Collecting Vintage Christmas

I love Christmas...everything about it. I especially love that it is an entire month dedicated (or should be) to our Savior's birth. But, I also enjoy the St. Nicholas part too, and items that evoke thoughts of simpler times, like vintage Christmas.


I think I started with Santa mugs, and then books and on to figurines. My favorite items are by Holt Howard. I search out Christmas at yard sales, flea markets, antique malls & Ebay throughout the year. My girls have generally teased and made fun of me until about a year ago and I won Jill over to collecting Angels.

About 8 years ago Jeff found me an adorable set of 8 placecard holders and since then he has found me 2 more sets.

I have an adorable bobblehead Santa with an open sack that I fill with candy canes, many of my figures are salt and pepper shakers. One Santa's bag is a bank. I also have Santa mugs in every size and shape.

I have a few vintage Christmas books, my favorite is How Come Christmas by Roark Bradford, copyright 1930 and is illustrated with woodcuts. It's a mingled story of 'modern day', the baby Jesus, Sandy Claus, Methuselah and Moses.

An excerpt from How Come Christmas: Well, hyar we is, chilluns, and hyar hit is Christmas. Now we all knows we's hyar 'cause hit's Christmas, don't we? But what I want to know is, who gonter tell me how come hit's Christmas?

When shopping for vintage Christmas look for items in good overall condition, no chips or breaks and stay away from items that have been repainted. Also, try to purchase items that still have their original box, many of mine still have their boxes that are like a cardboard jewelry box with Christmas designs printed on the box. Also check for their original labels on the bottom, signatures such as HH (Holt Howard) and sometimes even original price tags are intact on the bottom of the figures. What about price? I have paid as little as a .25 for a small mug but as much as $7 for a small HH mug. Figures like the bobblehead Santa and the Santa with Mrs. Claus, sleigh and reindeer or the stage coach Santa NOEL could be more than $50.

Merry Christmas and Happy Collecting!

Julie

Julie's thoughts on Julie/Julia

I have been so busy at work lately, to much playing for me that I haven't been posting! Any how I realized that I have quite a few posts unfinished and in draft status. So I am going to try to finish a few.... so here's one.

Julie the Book/Movie Critic Strikes Again............

Julie/Julia

I didn't like it, not one bit. Not the movie, nor the book. I would have much preferred the love story between Julia & Paul Child. I love to cook and read blogs but not Julie Powell's. My Book Club read the book, and I just didn't like Julie Powell's character, I guess I don't like Julie Powell. Mmm. That doesn't sound very nice does it, after all she is a real person. I just didn't care for her from the very beginning of the book. I didn't like the fact that she was selling her 'eggs' to pay her credit card bill or the way she talked about the 911 families, or the how she treated her husband. Or the way she would just begin to swear like a sailor for no apparent reason. She just didn't seem wholesome to me. I guess I don't know a lot about Julia Child, but I envision my grandmother or something when I would watch her cook on PBS, very down to earth & wholesome. Let's just say... it wasn't my 'plate of beef bourguignon'.

Gigi, don't go!

That's what my girl said to me as I hugged and kissed her goodbye last night as we left her at her new house. It just tore my heart right out of my chest. She just kept sobbing, Gigi, don't go! Jill texted me on the ride home and said she had finally calmed down, her Mommy had given her milk & tunes. That's my girl.

Violet's Gigi~

btw, I am still swaying from my cruise! pics coming soon.

We raced Ida home... and we won!

Just a quick note that we did survive the cruise. It was extremely rough seas but, we had a great time. I have lots to talk about, but today is for working and tonight is for visiting my Violet girl in her new home!

tata for now,

Julie

A new adventure across the sea....

Ok, I am about to call it a night. My friend, Tara has already been delivered to my house by her husband and son and we are soooooooo excited for our adventure to begin. Tomorrow at 6am sharp my sister will pick us up and we will have just one more stop to make... to pick up Sendy. Then it's off to the Port of Galveston! There we will hook up with 40 other friends to sail to the Caribbean. I am taking the dell mini, but I don't know if I will be able to post anything while on board the ship. But, I will definitely post when I get back.

I will be missing my fella, as I don't like to travel without him, but somebody's gotta stay here and spoil that Violet girl for me while I am gone.

I'm Packing Again....

<-------My Fairy Violet!

It has been a crazy few months for Jeff and I. It sort of feels like we have been living in suitcases. I am about to reach my 10th night on Hotels.com since March, and we didn't even use it when we went to Comanche or New England. So that's about 19 hotels stays since March. That has to be some kind of record for us.

This trip I will be venturing out on my own without my fella. He says it will be good for me, but I still wish he were going. So I am once again packing a bag. I am excited to spend 5 days/4 nights with 44 of my nearest & dearest. I just hope there isn't any girl drama! ;)

I return on Monday evening and on Saturday, Jeff & I and a couple of dear friends are going to the Children's Christmas Toy Fundraiser called the 'Margarita Ball' and after all that dancing we're planning on dinner downtown and so we are staying over in Sundance Square for the night. That should be fun too, love to get all dressed up and spin around the dance floor with Jeff. It's kinda like a prom for grown-ups! But better still..... it helps kids gets toys for Christmas!

Then the next Thursday - Saturday I am off on a Mission Trip to Laredo, TX. It's actually a vision trip to learn about the needs and how we can partner with other organizations already serving in the area. I am excited about it.

Then it will be time for Thanksgiving and my Violet girl should just about have a room of her own by then. Her parents are house hunting and my girl apparently has to go with them! That's ok, they need their family time. Besides soon it will be time for the Big Family Trip, leaving a few days after Christmas for a whole week in a lodge at the Coast. Reading books and playing on the beach and fishing all night! Great fun. I am blessed beyond measure.

100% American, or pretty darn close

This is my dad, Frank Lawrence Thomas, wasn't he handsome? He looks a lot like my little brother, Jim.

I am a genealogy buff, like my dad. But, I am not very good at it. My cousin is much better than I am. I wish I had more time to spend on it but I haven't lately, but he has been busy. Just a little trivia I would like to share with you in memory of my dad.

Here you go Daddy, you were right.... as close to 100% American as you can get.

My lineage on my father's side. American born since 1611!

John Thomas, 1611, born Queens Creek, York County, VA
John Thomas, (year uncertain)
William Thomas, 1660
John Thomas, 1710
Owen Thomas, 1740
Jonathon Thomas, 1762
William Thomas, 1790
William Thomas, 1810
Asbury Thomas, 1833
Joseph Thomas, 1862
Frank Thomas, 1886
Frank Thomas, 1925 (my dad)
Julie, 1962 (me)



My grandparents,
sitting, Frank Thomas, Sr.
standing, Dealvia Thomas
circa 1925


ps - Violet is the 15th generation American born!