Christmas time is coming!!

Ok, not to rush things, but I LOOOOVE Christmas!! It's my favorite time of the year. So I thought I would blog about a few of the things I do to make my Christmas a little more vintage.

I like to tie candy canes on my presents for friends, or put them on their Christmas cards. To me there is something nostalgic about a candy cane. I like to use Spangler Candy Canes. (The Spangler company started in 1906).

Sending out Christmas cards. Sometimes I wonder if Christmas cards will become a thing of the past. I work at Hallmark, and I've already had someone tell me that they refuse to send them out because of postage. I understand, but sitting down and writing out Christmas cards — even if it's just to your close friends — puts you in a Christmas mood. Here is a website where you can buy reproduction vintage cards.

Putting money in the Salvation Army bucket. It goes to a good cause, and you have to admit — you feel good putting it in and being wished a "Merry Christmas". That bell has been ringing since 1901. It's featured in the opening scene of "Holiday Inn" with Fred Astair. Dropping your spare change in their red kettle is such an easy way to be a blessing this holiday season. You can read the complete store about the red kettle here.

Baking Christmas cookies. Put on some swingin' Christmas music, and tie on an apron! It's especially fun if you do it with a friend or family member. Christmas cookies also make nice gifts. My mom used to tell me how baking Christmas cookies was such a big deal when she was little. Her mother used to make tons of them and store them in tins in the bedroom — because it was one of the cold rooms and it kept the cookies fresh. And when company came over, my grandma would bring out Christmas cookies, and also send some home with the guests. I'm going to try and post some cookie recipes from my vintage magazines.

Foil wrapping paper. It's classic. It's also hard to find. Hallmark does have a style of wrapping paper this year that is somewhat close to foil. It has deep gold, cranberry, and green stripes with large snowflakes printed randomly. It's not the real thing, but it's close. There are other papers and gift bags in that line that have a 60's feel.

I know that some of these things aren't necessarily authentic "vintage", but they add nostalgia and whimsy to the holiday for me. Stopping to write cards or bake cookies with my mom — it's a pause in the hectic way Christmas has become. It's a little "homemade" in the "store bought" world. It's memories that will stick with me when the materialistic things fade.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Lana Turner & Bob Hope: Priceless!

This video of Lana Turner, performing with Bob Hope on his show, is simply wonderful!! Enjoy!

Oops . . .

I didn't realize that I had slacked off the blog for ten days! I apologize. ;)

Lately I haven't stumbled across any noteworthy vintage to spark my blogging fancy. Maybe I just need some inspiration.

Here are some lovely photos I had sitting on my hard drive. Enjoy!

Linda Darnell:

Miss Darnell was such a beautiful actress! I'm really loving her hairstyle in this picture. I'm wondering if it would be hard to recreate?

Joan Leslie:

Miss Leslie was very much "the girl next door" in many of her movies. She is still alive and will sign autographs. I encourage you to write to her here.

Ann Miller:

She was such a fabulous dancer! I love watching her. She dances with passion, yet makes it look effortless. And her swimsuit is adorable!!

Now I Belong to Jesus

I love hymns. They are so rich! They are "deeper" than many of today's worship songs. Don't get me wrong, there are tons of modern worship songs that I love, but there is something about a hymn. It's as if there is more of a reverence to God written into it.

Anyways, we usually have one hymn in our Sunday worship. I'm always checking to see if there is a copyright to tell me when the hymn was written. It's rare to find a copyright, since most of the songs are public domain. If you do find a date, it's usually from the 1800's through the 1920's. But today's hymn, "Now I Belong to Jesus", was written by Norman J. Clayton and copyrighted 1943. This made me excited! I don't know of any other hymns that are dated during the war. Here are the lyrics:

Jesus, my Lord will love me forever,
From Him no pow'r of evil can sever,
He gave His life to ransom my soul;
Now I belong to Him;

Now I belong to Jesus,
Jesus belongs to me,
Not for the years of time alone,
But for eternity.

Once I was lost in sin's degradation,
Jesus came down to bring me salvation,
Lifted me up from sorrow and shame,
Now I belong to Him;


Now I belong to Jesus,
Jesus belongs to me,
Not for the years of time alone,
But for eternity.

Joy floods my soul for Jesus has saved me,
Freed me from sin that long had enslaved me
His precious blood, He came to redeem,
Now I belong to Him;


Now I belong to Jesus,
Jesus belongs to me,
Not for the years of time alone,
But for eternity.

Movie: Battle of the Bulge (1965)

Yesterday was my Dad's birthday. He is very into WWII, and part of the reason I love the 1940's.

I bought him a couple war movies, one being Battle of the Bulge starring Henry Fonda. Some war movies are completely fictitious, and others are very pro-American propaganda (usually ones made during the war). However, I found Battle of the Bulge to be informative, eye opening, and accurate (something my Dad confirmed). I'm not as familiar with the European side of the war as I am with the Pacific Theatre. I was shocked to find out that America had NO CLUE about the attack the German's were planning, and that we nearly lost the Battle of the Bulge.

I feel it is very, very important to watch realistic movies about WWII or read accounts of the men who fought. We need to understand the depth of that war. We need to understand why the homefront was saving scrap metal, rationing, carpooling, and planting victory gardens. Every time I watch an old movie about the war, I am shocked at what our soldiers endured and sacrificed. I ache when I think of what they had to process when they got home, and the memories they had to live with for the rest of their lives.

If you see a veteran, please do not hesitate to walk up to them and say "Thank you. I appreciate your sacrifice." They gave more than we will ever know.

Vintage Pyrex

Today I decided that I would choose a vintage Pyrex pattern, and start collecting pieces for my hope chest. I headed over to PyrexLove and chose Snowflake Blue (also known as Snowflake Garland) from the vintage patterns guide. I like the vintage feel of Snowflake Blue, but it will also be easy to mix in other patterns with blue in it — such as Eyes, Foulard, and Starburst — as well as solid pieces. Pyrex has such a glamourous 50's housewife feel to it! What better way to add some vintage to your kitchen? My wonderful Mom is letting me pick out a piece for her to give me as a Christmas present. She's great. :)