Today is the last day of 2020. Bells will ring at midnight in places all around the world to ring in the New Year! This card is perfect for this evening's feature......bells ringing and doves, the symbol of peace flying among the bells. My New Year wish for 2021 is for peace and kindness, my prayer is for each day to be better than the previous day and that 2021 will not be quite so challenging as 2020. Happy New Year!
Vintage Christmas Card for December 30
With just one more day left in 2020, I've really been reflecting on the many challenges of this past year. The thing is that all through the years of ones life....... there are challenges. I remember hearing my parents late at night talking in hushed tones, worried about the Cold War. They got through those years and also the Depression and WWII and so much more. We xan get through these times! So, I did a little research and I think this card is likely from the late 1950's to early 1960's. I chose this card because it is so clearly not traditional for a Christmas card. And 2020, has so clearly not been a traditional year. Enough said.
What you can't see in the photo is that this card is hot pink and white. However, no matter where I took the photo, the true color didn't come through. It looks kind of rosy and it's not. It's hot pink. And while I love pink, I don't think I could send this card. I'm too traditional in the colors I like for Christmas. That said, it's a unique card with a pretty embossed design. And I think it could be worthy of framing in a matte black frame. It might look just fine in my pretty pink bedroom!
This morning, I looked out the upstairs window into our backyard. I could see the tracks of the deer that walk along the edge of the trees. I could also see the indentations in the snow where they stop and rest, laying down near my little Dinosaur Garden, the same spot where I have taken photos of my quilts. So this card was the perfect card for this night....... deer among the trees and snow. The card is really pretty as it's printed on delicate parchment paper that you just don't see used anymore. This is one that I think I might frame. Actually, I am thinking I might frame several of the cards I've shared. I have an idea for a collage of small framed cards on a really large frame. I actually have the large frame so it might just happen by next Christmas!
Once the actual day of Christmas has passed, I always enjoy the evenings between Christmas and New Years when I relax in the evening, light a candle or two and just enjoy the glow of the lights from the Christmas tree. So when I read the verse on this card, it was just how I felt tonight...........
"The lamps are lit, the fires burn bright, The house is full of life and light." Longfellow
Once again, here is a card that isn't all that old but It's in the box of cards and it's perfect for today. It snowed a bit and there is more snow coming in the next few days. Occasionally, we see a Cardinal couple in our backyard and I love it when they come and sit on the railing on our deck. That doesn't happen often so it's a real treat. My mother loved Cardinals so this card really reminded me of her. She also loved to shop at Hobby Lobby and she loved Christmas. I bought this little lantern at Hobby Lobby this past August and I thought of her when I bought it. She would have bought one, probably two of them. ;-) Christmas may be over but I still enjoy the lights of Christmas that bring such a warm glow to the room. And I'll keep sharing cards for a couple more weeks. I sorted through the box of cards today and set aside cards for about ten more days and then there are cards for next December. I'm planning ahead and determined to make 2021 a better year than 2020!
Today is Boxing Day, a tradition that began in England. On the day after Christmas, servants and staff of wealthy employers were given the day off and a box with their Christmas gift, hence the term "Boxing Day". And so, this card today reminds me of the era when this tradition flourished. The clothing on the carolers sets this scene in the 1800's. I wonder what carol they are singing? Do you have a favorite carol? I missed the singing of carols this year and I am looking forward to next Christmas and singing, singing, singing! 🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵
The box of cards that I am selecting cards from contains about 100 cards. Most are vintage from the 60's and 70's. There are several cards that are from the 80s and 90's. This card is clearly one of the newer cards. I had to share it because there is so much truth in the words on the card. For all of you that celebrated Christmas this day, I hope you have had a beautiful day. Our day was different as like many other folks, we didn't gather with our family. We connected in different ways this year and tomorrow I'll share some photos. And again tomorrow night, I'll be back with another card and this one will be vintage!
We had a blizzard come through and knock out our power last night. I was able to post to Vintage Christmas Card to Facebook from my phone but couldn't post as easily to my blog. So here is the post I shared last night just before midnight..............
What a day and night this has been! A blizzard has covered much of Minnesota and northwest Iowa. Our power has been off since about 6:00 p.m. I used the time to wrap some small gifts and finish putting tags on goodie plates. And then I got out my box of vintage cards to find one to share. And, of course, I looked for candles. We haven't burnt so many candles in years as we did tonight! Thank goodness I had candles in the cupboard and some battery operated lights. It's a bit cool in here now but surprisingly, not too bad. If only I had a cup of hot cocoa! So just as I lit the candle to take the photo of this pretty card, the power came back on... and then it went off.. then on... and now it's off again. The wind is still howling and I can only imagine how cold it must be for those who are working to make repairs. Thankful for quilts that are keeping me warm. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and if we have power, I'll share several cards. I plan to continue to share more vintage Christmas cards through early January. I have some special ones I've been saving for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. ❤
Earlier this night, there was a "conjunction" in the skies. That's the official term for the aligning of Jupiter and Saturn when they are so close that they appear to be a double planet or a star. This is being called the Christmas Star this year because it's happening so close to Christmas. It's been over 400 years or 800 years since this heavenly "conjunction" has happened. It all depends on the info source. We were able to get a peek at it around 6:15 p.m., a bright spot that I would have called a star. It was sitting low in the horizon but we saw it. We won't likely be around the next time this happens. In the meantime, because of all the news of this star, I decided to find a card that had a star on it. That wasn't easy. I found only two with stars and one was the card I shared on December 13th. This one with the star on the tree was the only other card that had a star. I don't think this card is as old as the others in the box of cards but it's a sweet scene. I have stars at the top of two trees in our house and an angel on the smaller tree in the dining room. So.... do you put a star at the top of your tree....... or an angel......or a pretty treetopper?
Today was the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the first official day of winter. I looked for a card with a pretty winter scene and my first choice was a pretty church nestled in the valley and white glitter on the card for snow. It was very pale, though, and it just didn't photograph well. So I found this one and it was perfect. We have deer that travel across our backyard and they often sleep near a cluster of trees in our backyard. You can tell because they leave an imprint in the snow. And while it may be the first day of winter, we got our first snowfall in mid-October. We had a couple major snowfalls in October but here we are in mid December and no snow. There may be some on Wednesday and I will be watching for those flakes because I really want a White Christmas!
Oh, my goodness! I chose my card earlier in the evening and it just made me feel so relaxed. So I sat down and began watching a remake of Miracle on 34th street. It's not quite as good as the original but I got caught up in the movie and forgot to post this lovely card. We had a log-burning fireplace in our previous home and I miss it. We have a gas fireplace now, just not quite the same. The crackling of the logs in the fire, the real warmth it exudes, and the smell of the burning logs just can't be replaced by a gas or an electric fireplace. We always had a fire on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. On our last Christmas in 2004 at our old house, I took a large chunk of log that had not completely burned and I saved it. I put it in a box and that looks like a gift and I set it under the tree in memory of Christmases in our Prior Lake house. I'm not sure my kids even know that I kept that log chunk but they do know I'm highly sentimental so they won't be surprised to know I kept what looks like a piece of coal.
Tonight's card depicts one of my favorite symbols of Christmas that I can recreate in my own home ... candles nestled in holly. When we lived in Prior Lake, I actually had a little holly bush and could pick fresh holly. I was tempted to transplant it when we moved but I left it in the flower bed next to the garden steps. Seeing three candles in this card also brings back a memory of a song I sang in high school. I was active in music and sang in mixed chorus, small groups and solos. Each year we would sing at local high school contest events. I remember one of the songs my music teacher, Mrs. Parr, chose for me was called "Three Candles". I still have the sheet music but it's packed in box in a stack of boxes in the basement. So, I can remember most of the lyrics .... "I have three candles in my room, slender and tall and fair, one I light for memory and one for days that are......" and I can't remember what the third candle burns for! I did some on-line searches and nothing comes up. So, I think after Christmas, I will have to get out that box of music. ........... and oh, my goodness, it just came to me..... the third candles burns "for days to be!" Let us hope that the coming days to be in 2021 will be good days, everyone better than the day before.
These two cards are very similar in ink color and design. Their pastel colors are soft and pretty, not the typical red and green but I really like them. Most of the cards in the box I'm going through are just the front of the cards, with the back of the card cut away. So it is with these two cards. I have no idea what their message was but if I gave a message to them it would be "Let it Snow" because we have no snow here in southern Minnesota! It's one week until Christmas Eve and it would be so lovely if we got even just a wee bit of snow to bring some sparkle to the landscape. Maybe it will snow yet........
I picked this card from the box when I saw the words..... "Thinking of you". If there is one thing that sending Christmas cards says, it is the simple message... "'I'm thinking of you". With each card I write, I am thinking of that person, remember good times, even some sad times. Today is the anniversary of the passing of my father-in-law Ed. It's hard to believe it's been 45 years. A passing at Christmas time is always difficult. I'm thinking tonight of friends here in Minnesota and in my home town in Iowa who are dealing with loss. I'm thinking of them tonight and saying a prayer for peace and comfort.
Sweet prayer for all........ wherever you are, whatever you do, we all just wish the best for each other.
I took a close-up of this one so you can see the little children all in a row.......
I'm so enjoying sharing these cards and am delighted to know that so many of you are enjoying them, too!
I just love this scene on this vintage card. A visit to the General Store was a treat for the entire family. In the late 1990's, I was fortunate to work at a place called The Landing (east of Shakopee, MN) where costumed interpreters bring the history of Minnesota homes, settlers, and customs to life. And this photo recalls times I spent at The Landing sharing history with vistors. It was like taking a trip back in time to dress in the clothing of the late 1800's and sew on the treadle sewing machine, stoke the fire and bake a cake and set it in the window. That was the fun side of sharing history. Now the reality was that baking that cake or bread had to be done when it was very hot out and I quickly realized that demonstrating sewing was much more enjoyable than baking on a hot day. I could make that decision but in real life, there were no such choices, you just had to bake the bread, bring in water, carry in logs, wash clothes and hang on the line to dry. Life was hard. We look back with rose-colored glasses on those times. They were simpler times, though, but physically much harder. And another aspect of those times..... if you traveled west and settled in a small town, it might be years before you saw your family members. Ah, the good old days!
The Landing does a beautiful celebration called "Folkways of the Holidays" where all the traditions of Christmas and Hannakuh are shared. There are some private tours this season but hopefully next year, the full event can take place. It is wonderful to see the different customs of our area here in the Minnesota River Valley.
This little card is so sweet. I love that little lamb and the two little angels. I'm sure my Carolers are singing "Joy to the World". Funny thing.......every night when I post the photo of these vintage cards next to my Carolers, Facebook draws a box around their faces so they can be tagged. Kinda strange as ....... they aren't real people! Speaking of real people.......I'm working on my Christmas cards that I'll be sending out this week to my real people..... family and friends. So........ do you all send Christmas cards?
Well, I got so busy writing Christmas cards to family and friends that I lost track of time and almost forgot to post a vintage card! Last night after I posted the card with Peace on it, I found myself singing "I heard the bells on Christmas Day, there old familiar carols play....." and today I kept singing it as I did laundry and cleaning. I love that carol and so many others. It would be so wonderful to go caroling in the neighborhood but not possible this year. I wonder, though........maybe I'll sing from my sewing room window.
This card is so lovely that I am going to frame this one.
For some reason, I was curious if The Messiah was truly a Christmas song. And interestingly.......it was written for Easter but has become a favorite at Christmas.
I love the glow of candlelight. There is something so calming about the flickering glow of the flame of a candle. Well, unless you set the holly on fire. Yep, happened at our house about twenty years ago. It was Christmas Eve and we had finished dinner and our dessert. The taper candles were still lit. They were in short stocky wooden candle holders that had artificial holly rings around them. We all got up to leave the table and I stepped into the kitchen with some dishes and Devlin was behind me with more dishes when we heard a strange sizzle and turned to see the wick rapidly burning down and the holly leaves aflame! Devlin put out the fire but not before the candle holder was scorched and covered in candle wax. The other candle was burning normally, still more than six inches tall. Not sure what caused that candle to do that but it was a reminder to never leave a candle unattended! The burned candle holder went into the trash but we still have the other one and it sits on our kitchen table. I only light taper candles now when the power goes out. Tealights are my candle of choice now, much safer than the open flame. Funny the memories that come with these cards. I think this one could be a "mid-century modern" Christmas card. The designs of that period are unique. Several in this stack of cards I'm drawing from would clearly fit the time period.
I'm glad you all are enjoying the cards. I have some pretty ones and some really unique ones to share.
Today's card is for my brother Doug. He loves trains and can tell you all the history of the Crooked Creek Railroad that ran through our hometown of Lehigh, Iowa and about all the other railroads in the area around Lehigh. I remember the sound of the train when I was young. Love that sound and fortunately we live in a town where I can still hear the sound of the train. If a Christmas train was coming through your town, what would you hope the train would be bringing?
Vintage Christmas Card - December 6
This is the card that "jumped out" at me tonight as I sorted through the stack of vintage Christmas cards. C H R I S T M A S definitely spells all those things and I am under the spell of Christmas these days. Tonight I decorated the tree in the dining room. It looks just like it did last year.......same ornaments, just in a different place. Same thing is a good thing sometimes. Makes me feel comfortable. So tonight I have to ask...... for those of you that celebrate Christmas, what is the thing you love most about Christmas?
This card really says 1960's even though Santa is in a Model A. Or is it a Model T? I prefer Santa in a sleigh but this is kinda cute. Ho Ho Ho!
And the avacado green on the card is definitely 1960's. Trust me. My colors I chose for our wedding in 1968 were ice blue and avacado green. It was really quite pretty. And for gifts we received snack sets in avacado and orange, there was a shag and faux leather rug in avacado green and aqua, and then there was the sofa and chair in avacado green tweed that my mother helped upholster. Yes, avacado green was definitely 1960's. ;-)
Sandi
Vintage Christmas card for December 2nd. It's hard to choose which card to share but this one caught my eye. The open door and a peek into the warm and cozy scene inside is just so inviting. This year we can't invite family and friends into our homes in the same way as we have in the past, but it offers a chance to make new traditions. Tonight, I finished decorating the tree in our living room. That tradition stays the same.....all the ornaments are the same, just in a different place than last year. Surely did not imagine back then that there would be a Christmas where we couldn't gather together. Next year we will gather and be so grateful to be invited to gatherings with our family and friends.
And sooo .......
The past couple of days I've been getting out our Christmas decorations and I've been decorating our tree. I came across a small box of vintage cards that were given to me by friends. They know I might use them in craft projects. I also have most of the Christmas cards that we have received in over fifty years of Christmases. In the 1970's, I decoupaged a few of them and they remind me of special family members. I also have just a few Christmas cards that were sent to my Great Aunt Bell in the 1930's.
To celebrate the days up to Christmas, I thought that I would share a Christmas card or two every evening and maybe even through New Year's Eve. I chose this one for December 1st. Such a pretty card and beautiful sentiment.
I'll see you tomorrow with another card.........
Sandi