VINTAGE CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

We've spent this week decorating for Christmas.  And after 55 years of marriage, it is so fun to relive Christmases Past as we unpack each decoration.  Below, are some of the vintage decorations that we have picked up over the years while out antiquing and some that belonged to my parents.  My mother always decorated so beautifully for Christmas -- it was a magical time!

 I'm particularly partial to the balls that are indented in design and the ones from WWII that have the cardboard hangers

                      INDENTED ORNAMENTS                             WWII ORNAMENTS                               

                                    GLASS TREE TOPPERS                   GLASS BALL ROPING                                      

On a future post, I'll show you the two trees decorated with more vintage ornaments.

 But now, something vintage with a story -- you probably know we have a story about almost everything in our home!

In 1971 the week before Christmas, our then 3-year old son and I were out doing errands, and we stopped by the dry cleaners to pick up the cleaning.  Why the cleaners was selling Santa Clauses, I don't know; but they were and our son (the Prince of Tantrumland) latched on to one.

 When time to leave, he wasn't about to put Santa down and proceeded to throw a doozy of a tantrum.  I don't know what the child psychologists of today say about tantrums, but my mode of operation then was to get him out of the situation in anyway available.

So, I did what any panicky mother would do -- I paid for the Santa and the dry cleaning and got the screaming kid with a death grip on Santa out of there!!!!

 No harm done, I guess, as I now have a vintage Santa apparently worth more than the $3.00 I paid plus the priceless memory ----

and, our son learned how to behave eventually.

In celebration of this wonderful season, I'm joining the following:
Organized Clutter for Vintage Christmas on 12/7
Pieced Pastimes for Saturday Sparks
Sunday View for Vintage View Sunday
So Much Better with Age for Give Me the Goods Monday
The Dedicated House for Make it Pretty Monday
A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday
Knick of Time for Knick of Time Vintage Tuesday
Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday
No Minimalist Here for Thursday Open House
Common Ground for Be Inspired Friday

MADE BY HAND CHRISTMAS

For a lot of years, my friends from our Wednesday A.M. coffee group and I exchanged handmade gifts of our choice at Christmas.   We quit a few years ago as time and space became an issue, but we sure had fun during our heyday years.  I thought I would share a few of the Santas, etc. I have made in years past to give.

'Elf on a Shelf' year!  So much fun collecting and stringing all of those buttons for his arms and legs.

 And, then one year I went crazy making these snowmen with their sweaters made from socks.  I couldn't stop buying cute socks - I think I made about twenty snowmen that year.

 The year of 9/11 - a patriotic Santa was in order with his red, white, and blue patchwork coat and flag.

 Then, there was the year that I thought how hard can 10 Santas in his bag be to make.  Well, that totaled 100 of those little yo-yos that make up his tree, etc.  Oh, my!

 Here is one from the early 1980s - primitive Christmases were all the style.

 My friend, Jan, and I teamed up on this Santa.  She made the heads and bodies; and I did all the clothes.  I don't remember how many of these we made, but it was a bunch.  It seemed like I made hundreds of those mittens with their tiny thumbs.

It sure was fun each year thinking up different projects.  Sometime, I'll share some of the ones I received in the exchange - lots of talent in our group.  

I still try to do some handwork as a tuck-in gift for another friend.  Nothing too fancy this year!  I've been in the wool-applique mode for a couple of months, so I made a couple of wool ornaments.

I'm linking up to the following parties.  Please stop by these blogs for a plethora of inspiration.

Centsational Girl for Christmas Crafts on Thursday, 12/6
Cedar Hill Ranch for Handmade Christmas on Friday, 12/7
The Vintage Farmhouse for Creative Things Thursday
No Minimalist Here for Thursday Open House Party
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
Cozy Little House for Tweak It Tuesday