Home for the Holidays

Block Print Christmas Cards

I love the art of the early to mid 20th century, and one contemporary artist in particular captures the art of the Arts and Crafts Movement: Laura Wilder. I have the good fortune to own one of her "The Potter" prints. Using traditional block print processes, Laura prints her originals by hand. Here's some of what she's got in the way of holiday cards:

"The Gloaming"

"Montreal"

"Christmas Tabby"

I think the "Montreal" cards may have to be my Christmas thank-you cards this year. I just love the sentiment and the graphic qualities of this work!

What to Wear with the New Wingtips?

You know how it goes; you get a new pair of shoes, you need a new dress to go with them...You get a new dress, you need new shoes....

So what will I sew to go with the wingtips that are on their way to my humble abode? Definitely some 30's and 40's style dresses, and some more dressy than others. Time to start looking at my patterns (and at the stack of things that are still waiting for me to make them...Ahem.).

Here are some likely candidates for fabric to go with my new/vintage shoes. The scale on some of these swatches is wonky, but you get the general idea:

Merry Christmas to Us!

Have I told you lately what a wonderful husband I have? Not only did he have the courtesy to survive his near-death experience this fall; he stayed his sweet old self afterwards!

He wanted to know what I wanted for Christmas, and my first response was, "More time with you." Which, thanks to the academic calendar, I'm about to have. He did want to know what I wanted, so I showed him. They're from Adeline's Attic on Etsy. And they're coming in the mail. Lucky me!

One can never have too many pairs of wingtips/spectators. These are cream linen and ecru patent leather, probably from the 30's. My spring and summer wardrobe will never be the same!





And what did my boy get for Christmas? Wait for it...........camera gear. I don't even know what the gizmos do, but he wanted them, so of course he's getting them. I let him order them, just like he let me order these, since I wouldn't understand any of the technical stuff.

My name is Nancy and I am powerless over my addiction to shoes.....

Anyone for a Ski Holiday?

We're waiting for snow here... hope we get some. It seems to pass over the hamlet of Trumansburg and dump on the town directly across the lake from us. It's just not fair.

Here are some sweet vintage ski posters. I would be the one on her butt in the Grindelwald poster!

Merry Fuzzmas

Every year at Christmas time we make a donation to the local SPCA as a way of honoring our furry friends. We like supporting our small town shelter that is trying hard to keep up with the vagaries of a transient student population's pet-owning whims.

Today was bitter cold, and it made me think of how many street kitties and puppies there might be, shivering under a bush somewhere. I think this year's donation might be some old blankets, sweaters, and towels to use as bedding at the shelter. I imagine it would feel good to snuggle your frozen paws into a blankie of wool or fleece after a rough time on the streets...

Here are some adorable vintage Christmas cards with critters!

The Twelve Days of Christmas - A Unique Rendition

I used to sing in an accapella group. Sometimes I miss it. Here's some fun Christmas accapella for you all. I'll guarantee you you've never heard this version of The Twelve Days of Christmas...this is what happens when college accapella singers procrastinate and/or get stoned and arrange songs at the end of fall semester!

Movie Star Glamour - Marion Cotillard

Here's a modern girl who's got a good handle on good old-fashioned Hollywood glamour: Marion Cotillard. I loved her in "A Good Year," where she was the epitome of a modern French goddess. And when I saw her in "Public Enemy," I saw an actress who could embody the glamour and the grit of the Depression Era.

Here are some pics of Marion on various red carpets, looking for all the world like a starlet from byegone days.

I love this hairstyle, but I can't decide; is this a Grace Kelly look?

The only giveaway that this isn't a 1950's starlet is her platform shoes, which are definitely or a millennial flavor. Oh, that and Christian Bale's name and a URL on the poster in the background.

I can look like this any time I want to, really...I just don't want to... yeah, that's it!

I swear this suit is from a Vogue pattern...

A timeless Chanel little black dress.

A sea green chiffon gown and a bob; is she in a Fred Astaire film?

Have an Elegant Christmas

White Christmas

Dare I say it? We may actually have some snow this year? I do love an old-fashioned white Christmas. And to get us in the mood, here's one of my favorite campy numbers from the movie, "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera Ellen.



I love when they make the little diorama with the napkins... Gee, how swell!

And for my sister, her favorite number from this movie:



Aren't those dresses just dreamy? And I've always wanted sky blue elbow-length gloves! They'll go with simply everything!

Here's hoping we all have a wonderful holiday season!

Thank You

I sent this letter to be included in the December issue of the library newsletter, published today, in order to thank the amazing people I work with:

Dear CUL Community:

Many of you know that my husband Alex recently underwent a serious medical crisis, suffering from severe post-operative complications and spending a month in a medical coma. All told, he spent 6 weeks in the ICU and 2.5 weeks in the Physical Rehabilitation Unit, rebuilding some of his strength. His outpatient recovery still continues. I took most of the fall - the better part of three months’ Family Medical Leave - in order to deal with this crisis.

Alex left his position as Circulation and Billing Supervisor at the Nestle Library several years ago to open our pottery studio. As a self-employed artist, any time off means lost income for Alex. For me, Family Medical Leave guaranteed 12 weeks’ leave without endangerment of losing my job, but it is not paid leave; the employee must use accrued vacation time in order to draw any pay during the leave. I didn’t even have a weeks’ vacation time accrued.

I had no idea how we were going to make ends meet, but I needed to focus on the crisis at hand. With Alex unconscious and me as his health care proxy, I needed to be at the hospital almost constantly. I spent nights there more often than not.

At first we weren’t sure that Alex would survive; all we knew was that his hospitalization would be lengthy. I talked with my supervisors, Gary and Glen, with my unit head, Jim, and with Lyndsi in Human Resources. They were so supportive and reassuring. I feel very lucky to work at such a wonderful place. Lyndsi and Bonnie took care of all the paperwork for me, including setting up a vacation donation system.

Many members of our incredible community anonymously donated some of their vacation time so that I could continue to draw a paycheck during this emergency. Without your generosity, our medical crisis would quickly have become a financial crisis as well. I don’t know how to adequately express our gratitude. Knowing that I didn’t have to worry about paying the bills, and that my job was waiting for me when the crisis was over, made our situation just that much easier to bear. I could focus on Alex’s needs, and on learning the medical information I needed to know in order to make good decisions about his care.

“Thank you” seems so inadequate in light of the circumstances, but those are the best words I have. Thank you for your generosity, your support, your prayers, and good wishes. Thank you for making CUL the wonderful community that it is. I pray no one else finds themselves in a similar situation, but if they do, I will be honored to help them as I have been helped.

With gratitude, Nancy Solla

Propaganda Posters

When the show "Battlestar Gallactica" wrapped, they held an auction of props used on the show. I would have to go back and watch each episode carefully to see if any of these propaganda poster props ever made it into a shot, but I love that they were created and used to decorate the set. Someone did their homework and studied WWII and Soviet era propaganda posters in order to create these. I love them! I wish I had bid on them.

A Day Which Will Live on in Infamy

In honor of our grandfathers, "The Greatest Generation":

Pyrex Love

I grew up in Corning, NY, the home of Corning Glass Works. ("That little blue flower and a whole lot more.") And if, like me, you lived in the "Crystal City," you undoubtedly had many dishes made by "The Glass Works," as it was referred to by locals.

I grew up with Pyrex mixing bowls and refrigerator dishes, and later on Corelle dinnerware. (Which was supposedly unbreakable, but let me tell you, if a Corelle ware plate hits the floor just right, it splinters into a million tiny shards.)

There's a lovely little group on Flickr devoted to Pyrex, called Pyrex Love. If you're feeling nostalgic for Grandma's Pyrex mixing bowls as you're making your Christmas cookies this year, here's some lovely eye candy for you.

My Grandma had a full dinnerware set like this, including creamer and sugar bowl, etc. I ate a lot of meatloaf and mashed potatoes off these dishes.

These matched my mom's Corelle dinnerware pattern. I think she had 3 of these.

Mom had some of these, to continue her green and white color scheme.

Mom also had some non-green and white stuff, including the ubiquitous coffee pot with the little blue flower.

She also had the primary bowl set, which matches my fridge dishes (below).

I have a set like this. The primary color sets are early Pyrex.


I had a full set of these because they reminded me of my Grandma's, but I married a potter, and we had way too many dishes so I sold them.

Nifty Winter Toppers

I love hats. I would love to have more hats in my wardrobe. As I've written before, I have a particular fondness for cloches, which were de rigeur in the 20's through the 30's. Finding a vintage hat that is still in wearable condition can be hard, but there are some milliners out there making some wonderful "lids." Here are some nifty chapeaus:

Anna Shoub's "Sarah" Cloche

This sweet little number is made out of polar fleece, so it can withstand daily wear, keep you warm, and be packed in a bag without damage!

Hats in the Belfrey's "Tara"

I just love the plumage on this, and it can be made up for you in several different color combinations.

Red Whine's "Elegant Flapper"

Ooh, satin flowers! What's not to love about this simple, sleek topper?

Trousseau's "Asymmetrical Cloche"
Hand-blocked on an antique hatblock, but in today's color combos. I love the stripes in the trim.

Yestadt Millinery's "Dial M"
Definitely a nod to the days of old, but a contemporary take on the shape. So bold!

Behida Dolic's "French Cloche"
She could be a French Countess, non? That hat adds just a hint of sophistication and mystery, n'est-ce pas?

Behida Dolic's "Black Cloche"
Ok, if I buy this hat, will I look this elegant from this viewpoint? Talk about jaw-droppingly beautiful!

I am totally in love with Behida Dolic's sense of shape and line. She takes the classic shapes and makes them even better, in my book! There is an elegant simplicity that is simply gorgeous; I don't care that they're not "period"; I'd wear them with just about anything! Her website seems to be geared toward bespoke pieces and wholesale customers. If you want to snap up one of her ready-made pieces, check out her etsy shop.

I love looking at milliner's sites. You can find a whole range of aesthetics, materials, and price-points. And you should see the "race hats" they make for the Kentucky Derby and the Ascot Races! Talk about wild! I seem to have simple but expensive taste, myself. (sigh) One thing I love about hats is that they always fit, just like shoes! No matter what my waistline is doing, I don't have to alter my hats!