Dear Abby - Merry Christmas (With Vintage Dachshund Photos)

Dear Friends,

I want to thank you all for reading my blog this year, and wish you a happy holiday season!  I am taking some time off from blogging until the New Year.  I will be back the second Friday in January (January 10) and look forward to catching up then.

I have big plans for the holidays including sleeping, snuggling, opening presents, eating treats, visiting with company, and sleeping and snuggling some more!

Here are a few vintage Christmas photos that feature dachshunds.  These were long ago and I don't know the people or the dogs, but the dachshunds all look so happy and loved!

A woman in a cheery red dress sits in front of an old fashioned Christmas tree with her dachshund.  That tinsel on the tree looks fascinating!

A man shares a Christmas stocking with his dog (on second glance, this may be a little Chiweenie pup).

A dachshund happily watches a very young Santa Claus in this black and white photo.

I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  I look forward to chatting with you more in 2020.

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Dear Abby -- Merry Christmas!

Dear friends,

Just a short and sweet note today to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season!   I am going to take a blogging break until after the New Year.  

Today I would like to share a few of my past Christmas photos (I'll post my 2018 photo when I return -- I want it to be a surprise for friends who are receiving it in Christmas cards this year).   Momma says it is an adventure to take Christmas pictures with me.  I am not sure what that means!

Here are a few Christmas links from my blog as well:

Vintage Christmas Dog Photos
Merry Christmas with Vintage Dog Illustrations
My Christmas Wish List
Vintage Christmas Dachshunds
Dachshund Christmas Videos
Video:  A Dachshund Decorates a Christmas Tree
Video:  Dachshund Santa and Reindeer

I hope you enjoy these links.  Wishing you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas!  I look forward to chatting again in 2019.

Love,
Abby xoxoxo

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays to all!

Abby and I are taking a blog break until after the New Year.  I'll look forward to catching up with you then!

Trish

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!

Abby and I are planning to take a blog break until the New Year.  We'll be back with book reviews and giveaways, retro posts and nostalgia, and - of course - Dear Abby on Fridays!

Thank you so much for reading and interacting here.  Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season!

Dear Abby: Merry Christmas, With Vintage Dog Illustrations

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season to you!  Momma and I are planning to take a blogging break for a couple of weeks, but I wanted to share a few vintage dog photos (all with a festive Christmas theme).

This Calling All Girls magazine cover from 1958 features a very helpful dachshund wrapping gifts with her person.

I love this very looooooooong dachshund on a cute vintage Christmas card.

This dachshund is helping two children shop.  (And he even has a cute sweater!)

This cute little terrier dog is helping Santa Claus make a Christmas list.

This 1940's vintage Christmas card is red, white, and blue -- and three little terriers wave American flags.

A cute little dog delivers Christmas cards in this illustration.

Scotties on parade!  What is not to love about this?  Scotties were big in 1940's illustrations, so this is probably a 1940's era Christmas card.
 

I hope your holidays are happy and bright!  I've enjoyed visiting with you this year, and look forward to catching up again in 2017!

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Merry Christmas - and a Holiday Blog Break!

Dear friends,

I will be taking a break until January 4th, but look forward to catching up with you then.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and happy holiday season!

Love and happiness,

Trish (and Abby, too!)

Did You Know Tuesday: Aluminum Christmas Trees

Did you grow up with aluminum Christmas trees?  I didn't;  we had live trees when I was a little girl, and artificial (green) trees later due to allergies. I always thought the aluminum trees were pretty, though, and am glad they have become popular again during the last few years.

The Aluminum Specialty Company in Manitowoc, Wisconsin began manufacturing these trees in 1959.  The owner of the company had seen a store display aluminum tree the previous year, and decided to manufacture these beauties for the home market.  The company became Evergleam, and these trees originally sold for $25.00.   This is an ad for an Evergleam Frosty aluminum Christmas tree:

In the 1960's, these trees became very popular, available in various sizes, and prices went down because they were readily available.  They were available in silver, pink, teal, and flocked.  Do you remember the scene in A Charlie Brown Christmas when Lucy sends Charlie Brown out to buy a tree?  She tells him she wants a "big, shiny aluminum tree . . . maybe painted pink."

This silver tree sold for just $18.50 in a 1960's catalog:

There were also color wheels available to spin and illuminate the tree in changing colors.  The trees were often decorated with Shiny Brite ornaments, which were light enough not to crush or weigh down the branches.  Some trees rotated on a mechanical base, and others even had an element to play music.

This 1962 Spiegel catalog page features a color wheel, a silver tree, a flocked tree, and other tree accessories:
 

Aluminum trees were everywhere!  This ad is from Rexall drug store:

The trees became less popular by the late 1960's, and Evergleam stopped producing them in 1969.  Smaller companies followed suit by the early 1970's.

Aluminum Christmas trees have become popular again in recent years as the interest in atomic ranch homes and MCM (Mid-Century Modern) design has grown.  If I find one at a local estate sale or yard sale at some point, I may have to bring it home.

Do you remember aluminum Christmas trees?  Did you ever have one?   Do you like them, or do you prefer a traditional green Christmas tree?   I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Throwback Thursday - Vintage Christmas Baking Ads

If you read my blog often, you will know that I spend way too much time at Pinterest!  I love that site.  I am forever seeking - and finding! - great vintage images there.

I wanted to share a few fun vintage Christmas ads with you today.  They all feature retro baking.   Since I love all things vintage, retro food photos, and baking, these are terrific fun.

This ad features a Durkee's Candy Cane Cake (1956).  It's coconut, so I am predisposed to love it.

This 1941 Pillsbury ad features Frosted Christmas cookies:

Okay, I am now ready to go look for Durkee's Coconut (does this product still exist?!).   This 1950's ad features a Snowman Cake:

This Crisco ad features Christmas Cookies (and they look delicious!).

More Christmas cookies, from Gold Medal Flour -- bell and Christmas tree shape cookies.

Do you enjoy vintage food ads?  Have you ever tried a recipe from an old ad like one of these?   I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Wordless Wednesday - Vintage Christmas Postcard - Girls Reading

Found at Birdhouse Books:  Christmas Postcards

Did You Know Tuesday - Shiny-Brite Ornaments

Shiny-Brite ornaments are a perfect example of Mid-Century Christmas decorations.  The great ad, above, is from 1966.  

These ornaments date back a little earlier, though.  The first Shiny-Brite ornaments were made in 1937 by Max Eckhardt.  He worked with the Corning Glass Company to produce them.  These ornaments were originally sold at Woolworth dime stores.

Shiny-Brites were popular during the 1940's - World War II vintage - because they were American made.  The 1940's box top featured Santa Claus shaking hands with Uncle Sam.

The ornaments were originally manufactured in New Jersey.  They were sprayed inside with silver nitrate and then they were lacquered so they truly had a shiny and bright appearance!

Not all vintage glass ornaments are Shiny-Brites.  You will recognize them by the Shiny Brite name on the metal ornament capper.  During World War II this capper was made of cardboard because of war time manufacturing restrictions.

Here is a glimpse of a 1950's box of Shiny-Brites:

This 1956 Sears catalog page features Shiny-Brites galore.  The variety of designs was fabulous -- balls, tear drop shapes, bell shapes, indents, birds, and more!

The company stopped production in the 1970's.  However, in recent years Christopher Radko has started producing Shiny-Brite ornaments, and his selection is always lovely.

Do you remember Shiny-Brite ornaments?  Were there any of these beauties on your childhood Christmas tree?  I would love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Music Monday - Someday at Christmas by Stevie Wonder (1967)

Regular readers here will know that I am a huge Motown fan, and especially love Stevie Wonder's voice.   I'm sure it will be no surprise that "Someday at Christmas" by Stevie Wonder is one of my favorite Christmas songs.  It is just so beautiful - his voice gives me chills.  It is also a moving wish for peace at Christmas time.  This song was originally released in 1967 on the Someday at Christmas album.

You have probably seen the recent commercial, as well, for Apple products.  It features Stevie Wonder singing this song with Andra Day, and it is a lovely rendition.

Do you remember this song? Or do you have other Christmas favorites from Motown? I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Weekend Window Shopping at Birdhouse Books - Vintage Christmas Cards

Hi all!

I added many vintage Christmas cards to my store this week.  You will find them at Birdhouse Books.

Just a few photos to give you a peek!

This Mid-Century vintage Christmas card features a fabulous chandelier.

 This Mid-Century vintage Christmas card features a gold embossed Christmas tree against a red background.

 This 1960's vintage Christmas Card - "To My Husband" - has a felt tree with sequin trim.

This cute 1950's vintage Christmas card features two honeycomb design red bells.

What a cute 1940's to 1950's vintage Christmas card!  It says "Mr. and Mrs." in bright holiday designs.

 I love this vintage Christmas card!  It has pictures of an old fashioned couple outside of a theater.  Look who is going into the theater - it's Santa Claus!

I hope you enjoyed seeing these fun vintage Christmas cards.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Dear Abby - Vintage Christmas Dachshunds

Dear Friends,

I have enjoyed looking at vintage Christmas images on Pinterest lately.  I especially love vintage dog pictures.  I've found some wonderful Christmas pictures that I thought you would enjoy as well.

The dachshund on this vintage Christmas card  has a candy cane and presents!

This little dachshund is helping her person play records.  Fun!

The dachshund on this Christmas card is going for a walk with her person -- they even have matching red coats. 

This looks like Christmas morning, with a mother, daughter, and red dachshund.  The tinsel on that tree looks like fun to play with!

The dachshund on this 1960 Calling All Girls magazine cover is helping her person dress up as Santa.

This dachshund looks very excited about his present!   This is another Calling All Girls cover (1961).

This Calling All Girls magazine cover features a dachshund who is about to wake up to a tiny tree and presents.

This Calling All Girls magazine features another Santa dress up picture.  The dachshund is helping again!

I hope you enjoyed these images.  Which is your favorite?  I like them all, but have a special fondness for the Calling All Girls picture with the tiny tree and presents.

I hope you have a wonderful day -- and wishing you a very happy holiday season!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Throwback Thursday - Christmas Cardboard Fireplace

Do you remember cardboard fireplaces?  These were popular in the 1960's and 1970's.   The picture above is from the 1969 Sears catalog.  They were made out of corrugated cardboard, with andirons and a fake fire.  We never had one, and I'm not sure I ever saw one at anyone's house, but I certainly remember them from catalogs and magazine photos during my childhood.

You'll see another couple of vintage cardboard fireplaces below:

 This one even has retro decorations and gifts:

I was surprised to find these are still made (they are on Amazon).   I love holiday decorations this vintage, and am going to think about putting one of these up - with a retro theme tree - next year.

Let me know if you remember cardboard fireplaces.  Do you have any retro decorations or ornaments up at your house?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.