Today is Vintage Christmas Monday hosted by Joan @ Anything Goes Here. I love the idea of this party because with each Vintage Christmas Monday post I get to recall some wonderful memories of Christmas past.
Today I have one simple vintage Christmas card to share (and a project I created using the card). This card was sent out in December 1961 from my Mom and Dad to my Aunt and Uncle. After my Uncle passed away in 2001, my Aunt was cleaning out her house and came across this card which she had stored away and saved for 40 years. She thought that we would be interested in it and mailed it back to Mom and Dad.
What makes this so special to me is not just the card but the note that my Mom wrote inside the card. It was early December 1961 and my Mom had just had her 5th child on November 20th. She now had 5 children under the age of 7 and she found the time to hand write Christmas notes to family and friends (that in and of itself amazes me). This particular note to my Aunt and Uncle went into wonderful detail about each of us kids and reading those descriptions 40 years later was a real gift.
I won't bore you with all of the details of the note but this is how my Mom described me: "Janie is a year and 1/2 and the worst one we've had yet about getting into things. She is a real loverbug and Grandma and Grandpa sure like that".
There was a photo that was mailed out with all of the cards that year. This was the picture of the five of us in 1961.
Last year I decided to make a Christmas gift for all of my siblings using the card and picture. I made seven identical framed pictures for me, my 2 sisters, my three brothers (one for my youngest brother who was born in 1964) and my parents. I copied and reduced the size of the card, typed up the message that Mom had written, made copies of the picture and created this Christmas momento for my family.
Thanks for letting me share my vintage Christmas card.
Jane
What a wonderful vintage keepsake for all your family to have now...thanks for the precious memories.
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful! I love it, how sincere and heart warming. When both my parents were growing up they weren't the best off and so they couldn't even afford a camera for pictures. My mom came from a family of 8 children and my father was raised by a singlemom which worked just to make ends meat to raise him and his little brother. This is a beautiful idea. I'm going to have to go through my moms pictures of us all when we were younger.... my mom still hasn't given us any... LOL. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful idea!
ReplyDeleteI love your blog! I love the old photo, looks like we grew up around the same time. You did a wonderful job with the framed picture for all of your siblings. I made ornaments a couple of years ago kind of like this for my brother. They were of us sitting with Santa when we were little. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Marcia
It is so nice that you have personal vintage treasures. The stocking you had last week is so detailed and darling but a handwritten card and sentiment seem a greater treasure. Thanks for sharing. Judi
ReplyDeleteThat is a wonderful gift~ all started with a card saved for 40 years. Your story that goes with the gift you made for everyone is very heart warming and illustrates why we love those vintage things so much. Happy Vintage Christmas Monday.
ReplyDeleteThat was one sweet card Jane. How wonderful that you shared it with your brothers and sisters that way. How many of us know what our parent's were really thinking of us when we little? Did everyone grow up with the personalities described? I know you're still getting into things, hutning for treasures and do-dads to make over!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Dawn
Jane that is such a cool gift for your siblings! I am sure they loved it!
ReplyDeleteOh, Joan! What a treasure indeed. I love what you did with that card. A priceless gift! I know it is a treasure to each one of you.
ReplyDeleteJoan, if I can find them, I am going to send you some little plastic Santa's that I found at a thrift shop last year (if you searcg my blog, you will find them). They are adorable, they look to be from the 60's or 70's. I wanted to find some crafty way to use them, but my brain unfortunatley doesnt work like yours does. I sure hope I can find them....I am going to get in my attic tomorrow and look.
Im in for today too. Stop by if you can.
http://lbratina.blogspot.com/2009/11/vintage-christmas-monday.html
I love how you took the lovingly saved card and combined it with a picture to share with your siblings and parents. Now the next generation in your family will have another treasure to display in their homes!
ReplyDeleteJane, I love this! What a thoughtful and memorable gift. I probably would have cried.
ReplyDeleteThat is beautiful. I bet that your family treasures the memories and what you did with them:)
ReplyDeleteOh, this is just the sweetest. The Christmas card and photo card you created is such a wonderful momento for you and your family. Love the family pic of you and your siblings.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful gift you made for your family from that photo.
ReplyDeleteI just love things like that.
Your blog is wonderful.
I enjoyed visiting,
Laura
That is just the most special way to save and share a momento like that. You are so clever. I love scrapbooking, just don't have enough time. I'll bet your brothers and sister will treasure your gift.
ReplyDeleteOh what a wonderful gift to pass on to your siblings! Those are the best of memories, I'm sure. Sounds like your Mom is truly a very special lady. Love your header pic as well.
ReplyDeleteHave a blessed week.
Susie
Jane,
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful memory! I love all things vintage! The photo is simply a treasure!
Dee Dee
What a great memory....and you haven't changed at all ... you are still "getting into things"!!
ReplyDeleteHi Jane, what a precious entry for today! Your card is priceless and so is what your mama wrote... how wonderful you have made copies for your family... Bisous... Julie Marie
ReplyDeleteOh my! I think you win the best VCM prize for this Monday. I'm sure your family loved it.
ReplyDeleteHi Jane,
ReplyDeleteThis is great! How wonderful that you still have some of these things from your childhood. What a beautiful gift you made for your family members with those pieces. I'm sure they will treasure it for a very long time!
I'm glad you liked my antique santa, I did think about you when I found him, I know those are your favorites! I will be sharing more Santas soon.
Jane what a treasure you have given all of your siblings. And what a darling bunch of kids your mom and dad created too. What a special thing to have in your possession to cherish always. I LOVED this Vintage Christmas Monday!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
June
What a wonderful gift for your family.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great gift. So fantastic that your aunt kept it all these years and then returned it to you upon your uncle's death. That is certainly something special. And the gift that you made from that card for your siblings and your parents is absolutely heart touching! The photo of the five of you is just adorable. What great memories. Blessings to you, :) Tammy
ReplyDeleteJane that is truly a wonderful gift you created for your siblings!! I absolutely love the idea...so special!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful children you all were!
:) T
What a wonderful vintage item! You did an amazing job with the gift you turned it into for your family. What a great thing to have to remember! I loved it!
ReplyDeleteSonya
you are just awesome -- what a gift you gave your siblings - and hilarious what your mom wrote about you - i love when you write about your family. love this post jane!
ReplyDeleteThat's so funny how your Mom described you! And you haven't changed a bit! I love what you made for your family with that picture. I bet they all cherish it!
ReplyDeleteHappy VCM!
Carol
What a treasure for your family. I love what you did with it to share with the rest of your family.
ReplyDeleteJane~what a great idea your Aunt had mailing the card back after 40 years...now your entire family can enjoy the photo and comments about each of you! Hope you have an awesome week!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Linda
What a cute little card! such a wonderful idea to make a family keepsake for your siblings. You were such a cute bunch of kids! Your mom must have had her hands full with all of you.
ReplyDeleteBless her heart. I don't know how moms did it then. My friend was one of 8 kids.
Debbie
That is a wonderful gift idea. I bet they all loved it.
ReplyDeleteIt's fun to see all the vintage treasures.
Warmly,
Deb :)
Hi Jane, me again. I did find the Santa. You can check him out at the bottom of last Wed. Rednesday post, after the postcards he led me to! I think mine was probably made in the late 60's or early 70's. It's dfferent but has enough similarities that I can see how the pattern could have evolved. It would be interesting to know where the patterns came from.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Dawn
What a fantastic keepsake for the family. How fantastic that your Aunt kept it after all these years. I'm ashamed to say that I've been dumping most of my old cards.
ReplyDeleteHi Jane, this is just a wonderful keepsake and memento. I love how you re-made it for all your siblings. That was such a precious and thoughtful gesture. I really loved this post!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Debra
Jane, what a treasure you found, and you are so creative to think about making this into a memento for your family. How very precious to have your mother's words on that card talking about each child. Priceless. I hope you had a wonderful Thankgiving too!
ReplyDeleteWhat a treasure!! I am sure your siblings were so grateful and appreciative. I know I would have been!
ReplyDeletewhat a lovely post and great memories, I would so cherish to have that, sadly nothing was kept...
ReplyDeleteSarah
Oh, that is such a precious gift!! I love reading old notes like that! Luckily, my grandmother saves everything, and she has an old steamer trunk just filled with things like this!! I just love sitting down and going through a stack of stuff we pull out of there, when I get the chance to visit her. I'm sure your family will appreciate the memories you have brought back with this little gift! Well done!!
ReplyDeleteJane,
ReplyDeleteYou are all about detail...with a lot of thought and caring mixed in. You always seem to come up with one of a kind. And so, at 1 1/2, you were getting into things? Looks like it carried over into adulthood! Thank goodness!
Living it up at Lakewood,
Cindy
Jane - I LOVED hearing the story behind the card, and seeing the what you created from it. I'm sure your siblings were very touched by your thoughtfulness and they'll cherish it for many years. You're definitely a creative, gifted woman.
ReplyDeletepk @ Room Remix
Just catching up with all your goings on and wanted to let you know how adorable I think your vintage card is. But even more lovable is the card that you created for yourself and your siblings, so thoughtful. Do you want to adopt another sister??
ReplyDeleteYou have the luckiest siblings ever! What a treasured gift you made!
ReplyDelete~Carolyn
hi there from ireland,
ReplyDeletei just love the vintage christmas card brought back memories for me what a shame we throw out anything really from our childhood how we would love to see them in later life! i think we are around the same vintage ourselves!
Oh Jane the mantel is beautiful! I love the shutters too. You have that decorating knack!
ReplyDelete