A fun vintage ad

 

 Now I have to admit I have never, ever thought along the lines of silverware as a Christmas gift.  I guess maybe for an adult child or something?  Or possibly a gift from parents or grandparents to a newly married couple?

But apparently some advertising genius back in the day did think along these lines, because look at this: A Christmas tree showcasing silver (or more likely, stainless) teaspoons!  

The pattern names that I can see are Lasting Rose, Chateau, Shasta, Textura, Tempo, and Cantata.

For fun, and to learn more, I did a search for Lasting Rose stainless and found that it was indeed an Oneida product -- Oneidacraft Deluxe Stainless Flatware.  Nearly an entire set sold on Etsy for $149.  It is vintage from the 1960s.  So if Lasting Rose is Oneida Stainless, the other patterns are too.  

I could research this topic quite a bit more, but will just share this fun advertisement for today.  Enjoy!

Christmas in July at Daily Grace Co!

 

Photo from Daily Grace Co.

 I love a good sale and I love the Daily Grace Co.  It's one of my favorite resources for Bible study books in particular, but they have other great products as well.   The journal above is one example!  And this week is their Christmas in July sale!  Prices on selected items are 30% to 80% off, so this is a great time to shop.  There are items for men and kids as well as for your women friends.

This Armor of God study, for example, is only $5!  

I'm thinking it might be a great gift for my teenage grandchildren, as it's available in both men's and women's versions.

And they have some wonderful Scripture/photography cards that could really make great gifts for various folks in our lives.  I've received a couple sets of these as gifts myself, and they are really encouraging.  The set pictured below is only $4.

Below is an example of their kids' resources.  This one is $8.

These sweet sticky notes would make a great stocking stuffer.  It's $3 for the set of four.

 There's even jewelry.  This refuge feather necklace is going on my wish list for myself, as I absolutely love that God is my refuge and I can trust "under His wings".

I could go on and on for quite awhile here, but I'll let you run over to Daily Grace Co. and check out the sale for yourself.   I should add that the only downside to Daily Grace is that their shipping tends to be quite high.  But if you could order with a friend or family member, as I often do, it would reduce the shipping cost for each of you.  And the items do ship quickly.

Happy shopping!

Gift ideas from the 1950s and 1960s

 

We may think of mid-century gift ideas as not particularly extravagant.  Things cost much less back then, and many gifts were handmade.  

Yet high-ticket Christmas gifts were sometimes given.  In looking through old Christmas magazines, I came upon a few of them that my readers might enjoy seeing.

A sewing machine was a hoped-for gift ....

What a surprise!

Give the gift of books!

How about a Coffeematic, circa 1958?  This was an expensive gift at around $30.

Ship'n'Shore blouses were a favorite gift for ladies or girls.

The gift packaging for these Cannon towels was pretty fancy!  Really, some of them were additional gifts in themselves -- fruit baskets or magazine racks.

Last but not least, extension phones!  These were not advertised as Christmas gifts per se, but as handy helpers during the Christmas season.

Aren't these vintage ads so much fun?  Hope you've enjoyed this peek into the past!

A sweet gift idea

 

Photo from Courtney at Pizzazzerie

 I saved the above photo some time ago with the idea of making a similar kitchen gift. The ideas for  Snow Day Drinks and Treats gift sets came from Courtney at Pizzazzerie.   As you see, this particular gift included a homemade tea mix and some cookies.  

In 2018 I wrote a post about all of the gift set ideas here: Some fun new ideas for kitchen gifts.  

But now, inspired by the title of this tea mix (Quiet Time Tea), I am thinking that one of these sets plus some Bible study helps or books might be a lovely gift for a special friend.  I mentioned The Daily Grace Co. a few days ago, and their products could make this gift so beautiful.

You could add a prayer journal

or a regular journal

or a mug

And, if this was for a very special friend, you could package it all in one of Daily Grace's totes.

 I have friends who would love a gift like this!

Stock up on Christmas gifts at the Daily Grace Co.!

 

Photo from The Daily Grace Co.

 Sometime in the past year, I discovered The Daily Grace Co. when the leader of a women's Bible study I attend chose one of their books for the group to study.  I actually had not planned to purchase the book, since our study leader is good about providing handouts for each of our studies.  But many of the ladies had purchased the book, and when I saw their books I knew I needed to order one.  They are incredibly beautiful books, and such good studies!  The first one we did was called Never Alone and the topic was depression.  

 We are currently working through More Than Anything, a study on idolatry, and oh my, it is convicting.  Excellent, though.

 The Daily Grace Co. is currently having a 50% off sale on mugs, books, Bible handbooks, prayer resources, and much much more.  The mug at top is only $11!  The two books I showed you above are on sale, also.

I will say that I find their shipping costs to be a bit high, but since they very frequently have $5 and $10 sales, it makes the cost worth it.  The products are packaged well and they ship very quickly.  Friends of mine got together and combined an order, then split the shipping costs between them, which is a great idea for reducing that expense.

They have products for women as well as for men and kids.  I purchased a number of Christmas gifts from them last year.  What better gift could you give than a resource to help someone grow spiritually or encourage them in their walk with God?

A lovely little shop for gifts

 

If you have ladies on your Christmas list who enjoy  unique jewelry with a natural touch, you will want to check out my friend Sarah's Instagram account, White Mountain Resin.  I just purchased the earrings shown in the photo above, and I couldn't be more pleased.

Above is another set of earrings I purchased from Sarah.  These are made with rose petals and baby's breath.  She has many more earring designs, too.

Sarah also makes necklaces and bracelets, and I will show you a few below.

An ocean scene

Pretty blue flower necklace

Customizable charm bracelet

Sweet summer necklace

 She also offers coasters, key chains, bookmarks, and other fun items.  Her prices are reasonable and the shipping is free to the USA.  Check out her creations -- I think you'll find perfect gifts for some of the friends on your Christmas gift list!

Neat gift idea for friends

 

 I received the sweet water bottle above from a friend early this summer and only recently began putting it to use during the exceeding hot, humid weather we've been having lately.  My friend and Bible study leader Amanda Reed, who gifted one of these to each study participant at our last meeting, also painted a delightful coaster to match, and to fit with the theme of our study.

I've been thinking for awhile that I might adapt her idea and use it for Christmas gifts for teen granddaughters or for other friends.  I wasn't thinking of painting a coaster, but maybe sewing a mug rug or something similar.

Once I started using the bottle, I had another thought.  Stored with my tea bags, I had a jar of Twinings Cold Infuse water enhancers.  I plopped one of those into the water bottle and voila!  A refreshing, healthy summer drink!  So pretty, too.

 

As you can see, these come in all sorts of yummy flavors.  The one I have is the Watermelon & Mint.  They contain no sugar or artificial sweeteners.  There are 12 infusers per jar and I get several uses out of each one.  

 

Water bottles similar to mine can be found on Walmart.com, Etsy, eBay, and probably a number of other places.

I think a pretty water bottle and a jar of infusers might be a wonderful gift for a number of people on my list! 

A sweet gift idea from a creative friend

 

 Take a look at these pretty earrings!  My friend Rachel has a little business making and selling these clay earrings.  It's called Mountain Mud -- a fun and clever name.  You can see her earrings here on Instagram: Mountain Mud.  Wouldn't the gold and white earrings above would be festive for the holidays?

I had purchased some red, white and blue earrings from Rachel (who is a real-life friend of mine) to wear for the Fourth of July and other patriotic holidays.  I was surprised at how light and comfortable these clay earrings are to wear!  While I was putting the earrings on to wear them for the first time, I happened to think that my blog readers might like to know about her business.  These earrings would make wonderful gifts!

Here is another set with a bit of a festive look:

 The earrings above are $20.  One can see that there is a good bit more work involved in making them, with the tiny flowers and leaves.

And these "sweater studs" below, made to look like one's favorite cozy sweater, might also be nice Christmas gifts:

Rachel's earring prices are very reasonable.  The price on the sweater studs pictured above is only $7 for one pair or $15 for three pairs.  The gold and white earrings at the very top of the post are $11.

 Rachel offers free shipping anywhere in the US,  and I can attest to the fact that the earrings arrive carefully packaged in a cute Mountain Mud box, inside of a padded envelope.

And, in case you can't wait, or just want some summer earrings, check out these adorable daisies that are $14 a pair, 

and the patriotic earrings I purchased for myself, which were $12.

 

Hope you've enjoyed this peek at some of Rachel's amazing creations!  She's always looking to add new designs, so if you don't see exactly what you are looking for, or if you prefer one of these styles in a different color, just message her and ask!

Book review: Gooseberry Patch Christmas Cookbook

 

I love to give Christmas books as gifts, especially to my daughters or younger friends.  I well remember what it was like to have no money for such treats.  Even buying the festive December issues of Woman's Day and Family Circle felt like an extravagance.  Yet they were so enjoyable with all of the wonderful recipes and ideas for decorating and gifting.  Today, when one can often find like-new Christmas cookbooks at ThriftBooks,  I can purchase these delightful volumes very frugally for gifts.

Today I thought I would share a little review of the above book by Gooseberry Patch, simply titled Christmas Cookbook.  (You can find a copy of this, in very good condition, on Thriftbooks for only $4.69:  Christmas Cookbook.)  Published in 2004 by Oxmoor House, this book is a gem.  The photography is stunning and the recipes so festive!

There are two basic sections of the book: "Our Favorite Christmas Menus" and "Our Favorite Christmas Recipes".  The first sounds as if it includes only menus, but that is not the case.  There are a good number of recipes included with every menu.  Here are the menu plans it includes:

* Christmas Dinner with all the Trimmings
* Christmas Eve Supper
* For the Kids
* Breakfast with Santa
* Home for the Holidays
* Casual Weeknight Supper
* Caroling Party
* Open House
* Just Dessert
* Cookie Swap

Scattered throughout both sections are little features titled "Christmas Memories".  

"Our Favorite Christmas Recipes" include the following categories:

* Tree-Trimming Treats
* Memorable Main Dishes
* Casual Entrees
* Christmas Morning Delights
* Holiday Sideboard
* Hearty Soups & Bountiful Breads
* Visions of Sugarplums
* Goodies for Giving

At the back of the book are also  a recipe index, a section with helpful holiday hints, an entertaining planner and a Christmas dinner planner.

I definitely found many recipes in this cookbook that I want to try.  Double-Chocolate Christmas Praline-Fudge Cake is one of them.  This layer cake with a chocolate ganache in between the three layers and a thick, candy-like praline frosting on top and dripping down the sides looks astoundingly delicious!  Best of all, it can be completely made ahead and frozen, then thawed before serving.

And I found a few recipes that I already use.  Baked Sausage & Eggs, for instance, in the "Breakfast with Santa" category, was my make-ahead company breakfast standby for years and years.

Most fun of all, to me, is the fact that the previous owner of this used book had turned down page corner after page corner, obviously marking recipes that he or she wanted to try.  I wonder if they got to do that?  Although I love owning this book, I feel a bit sad that the previous owner decided for whatever reason to let it go.

If  you are looking for a good all-around Christmas cookbook with wonderful recipes and gorgeous photos, you may want to try and find a copy of this one.  I highly recommend it!

A fun vintage way to gift cash

 

 While going through items to list for my Etsy shop,  I came upon the very cute unused Christmas card above.

You may wonder about a few things.  That blank spot on Santa's music box, for one.  The music box is trimmed with musical notes at top and bottom, and music notes also surround Santa, presumably because he has been turning the handle and producing music.  The greeting "Just a Little Christmas Note" would seem to go with that.

But then there is the inside message: "Merry Christmas -- and may this bring Some special little wished-for thing!"  Hmmm ... 

And, if you look closely, on either side of the holly at the inside left of the card is a slit.  Obviously this is a vintage money holder card!

You may have to be of a certain age to recall that cash sometimes used to be called "bank notes".  British currency is still referred to in this way, as in "a ten-pound note". 

Such a cute and clever card!  I folded a dollar bill in half and placed it inside the card (not disturbing the unused slits) to show what it would look like with cash in place.  I didn't pay a lot of attention to how I was placing the "note", but I like the way it turned out.

So cute! 

A family board game gift guide from the Turquoise Home

For the last day of Christmas in July, I'm sharing this Family Board Game Gift Guide from Laura at The Turquoise Home.  I happen to think that a board game, card game, or a jigsaw puzzle is one of the nicest family gifts to give or receive.   (Above, you see a game of Cover Your Assets in progress.)

 I know that our married kids and their kids love getting new games.  Oftentimes the kids will put games on their Amazon wish lists, and that is so helpful because I know it is a game they would really like to have.  If I didn't have this guidance, I might be apt to purchase a game they already own.

Laura's list, complete with photos, is incredibly helpful.  I've played several of these games with family members and I can see why they made the list.

Photo from Laura at The Turquoise Home

 You will note that #1 on Laura's list is Telestrations.  Whether played in New Hampshire or in Nevada, Telestrations has been a huge hit with the families we know. 

Sam's very detailed sketch picturing x-ray vision

Belly laughs over Telestrations in Nevada in 2018

 As for jigsaw puzzles, they can be found in many different stores or online sites.  One of the nicest is  White Mountain Puzzles, right here in New Hampshire.  Their puzzles can be found on their site, on Amazon and other retailers, on Etsy -- and, around the holidays, in our local supermarket.  The state puzzle below is a White Mountain Puzzle.

This Coke puzzle also looks like a lot of fun.  Both puzzles are from the collection of my local daughter and her family.

Need a gift for a family this Christmas?  Why not consider a board game or jigsaw puzzle?