March Madness Search for Vintage File Storage

With the Ides of March just a few days away I find myself once again referring to March Madness.  Of course everyone associates “march madness” with basketball & of course the advertising retailers couldn’t let an awesome coined term slip by without cashing in on it, but the term has a much earlier beginning.

March Madness is an old proverb of sorts; farmers would say “March Mad” in reference to how hares (rabbits) were behaving during the breeding season of March, or “ Mad as a March hare”.  I always thought of it more in reference to shaking off the winter and being far too antsy for spring to arrive.  Which is basically what those rabbits are up to anyway.  However, I think that, for the American population, it most certainly had to start in 1916 after the 16^th amendment was enacted, with everyone rushing around to get their taxes filed.  That’s when the madness set in, I’m almost positive.

So with tax time looming over our heads – now might be a good time to get organized with some storage filing boxes.

If you stop to think about it, filing hasn’t always been so easy.  Filing cabinets weren’t even around until the mid-1800s.  Prior to that paperwork was Pigeon Holed on shelves, in desk drawers, cubbyhole slots and boxes.  Hum, come to think of it, a lot of mine is filed that way.

One of the nifty boxes they first came up with to in order to gather and bind their important documents into some sort of orderly fashion, would have been similar to this.

Pretty ugly, huh?  I photographed it before I even cleaned it – vintage cocoon and all.

So it’s an “M” month and the box is titled “The Manhattan Files” so out of sheer Madness (with tax month approaching) I naturally went the Atomic theme.

Titled it Letters “To the Evening Star” (an old hymn).

Old sheet music from “Our Prayer” …”upon eternal love and life” and dark blue hemming tape to hide the writing.  A tigers eye button attached to the leather strap.

Front music sheets are from “Our Prayer” …earthly sorrow, Grant them the peace which calms all earthly…to life’s day the glorious unknown morrow…and… Grant them the joy…
A little genie smoke leading up to a maple leaf cradling a vintage button and an embellishment from a new line I’m creating called “Caledonia Charms”.

Inside cover you’ll find the sheet music for the “Battle of Armegeddon and a pressed peony.
Under the letter “B” – “The Black Sheep Returned to the Fold”, “G” - “That Glory Bound Train”,  “I” – “I’ll Never Dream Again”,  “P” - “Pin’s and Needles”.  “T” - “Turn Your Radio On”,  “W” - “ Write Me Sweetheart”, back cover “The Prodigal Son”  all sheet music from
1943 Milene Music Co. out of Nashville Tennessee

All items are vintage except for the handmade

Caledonia Charm and pressed Peony.

Another vertical filing box.  Same concept only this is metal, where as the above is cardboard.  Easy to spray paint, hand paint, add decals or other embellishments.

available at Retroology on Etsy

Now this is what I’m thinking – Embellish! ~ 

I Love it, something for “My Junk”

(If I made one for hubby do you think he’d actually put anything in it?
~ Nah, who am I fooling.)

available at AnEmbellishedLife on Etsy

Sometimes those vintage gray metal filing boxes are in such good condition you'll want to leave them just as they are.

available at EphemeraAndMore on Etsy

Don’t want to dress it up but still would like some cool retro flower power?  This one Pops!

available at MoxieThrift on Etsy

Once you’ve decide on your vintage file container you’re going to need some dividers.

A fantastic idea for recycling old album covers!

 available at FreestyleGifts on Etsy

So many fun vintage filing systems.

This is one is a bit different from the others, but it’s one of my FaVs!  If you purchase and end up Upcycling this piece,

I sooo want to see.

available at TheFrontHouse on Etsy

I really like this dual filing system. 

A little spray paint it and it’s as good as new

 available at HavenVintage on Etsy

Well, I guess I better dig out my pigeon holed stash of documents and start sorting!  Happy Filing ~

Ciao!