Monthly Archives: December 2011

Vintage Holiday Flashback:: Lionel Trains.

Via: kawkawpa

All families have their holiday traditions. one special tradition in my family was Christmas trains.  Now, I wasn’t really into trains as a child, but seeing how excited my father and brothers were over them always made me smile.  This didn’t start with my brothers. This was something that my dad enjoyed so much as a child that he continued it with his children. When he was a child Santa would not only bring the presents, but the tree and trains going around them.  All. That. Night.  Oof.

I know there must be other trains out there, but the ones I grew up watching were always Lionel trains.  Perhaps that is due to the wonderful ad campaigns they ran every year around the holidays.

Oh, to wake up Christmas morning to trains!

Via: Shorpy.

I love when Santa also brought an entire village as well to highlight the trains. So cool! I even like the penguin!

via: BudCat14

_bluegift Via: Retro Thing.

Did you grow up with trains?

 

Real Life Time Machine :: Alix’s 1970s Christmas

Greetings from Michigan! I’m a little bummed to report that there is NO SNOW! And here we packed allll these mittens and scarves and snow pants. Ah well! It’s really fun to be back home with the family. Christmas has always been a special holiday for us, and my mom has always decorated the house awesomely. I wasn’t sure we were going to be able to make it back this year (airline prices are sky high, especially for a family— it’s so sad) but working a little extra harder and taking on some additional freelance work this week, we were able to make it happen!

Since I love to share vintage photos, I thought it would be fun to share some of my own “retro” holiday pics. It’s a random assortment of photos—most of the albums back home in Michigan at my parents’ house—but here are a handful of my memories!

We start in San Diego, California. That’s where I was born. We lived there til I was in the second grade and then we moved to Michigan. Aww, look it’s little me and my pretty mama:

In these photos I’m wearing an awesome hot pink knit dress that was hand made by my Tante Judy (my godmother), who was super crafty. I believe we are at my grandma’s house here. On the left is my Uncle John and my cousin Lisa.

I’m pretty sure this next one is the same year, but at our own apartment at the University of California, San Diego married student housing. That tinsel is very German—although I noticed it on the tree at my grandma’s house (in the first photo), so maybe it was popular in general in the 70s. Do you remember tinsel on your tree back in the day?? I rarely see it on trees any more. My sweet friend Lishy Loo sent me a few packs last year!


In the background you can see my Top Favorite Christmas Album of All Time—The Jackson 5 Christmas Album. We still have it and I listen to it every year! Michael Jackson singing “Up On the Housetop” is my all-time favorite.


Christmas morning, my first little desk! I loved that awesome dolly carriage in the background too. Let’s get a closer look:


See? Told ya I was smitten with my carriage! It looks like the one in my Sears Catalog post. This is later in the day, and I’m all dolled up. Check out the cool Playskool giraffe in the background. I sooo wanted one of those for Wolfie when he was little!

I got the shutterbug early! Here I am with my little Fisher-Price Camera.

I love this next photo. My mom looks like a modern day hipster here, with her groovy fur hat and cool coat. I’m holding Pinkie, my little pink elephant. My godmother (she of the craft hand-knit pink dress) made him for me and he had these amazing psychedelic fabric ears. We’re at Balboa Park in San Diego.

My mom has great style and I have always loved the little outfits she dressed me in—check out these red velveteen overalls with the heart bib! I even had red hearts on my lil blue suede shoes.

I have to confess though, I was such a girlie girl I hated to wear pants. I was allll about the dresses. In fact, my mom reminded me, “It was SO hard to get you into that little outfit!” I do seem to remember that I was pleased by the red velvet trim on my ruffly shirt. Hmmm. OK, here we are at my Tante Anneliese’s house (my mom’s sister).

The year was 1973, and I got a little red headed Blythe doll AND the Barbie townhouse. Twas an excellent year of presents for wee Alexandra! Those are my three cousins in the back Danny, Rudi and Jimmy. Danny and Rudi were rockin’ the long California Boy hair.

After we went to Tante Anneliese’s house we would scoot over to my grandma’s house (my dad’s mom). Here we are. And oooh look what I just noticed is in my hand:


EMERALD THE WITCH! Remember, from my Creepy Cool Dollies post?? I was fairly certain I had an Emerald doll, but honestly thought it might just be wishful thinking. Proof positive I had her!

OK, now we travel across the country to Flint, Michigan. This is Christmas Eve, which we always celebrated with a night of music/singing and some tasty little finger foods. We also got to open up presents that were sent to us from relatives (packages from Germany and California).


Look how adorable my mom is in her plaid, maxi dress—there are strawberries appliques on the collar. Cuteness! That chair on the left was from a little kinder set my folks picked up in German (it had a matching table that  believe we are using as a small buffet!). The table and chairs were covered in a cool vinyl/plastic that had hot pink, red and orange flowers on them. The best part was (Dottie, are you listening??) I HAD MATCHING CLOGS! Oh yeah…..


These pictures totally make me smile. Check out how fun my parents are cuttin’ a rug Christmas eve! I look at our little house and there’s hardly any furniture. My dad was a young college professor and it’s not like he made a bundle, but as kids we were never aware that times might have been tight here and there. My parents are awesome.

This is my brother Karl opening up his big present that year…a drum set!

And finally, this is my mom with our dog Flockie (loosely translated it means “little snowflake” in German). I always loved this photo of her. She is wearing a velveteen gaucho suit, with a velveteen vest. I remember thinking she looked so glamorous with her Charlie’s Angels hair! I was always very pleased and proud that I had a “pretty mama”. Growing up in Michigan in the 70s, most of the mom’s wore polyester stretch pants and had androgynous short hair cuts. Not my mom. My mama had style!

So that’s my little trip down memory lane. I’ll have to try and get some more photos scanned. It’s so fun to peek at the past.

And finally…..did you download my Retro Holiday Music Mixes?? What did you think? (YES i’m totally fishing for compliments, haha…..) I’m still plotting this week’s mix, so you’ll have another round of tasty vintage tunes to play while you are puttering around the house these final days!

Hip Hip Hanukkah!

Shalom my friends! I know I’ve been Christmas crazy over here with my links, so I thought it would be fun to do a linkie round up in honor of the first magical night of Hanukkah. And awaaaay we go!

1. A Festival of Bites.

These mini brisket and lil latkes look so cute and tasty. See more here on epicurious.

2. Wooden You Like a Pretend Latke?

I think this set would be so cute for little ones! Find them here.

3. Hooked on Candy Canes.

Why should the red and green set have all the fun? Get your Hanukkah Candy Canes here!

4. Jonathan Adler’s Hip Twist on the Classics




These are so whimsical and cute. I’m particularly fond of that Dachshund menora. See more on his site.

5. Cutest of Hanukkah Cards.

Top: vintage Hanukkah card, Jeanne’s Vintage Greeting Cards. bottom: Foxy and Winston. (via Pushing Papers)

6. Make your Dessert the Star.

These snowy Hanukkah cookies by Whipped Bakeshop are so pretty. I love the mix of the Star and snowflakes.

7. Cupcakes are Always a Sweet Idea.


image: A Baked Creation.

8. Vintage Love in a Hanukkah Funbook!

This 1954 activity book looks adorable! I bet you could track one down on ebay or Etsy! (image).

9. More Vintage Hanukkah Love.

I’m obsessed with vintage Christmas things, but vintage Hanukkah goodies are every bit as charming! Vintage Hanukkah treasure hunters should browse Etsy or eBay.

10. Driedl! Driedl! Driedl! I Made it Out of ….Marshmallow.


Rugelach, sufganiyot, cookies and cupcakes. Ooh lala! Of course Martha does is spectacularly. See more yummy ideas here.

What are you going to be doing this Hanukkah?

Wishing you peace, love and latkes.

Late night shoe shopping is dangerous.

OK. We break from our holiday goodness for a small confession. I was doing a little late night shoe shopping for some fancy New Year’s kicks….and of course found all these other random shoes that I am suddenly wanting. It’s addictive, shoe shopping. And for some reason late night makes it seem kind of ok. Hmmm, maybe I need to update my Santa list?? Here are a few of ’em.

I’ve totally embraced the oxford trend. Maybe they’re still in, maybe they’re out…I dunno and I don’t care! They are comfy and cute and I’m stickin’ with ’em. Like I have to say these are reeeeally cute. With a dress. With jeans. With skirts. With shorts. With overalls (not that I wear overalls but you get my point…they kinda work with everything, no?).

(tip toe thru the tulips here)

And if I’m feeling extra confident, I might up the ante and go with the Big Girl version. I love a good wedge and think these just might even be comfy.

(get ’em here)

I also think these flats are super sweet. They remind me of my own little t-strap heels with the rose on the toe, but the leopard makes ’em less cha-cha and more grrrrrrand.

(get rosey toes here)

 

And then lordy knows I’d probably twist an ankle in these, but blue suede and all 70s-inspired has me kinda grinning:

(break your own neck here)

These all happen to be from macy’s, who has a super swell shoe department, but I also love zappos and modcloth for sassy shoes. Where do you like to do your late night shoe shopping? Please tell me I’m not alone…

 

PS

Ruh-roh!! In my defense all the reviews said these were supremely comfy!!!!

(mine are brown. they still have grey)

A Very Rankin Bass Christmas!

Believe it or not, these two guys had one of the biggest impacts on our childhood holiday memories.

Meet Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass, the mastermind behind some of your favorite Christmas moments in front of the TV. These two gents bought us such delightful characters as:

I loves me some Yukon Cornelius!  My friend Jen and I joked that he was the uber cartoon dream husband.  Knew the importance of gold/silver for jewelry and was kind to animals. I loved his little team of mismatched doggies too!

And don’t forget about the most dapper snowman around!

Remember skinny Santa? EAT, PAPA, EAT!

I don’t know about you, but I was really frightened of the Abominable Snowman as a kid! That was some scary stuff to a five year old!

I so would have taken every toy on that island! A dolly for Suzy just broke my heart every time I saw her!

Oh, Hermie!  You made me actually want to go to the dentist! And of course RUDOLF!

I know not everyone is into letting their kids watch TV, but personally, I don’t consider Rankin Bass Christmas specials to be TV as much as an irresistible holiday memory in the making. Right up there with watching the Nutcracker or making Christmas cookies.

Arthur Rankin and his buddy Jules Bass came up with this wonderful animation technique they called “animagic” which included stop animation with these sassy dolls combined with cel animation for special backdrops like snowflakes.  He optimistically called his new animation technique “Animagic”. And it was more than enough to turn a Christmas novelty song and a felt-covered, lightbulb-nosed reindeer puppet into the most amazing hour on TV in December.

“Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer”, the flagship Rankin/Bass production, remains the longest-running, highest-rated special ever aired on US network television. The special has appeared on one of the broadcast networks every year since its debut on NBC’s “General Electric Fantasy Hour” in 1964, routinely landing near the top of the Nielsen Ratings Top 10 — a feat unparalleled in television history.

Oh, I forgot one other thing that made “animagic” so, well, magical! Not pixie dust. Just hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours of work slowly shifting the dolls around to make them move. Oof!

But the Rankin/Bass production team loved it and did it again and again to bring us such holiday characters as:

Seriously, have you watched this recently? Get ready to cry…

Clearly, they needed to get more use out of those desert backgrounds and came up with Nestor.  I love this little guy! what pluck. Again, sad at the beginning, but still so good!

I loved this little big eared and big hearted little baby! One of my favorites.

You already saw skinny Santa, but what about young Santa?

And of course these two brothers…

Of course Rank Bass Productions holiday specials are just the tippy tip tip of their wonderful work (hello Mad Monster Party…) but if you’d like more information, I highly suggest you check out Rick Goldschmidt’s amazing blog. He has a wonderful collection of images and literally wrote the book on Rankin Bass. And if you still want to see more Christmas specials inspired by Rankin Bass, check out this cool site dedicated to the best holiday specials out there.

Did you watch any Rankin Bass Christmas specials this year?