Sweet Vintage: It's All in the Details

Sweet, vintage details always add a nice personal touch. Whether it's for a room, an outfit, or simply an envelope, I'm constantly looking for ways to incorporate my vintage finds into our home. While I have a hankering for all things vintage, I'm still trying to build a decent wardrobe full of it. In the meantime, I'm hoarding a few vintage items and planning to reveal the lot of them on a certain special day (wedding, hint, hint).

Vintage stamps:

I picked up a few sets of these vintage stamps from Angela Liguori when they were on sale at Anthropologie. Each set includes 50 stamps from all over the world. I love the assortment of colors and historical drawings. I couldn't wait to find a fun way to use them. And after decorating invitation envelopes, I still have quite a few left over. I imagine I'll use them in a scrapbook for a future project.

Handkerchiefs:

I knew I wanted to somehow incorporate vintage hankies into the wedding reception. But to do so, and to stay within budget, I needed to find someone trying to offload a whole bunch of them at once. Luckily, I found that person! I met a nice lady who'd been holding onto her grandmother's hankie collection for years before she decided to sell them. In just one hour, I found the woman on Craig's List, met her and her collection of 70 or so vintage hankies, and bought them for a very nice price. I just love all the colors, patterns, and lace.

Bottles:

The vintage bottle trend is one I've seen a lot around the wedding blogosphere. They make for beautiful, and not to mention eco-friendly, centerpieces. And I love how you can mix and match different colors, heights, and shapes. I began collecting old medicine bottles and mason jars at various yard sales, thrift stores, and flea markets last summer. I've been storing them on top of a bookshelf in the office and I'm liking how the collection is starting to shape up. 

Postcards:

I'm a fan of old prints and photographs, including those on postcards. I continue to come across them while rummaging through boxes at various estate sales around town. I always try to pick up a few, preferably those without writing on the back (unless the message is really sweet, of course). Here's a little collage of some of my favorite ones as of late. I especially love the cactus and the "World Famous Tree House." As for how to incorporate these into a nifty DIY project, I thought about creating a huge collage or a cute photo book. 

Yay, vintage stuff! What kind of things do you like to collect? I'd love to come across a fellow blogger with a cute tea cup collection. I think that would be pretty adorable.