While I was home this past weekend, I had the opportunity to photograph some of my trinkets that aren’t here in Indianapolis [read:  that I don't have room for here in Indianapolis].

At my parents’ house, I have a beautiful antique secretary cabinet that’s full of trinkets. One day, I will have enough room to house this cupboard. But for now, I have to enjoy these treasures whenever I make it home to visit my mom and dad.

One of the trinkets is an old vanity set that was my grandma’s. It was a piece that my grandpa sent her from Japan while he was overseas during World War II. So sweet! My current vanity table is pretty small, but I hope to someday have the counter space to display this set and use it to hold cotton balls, cotton swabs, bobby pins, and other necessities.

Back in the day, the tall and skinny piece would have been used for hat pins, the short covered box would hold trinkets or powder, the little dish that has no lid probably was used to hold jewelry, and you’ll never guess what the container that has the hole in the lid was for. My mom and I were both stumped over this little guy. Turns out, it’s a “hair receiver.” Women would store hair from their combs and brushes in it to recycle later. I find that FASCINATING.

Like many others from the “Greatest Generation,” my grandparents are the kind of people who who hold onto anything and everything. When they moved into a retirement home, they had to say goodbye to many of their treasures that wouldn’t fit in their smaller accommodations. I know it was hard for my grandma to see strangers walk away with her things, so I was happy to take some of them to keep as family heirlooms.

Do you have any family treasures that were passed to you from your relatives?

PS — I’m still accepting trinket submissions. Read details here.