Sunday, April 19, 2009

Mini Books

Time for installation #2 in the lengthy series of my own collections!


This one is my mini book collection. It combines my love of books with my love for all things small. Most of these shown are about 2-3 inches high. I keep them in a vintage printer's typecase so that may give you an idea of scale.

Here is a general overview. I get these mostly at flea markets. I try to find them on eBay but there are so many books on there to wade through, it's hard to find good ones.

A lot of them are religious- small Bibles or prayer books. There are also small dictionaries (English and foreign) and some little notebooks, some even have their own tiny pencil attached!



Here is a tiny date book from 1928.

Tiny dictionary! I have two of these, they are leather bound even. These are super duper cute because they are about as fat as they are high.

If I was keeping track, this one would probably be the most valuable. I got it at an estate sale for a few dollars. I had it appraised by the Book Guys from NPR and they said it was worth about $75.00! It is an old French prayer book for kids, the pages are lined in red-- really cool!

I also collect little small things that look like books. I have a few little lockets, a tiny button shell button that looks like a book, a matchbox that looks like a book!

Happy Sunday to all.

sara@mantofev.com

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Even ribbons enjoy a good rack.

Busy, busy, busy.

A few months ago, my dad and I made a ribbon rack to hold my growing stock of ribbons and trims. I was getting tired of keeping them organized in boxes and we designed this nice rack. I got all the trims put on it, but it was only about half full. What to do? Well ... buy more trims, of course! Ha!

So I bought these a few weeks ago and just got them posted today. Eleven new, old stock* vintage trims. I have a weakness for these; I love the colors and patterns.

Don't they look so nice in a little pile? But I can't wait to put them all on the ribbon rack! It's the little things that keep us going, right? :)

sara@mantofev.com



*Manto Fev vocab! New old stock (or NOS) means vintage items that were never used or sold. Most often they come in original wrappings or boxes.

Little things

It's the little things that can make someone's day.

Our weekend paper delivery person must have seen our dogs outside, and left this for us this past Saturday (also one on Sunday).

It made me so happy, such a little thing.

A new Manto Fev goal will be to try and do little things like this... to spread the happiness around.

sara@mantofev.com