Vintage on line

THE best version of The Night Before Christmas
is the 1960 Whitman Giant Tell-A-Tale version!!
This is not just my humble opinion...this is fact!
There were probably other versions before this
one in our family, and I know there were many
after...but this is the one that we all remember
and adore!!!


And a few years ago, I found out that this adoration
was shared by MANY others, when I decided that
I would make it my mission to find a copy for Bee
and Kae for Christmas! I am SUCH a nice sister!
(I am also the cutest, but let's just keep that
between us, ok?:)

This quest led me deeeeeeeeeeeeeep into the
Internet, first to narrow down just exactly
which Whitman book it was..but most importantly...
which year it was published AND who was the
illustrator! For you see, the only one you would
ever want is illustrated by Catherine Barnes!!!
Her illustrations are magical and sooooooooo
capture the Victorian Christmas home!
And as I look at her drawings, I begin to think
she may have influenced my decorating tastes!



Tiered serving dishes, ornate lamps & seashells!




CHINTZ!!!!!


Wicker....and LOOK at this iron bed!!!!!!!!!!



More wicker, a pink rug, a tufted & tasseled chair,
airy curtains and a lacey runner!




A fabulous mantel and hearth!



Ok, this cat could have been a tad better....
look at those eyes! YIKES! Satan's crafty minion!


But this was my little kid dream of a perfect
white Christmas!!!!!!!





And whenever I hear "visions of sugar plums danced
in their head"...this picture dances in mine!!!

I know this isn't every one's idea of Christmas, but for
us it was a huge part and it still has the power to take
us waaaaaaaaaaay down memory lane.
(Yes, I was able to get each of them a copy...and I happen
to know that there are 2 available on Ebay right now...
1 is $89.99 and the other is $170! See, I told you it
was adored :)