Vintage Chrsitmas Decorations

My friend, Deanna, has this awesome Christmas Blog and she is totally the Queen of Vintage Christmases. If you want to see what was happening when I was growing up in the 50's and 60's and what Christmas looked like then...check out this fun website for Shiny Brite Ornaments, etc. These little video clips bring back so many memories for me. It is amazing but I can still remember the packaging of these items the originated post WWII in the late 40's. Very Nostalgic!

I remember having to painstakingly put them all back in the boxes and having to take the tinsel off the one strand at a time to save for the next year. The ornaments were very thin glass and easily broken so we had to take special care of them. It was never as fun as putting the tree up of course. That is about the only thing that hasn't changed in the ensuing years!

I am glad that Deanna is so interested in this time way before she was born because it really brings me back to those bygone days in my own childhood. I am hopeful that our kids will find it interesting to look at things as they were in the good ole days! All these Shiny Brite products were available way into the 60's so this was basically my whole childhood. Everybody had them...and I do mean everybody! In those times there was not much variety in Christmas decor.

No one had a Santa collection or a snowman collection then. It was just after the war when things were taken off rationing and this is what was available to the households of America. They were thrilled just to be reunited with loved ones and to be able to light their Christmas trees again. It was simply enough.


Our friends had the bubble lites by the time the mid- 50's rolled around and as kids we were always quite envious of that. In our house though we were lucky too! We had a paste board nativity set that is the only tangible remnant of Christmas from when I was a little girl. It is a prized possession in my Christmas collection today.

The colors are still bright!

It has held up well considering it is just a heavy cardboard stable.

When Christmas is past you just fold up the part where the wise men and shepherd are and it is its own self-contained box for storage. It was pretty cleverly made really and probably cost about a dollar or two. Now, to me it is priceless. What do you treasure from Christmas as a child?

If you like vintage~Stop over and meet Deanna and please tell her I sent you!

ornaments and bubble lites as seen on flickr

Beautiful Mansion Tour~The Dunsmuir House

Yesterday my sister-in-law, Gail, and I went to the annual Christmas Season Tour of the Dunsmuir House in the Oakland Hills. This is something our family has done every couple of years for a long time but I had never been there with Gail before. We arrived for the first tour at 11:00 and it was so Christmasy and cold and crispy out. The sun was shining and the sky was bright blue but a jacket and scarf felt excellent.

The 40 acre grounds of the mansion are so beautifully kept and there is always excitement in the air at the gates. There is a large pond/small lake on the estate with geese, ducks and even some wild turkeys making themselves at home. There are gazebos and arbors, and benches everywhere, it is a little paradise really. Since the family actually lived in San Francisco, this place was just their summer home and get away spot when stress overtook them. What? Sadly, though the lady of the house only lived a short time after they moved in so she did not have much time to enjoy it.


This is a post card photo. If you had been there today you would have seen lots of wreaths in the windows and beautiful garlands everywhere. This house was built in 1899 by Alexander Dunsmuir as a wedding present for his wife, Josephine. It has 16, 224 sq feet, 37 rooms, 20 bedrooms, 9 and 1/2 baths and 10 fireplaces and had 12 servants on the house staff. Ladies, where did we go wrong~this was the poor girl's wedding present? Hello! You' ll know I am just kidding when you read what Jim did for me while I was off playing!

You cannot take photos inside the house so these two pictures were on greeting cards. They do not do the inside decor justice at all but I just wanted you to be able to get a feel for the inside by looking at them. This house is truly magnificent. A docent once told us that that wood working in the dining room could not be duplicated today as the craft has died away with the times.

Each year different groups of people decorate the mansion. Boy, would I ever love to get in on this project. That would be fantastic. The Christmas tree in the foyer of the home ascends up through the staircase opening and must be 25 feet tall. It was decorated with gigantic red and orange glass glistening ornaments and was absolutely breathtaking. There is a stained glass dome in the cupola just above the tree~beautiful!

This room was far more elegantly decorated this year than this photo depicts

This is a photo of the front porch today. It was not crowded at all~we were happy about that but it is just another indicator of harder times or perhaps people were just doing other Christmas activities~hopefully! We had a similar feeling about the economy though when San Francisco seemed deserted last weekend. But on with the house... The porch wraps all the way around this gorgeous Colonial-Revival home and they had done a beautiful job of making it look festive and oh, so Christmasy. The Santa you see is just under life size.

Here is a photo I took of the back side of the house.
The flowers in the foreground were brilliant.

The grounds are absolutely beautiful and very tranquil.
This little tree is the only one that is
decorated outside. The white cement bench behind it faces
directly toward the front of the house acrossed a small meadow.

The Pathway Leading to the Carriage House

~This is Gail~
We had the perfect day and will make this our new tradition!
After the mansion tour we went to Lafayette
for lunch and some fun holidays shops touring of our own.

The House From the Meadow

Can you just imagine a wedding reception in this meadow? They entertained a lot of friends here and I can just envision a summer game of croquet with all the ladies dressed in their long pastel corseted dresses and big fancy hats and the men in their spiffy jackets and vests and ruffled shirts and top hats ...can't you? In the name of progress we have lost a lot of our style, haven't we?

The stroll we took to the Carriage House
~the peacefulness was wonderful~

The topper to the whole fun day was that Jim was home cleaning up the yards and he also cleaned our carpet in the family room and washed the floors. Hello, I am truly in heaven, I'm sure of it...when did I die?

These are some the things I love doing during the Christmas Holidays. If you read my blog regularly you know that I have been doing this kind of stuff for the past three weekends. But just so you won't think that all I ever do is party...I spend five long days this week decorating our house for Christmas. It was just like moving but not going anywhere. As I was doing it I was thinking I must be totally daft~but when it is done...I love it. And I know that this kind of work is my play actually too! It is totally worth the struggle to get it all done. I just love it when the first string of Christmas lights are plugged in~it is so magical. I have had that same feeling every year since I was a little kid.


I will post a few photos of our house if you want to peek in the window and see what I've been up to all week besides blogging. I am going to have a few luncheons between now and Christmas with a few girlfriends coming over for the fun and then a big family dinner on the Sunday before Christmas. I am excited about that~we love getting together with friends and family over the holidays. I hope you get to do the same. It is awesome! I hope you enjoyed a vicarious trip to the Dunmuir House with us today!

Personalizing Your Gift Wrapping

I saw this in Country Living and it reminded me that I use to love to wrap presents in brown paper and then decorate them with colored markers, stencils, etc. By adding a beautiful ribbon or bow the gifts can look so festive, even elegant. I like the uniformity under the tree. Sometimes I think that all the various colors and patterns of regular wrapping paper can be tiring.

Like These

A lot of people that work in the design field feel that way. When you work with color all the time, sometimes you just need something simple and uncomplicated. Too me the brown paper is just more restful to the eye. One of the things I love about it is that you can embellish each gift to suit the recipient with regular ribbons, the miraculous wired variety, raffia, leaves and berries, an ornament or anything else your imagination can conjure up for that individual.

Can Be Easier on the Eyes

It might even be fun to have your kids decorate the boxes wrapped in brown paper with their drawings, stickers, signing their name or whatever else they can dream up just for fun. I know as a grandma that would be fun for me to receive. This should be supervised I am sure!

As I was enjoying the photo I realized, I have gotten very lazy in this department. It started when I had little kids of my own and was so busy that I would just quickly wrap things and not even put bows or ribbons on them. Jim and the kids didn't care and it was a lot easier. Another thing that comes to mind is that my mom made full use of my wrapping when I lived at home. I would wrap all her presents, even my own that were taped securely in boxes so I could not see the contents. I may just have wrapper's burnout. Whatever the cause, the laziness ensued.


With the advent of gift bags and the elimination of department stores that gave boxes as a courtesy, I just got into the ease of gift bags. But when I saw this today it reminded me that presentation is important in just about everything and is almost a part of the gift itself. Don't get me wrong, gift bags can be lovely and can serve their purpose at other occasions. To me they just aren't the same as packages beautifully wrapped and sitting under your Christmas tree. You can also use white butcher paper or any solid color of your choice. I have even wrapped small gifts in copy paper and it works great and looks pretty with a gold bow made easily with the wired ribbon.

Unless These Are Short
They Scrape The Bottom of the Tree
And Crush Your Tissue Paper Too!

Since I don't have little ones around anymore, I think I am going to turn over a new leaf and be more creative in my wrapping. It might be fun to get out some of the old scrapbooking things and do something creative. There is a time and a season for everything and this just might be my season for this. Most of our gifts have already been ordered and shipped this year for the kids and their families. But I still do have some shopping to do for family that lives here and a few friends so they may be the lucky guinea pigs recipients....we"ll see.


What I said previously about the plain paper being restful to the eye, is also true about the white dishes. During the holidays we are just drenched in deep colors and patterns and the white is so refreshing. What do you think about this earth shattering subject? Geesh, maybe I am just loonier that a Christmas fruit cake, surely there are weightier matters to discuss!

In the good news department, I am one day away from having my house decorated. Yippee! Then I just have to clean, do the porches, shop, wrap in my new style, Christmas letter and cards, prepare menus, my list goes on and on just like yours! I love it though, don't you? Gotta love it, 'tis the season~there is no turning back now...19 days and counting down!


photo #1 Country Living, all others as seen on flickr except the ornament/mine

Christmas Traditions Live On

Our Personalized Snow Family
Made by our friend, Lanette, Over the Years.
Our Family Has Grown from 2 to 18.
There are 8 Babies on the Ground and
2 in Their Mothers' Arms.

As I have been decorating the house for Christmas these past couple of days I have been thinking about Christmases past and traditions and how certain things just have to be done to make it feel like Christmas! My mantra this year has been that since we are going to be gone for Christmas that I was not doing it this year. Hmmm, that didn't seems to work when it came right down to it.

It takes me about three days to get everything done just the way we like it. It is a lot of work but I just know Christmas could not come and go in this house without this effort. It just wouldn't be right somehow. I saw this quote yesterday and it made me realize why it is so important to me to keep doing it even though all the kids are long gone from home.

"She lived her life not only through her own body but through the house as an extension of her body; part of her relation to those she loved was embodied in the physical medium of the home she made." -Cheryl Mendelson, Home Comforts

Chris, Laura and Jennifer with Santa 1984

As I have been rummaging through the boxes I have been recalling some of the memories of the Christmases when the kids were little. Money was always tight for our young family and I can remember wondering and worrying sometimes about how it would all come together. It always did. A lot of my love for Christmas came from my own mother. She was the original Mrs. Claus. She just loved Christmas and making sure Christmas was the best for all of her kids and grandkids. I think a lot of that stemmed from never having Christmas when she was a little girl and making sure that never happened again.

We always had an abundant Christmas and it didn't matter so much what was under the tree, it was so much more about the preparations and anticipation, the decorating, the traditions of being together, mom's baking, the music, being with family and most importantly about remembering why we do it in the first place.

Sadly, Mom and Dad are no longer with us and traditions have evolved over the years, but the feelings of Christmas remain very much the same and intact for me. It is a celebration of all we hold dear, the Savior's love, life and example; the family and friends that make life worth living. It is about love and giving to others and just a lot of warm fuzzy feelings coming to the surface as I pick up each decoration. So many remind me of the kids, the places we have been, and those that have given us so many of the treasures in these boxes.

When Jim came home last night he looked around at the mess and the things I had actually accomplished and said his favorite thing is the nativity set that I had made in a ceramics class when the kids were small. As you can see it is not too elaborate and in fact reminds me of a bunch of little kids acting out the Christmas story. It was just a young mom's effort to teach the children the true meaning of Christmas many years ago. We have a more beautiful one now that is more sophisticated and fancy but this is the one he loves. I think he loves it because it does remind him of our kids and the memories of the days they were here with us.

The Simple Nativity Set I Made
That Has Taken Us Through Many Years

So I am at it again today for just the very reason that the quote mentions because, "She lives her life not only through her own body but through the house as an extension of her body; part of her relation to those she loves is embodied in the physical medium of the home she makes." When I do this they are here with us once again and it is Christmas and the warm fuzzy feelings of hearth and home can endure.

When I am really old (I will probably wear purple but) I won't do this anymore. But for now, it remains a treasured tradition to deck our halls with boughs of holly. And every year I can do it is a celebration of life, love and a golden thread that connects Christmas past, present and future.

The Art of Table Design and Food Presentation

My sister -in-law, Marilyn, is an amazing chef. We were blessed to be guests at her feasting table on Thanksgiving. She and my brother, Gary are extraordinary hosts and I just wanted to share this beautiful presentation of the appetizers.

The enjoyment is doubly enhanced for most of us by the way that food is presented. I just love, Marilyn's style, the floral arrangement, the dishes, all of it. She served a delightfully spiced goat cheese and sesame seed flat bread crackers, bread sticks, olives, and vegetables, and made her own hummus that was delicious. And have you ever seen a table so healthy or more pleasingly presented?

She also created a delicious and festive drink. It was 1/2 white cranberry juice (preserving your carpet, rather than taking a chance on the red) 1/2 sparkling water and a squeeze of lime or orange. It was amazing and refreshing. Marilyn is so talented in the kitchen, she rarely cooks the same thing twice. (I cannot comprehend this, can you?) My brother is one lucky man!

Double click the photo to enjoy.
The meal was exquisite!
I am thankful for the amazing talents of artistic people!

Shopping With Your Man

Right after Thanksgiving, Jim and I went on a little 'Get Away Weekend' just to relax, refresh and renew after a very busy several months.

We did not do a lot of shopping on our trip, in fact very little, but here are a few shots from some fun places. This trip was so not about shopping but when you are passing right by...you know how I am. I am doubly drawn because I love the merchandise and I want to see the way the shops are designed. But, I do not like shopping with Hubby because I know he doesn't get it resists, so I try hard to hold back! The gathering is a female phenomenon, so bewildering to most men. It's the Nest Building that never ends! (Not for me anyway!) It is not about acquisition, it is about creating a lovely home environment. For Jim it is the Sunday of the creative period in our life, but for me it is still Thursday!

This Shop was so Beautiful!

Everything was white, off white, and silver.
The pictures do not do it justice at all.
(Double click on photos for best results!)

It was full of these big trees and very striking.
The store was so unique.
The owner told me all the 'trees' are actually
her gigantic dead Camilla bushes.

This was a little entry courtyard to the white and silver shop

This was some seriously pretty stuff.

This shop has a bizillion ornaments.
I bought one that is a Byzantine Madonna
that reminded me so much of our trip to Italy last Spring
and all the Byzantine art we saw there.

Here she is! We heart Italy!

~This one was just so posh and so festive~
It made me want to run home and
get out our Christmas decorations!

This vacation was about just relaxing, napping, dining out, being together and seeing the wonders of the natural beauty of the area. We did also go to see The Secret Life of Bees which we loved. I did buy one other thing which I could not resist. I tried but we had to go back to Oleama and get it, we were half way to Stinson Beach just barely down the road when we turned back. It was this book. I am in love with it.

This book is all about my parents' era, the 40's, the war, the clothes and the amazing shoes. It is fascinating reading as it covers a lot of the history of the 40's and how the rationing affected fashion during the war years and the pictures are fantastic! I have thought of my Mom and her five stylish sisters and my new friend, Deanna, from Texas as I have been reading through it.

That was it in the shopping department. The shopping is best left for being with my daughters or friends. The weekend was just fantastic all the way around though in spite of the limited retail therapy gathering for a lovely home environment.