{Guest Post} 5 Vintage Vignettes

Season’s Greetings, Dear Edna readers! It’s Carla from DeFacto Redhead here, giving a helping hand to Erin for Day 5 of her 12 Days of Christmas posts. Last year I wrote on her blog for Day 6, and I discussed my obsession with Pyrex and the resulting fascination with all things vintage kitchen. This whole dishes thing is an interest I share with my mom (Jill, from A Little Bit of Everything), and this year we are still on the vintage track, but have veered way over into vintage Christmas. We are also pushing our “door shelves” on anybody who will listen. My mom discovered this hot-ticket item on…Pinterest (surprise!), and my dad, being the handyman that he is (and also being completely worn down by our repeated requests to “build us that shelf”), finally acquiesced to our pleas (i.e. demands). The result is pictured below, and I have decorated it for the first time with vintage Christmas finds I have picked up throughout the years, with special items that used to belong members of my family, and with knick-knacks that mean something to me and my “beau,” Darcy. It’s no secret that I am a sentimental person, and as Edna herself would likely say, this five-shelf display is a perfect reflection of my personality. “Dear” reader, consider us acquainted.

Here is the door shelf, in all its glory! I do believe I hear In Excelsis Gloria every time I look at it.

Technically, nothing on this shelf is vintage (the Charlie Brown book is from 2008), but my dad did make the wooden snowman for my great-grandmother in 1994 (there is an inscription on the back), and come on, let’s get real — it’s A Charlie Brown Christmas, people!

The Christmas Dictionary on the left is from Christmas 1963, and was given to Mark Minor from Mrs. Wellwood. I have always imagined this was a gift from a teacher to a student. Perhaps Mark was curious about Christmas terminology? (Also, don’t miss the red Pyrex fridgie filled with vintage bulbs!)

The Christmas Favorites book on the right has a 1951 copyright date, and I find the Christmas with the Chippers record interesting because it was made in Canada, specifically “Scarboro,” Ontario. How long ago was the Scarborough we know today spelled without the “u-g-h” on the end?

Everyone must remember their Little Golden Books from when they were kids – I know I certainly do! I don’t recall having the book on the left, but this copy of The Animals’ Christmas Eve must have made somebody happy around the copyright date of 1977.

This Little Golden Book — Frosty the Snowman —is inscribed “Best Wishes for Jay J. in 1973, Grandma H.” I remember having this book, too, and I’m sure I loved it. After all, if it’s Christmas related, I’m pretty much sold.

Happy holidays, everyone!