Junk in the Trunk: “Messageries Maritimes” Hat Box

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Hey friends! I have had so much fun on my facebook page chatting with you about your recent vintage finds! Keep the comments coming y’all, I love to hear from you! That got me to thinking…what are your favorite places to go treasure hunting? Ok, confession…when I first started doing this, I felt so out of my league. I was looking at all these amazing things people were finding and I was thinking to myself…”Where does one find a complete set of French zinc garden buckets”??  I still wonder if they were really French or if someone just felt like adding a little je ne sais quoi to the title LOL!! Doesn’t everything sound better with the word “French” in front of it (french kiss, french fries, get my drift?) hehe. Anywho, so I emailed one of my favorite bloggers and asked how she finds some of her stuff. Much to my surprise she was finding things at many of the same places I was…garage sales, thrift stores, antique shops, auctions, internet, etc. Of course, the list goes on and on with many different sources, but the point is, it felt more reachable after that! Yes, sometimes it can be glamorous, but it’s hard work and sometimes, not so glamorous…in fact, it can be downright dirty!! I love both ways! If you don’t have time to scour for hours and hours, that’s when you leave it up to us addicts…er….professionals.

Before I introduce today’s junk in the trunk, I wanted to let you know that one of my finds is going to be available on One Kings Lane tomorrow! It is a collection of 9 Rudyard Kipling Books ranging in age from 1891-1920. These books are beautiful with gilt details and deckled edge pages….those deckled edge pages get me every time!!

Ok, here is the junk in the trunk! It is the most incredible old leather hat box. MMMMMM. It is so crusty and beautiful!

What I love most about it is that a hat box (at least in my mind) is a thing that mostly women use…and (at least in my mind) they can be a little…cutesy sometimes.

But then, here comes this tough leather hat box…..

complete with manly brass and silver hardware…

….and then BAM…an absolutely gorgeous blue satin inner lining. It is like the best of both worlds!

I LOVE that contrast of something totally strong and masculine injected with a feminine twist.

And the old peeling stamps and stickers…dont even get me started! They are just BE-YOND!!!

This one says “Messageries Maritimes“…guess what everyone…that’s French (& late 1800′s?)! C’est si bon! So, do you think I should call it a “French” Hat Box, oui, oui, hehe.

Did you guys find any scores this weekend? Send your “Junk in the Trunk” find to me at Lindsea@houseofharvest.com. You might just see it here one day!