Mary Randolf Carter : La Collectioneuse

I came across a video of Mary Randolf Carter, promoting her latest (and eighth) book, Never Stop to Think… Do I Have a Place For This?, an intimate look into 20 individuals lives and their unique collections and exploring how and why they chose to surround themselves with these things. I ordered the book immediately (it hasn't quite arrived yet...) but I knew I had to find out more about this wonderful collectioneuse. I discovered a great interview with her on StyleLikeU and have added some images from their feature here.

 "Life can't be perfect, but it can be filled with joy and pain." "I love finding the unexpected, personal objects. It's not about things; it's about emotions -- triggering memory and feeling."

"I have thousands of these Lady of Guadeloupe bracelets. My father isn't Catholic, but my mother is, so we were raised Catholic. I've always loved the ritual aspect of religion."

“I’ve never stopped to think if I felt like I needed it. It’s not a matter of need; it’s a matter of what is going to have personal meaning to me.”

Carter's Christianity cards.

“When people come to my home, I want them to feel the way that I felt when I came home. The fire was crackling, the candles were lit, and there was a pot of Brunswick stew on the stove that my mother had just made. There was such a sense of belonging. We were surrounded by love.”

For more about Mary Randolf Carter you can read about her on the NY Times