Help Me! I'm Stuck!!

As my passion for discovering vintage miniature perfume bottles increases and my collection grows, invariably I will find the perfect French glass perfume bottle; only to find the beautiful crystal stopper is stuck! Has that ever happened to you?

Not to fret! I have found a solution that works to get those stubborn stoppers unstuck!

It is simple, effective and safe.

Simply go to your medicine cabinet or your local pharmacy for a bottle of rubbing alcohol. Fill a tiny glass jar or even a shot glass with a small amount of rubbing alcohol and place the stuck bottle upside down into the jar. Of course if it is a larger bottle you would adjust the size of your jar!

If the perfume bottle has it's original label you must be so careful not to submerge the label. The trick is to get the neck with stopper portion only into the alcohol ... please note in my photo. If the bottle has no label like mine, it is clear sailing!

Now be very, very patient... this may take several days to a week or more! But it works, it really does! I remove the bottle daily, dry it and carefully twist the stopper with a clean thin towel. Even the most obstinate stoppers eventually give up!

Here is the caveat: some of the alcohol may leach into the bottle so if you wish to salvage the perfume, this method may not be your solution. You may prefer just to dab alcohol around the stopper to see if that will help it budge.  

Good luck with your precious bottles!  I hope you have enjoyed my little perfume bottle first aid tip!

Happy Collecting! xo

To see my collection of miniature perfumes for sale on ETSY please click the link:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/MiladyLinden/search?search_query=glass+perfume&order=date_desc&view_type=gallery&ref=shop_search

What Smells so Pretty Around Here?

Amongst the variety of things I adore and have collected are vintage perfume bottles and of late, my interest has been rekindled! The story goes like this, girl walks into an antique store, she spots a collection of vintage Parisian perfume bottles and the girl falls in love! Those miniature French perfume bottles sure tickled my fancy!

At a recent estate sale, I discovered the lady of the house also had a penchant for miniature perfume bottles and it was quite enjoyable purchasing some of her lovely collection. Displayed on a Victorian tray aren't they enchanting?

This whimsical little Limoges porcelain basket with three gem mini bottles was a gift from my sister-in-law. She always finds the best presents!

Vintage Irice perfume bottles in porcelain or with jeweled tops!  So beautiful!

Pretty pink DeVilbis atomizer!

A whimsical little bakelite perfume pot with hand painted forget me nots!

Hope you have enjoyed my collection! xo

To see a selection of vintage perfume bottles for sale please visit my ETSY shop:https://www.etsy.com/shop/MiladyLinden/search?search_query=vintage+perfume&order=date_desc&view_type=gallery&ref=shop_search

Driving Miz Daisy Vintage Market

Nothing like a morning at a vintage market! And flea marketing Southern California style!

A wedding brought me to the San Diego area and I decided to extend the trip into a vacation! It was a great idea~ especially when I found the Driving Miz Daisy Vintage Market! Woo hoo! I did not know what to expect but perusing the first row, I knew I was in vintage heaven!

My beau is always driving me around on treasure hunts and he calls it Driving Ms. Karen, so the name of this vintage market was particularly apropos and amusing.

The market was larger than anticipated and after a while, sadly, I had to hurry my behind because said beau was getting impatient! But I managed to load up with enough vintage treasures to satisfy my vintage soul!

It turns out I found an old Larkin Company vintage powder box which was super cool because the Larkin Company is literally in my backyard. The vendor did not appreciate that I was from Buffalo! lol That's ok by me!

I discovered an amazing locket, some cufflinks, religious medals, beautiful vintage lace and this gorgeous Art Nouveau buckle which I repurposed into this lovely necklace.

And there was the bunch of circa 1940's charms including this fabulous Walter Lampl sterling church charm with Stanhope lens Lord's Prayer! Great find!

You can find these and other vintage treasures in my Etsy shop!  Please stop by for a visit real soon!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/MiladyLinden

PS... Another highlight of the market was the amazing and delicious handcrafted burger I had for lunch at the CUT food truck. It had bacon relish..... mmm. I want another, too bad I live 3000 miles away.

xo

A glimpse of my gardens!

In the 33 years that I've resided in my home, my garden has been a labor of love through trial and error. Over the years, the pachysandra, myrtle and ivy, albeit lovely, has added challenges to plantings; some flowers do well, others wither away. 

The garden runs the entire length of my yard and the backdrop of the fence allows me to hang many whimsical garden treasures which I adore collecting!

Because of the ground cover, I display a lot of chairs in the garden which not only adds color but interest as well.  

I love the repurposed bird house I purchased at a vintage market "will wrent for a song"! The garden plate was a fun project, made some to sell and kept a few for myself!

 Had a blast painting and repurposing an old window for the fence!  Kind of funky and charming with the vintage garden signage, don't you think?

My herb garden in an wooden palette. This year the addition of moss has kept the dirt in place and makes it look more earthy and woodsy! I love it!

Every year I plant scarlet runner beans, the pods produce a plethora of seeds for the next year! The rabbits ate the first planting so I had to put the plant on the stepladder but I love the way it looks. Old galvanized bucket and child's hoe add to the vignette.

When I lost a tree in the yard, I utilized the stump very nicely for a little succulent fairy garden!

I love finding unique things for my garden... the cool gazing ball and ceramic bird totem pole were discovered at a art festival!

And my garden door1 My son loves to recount the tale about the day on his to-do list was "paint the door in the garden yellow"! It adds whimsy for sure... I wanted to conceal a not so pretty area and ferns are now filling in lending a wispy look.

My friend gave me the garden angel! May all good fairies and angels find happiness in my garden!

Hope you've enjoyed my gardens. They are kind of wild, crazy and not so manicured, but they suit me just fine!
 xo

The Official Buffalo Garden Walk

I love summer in Buffalo! We get a bad rap for our winter's but you cannot beat the fun activities and energy of our summers! Wooo weee, Buffalolonians know how to make the most of the good ol' summertime!

Since I was away at a wedding, I sadly missed some of my favorite garden walks; especially the nighttime garden walk under the stars! There's always next year....

Not to be missed is the annual Buffalo Garden Walk which started in 1995. This year me and my companion decided to ride bikes throughout the city. This avoided parking issues (it is crazy trying to park) and also allowed us to view the gorgeous architecture around the city! One of the most popular areas is a street full of quaint cottages on Union Street..called Little Summer.

In the Allentown neighborhood, the houses are charmingly painted. The garden walk is not only about flowers but the entire whimsical package of home and garden!

I love the way these homeowners carried the turquoise and orange color scheme into the garden! So cute!  Love the porch curtains too!




Pictured below is another wonderful color palette and garden! There were two white poodles staring out at me, my camera did not capture them!

Every year I get an idea at the garden walk to try in my own garden! And, it is going to be adding curtains to my porch, they just add a touch of cozy to a porch don't they? Also they'll add some protection from the afternoon heat as well!

An added bonus of the day was running into some old friends! One of them was my childhood friend and neighbor when we were 7! Glad we can keep in touch with Facebook now!

Happy Gardening! xo

It's Garden Walk Season!

This year marks the 21st anniversary of the Buffalo Garden Walk. It is the largest in America with 400 gardens for viewing and over 60,000 visitors and growing strong!  In addition some of the gardens have been featured in such publications as Better Homes and Gardens and Fine Gardening!

This makes me very proud of Buffalo... we get a bad rap for our winters but our summers are wonderful filled with activity, One of my very favorite summery thing to do are the local garden walks in surrounding suburbs.

Recently I attended a garden walk in the charming village of Lewiston. I'm all about quaint towns and villages and Lewiston fits the bill! 

 Strolling the village I noted many historic homes dating to the early 1800's!

Not only do they have open gardens but feature a street full of garden vendors with plants, flowers as well as garden decorations for sale!

This garden really inspires me and I an especially in love with the garden decor!

To celebrate my love of gardening and flowers, I created this Wildflower bracelet, which you will find it in my Etsy shop!  

https://www.etsy.com/listing/6424431/glass-flower-leaf-and-swarovski-crystal?ref=shop_home_active_1

Happy Gardening! xo

Vintage Hankies- My Latest Collecting Obsession!

Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue!  What a wonderful bridal hankie this vintage blue lace confection would be! 

They also make darling gifts for bridesmaids, mother of the bride, mother of the groom and grandma too!

....Because doesn't everyone cry at weddings? I'm tucking a vintage hankie in my purse for my next wedding cuz I certainly do!

A while back an acquaintance at my church gave me some of her grandmother's vintage hankies and I am in LOVE! Thanks Chris.. so kind of you!

They are so precious and gorgeous and full of the charm of yesteryear.

Pinterest is full of nifty ideas to craft with vintage hankies ... from curtains to a table runner, embellishing clothing and lavender sachets!

 I had some french lavender buds and these hankies were not perfect... so here are some of the lavender sachets made with the help of my sweet mama at the sewing machine! I adore lavender!

 These will make any drawer more fragrant... especially your undergarments!

So I have been having fun washing and ironing these lovely hankies for sale in my Etsy shops. And, I have already sold a bunch.  And just found the most gorgeous rhinestone hankie at an estate sale, perfect for a bride. Check the links for my shops to search for your vintage hankie!

xo

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MiladyLinden/search?search_query=hankie&order=date_desc&view_type=gallery&ref=shop_search


https://www.etsy.com/shop/MiladyLindenSaysIDo/search?search_query=hankie&order=date_desc&view_type=gallery&ref=shop_search