Tuesday, December 7, 2010

I Come Bearing Gifts: A Vintage Christmas GIVEAWAY

Back in April when I timidly wrote my first blog post, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  My kids were shocked that their techno-primitive mother managed to figure out how to design a blog.  Then I was shocked when I got my first follower, and then 2 and 3...

And now seven months and 74 posts later, I'm celebrating 100+ followers!   Yay!  Thanks so much for hanging in there with me over these past months.  I couldn't have done it without your support and friendship.  You were my inspiration...and my free therapy!

You helped me survive the breakup of a relationship, another birthday, blogger's burnout and seller's block.  You were there to help share in the excitement of my estate sale finds each week.  You forgave me for my sometimes outrageously looong posts.  And most recently...you helped me celebrate finally getting Sarsaparilla's Boudoir up and running on Etsy. 

And guess what? I already sold 8 items!  I'm not bragging - just surprised!  I need to restock soon!  Thanks so much for your encouragement and good suggestions.  You're the best!

You've given me so much - and now it's time for me to give a little back.  So, I'm having a little vintage Christmas Giveaway...



I'm going to pick TWO winners.  And each winner gets to pick one gift package from my selection of four.  I thought it might be nice for you to have a few options so that you can choose the giveaway you like best.

If both winners pick the same item for their first choice - then I'll toss a coin (or something like that) to figure out who gets to choose first.  Sound reasonable?   I really wish I could give all four packages away - but I don't want to spoil you too much...  :-)

Gift #1 - 1960's Vintage Christmas collection.



or...
Gift #2 - 1930's and 40's Paper collection.


or...
Gift #3 - 1960's Frilly Pink Nylon Negligee



or...
Gift #4 - 1960's 2-Piece Green Dress


Here's how to enter: 

Just leave me a comment by Tuesday, December 21 (first day of winter) at midnight!  AND since it's the holiday season, it would be really great if in your comment you'd be willing to share one of your favorite winter holiday traditions...   (Not required - just an idea!)  To get things rolling, I'll share one of mine.  Each year on the night that my little family decorated our Christmas tree, my daughter and I used to pull out the bed on the sleeper sofa in our living room - which is right in front of the Christmas tree - and  we would have a little Christmas slumber party with music and reading Christmas stories and staring at the pretty Christmas tree lights.  Okay....your turn!

If you aren't already a follower, I'd love it if you'd like to start following my blog.  But I'm not going to make you!  As long as you leave a comment, your entry will have the same weight as everyone else's.  If you don't have a blog with an email listing, please make sure to leave your email address in your comment so that I can find you if you win!

Note:  one exception to "every entry will have the same weight."   If you mention my giveaway in your blog, with a link, I would be so appreciative - and will throw your name in twice!  Just let me know...

I live in the United States - but please, please, please know that if you are the winner I will be very happy to ship to Ireland or New Zealand or France or Norway or wherever you are.  I'm not worried about the shipping cost.  It's the least I can do for all the joy you bring to me each day!

Here are some more photos of the giveaway options...

These ceramic singers have a Ucagco - Japan sticker.


Soft vinyl reindeer - heads turn!  Made in Japan.


Pair of vintage Santa Mugs, Napco - Japan stickers.



Set of 6 "The Family Circle" magazines.  All are from 1940.  These are slim mags, with approx. 18 - 24 pages each. 


Set of 5 Culinary Arts Institute softcover cook books from 1940 and 1941.


Two "human hair" hairnets in bright packages - probably 1950s.


A variety of sheet music, ranging from 1925 to 1943.


This frilly 1960's 100% nylon pink negligee / nightie has an extra layer of filmy chiffon in the front.  The gown can be tied at the waist - or the tie can be removed and it can be worn like the first photo above.



I love these rows of feminine ruffles!  The sleeves are wide enough to form a bit of a cap across the shoulder.  The label:  Size M - Penney's "Adonna"  (sounds like a Greek goddess!)


Here's what the green dress (photo above) looks like underneath the little sleeveless blouse.  The top portion is a smooth satiny material.  That same material is used as slip underneath the skirt.


Here are the labels inside the dress - "Carl Naftal Originals - California."  100% Dacron Polyester.  Size 12. (Seems to be about a medium, but I will post the measurements soon!)


My favorite detail - the pockets with sparkly rhinestone buttons!

Those of you who saw my previous post about this dress...I know what you're thinking - "She's giving the dress away because she doesn't want to have to worry about losing those 10 lbs..."

Ha! Not true. I'm actually looking forward to the weight just slipping off with all the exercise I've been doing.  I'm giving it away because I know that several of you really liked the dress - and it would bring me joy, especially at this time of year, to make someone happy!

I look forward to reading your holiday tradition comments.  Thanks again for your friendship!

p.s. No need to figure out now what gift you like best.  You can decide when you win!


42 comments:

  1. YAY! Congrats on 100 followers! I love your blog!!! Definitely count me in for the giveaway...I would love to get my paws on the paper collection! One of my favorite holiday traditions is decorating our mantelpiece for the holidays....it's always so festive!

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  2. Hurrah! 100 followers...and rightly so!
    My favourite Christmas family tradition is putting all the things the kids made that are still in one piece, on the tre, oh and listening to carols whilst making dinner.
    Fab giveaway! Love it all...xxx

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  3. Congrats on 100 followers, WOW what a giveaway! I love love love all the Christmas stuff!

    I love Christmas so we have a few things we like to do, but my favourite is putting up the decorations, we have set music we listen to, first up is the Andrew Sisters Christmas Album in my opinion THE best Christmas music, then we move on to White Christmas Soundtrack, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, you name it. I also like putting up the tree as we buy ornaments that remind us of different trips, we used to visit Switzerland a lot & in Basel they have amazing Christmas decoration shops! We've also got a couple we got when in New York.

    Wow I've rambled on, can you tell I love Christmas!

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  4. Wow this is a cool giveaway. You get a choice! Count me in. Our tradition is watching a Christmas Carol and going and picking our christmas tree

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  5. YAY! Congratulations! Isn't it great to have readers. I love it, too. I love the giveaway options! Too many good things!

    I love staring at the Christmas tree. When we were kids my brother and I would play a game with the ornaments. Like 20 questions but it was about an ornament. My brother would always hide the ornament he picked so I wouldn't find it.

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  6. Congratulations for your 100 followers!!!
    WOW!!! what a good give away!!! I want to enter!!
    I don't have a Xmas tradition.

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  7. HA HA HA...you are so funny...
    congrats to you and your 100 followers!! you inspire us all!!!
    favorite holiday tradition? eating everything in sight of course!!! hahaha
    okay...the pink nightie is super cute!!!!
    good luck on your giveaway and here's to 100 more followers and months of blogging to come!! here here.
    take care
    sue

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  8. Susan,
    Huge congratulatons! I am so pleased for you. It is so much fun to blog, isn't it?
    We have had some deep sadness in our family. I cannot remember if I told you. You can check our blog to see.
    I think I will be back more often now. I love seeing your estate sale items. Especially because I am not making it to the sales right now.
    Fondly,
    Suz

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  9. Hooray - my favorite, Vintage Christmas! When I was a child, we had the traditon of giving our cat a Christmas catnip gift every year. Starting year two, it was wrapped in a metal coffee can after he went into a frenzy the first year, clawing open packages under the tree until he found the right one. Good times.

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  10. I chanced upon your blog today and have been delving into the archives. Such a wonderful blog, I can't believe it has passed me by for this long!

    Congratulations on reaching (and exceeding!) 100 followers!

    I've got my eye on the paper goods... in particular, those 5 Culinary Arts Institute cookbooks!! I collect vintage cookbooks (the worse, the better) and CAI puts of some real doozies!

    (mercurielle@gmail.com)

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  11. Susan,

    I am happy for you and proud of you! Yay! Keep up the blogging and the online selling. And have a wonderful Christmas!

    - Michael

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  12. Congrats on the following. You have a new follower now, Me! I just found your blog, what a delight. I love the mags. What a find!

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  13. OMG

    I want it all however I think those little santa mugs are awful cute, but no I love that lime green dress, oh I really like that pink nightie, and I always love reading old magazines, wait those little reindeer would look cute with my village, the little sweet choir babies singing are awful sweet.

    Like I said I would be happy with any of it.

    How fun is this? What a good give a way

    And congratulations on your blog, I know what it means for other ladies to support us.

    I am sorry for any sadness anyone is feeling this time of year.(including me)

    Janice

    Merry Christmas

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  14. what a wonderful giveaway! those vinyl reindeer would fit perfectly with my budding collection....thanks for stopping by southern belle simple! xoxo

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  15. Now! LOL
    It is wonderful to reach readers in this way you can do, I really enjoy your long, long posts. Please count me in for the contest.
    We are Catholics, so the gifts are on December 6 in the morning, are supposed to bring the Kings, so on the night of December 5, children leave cookies and milk in the living room, so that " Reyes Magos "eat when you come to leave gifts.

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  16. i love the green dress!! PinkVintageno74@aol.com

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  17. I adore the 60s holiday set and the nightie! Count me in! Congrats on 100 followers, Susan! I adore your blog!!

    As for holiday traditions, my father is from Norway and has lived in the US since he was 25. So per Norwegian tradition, we have always celebrated Christmas Eve with a big dinner and party. My parents' friends and neighbors come by and join us for cocktails, snacks, and dinner. My mother (who is from Ireland) will also cook a huge Christmas day dinner as well! Mom also makes an amazing figgy pudding! (Talk about holiday weight gain! Lol)

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  18. Congrats on 100 followers and thanks for the generous giveaway! I would be so thrilled to win the vintage magazines. One of our holiday traditions is to watch reruns of The Christmas Story and open one gift each on Christmas eve.
    tanyainjville at yahoo dot com

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  19. Hi Susan,
    this looks like a fabulous giveaway. Thank you for being so generous, hope I win but if not I already got the best gift of all...your friendship.
    Mary CHRISTmas & a BLESSED NEW YEAR !

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  20. There's a major snowstorm going on right now in Minnesota - and I have no choice but to stay home. I LOVE snowstorms!

    Thanks everyone for stopping by. I've been having so much fun reading about your holiday traditions. I've never had figgy pudding!

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  21. Congratulations on your 100th! I love those little plastic reindeer! One tradition I DON'T like is I invariably break a shiny brite (or two) as I hang my vintage ornaments from the tree. Doh! Guess that just means I need to find more the following year!

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  22. Congrats on 100 followers!I have only just found your blog so i hope you don't mind if i enter the giveaway:)
    When i was a kid i always loved going up to the mountains to find & cut down a christmas tree.The pine tree smeell always reminds me of christmas with my grandma.
    Now that i have kids i always love leaving the milk & cookies out for Santa & carrots for the reindeer:)My hubby & i try to do things to make it look like Santa has been like nibbling the carrots & making sleigh tracks in the dew on the lawn etc:)
    I hope you & your family have a very merry christmas!

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  23. FAbulous give away - I love those babycham deer!
    Count me in and I will blog and tweet it too.

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  24. Hello Susan!! Everybody tells me my Christmas tradition is pretty boring but I like it!! I simply eat the best foie gras (made by my mum) and drink a good champagne in front of the chimney...and to top it all we watch "Pearl Harbor" snuggled up against each others on the couch!!
    Did you already buy all your Christmas presents? It seems to be an endless mission!!lol

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  25. Congrats on 100 + followers. We have many holiday traditions but my most favorite is riding around looking at all the holiday lights. We have done this since .... well forever....and just always have so much fun.

    Tiffany

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  26. Congratulations on 100 followers! And what a great giveaway! What fun items you're giving away!

    Favorite holiday tradition: Gotta be watching "It's a Wonderful Life" while wrapping presents and drinking hot chocolate. (Before I had a 16 pound, Christmas tree-climbing cat, it was decorating the tree, but haven't had a tree for 8 years now. We go to Granny's and enjoy hers on Christmas Day!)

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  28. I know which one I want :-)

    For the last 26 years Christmas at my house has been all on Christmas Eve. I love how the lights look after dark, and it leaves all day on Christmas to play with any new goodies.

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  29. Wowsa,sweetheart!! What a fab giveaway-I'm so totally in!!
    G and my Christmas tradition is to try and get out of town and away from it all!!!
    Yeehaaaaaah!
    XXX

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  30. Enter me please!
    When I used to live with my parents.. on Christmas morning after opening presents, we would make hot chocolate & drink it out of santa mugs and eat Peruvian fruit cake bread. =)

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  31. Thanks for letting me know about your great give away. :)

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  32. Hi, thanks for your get well wishes. Of course when I read about your give away I was already on the mend ;-)! This is the third year in line that I'm sick when I think I should be decorating for Christmas. Does that sound like a holiday tradition? I hope not! We over here have two days of Christmas, December 25th, the first and the 26th the second day of Christmas. Now the first day is the 'family dinner and gifts day' but the second is the stay in your pajama's as long as you wish and play with your presents day. I love that 2nd day of Christmas. There are more than plenty left overs so you don't have to do anything. Everybody should have at least 2 days of Christmas and ending with a third (sunday) to rest!

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  33. I love your blog! Our computer melted down last week and I didn't have my list of favorites to read-yours included, and I missed you SO much. Anyway, my best Christmas memory is my sis and I in our pj's with messy hair ripping open our gifts with much delight. And then looking back on the couch seeing our parents in their pj's with messy hair drinking coffee, also getting much delight watching us. So fun, I wish I could go back just for a few minutes.

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  34. I....wanna win that stufffff..... my favorite holiday "tradition", I guess, is the fact that my mother, in spite of staying up super late to play Santa and make sure all the gifts are in place, has always, ALWAYS been the first one up on Christmas morning. Sometimes she would have to wake US up...her anticipation level for opening presents is like a hundred times higher than either my sister's or mine. :)

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  35. Ooh love it.We always have the big cooked breakfast drowned in maple syrup and the kids have to wait until Dad has cooked it and everyone has finished before they can touch a present:)We did stop the 'Mother has been getting into the sherry' tradition though after a few 'Mother is drunk by lunchtime' events....

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  36. Wow, what a great giveaway! Please put my name in the hat! Our family opens all the gifts on Christmas Eve, after a nice dinner and drive around town to look at the Christmas lights. My parents are now in their 80's, so these holidays mean so much to me, and I feel so fortunate that we're all here to enjoy Christmas together one more year!

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  37. Congratulations on your 100 followers :)
    I don't have my own Christmas traditions yet, both this year and last year I've gotten a live tree - last year it died...Oops, I'm hoping that's not the Christmas tradition.
    I always remember the great huge boxes of goodies we would get from my Grandmother though. One was full of grapefruits and the other had tons of different types of cookies and fruitcake and little presents. Sometimes bakelite buckles remind me of the shapes of her shortbread cookies now.

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  38. Congrats on the 100 followers (it looks liek you're up to 110 now)! What a great giveaway, those cookbooks look awfully nice.

    My favourite Christmas tradition? That's a hard one but I would probably have to pick our activities for Christmas Eve. We always go out for Chinese food on Christmas eve (aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and all) then to my parents place to watch Christmas movies and drink "Moose Milk" (my grandpas recipe which contains egg nogg, ice cream and a lot of liquor).
    That or opening stockings on Christmas morning, my parents always put in a mandarin orange (as a treat) and a dirty potatoe (to remind us that we weren't perfect all yeat).

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  39. Hiya Susan....!

    What a FABULOUSLY GENEROUS giveaway....If I was LUCKY enough to be one of your winners I would GLADLY pay for shipping to me here in Australia....!!

    There's just Mr SVJ & I here & our Christmas is a fairly relaxed affair....The only REAL tradition we have is that we absolutely POSITIVELY have to get our REAL Christmas tree on the 6th December....That's Mr SVJ's birthday & the START of Christmas for us....Mind you....We get the tree on the 6th but it's often NOT decorated for a couple of weeks....As a matter of fact....That is the ONE THING I have to do today....hahahahaha....!!

    CONGRATULATIONS on 100 followers AND for making it through the year you've had with a smile....!!!

    Cheers for now,
    Tamarah :o)

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  40. Dearest S, what a treat!
    Thank you so much for your sweet comment.
    Me and the kids make a gingerbread house the first weekend in December. Its never the same - we draw a new one each year. And it usually ends up as a Picasso creation, haha. When christmas is over, we smash it to peaces and eat it ;)
    Have a nice evening! Its good to be back :)

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  41. So glad we are blogging friends! Our family Christmas traditions are not very original: we always cut our own tree and bring the dogs along. We always have appetizers for dinner the night we trim the tree. We always go to midnight mass and then have hot chocolate and cookies before we go to bed. And we always stop opening presents halfway and have breakfast on Christmas morning. (Our boys are in their 20's and no little ones yet.) Merry Christmas!

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