Sunday Crush (a day late and several dollars short)

Tinsel Lights

Oh man, I fogot my Sunday Crush installment. Well, I think you'll forgive me since I was shopping for my latest crush...Vintage Christmas.

We lived with my Grandparents from 1967 to about 1977. Christmas at my Gram's house was always a big, BIG deal and she always held a huge all-you-can-eat (and drink) Christmas Eve party. She decorated with the usual stuff, tree, train, little houses, garland, plastic figures, candle holders, salt and pepper shakers, the usual.

My Aunt still lives in that house and we do still celebrate Christmas Eve there but just with immediate family. Some of the decorations are the same but others don't get put up, have been gifted away, were junked or are otherwise MIA. I am an extremely sentimental person when it comes to my childhood and when I started finding the exact items my Gram once displayed, well, I had to have them.

Up first, my most sensational find! An aluminum tree with all it's branches, original box and base. Looks to be in pretty nice condition too. I watched this same item go for $81 at auction, did a little searching and found this one for sale at a little over half the price! Now, it's only 2 feet high because I'm using it in my bedroom. It's a safety hazard to put electric lights on aluminum trees. Instead, you use a color wheel which illuminates the tree in a couple of colors. I'm just not sure a 2 foot tree needs a 12" color wheel. I may try to rig up some other light fixture with a single color (Pink?) bulb or small spot light.



Now, my Gram never had an aluminum tree. She's probably rolling over the fact that I'll have one. She hated them and always had a fresh tree. I remember a neighbor in the "new" housing development full of modern ranches had a pink aluminum tree that rotated in their big bay window. I thought they must have been uber rich to have such a fancy display! In truth, if you want a 5" or 6" PINK aluminum tree, you had better have $ to burn because they go for thousands of dollars!

Here's a link to some info about the history of the aluminum tree plus a pic of a Pinky!
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/museum/artifacts/archives/001924.asp

www.wisconsinhistory.org/museum/artifacts/archives/001924.asp
(sorry, may have to copy/paste in your browser as I can't seem to get links to come up)

Something of my Gram's that I did score were these Knee Hugger Elves. I swear the green one is an exact duplicate of the ones that sat in the ledge of her kitchen window! I *think* she might have had a red one or maybe even this white one but it became discolored from sun or somehow damaged and my Gram pitched him. The cool part is that the tags say, "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry Stuffed Toy Registration Number 85 Approved". As I live in PA, I told the seller I am bringing the boys home! LOL





Another of my Grammy's decorations are these Snowman Salt and Pepper Shakers. These were on one side of the kitchen window over her sink. The other corner had a set of Mr. and Mrs. Claus Shakers which I am still hunting down but getting warmer. (I found them but they were "repurposed" into friggin tree ornaments. arrrrggghhh)



I also found three of her old cookie tins and was "this close", had them in my shopping cart and everything. The only problem is that I don't usually bake. I could bake, Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate Chip (you use chocolate cake batter, chocolate chips and walnuts) and Cherry Winks (dates in the batter, rolled in crushed cornflakes and dotted with a snip of marachino cherry...nobody loved these except my Gram and I). My Gram made all of these as well as Oatmeal, Peanutbutter and Hello Dolly's (made in a pan, layers of graham cracker, condensed sweetened milk, choc chip, coconut, nuts and just keep repeating until you are outta room). The only thing is that we are watching fat and cholestorol. I think maybe my Gram would prefer if I saved my money on the tins and skipped the cookies in exchange for our health. I dunno. We'll see...I may get them yet!

Oh geesh! I just remembered...I found Gram's tree topper and I need to go back and get it! I hope it's still there! I always wanted to know the angel's name and Gram finally said it was Gabriel. I was so in love with this angel that I would hide it when they were packing up the decorations so I could have it all year. I always got caught. My Aunt still has this one and uses it. Still my favorite angel. :)

Update: Gotchya! She's made with something referred to as "spun glass"



Okay...gotta go shop a wee bit more!
I have NO ornaments for my swanky aluminum tree and that must be rectified pdq!