Holiday Shopping Guide--Watch the Time!

Do watch the time... Christmas is only 15 days away!

Here's a lovely gift idea from 1940, Time magazine:

Vintage jewelry is lovely for sure, but a vintage watch, for me, is just so special. There seems to be a kind of connection, maybe because that watch has literally been ticking off the time since it was made. And so many of them still are ticking off the time, as they were made to last...and have!

I've lately been hankering after a ladies watch on the cord band. My  mother had one when I was little, and it disappeared (like so much). They are so jewel like, so dainty, and so evocative of their era.

And by the by, when did we stop putting things like watches in such lovely boxes? That is often my most favorite thing about vintage jewelry of any kind, when the original box is with it. They were just as lovely, often, as the gift inside.

Sigh... so pretty!

Just look at "F" there. And those men's watches are so classy.

Happy hunting!

Holiday Shopping Guide--That Takes the Biscuit

Ah McVitie's.

If you've ever been to the British Isles or know anyone from there, chances are you know this brand of biscuits...HobNobs, Chocolate Digestives, Rich Tea biscuits... yum. In fact, they are so much a part of the culture, Prince William's groom's cake was made out of Rich Tea biscuits and chocolate. What's not to love?

This ad is from November 17, 1949, The Sphere (UK):

The ad is a lovely thing in itself. Let's take a look at the "grand old Christmas customs":

Lovely...

Once upon a time, one bought one's biscuits (or received them as gifts) in beautifully decorated tins. These were so lovely that few of our grandmothers ever threw them out! As such, there are tons of vintage tins out there, biscuit and otherwise, to make lovely gifts.

Or better yet... use a vintage tin as a gift box, put something really extraordinary inside, and wrap a pretty ribbon around it. We vintage types always have uses for old tins, and of course...for what might be inside! (especially biscuits!) So that's a gift in a gift....and if the ribbon is pretty enough... a bonus gift for the hair! Perfection!

So think outside the "box" for putting gifts under the tree, and give your gifts a vintage flair!

Holiday Shopping Guide--Usefulness

Well, I certainly did fall off the blog wagon and went on a non-blogging binge... What with Thanksgiving, houseguests, illness, sheer busy-ness, and a touch of laziness, I haven't been here in a while. But I'm back with gift ideas for those starting to get a little frantic!

So, without further ado:

Now this may seem a bit utilitarian, but I like it. Receving it in 1940 (this ad is from Dec. 2 Time) may not have been terribly exciting, but getting a vintage tape dispenser today is a pretty cool gift. Those suckers were made solid, and most old office equipment is very desirable today. Pens and pencils, in-baskets, filing cabinets, desks, chairs, telephones, stamp dispensers and moisteners, and what have you. Lovely items any vintage lover would appreciate -- and use!

So if someone on your list has a space on his or her desk crying out for a perfect supply, look around for vintage office supplies. You'll find something to fill the bill!

I recently received a great early gift of a voucher for a local antique mall. I thoroughly enjoyed spending a couple of hours trying to spend it all! I came up $14 short, but the mall was kind enough to just give me the difference. I've tucked it away for another trip...and yes, I will find something I love for that amount...or less!

Here's my first haul:

That's a couple of 1940 Life magazines, a lovely little dish that matches one I got from my sweet husband a couple of Christmases ago, a lovely little bottle of Yardley Red Roses perfume in its original box, a fantastic Westclox Big Ben alarm clock that I've had my eye on for the better part of a year, and a simply wonderful Collins box bag that is now the pride of my Collins collection. I had a great time shopping with my voucher and tried to make the most of it. I love my special goodies so much and the day out leisurly shopping was the added bonus.

So how are things going out there? Getting that shopping done? Dropping enough hints to be sure you get what your heart desires? :)

Holiday Shopping Guide--The Singer Shop

Sewing is making a real come-back as folks (women AND men!) learn that it's a fun, creative, and useful hobby. Of course, many have always known this; and many don't do it as a hobby, but out of necessity.

There's nothing more fun to sew with than a really good machine. This doesn't mean a bunch of bells and whistles, just solid performance and dependability. Singer isn't the only sewing machine, and may not even be the best (although I love mine!), but it has been around a long, long time.

This, from 1941 McCall's:

"Pl-ease fill my Christmas stocking at the Singer Shop!"

I love the fact that this ad has a "Dad's choice":



I'm not quite sure if he is supposed to use the sewing maching to sew or just to keep his writing paper in, but hey, whatever he wants!

And of couse, there is the perpetual encouragement for little girls to learn how to be future wives and mothers:

That might be a small machine, but it's a serious one! We used to trust our kids with stuff like this...and they learned to use it (OK, there may have been a little blood shed here and there, but lessons were learned!).

And by the way, when did we stop making such beautiful sewing machine cabinets? Again, I really quite love my Singer that I got for Christmas last year. But...it's not exactly heirloom quality like these. Even the matching benches! Just gorgeous!

Holiday Shopping Guide--Booze

A classic gift is a nice bottle of something. That never really goes out of style, does it.

Now, Old Taylor may not be the most special of whiskeys, but this ad is great. This from October 25, 1954, Life:

In case you can't make out the text below the picture: "Inscribe your decanter gifts in 23 carat gold. With every carton of the Old Taylor Presentation Decanter, you will receive a leaf of genuine 23 carat gold. With it you can write your personal greetings directly on the decanter. Old Taylor in the Presentation Decanter costs no more than the standard bottle which is always available."

How cool is that? This certainly makes a bottle of whiskey quite special, doesn't it? Not only the pretty decanter, but being able to write on it in gold? Pretty nifty, I'd say. Of course, you'd have to buy a whole case to do that, but that would take care of a bunch of nice individualized gifts.

There are vintage bottles (regular bottles, not decanters) on Ebay with the whiskey in them, if you so choose. There are also a couple of old decanters (empty), but they don't look quite as nice as the one in this ad. Of course, you can always choose your own tipple of choice and make it a signature gift. Craft stores sell gold leaf pretty cheaply, so a plain glass decanater could be dressed up nicely.

I love Maker's Mark, if anyone's asking!

Cheers!

Holiday Shopping Guide--Roseville

This, from 1941 McCall's:

This is a tiny little ad at the back of several of my old magazines. Roseville pottery, of course, has become highly collectible and thus quite valuable. As a vintage gift, it is a really nice one. While online prices can be in the hundreds of dollars, Roseville turns up in estate sales, auctions, and yard sales all the time, so keep an eye out for real bargains.

Not all Roseville is to my taste, I have to say. If you are going to seek out Roseville as a gift, keep in mind the taste of your giftee, for sure! This site gives a history of the company, which would see its demise just 13 years after this ad ran. And here are all the patterns Roseville made. Some of it is stunning, and all patterns certainly are not easy to find. If you're going to invest in a piece of Roseville, do your research so you know what you're looking at/for.

Happy shopping!

Holiday Shopping Guide--Pendleton

I dedicate this post to Fuzzy Lizzie over at The Vintage Traveler. She can tell you far more about Pendleton than I can, and if you look through her blog, you'll learn a lot about... well... a lot of things!

This, from 1957 Sports Afield:

I've always had a soft spot for plaid and for Pendleton. Talk about a quality clothing line (until recent years... as so many, they've moved production overseas... Again, see The Vintage Traveler for more!). If you think you want to give Pendleton to someone for Christmas, by all means, start looking sooner rather than later, because I highly recommend you seek out some vintage Pendleton. It is abundant because of its high quality. This stuff lasts and lasts, and it's as cozy as the day it was made in most cases.

There IS only one Pendleton (unless you're talking about my best college friend's family, in which case there are several "unique" Pendletons!). And it IS a hearty way to say "Merry Christmas"! I mean really...can you be any cozier than his-and-hers plaid wool robes? Now, I can't say what's with the heels and robe on herself up there...but whatever!