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It's 1915 and a friend has come to pay you a call.

Before anything else, you pour the tea. Then it's down to the news of the day. The Great War is still on--it's been a year since it began--and the two of you talk of your men who are fighting in it.

You share photos, and show her the little book of poems you bought to send to your loved one on the front. You tell her how several of these books were especially made for soldiers, because they're small enough to fit in their pockets. She says she's going to go buy one too.

The sunlight turns a rich gold through the window and washes everything with a warm glow. The day is waning, but still you sip your tea and talk of memories before the war, and try to imagine life after it is over.

This set is full of story and memory. I loved putting it together and recreating a moment in time for you to enjoy.

Here's what's included in this set:

• Silver plated toast holder (with patina, not polished) that doubles as a photo & card holder
• Small, oval, silver plated tray (with patina, not polished)
• Two photos and one birthday postcard dated July 16, 1913
• One small, WWI era book titled Barrack Room Ballads, made for the soldiers to carry in their pockets
• One silver plate tea strainer (with patina, not polished) with dark wooden handle
• One antique, tiny key

The antique toast holder can still be used for holding toast and keeping those slices crisp and dry. Or, you may want to use it as card & letter holder on your desk, it's makes a perfect desk accessory!

The antique, oval, silver tray can be displayed or used. Personally, I love using these types of items to infuse history into my home! I have small silver trays all over. Some are trinket & jewelry holders, some I actually use to serve cream and sugar, another has a stack of old post cards I collect. You can use them on your desk to place your essentials on (mine I use for my headphones, chapstick & my tiny bottle of lotion. Another I use as a tray in my bathroom to place my make up on. I love, love, love, little silver trays!

The antique tea strainer I found under glass in an antique shop. My heart did a little leap when I saw it because I'd never seen one like it before. The long wooden handle is very unique, and the design of the cup is beautiful--the straining holes are little stars! You have no idea how hard this one was to give up haha! It would also be a cute gift topper tied up in the bow, but I'm not sure YOU'RE going to want to give it up lol!

The postcard is just one of those perfect small additions to a set like this to really show there is a story here. A real story. The post card is dated July 16, 1913 (a little more than a year after the Titanic sank, and a little over a year after WWI broke out in Europe). Though it is a birthday postcard, the writing on the back begins, "Much pleased to get your card, have been in bed one week today and much better..." and says nothing about "happy birthday." So it seems like the author of the card couldn't find any other post card in the house but a birthday card to use for a quick note!

The WWI era photos have so much story in them. One is of a family, and one is of soldiers marching down a street, presumably going off to war. Though I don't know the people in these photos, I know they were all special to someone, and that knowledge makes them perfect reminders of how big this human story really is. I love putting old photos in small stacks or pinning them up here and there so I can imagine not only the era, but those who lived through it.

The WWI soldier book! This was such an amazing find. These tiny books are WWI era and were made especially so that the soldiers could fit them in their pockets and have something to read on the front lines. Goodness knows they needed a diversion from the tragedy that surrounded them. This particular one is a book of ballads by Rudyard Kipling, it's leather bound (very thin) and embossed on the front. The smell inside will transport you.

Lastly, the antique key. I have an obsession with antique keys. Who did they belong to? What did they unlock? I always think they just must have opened secret doors and hidden chests, but I guess not all antique keys can be that mysterious. Still, you never know! The imagination can get carried away with one single key. One single story. Put it anywhere to enchant a space. And I love that it fits in the palm of your hand. Sometimes I just turn one of these over in my hand while I'm thinking (but I might be weird like that lol).

That's it! I hope you enjoy this portal of imagination and history!

PLEASE NOTE: This set is not meant as a toy and has tiny parts that can be a choking hazard, please keep it away from little ones! 

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