More tiny vintage things this Saturday. Read the post about the first third of this letterpress tray here.

This section has old pen nibs (from my grandfather's house and flea markets), old photos (of strangers and not), vintage keys and an escutcheon (from the paternal side of my family, as always), vintage buttons, snaps and thread (from the maternal side of my family), a small crystal (from London, maybe Natural History Museum?) and some rocks, pebbles and shells (collected in Brighton in 2000).

There's also my old mitten, all lonesome, super soft and nice, perfect for warmer spring days. Maybe my all time favourite of all mittens I've worn. And then there's another little Rantakari (my father) with a bicycle in front of the family workshop.

A gorgeous, little perfume bottle on a scrap of antique lace (from the maternal side of my family)...

...engraved with my name, which is also the name my grandmother was called by her family. This was once hers...

...and the scent of perfume still lingers.

This tiny retractable silver cased pencil belonged to my great grandfather (the other Kaija's father). The pencil, and the case, are actually oval, not round or octagonal, so I doubt one could find replacement pencils for this anywhere.

I idealistically imagine everyday life having been more enjoyable when these little items like tiny silver pens and perfume bottles were a part of it. Though I'm quite taken with my Pigma Microns (005 is my favourite as it allows me to write as tiny as I want) and spray perfume bottles (I'm a Dolce kind of lady, but I'm flexible when the mood strikes). They're just often not that pretty, even when they try to be. If I could redesign any modern product in a vintage style, I wouldn't honestly know where to begin. Would you? Would you redo your phone or tablet, or would you treat yourself to some outrageous hairbrush (I'm visualizing things embossed and jeweled... silly me)?