I’ve been unpacking, sorting, washing and organizing since my return from the CHA Show. As I was cleaning out my tote bag yesterday I automatically hung my badges from this show in the place where I hang all of my show badges.

It’s kind of odd since I don’t normally save things like that.

I know you scrapbookers probably do and Smashbooks were created just for saving little mementos but I’m not normally a saver of ephemera.

Sure, I save ticket stubs from theater productions my son works on but not from all of movies I go to see.  I’ve saved my kids’ report cards and a few pieces of their artwork but not every paper they ever brought home from school.

Yes, it’s kind of unusual for me to have a whole slew of trade show badges hanging around.

I have to say though, that it was kind of cool to sort through them and see badges for different manufacturers I’ve worked the show for, and my press badges for Craft Test Dummies and my CHA Designer badges.

One of my exhibitor badges is because I had some work displayed on the show floor and another is from a blogger demo I got to do for Plaid. I’m pretty proud of that Plaid badge. It made me feel like a “big girl” blogger to get to do that.

I’m also proud of my very first CHA Designer badge. It meant a lot to me to be able to get a Designer badge. To me it meant I REALLY am a designer. No pretending.

I will have to find some place else to put them soon as the hook they are on is full. Maybe I’ll come up with a bigger hook or just add a second.

No matter what though, I think I will have to leave them hanging in some way where I can see them because they remind me of how far I’ve come. Some days I don’t feel like I’m making much progress but I can look at that bunch of badges and realize that I AM making progress and growing as a blogger and a designer.

What kinds of mementos do you save?

Are they things that remind you of a special event or things that make you feel a certain way?

I’d love to hear YOUR stories.