did you know that vintage suitcases are heavy even when they're empty? It makes one appreciate the lighter, though characterless, version we have today.
After a couple of weeks of suitcase stack freedom I began to question whether they should return. True, the stack has become my signature piece, both in blogging and in my living room. But just because it's a big statement item doesn't mean that I have to live with it forever. How many things do we keep in our home just because they have always been there? I think that it's nice at times to live without an item to see if you still love it. Living without an item makes it easier to decide if maybe it's time to change things up a bit, either by moving the item to another room or by getting rid of it all together.

After living without my vintage suitcases for two months
I decided that I still love them and that I still want them to be
an important part of my living room's decor. So little by little they reappeared in the room where they belong. My signature piece is back and I am happy.

I'm curious, do you have a signature item in your home?