Friday, December 3, 2010

The Stockings Were Hung…

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Good morning, my friends!

I’ve got lots to share with you today—been having so much fun making things after my creative break over Thanksgiving!

As you all know, I LOVE everything vintage—no real surprise there!  So I was so excited when a friend of mine told me about a wonderful new company you may not have heard of yet…

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 Vintage Street Market…Tutorials, nostalgic history, decorating ideas…such a fun place to visit and shop!  I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some of this stuff! 

Most of their product as sold in kits—and their products are all original vintage items—no reproductions—which means there is a limited number of kits available.

And they’re just chock-full of fun!  Here’s their Retro Christmas Kit that I used for my projects today:

Retro Christmas kit

My first project…a fun Christmas stocking…

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These are the wonderful old drugstore Christmas stockings, that would be filled with candy and inexpensive little toys…love them!

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So easy to embellish with fun finds from the Retro kit…also used a bit of sheet music from a vintage caroling book they sell, too…I even used the tag from the vintage button packaging!

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I always try to personalize my projects with a bit of my family history, as you know…This wonderful old photo from the 1950’s is my Mom…complete with pin curls covering her head!

Mom is quite an artist—always has been!  Each year, her parents would have her paint her Christmas images on the large windows in the front of their Phoenix home for all to see…

Mom the Christmas Artist

Good job, Mom!

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A close-up of the fabulous Santa sticker…I remember things like this! 

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…and then there’s this beautiful old Bakelite button…I LOVE these almost as much as my mother-of-pearl buttons!

Next, a little Christmas hanging made with other elements of the kit…

CHristmas hanging

A vintage card from the ‘50’s, along with it’s envelope served as the focal point for this easy-peasy hanging…

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I just traced the envelope on some thick red cardstock and glued them together for more stability…added some beautiful chunky red German glass glitter along the edges of the envelope and a little Gold Glimmer Mist over everything for a bit more sparkle…

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I cut out the sentiment from the inside of the card (would NEVER ordinarily do that!) and I love the way it looks here…don’t you just love those retro/vintage fonts?!

…added a little vintage Christmas me from 1963…can you see the silver aluminum tree on my grandparent’s Phoenix patio?  A warm Christmas morning so long ago…

…and my favorite part--

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They  sell packages of these wonderful old reflectors!  If you’re not familiar with these, they were first used in the 1940’s.  They would be placed on the light string at the base of the bulbs to reflect a bit more light on the Christmas tree…magical!

Okay…now for something incredibly sweet!

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CANDY CANE PUFFS

1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
package white chips
1/2 cup peppermint candies, crushed

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Combine flour and salt; set aside.

Blend together butter and sugar; beat in egg and extracts. Mix into flour mixture using low speed. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; refrigerate for one hour.

Shape dough into walnut-size balls; place on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes; cool. Melt white chocolate chips in a double boiler (I just did it in the microwave).

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Dip cooled cookies into melted chocolate. Roll in crushed peppermints; set on wax paper until hardened. Makes about 4 dozen.

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Oh, my!  These are just delectable little bites, I promise you—and VERY easy to make!

The recipe came from one of my very favorite places—Gooseberry Patch!  It’s in their newest Christmas book (#12)…

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…filled to the brim with loads of Christmas decorating and gift ideas…and the recipes…goodness gracious!

Okay…one more thing to share…

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…another in my collection of vintage Christmas cards.  This one seemed quite appropriate for a Christmas stocking theme…charming little tops that might have been placed in a little child’s stocking on Christmas Eve so long ago…

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This was sent in 1938…the year in-between my parents’ births (Dad in 1937, Mom in 1939)…just look at that lovely font used for the sentiment (can you tell I love beautiful fonts?!)

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And besides the fabulous old stamp…get a load of the address…”City”.  That’s it!  What a simpler, wonderful time!

Well, that’s it for me today.  I hope you’re enjoying this first part of the beautiful month of December…so much to do…isn’t it exciting?!

See you soon with something new…

Julie

 

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Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

 

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Good morning, my dear friends!

I can’t believe it’s been over a week since I posted last…way too long!  I’ve missed you all & hope you’ve all had a wonderful Thanksgiving…

Here’s a wee peek at our feast:

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…another beautiful, successful turkey—thanks to sweet Marie (The English Kitchen)!  Here it’s getting one last squirt with the baster…..mmmmmmm!

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All carved up with some lovely veggies & fresh thyme…

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…and one of the yummy pies…Pumpkin Pie Supreme, to be precise!

We had such a great time this last week—and so busy every day!  My husband’s mother, brother and sister’s family came, my college girl was home, and lots of visiting from good friends…and oh, so much food…a fabulous holiday!

Well, now we’re on to Christmas, aren’t we?!  What a wonderful time of the year!  On to decorating our homes, beloved Christmas music filling the house, sweet smells from the kitchen, remembering family and friends, the traditions of our childhood…doesn’t get any better than this!

A little card I made yesterday to help ring in the season…

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This wonderful Santa image is from Crafty Secrets’ newly revised “Calendar” Creative Scraps…isn’t this the perfect Santa?!

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And with all the snow swirling around him, I just HAD to make a few chunky snowflakes to go with it…

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…a few jingle bells added to herald the arrival of the Jolly Old Elf…

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Isn’t it amazing how this time of year just brings out the kid in us all?  No matter how old I get, I still get that thrill of anticipation…that glow of excitement…I’m so glad I haven’t grown up yet!

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I love this photo from my childhood—1970--my two brothers, Steve and Scott, and I…sitting by the fire…I can just remember the joy we felt as the big day approached!

Do you remember whispering together and talking about the toys you hoped would be coming down the chimney Christmas Eve?  Falling asleep just imagining all the wonders you’d see when you came down the stairs the next morning!  Aaaah…magic!

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Santa Claus came for a visit the next year…so many years my parents arranged this…what a wonderful thing to have done!

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What a happy face on red-headed Steve!  Scott not quite sure what to make of it all…!

Again…don’t quite know how my bangs were always rounded like this…Mom?

**I’m re-posting this today, as I forgot to add these this charming Christmas card sent from one sweet little girl to another way back at Christmas time, 1935…

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Isn’t this just adorable?!  Scotty dogs were so big in the 1930’s, which was partly due to the Roosevelts, who owned two while in the White House.

I have SO many more Scotty Christmas cards I’ll be sharing with you as we go through the season…some of my favorite images!

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Isn’t this fun?  “To Gladys from Evelyn Grant”, written in pencil in little-girl handwriting…precious.

“When it’s Santa

Claus time

In merry December

There’s a dear

little Girl

I like to Remember

with A VERY MERRY
CHRISTMAS”

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I love these stickers—still just as vibrant as can be!  And did you notice the interesting shape of the envelope flap?  Cards from the 1930’s are so amazing—can’t wait to share more of my collection with you!

Well, that’s all for me today.  Off to begin my decorating…and dreaming.  I hope it’s a wonderful day for all of you—the last day of November—where does it go?!

I’ll see you soon with something new…

Julie