Collecting Perfume Bottles

One day at Main House Antiques where we have a booth, the cashier was pointing out these beautiful vintage perfume bottles to another customer. With all the times I've been in the store, I had never really noticed them. But when she said they were only $1.00 each, I perked up.

I had never considered decorating with vintage perfume bottles before. They were half-filled at best. Some were empty. The perfume inside was not fit for use. But suddenly it struck me, they would make a perfect vignette for my bedroom.

This one actually has eight sides.
I love it's vintage look too.

What makes these bottles unique are the shapes. I did a little research to see if I could identify specific names for the shapes but I came up empty handed. But what intrigued me in that search was how many more shapes there are out there.

Although I feel with five bottles my collection is sufficient, I'm still keeping my eyes open especially when I'm at yard sales. I'm pretty sure that there's another bottle or two out there that will make my collection glitter even more.

When she knew I was collecting perfume bottles, my mom (she's pictured below in the gold frame) gave me this one with the dove on the top. It's a favorite of hers called L'air du Temps. It's nice to complete the collection with a family piece.

When the blinds are open, the bottles really sparkle.

Collecting and displaying these perfume bottles challenges me to also consider what other things I'm overlooking at yard sales and thrift stores. And now my eyes are even more wide open.

EBay and Etsy are great places to look to, and the choices are simply adorable.

If you collect or display something special I'd love to hear about it. Feel free to leave a comment (and link if you have one) below!

Memphis Cotton Exchange

My mom and I wanted a short girls trip, but more than an overnight. Neither of us had been to Graceland, so one week we flew to Memphis. The flight was ridiculously early, and we arrived in The Home Of Blues in time for lunch.

With the whole day to kill, we decided on a whim to visit the Memphis Cotton Exchange on Union Avenue. I really knew very little about cotton in this country, but this trip really opened my eyes.

The baskets of cotton were beautiful, but also a sad reminder of the cost of human sacrifice. Not only were the African American people terribly mistreated as slaves, but they weren’t even allowed in this place when it was in operation in the late 1800’s.

As much as I love history, it's hard to reconcile that love for the sorrow that I feel for the enslaved people of that time that made so much, like these vintage items below, possible.

I’m glad this place still stands, and that they do a good job explaining the injustices and sacrifices that made this all possible. I think that viewing this museum the right way, it’s an excellent peek into our past. 

There's a gift shop too, and it's also right in the heart of a really cool area of Memphis, with some great restaurants.

If you're visiting this area of Tennessee, it's well worth the trip. There's something for everyone to learn here.

Going to Graceland!

I love nostalgia, and perhaps nothing is more nostalgic than Elvis Presley. Even though I was very young when he died, his music still plays an important role in my life today. I love all his classics, but my favorite is Suspicious Minds. But did you know that Elvis won only three grammys, and all of them were for gospel songs! I love that!

Anyway, fast forward several decades. Graceland still stands, attracting visitors from all over the world. And it was on my bucket list for some time. So when my mom told me she needed to get away, we flew to Memphis to fulfil a dream of seeing the mansion firsthand.

We weren't disappointed!

I'm sure many of you have already been there, so I just want to show a few highlights that I personally loved. And if you haven't, there's so much more than this. You could really spend an entire 8-10 hours there, because it's more than just a house, but across the street there's a mini "theme park" dedicated to all things Elvis. They even have a movie theatre that shows some of the movies he was in. Unfortunately that was closed when we were there. The restaurants even serve some of his favorite foods. And the gift shops are amazing!

The main living room is beautiful!

The main staircase leading to the second floor. Tours aren't allowed up there.

This furniture was owned and used by Elvis, but is not in a museum on the property.

Guys will love the car museum! This one is my favorite of all his amazing cars.

His crayon box!

Of all the magnificent things at Graceland, the one thing that I found so drawn to is his box of crayons from the first grade. His name is written on the back of the red one. Perhaps it's because I love color. Now I use ink, markers, etc, but back in first grade I love my Binney and Smith Crayons. The large box with the sharpener in the back was the best! I love thinking about little Elvis coloring way back then.

One thing I found out during the tour was that he didn't have it built. He bought it from someone else. And the name "Graceland" was actually the name of the property, named for the original owner's daughter, Grace. It was built in 1939. Elvis bought it in 1957 when he was 22.

These are just a few of the wonderful things in his home. Even if you aren't a fan of his music, you'll probably enjoy and appreciate the beauty of the home itself.

So if you're anywhere near Memphis, be sure to take a day to tour this majestic mansion.