The other day when Ms. Jeannie went over the year in review, she mentioned making a batch of cinnamon-nutmeg scones. If you don’t recall, here is what they looked like:
Scones, antique ironstone and vintage Royal Jackson china.
Blog reader, Amy, wrote in to request the recipe agreeing that such a simple treat would be the perfect partner to mull over one’s thoughts with. This recipe is an easy one and made even better by adding home made jam on top.
Ms. Jeannie’s sister, Marianne, makes AMAZING jams and jellies. Those pictured above are the latest batch she just sent. It is a happy day whenever a box of goodies arrives from her. Mr. Jeannie Ology can hardly contain himself while the box gets unwrapped. This gift box included: Blackberry, Raspberry, Orange Cranberry and Italian Plum jams (Italian plum not pictured – because it’s already been devoured!).
Each jar holds a magnificent concoction of flavors – this one is cranberry orange.
Marianne picks all the fruit herself, in the Seattle summer months (aka the non-rainy season!), and then gets to work canning away. She also makes her own labels – so cute! She was a true Martha Stewart way before anybody knew about the actual Martha.
Gorgeous jam in a gorgeous package!
She’s actually really crafty in all the creative areas. When Ms. Jeannie’s other sister, Christine, got married in 2010, Ms. Jeannie and Marianne put together all the floral arrangements and wedding bouquets.
Wedding flowers in route to the wedding!
Their work space for the bouquet assembly was the hotel room floor the morning of the wedding. It was festive and fun to see a floor full of flowers. The arrangements came together with ribbon and laughter. It was frantic but in a good way and left such an edible memory – one of her favorites of the entire wedding weekend.
So, as you can see Marianne’s creativity knows no limits. From jam to floral arrangements – she’s a one woman wonder.
Back to those scones… Ms. Jeannie recommends, that once you remove them from the oven, you should add a healthy dose of butter and jam on top of each scone while they are still warm. Hopefully you are lucky, like Ms. Jeannie and have an excellent jam source too.
Nutmeg-Scented Scones
Makes eight triangle shaped scones.
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly grated whole nutmeg or ground nutmeg
1 egg white, beaten to blend with 2 teaspoons water (for glaze)
2 teaspoons sugar
Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in processor; blend 10 seconds. Using on/off turns, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add sour cream. Using on/off turns, blend until moist clumps form. Turn dough out onto floured work surface. Knead 4 turns to form ball. Flatten dough to about 3/4 inch thick circle. Cut into 8 wedges. Brush with egg-white glaze; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Transfer to baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.
Bake scones until tops are golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer scones to rack and cool slightly.
Recently, RoseMary from Shasta Lake Shop on Etsy, also wrote in about the Royal Jackson china (pictured with the scone). This is what she had to say:
“FYI The Autumn pattern was discontinued in the early 1950s. I was married in 1952 and chose it as my fine china pattern. I was devastated when in about 1953 I received a call that the pattern was being discontinued. I had just a few pieces, probably a service for 6. Replacement services were unknown at that time. It wasn’t until 50 years later that I found someone on ebay who had many of the pieces. I bought everything he had. Now I can set a table for 20+ people with all the extra serving pieces. Homer Laughlin also made a matching pattern in semi-vitreous china. Don’t know what its called or much about it but bought a set to help fill out my pattern for a while.” – RoseMary, The Shasta Lake Shop
Ms. Jeannie loves hearing stories like these! She tried to do a quick search for the Homer Laughlin pattern that RoseMary mentioned but she couldn’t come up with anything yet. If you know what the pattern name is, please write in! This china is so pretty – Ms. Jeannie couldn’t imagine having an entire set. RoseMary is one lucky lady!
Set of 6 Royal Jackson teacups – available in Ms. Jeannie’s shop.
When Ms. Jeannie got married she didn’t register for one specific china pattern. Instead she registered at Fishs Eddy, which is a vintage/contemporary china store in New York City.
The magical Fishs Eddy store on Broadway and 19th Street in NYC. Photo credit: David Mills.
They sell a mix-match of vintage and antique dishes mostly from old hotels and restaurants, and then they offer some unique new patterns from designers like Cynthia Rowley too. Basically every time you visit – it’s a new experience.
So Ms. Jeannie registered for a color scheme (blue and white at the time!), which meant any piece of china that fell under those two colors was a gift in the making. Some people thought Ms. Jeannie was brave for being so whimsical in giving guests the “pick whatever you like” experience – but Ms. Jeannie thought of it as an adventure. Besides – there was nothing at Fishs Eddy that she didn’t like – so how could anyone go wrong? As long as it was blue and white – it was perfect!
And as it turned out, each piece that someone chose as a wedding gift, carried with it a little bit of personality from the gift giver. So it became a great memory stacked on top of another great memory. This is the kind of stuff Ms. Jeannie loves most about china. It’s not only the beauty of the actual piece – it’s the beauty of the memory that it represents too.
A big thank you for sharing your thoughts, dear readers! Ms. Jeannie looks forward to more conversations. Until then, happy reading (and writing!).
With such wealth of imagination and inspiration on Pinterest who could resist? If you are unfamiliar with Pinterest – it is like a visual bulletin board where you can gather pictures from all over the internet into one tidy little space. It’s agreat way to figure out what appeals to you in an aesthetic way. And it spans all aspects of life: cooking, decorating, clothing, party planning, pets, kids, travel – so you are well covered.
Here’s Ms. Jeannie’s page:
Ms. Jeannie’s now on pinterest!
Ms. Jeannie likes to peruse it for new ways to decorate with vintage items and for a dose of daily daydreaming. She could easily get lost for hours!
So far, she has set up 11 boards (but over time this will probably grow and grow and GROW!). Here is what she’s started with… click on each picture to go directly to that board to see more related photos…
The Vintage House
Inside this board, you’ll find all sorts of vintage home decor items and historic house photographs.
The Vintage Wardrobe
This board contains iconic styles throughout history. This photo is by Tom Palumbo.
The Vintage Garden
This board contains historic garden designs and layouts. This pear tree allee is modeled after a garden in Historic Williamsburg, VA.
The Antique Bookshelf
This board contains all things relating to old books: library design, cover art, bookplates, etc.
The Antique Art House
In this board you’ll find old art and interesting ways to display it. This rabbit sketch is by J Van Noate.
Faceless Portraits
This a whimsy board! Ms. Jeannie has always been captivated by faceless portraits. Here, you’ll see a wide range of them!
The Vintage Dog
Ms. Jeannie’s friend has a wall of antique dog art that is absolutely stunning. He collects all different types and then clusters them close together collage-style on the wall. Who could resist such faces!
The Vintage Man
This board contains a variety of contemporary ways to dress your man in vintage clothes as well as interesting masculine decor and items for him.
The Historic Holiday
Here you will find vintage holiday decorating ideas for all celebrations throughout the year. Classic designs with a hint of nostalgia.
The Vintage Cloth
This board contains all things related to vintage fabrics and unique ways to display them. These framed beauties above are vintage handkerchiefs.
The Family Tree
And of course, Ms Jeannie has to have a genealogy board! This one is dedicated to unique family trees.
Stop by and have a peek…click here to go directly to Ms. Jeannie’s Pinterest page. Or for future reference, you can click on the blue front door photo in the side bar. If you are on Pinterest, please let Ms. Jeannie know so that she can keep up with all your pins too!
Happy New Year dear readers! Ms. Jeannie hopes that all your holidays were full of joy and cheer! May this year be even better and brighter then the last.
Always at the start of January, Ms. Jeannie likes to take some time to reflect on the previous year and think about the new year ahead. So she whipped up a batch of cinnamon nutmeg scones, poured a cup of coffee and contemplated all that she had encountered in the past 365 days.
A moment to reflect on the past and dream about the future. Ms. Jeannie tested out the vintage Royal Jackson tea cups available in her shop. Works just as it should – only prettier:)
2012 was a turbulent year for Ms. Jeannie, containing both exhilarating highs and devastating lows. She said a long, sad goodbye to her dear old border collie as well her 97 year old grandmother. She said a cheery hello to her Etsy shop and to all you lovely blog readers.
This was the first item Ms. Jeannie sold when she opened her shop! A vintage Jacobs Kaffee metal cabinet.
She gardened, she cooked, she entertained. She battled a severe case of poison ivy, she learned a new craft. She served as nurse maid to her father when he fell and hit his head. She drove her husband to the hospital when he bled (enough for 15 stitches!). She babysat for chickens in the spring , spent the summer reading 50 Shades of Grey and the Autumn months watching all seven seasons of Gilmore Girls. She traveled to Phoenix, Atlanta and Palm Beach Gardens. She went on sightseeing adventures in her neighborhood and got lost in daydreams in her own backyard.
Ms. Jeannie’s most read blog post to date was this one entitled: A Family of Firemen and the Women They Loved
Yes, indeed. 2012 was a year of romance and tears, love and loss, discovery and exploration. It was life. And Ms. Jeannie was thankful to be included in it.
In 2013, she hopes to travel more, write more and learn more. She’d like to adopt a dog, plant a moon garden and sew a quilt.
A moon garden is comprised primarily of white and pale flowers that bloom at night. When the moon shines bright overhead it looks like there are lights on in the garden. Photo courtesy of econesting.com
She’d also like to pick up her paintbrush again, make a mole sauce and sample all the wines of Spain. And more yoga. And the ability to master meditation. Oh and there is that bit about being better organized. And better at managing time. And she’s really, really looking forward to sharing more vintage adventures with you!
As you can see – it is shaping up to be a busy year! Ms. Jeannie can’t wait. She ends this post with the beautiful sentiment of this wired card that she found on Etsy. It reads:
Wired Note Card by ofTheValleys
For the times to come I wish for love to surround you, hope to strengthen you, peace to comfort you and overwhelming joy. Happy New Year!
Remember when you were in grade school and you had to write a paper or a theme, as it as called in catholic school, about what did over your holiday break? Well for some reason, this sort of reminiscence has always stuck with Ms. Jeannie, and she finds herself mentally recapping after every holiday and every vacation. So to continue the tradition…
What did Ms. Jeannie do during her Christmas vacation?
She learned how to sew!
Ms. Jeannie’s first-ever sewing project: an apron!
Thanks to her wonderful friend, Wendy, Ms. Jeannie got a crash course on Christmas Day that included all the sewing basics, while Mr. Jeannie Ology and Mr. Wendy cooked a magnificent turkey dinner. Yes, dear readers, the ladies sewed and the men cooked and then they all came together to feast! It was a splendid holiday, indeed.
Wendy taught Ms. Jeannie a pattern that she picked up in a British sewing book. With a few slight modifications, Wendy taught Ms. Jeannie all the sewing basics at once.
They started with converting centimeters to inches and then cutting the cloth with those fun little triangle edged scissors. Next it was off to the sewing machine to learn how to thread the sewer and work the pedal. Boy those first stitches were thrilling! The tricky part was trying to keep the fabric straight.
Stitches for gathers. Combining two fabrics into one!
As you know from previous posts, Ms. Jeannie comes from a long line of sewers, and she thinks inherently, that she will one day make a great one herself. Two hours in, she was already starting to feel like a pro! When she attached the pockets she felt like she had built the Taj Mahal of aprons…
Ladies and gentlemen – we now have pockets!
And then something scary happened. Wendy left the room. But wait, there was still more to do. The pockets had to be re-enforced and the apron ties had to be made, both of which Wendy had described in detail how to do but we had yet to practice.
“It’s sink or swim time,” she said as she left.
With nervous notions, Ms. Jeannie tried to remember all that she had learned. Keep it straight, keep it steady, don’t bunch and go slow. She tapped the pedal, she fed the fabric, and wouldn’t you know that sewer did exactly what ms. Jeannie intended. Her first triangle stitch was created in an instant!
A triangle stitch is born!
Ms. Jeannie just about cried with joy. A feeling of pure excitement and accomplishment on just about the same level as when she first learned how to write her name, read a book, ride a bicycle and drive a car. A little wobbly to start, but Ms. Jeannie felt like she just opened the door to a whole new world of possibilities.
The ties came next – a piece of cake!
The ties that tied it all together!
And there you have it! A five hour craft project involving fabric and thread, a machine and an iron, all to yield a useful household item. Ms. Jeannie is in love with her new found skills!
So much so that she is noticing and admiring all sorts of sewing handiwork about the house now… the duvet cover, the the lines of her new dress, the pleats in the couch pillows. Endlessly fascinating, they all are.
And of course Ms. Jeannie is eyeing all sorts of apron styles – now that she’s got this one under her belt, or tie, if you prefer. Here are some of her favorites on Etsy… (click on each photo for more information)
Penelope Apron by boltsandyardsfabricWilderness Apron by InnerWildKitchen Apron by studiopatroThe Urban Wrap Sewing Pattern by Modern Vintage Designs
And with Mr. Jeannie Ology in mind…
Leather Work Apron by CyclonaDesignsMens Full Apron by SSatHome
Yes indeed – this is a whole new world and Ms. Jeannie has big plans! Summer skirts, throws, pillows, bed blankets, dresses and definitely more aprons!
On a side note:
January marks the one year anniversary of Ms. Jeannie’s Etsy shop and in celebration she is having a 24% off sale! Why 24%, you ask? Well it all started back on January 24th, 2012. Clearly that 24 is a good number! Use coupon code HAPPY2013 to receive your discount upon checkout.
As we get closer to the big day, Ms. Jeannie will be doing a little past year re-cap so stay tuned. In the meantime, stop by and have a peak at some of her new listings…
“Christmas was close at hand, in all his bluff and hearty honesty; it was the season of hospitality, merriment, and open-heartedness; the old year was preparing, like an ancient philosopher, to call his friends around him, and amidst the sound of feasting and revelry to pass gently and calmly away.”
– an excerpt from The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
However you celebrate, dear readers, may your holidays be happy and bright, merry and marvelous! Wishing you all a lovely Christmas day!
If you have been a part of Ms. Jeannie’s blog since the summer, you’ll know that Ms. Jeannie enjoys the fun of gardening (minus April’s poison ivy outbreak, of course!). Her small summer crops were full of crunchy cherry tomatoes, crispy green peppers, snappy garden peas, buckets of sunflowers and more jalapenos then Mr. Jeannie Ology knew what to do with!
After she had harvested all her plantings and tilled her garden back down to the soil again, Ms. Jeannie half-heartedly decided to plant a fall garden in a neighboring patch that was overwhelmed with weeds. She says half-heartedly, because after the zealousness with which she approached her summer garden, (designing her own patch, layout and fencing) Ms. Jeannie felt sort of confined working in the perimeters of this already established bed. It was a funny shape too. Sort of like a squashed trapezoid or a flattened kidney bean, and was flanked on both ends by azalea bushes. But it did back up to garden fencing (ideal for fall peas!) and had a pretty brick border, so…
She carried on anyway and planted two rows of peas, several rows of alternating onions and carrots and a border of zinnias. She was using old seeds, some over five years old as an experiment of sorts to see if they would actually still grow.
The weeds returned almost instantly. Some of the seedlings started to sprout. Fire ants began to picket. Apparently, being fond of the neighborhood, they were not keen on Ms. Jeannie’s idea to relocate their home. And then there were the mosquitoes – so big and so bold, Ms. Jeannie began to think she, herself, was their only source of sustenance.
For weeks Ms. Jeannie battled nature. But, as it turns out 5 year old seeds in combination with weeds, fire ants and mosquitoes does not make for a garden great. The peas bloomed then promptly withered, the onion shoots sent up green antennas from the ground, surveyed the location and then disappeared – never to be seen again. And the zinnias nevr even showed up at all. Ms. Jeannie was depressed. Halfhearted gardening was no fun. No fun at all.
But there was one bright spot among all this sad state of affairs. The carrots! Dear readers, the carrots…the carrots gave it their all! They sprouted, they grew long lacy foliage, they hummed happily. All autumn. Growing, growing, growing in the ground undisturbed. Like a bad mother, Ms. Jeannie paid them absolutely no attention. She didn’t water them, she didn’t weed around them or cover them on frosty nights, she didn’t even visit them on a weekly basis. Frankly, my dears, she just sort of forgot about them.
Until yesterday. When a faint memory tickled her mind. A long lost thought…plantings in the fall…carrots for Thanksgiving dinner (Ms. Jeannie’s original idea for the garden in the first place)… vegetables throughout the winter. Dreamy eyed, Ms. Jeannie wondered what might have become of those carrot seeds from so long ago…
So with shovel in hand, she headed out to the garden to investigate. Expectations were low – incredibly low. After all they’d been in the ground for 5 months. There had been many, many handfuls of cold 30 degree weather. There had been times of drought and times of flooding. And there had been that issue of lackluster attention.
But alas! The carrots didn’t care! No worries, they shouted. The green lacy sprouts greeted her like a long lost friend. They practically sang to her as she pulled them, one by one out the ground. Here’s a picture of the chorus…
Full fledged carrots! Maybe a bit on the small side, some, but with such low expectations, Ms. Jeannie was practically overjoyed with the perfection of them all:) Such beauties they seemed!
Who would have thought you could enjoy such pretty vegetables in December? And with absolutely zero effort. Carrots may just very well be Ms. Jeannie’s new favorite vegetable.
This event called for celebration, so Ms. Jeannie found herself in the kitchen last night making a parmesan and carrot risotto. It was a chilly night – in the mid 30’s – and this was a warm, filling dinner full of autumn sunshine (thank you carrots!).
The ingredients!
A lot of people shy away from making risotto because they think it is tedious or complicated, but really it couldn’t be a more simple recipe. The often thought tedious part just means you have to stay by the stove for about 20 minutes and stir frequently so the rice doesn’t stick. If you haven’t ever tried risotto, it is an Italian style rice based dish, that is filling like pasta and can be cooked a million different ways but always includes 3 ingredients: parmesean cheese, white wine and chicken broth.
Ms. Jeannie always likes to use homemade chicken broth but you could used canned or carton broth as a substitute too.
Here’s the recipe, which was adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe that had called for long grain rice in place of risotto. This is a picture of Ms. Jeannie’s finished product with a serving suggestion (see bottom of recipe for details).
Ms. Jeannie’s Parmesean Carrot Risotto served on one of the antique ironstone plates from her collection.
Parmesan Carrot Risotto (serves 4)
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups homemade chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
6 medium carrots, grated
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/4 cups arborrio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Directions
In a saucepan, bring broth and 2 cups water to a bare simmer over medium.
In a large saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium. Add onion and carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in rice. Add wine; cook, stirring, until absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add 2 cups hot broth; simmer over medium-low, stirring frequently, until mostly absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. Continue to add broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring occasionally, until absorbed before adding more. Cook until rice is creamy and just tender, about 20 minutes (you may not need all the broth).
Remove risotto from heat. Stir in Parmesan and 1 tablespoon butter, and season with salt and pepper.
Ms. Jeannie served her risotto on top of a bed of raw baby spinach. She just grabbed a handful of spinach for each plate. The heat of the rice wilts the spinach a touch and adds a bit of bright color to the plate. Ms. Jeannie paired her dinner with Smoking Loon Sauvingnon Blanc, which complimented the sweetness of the carrots. She could have also served this with a crusty baguette too – had she not forgotten to get one at the store!
Here’s a close-up so you can see the texture…
Risotto close-up!
Thank you sweet carrots for growing so great over all these months!!! See you again this spring for sure!
So a little bit ago, Ms. Jeannie met this wonderful character whom she affectionately called Christmas Pig…
Vintage cast iron pig
Ms. Jeannie’s not one to notice looks first, but as you can see, he was nothing but handsome, with his distinguished rusty patches and his shabby chic patina. This pig had personality written all over him.
Ms. Jeannie made a home and a job for him on her kitchen shelves, holding down her fort of antique ironstone platters.
Pig on the job.
Pig seemed suited there for awhile. Each morning he’d greet Ms. Jeannie with a smile and a story. He’d recount his past, as she stood sleepy-eyed at the counter waiting for the coffee to brew.
A long time ago, Pig was born into a cast iron stable set made in England. His barn mates included a cow and a horse, a rooster, a lamb and some chickens, possibly there was a goat too (this part is a little hazy).
The stable was owned by a blond boy named Hugh, who fancied short pants and jam sandwiches and calling his mom, Mum. At some point in Pig’s early life, he and Hugh crossed the great ocean together, journeying to America via steamer ship. The crossing was long, but every afternoon, Hugh took Pig out to the lido deck to show him the waves and the water. The salt air settled on their skin.
Boy and Pig wound up in a wonderful old house in the States. Years passed. The boy grew up. Pig was packed away. For years Pig stayed among the packing papers dreaming of what his future would hold. One day, when he could stand the confines of the box no more, he mustered the courage to leave his world behind. Discovery was calling and Pig proclaimed himself a new explorer.
Fate eventually led Pig to Georgia. And then to Ms. Jeannie, where they became fast friends. Together they settled into Southern life.
But soon, Pig began to grow restless. Even though he enjoyed Ms. Jeannie’s company and his job of guarding the ironstone, he began to get antsy. His hooves started knocking against the shelves, then against the platters. At first it was just light little taps – barely audible, but as the days progressed, the taps grew louder and louder until they could no longer be ignored.
Ms. Jeannie understood. A restless spirit cannot be contained. It was time for Pig to move on.
“Let’s make this next trip spontaneous,” he told Ms. Jeannie. “You arrange it and I’ll go. Anywhere in the world.”
And spontaneous it was going to be! Exotic even. Ms. Jeannie was in touch with a lovely lady in Singapore who was ready to give Pig his next story. Thrilled by the prospect of crossing oceans again, Pig packed his bags, practiced his Chinese and headed off to the post office. Unfortunately, a one way postal ticket to Singapore wound up to be a much larger expense then even a Pig could afford, so he returned to Ms. Jeannie’s shelf once again. His dreams of Asian escapades so short lived he couldn’t even remember what they were.
“Keep your chin up,” Ms. Jeannie said. “Something will come along soon.”
Pig sighed and wallowed and tapped around for two days, before Ms. Jeannie reported good news. A porcine model was needed ASAP in New York City for a Christmas production! Pig was perfect for the part!
Giddy, Pig packed again. While he got ready, Ms. Jeannie told him of all of her New York City adventures growing up as a girl. Pig listened intently to every word. His imagination swirling with all the sights and the sounds and the possibilities that Ms. Jeannie suggested.
“Goodbye, sweet Pig,” Ms. Jeannie said as she dropped him off at the post office. “Keep in touch,” she whispered.
Two days later, Ms. Jeannie was delighted to receive a picture and a note from Christmas Pig…
Pig in the big city!
Dear Ms Jeannie!
I did arrive in the city that never sleeps today, safe and sound! I’m enjoying the view from my new home and I’ll secretly tell you something: my new family is talking about me moving to some summer cottage, but I’m enjoying the bright lights in the city and I have bigger plans now… after my first model gig I’m going to look for an agent and I promise you, you will soon see me as a star on Broadway! I’ll blink at you from the posters!
Oh Pig! Ms. Jeannie looks forward to seeing your star:)
Be on the lookout readers – the next famous pig in the city could be our very own;)
Oh dear readers… it has been many, many weeks since Ms. Jeannie has been able to be in touch. She has missed all of you dearly. November found her busy with house guests and shop sales and holiday preparations. And although time is pressing and it seems like every moment is accounted for these days, Ms. Jeannie wanted to stop and say a big-hearted THANK YOU to all of you lovely readers. It is such a joy to be able to share these vintage adventures with all of you. And she hopes for more exciting time travels in the New Year.
As we approach the big day, Ms. Jeannie is looking forward to one of her most favorite Thanksgiving family traditions – the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Watching the parade is a highlight every year in the Ology household dating all the way back to when she was a little girl, in love with giant balloons and Broadway musicals.
Usually she watches it every year on TV, while she is cooking, but one year, when she was 8, her older brother and sister surprised her by taking her into the city to see the parade in person! The whole entire event was a treat! The streets were so crowded, and Ms. Jeannie so little, that she wound up spending most of the time on her brother’s shoulders. Having a 6′ foot tall big brother does come in handy! But whether you are there watching the festivities in person, or home watching it on tv – the level of energy and excitement is felt either way (as least to Ms. Jeannie!).
In 2014, the parade will be celebrating it’s 90th anniversary! So she thought it would be fun to take a look back at some vintage parade footage…
Here’s the parade in 1954. Check out those vintage floats and the tree at Rockefeller Center!
We have this man to thank for the creation of the giant balloons that have floated down the parade route for over 85 years…
Anthony Frederick Sarg (1880-1942), puppeteer and illustrator
Anthony or “Tony” as he was known, moved from Germany to New York City to test out his puppetry skills on Manhattan streets. Word got around that he was quite talented and Macy’s executives asked him to design a Christmas window display featuring his marionettes. That led to designing giant balloons for the parade. His first big balloon creation, Felix the Cat, debuted in the Thanksgiving Day parade in 1927.
Felix the Cat float, 1927. Photo courtesy of thephoenix.com
The address of Macy’s was sewn into the fabric of all the balloons and at the the end of the parade route they were let go from their tethers and left to float high above Manhattan. A few days later they’d float back down from the sky, withered and exasperated, and a prresent was waiting for any person who found them and returned them back to Macy’s. Can you imagine finding a giant Felix in your back yard?!
If you live in the New York area, you can go up to the streets surrounding the Museum of Natural History and watch the balloons being blown up the night before the parade. It is magical to see these flat pieces of billowy material take shape before your eyes. A bit of whimsy in the urban environment of hard lines and hard stone. Ms. Jeannie used to take her dates – it was very romantic and holiday-ish.
In this parade footage from 1935, you can see that it is quit tricky to maneuver the balloons. But no one seems to mind the minor faults and frailties of the procession. Even the street dogs are enjoying the spectacle!
Happy Happy Thanksgiving from Ms. Jeannie and the gang. We hope this is your most delicious and festive one yet!
Funny enough, this is Ms. Jeannie’s second post dedicated to hats and her fifth mention of them in previous fashion related posts. You see, dear readers, Ms. Jeannie has a great love affair with hats, which she is just now realizing.
She only owns three herself: a bright green celery colored garden hat, a wide brim, floppy, shoulder to shoulder straw beach hat and a fancy derby hat which she recycles every year through the magic of ebay – hardly the dynamic collection of a hat lover!
But what Ms. Jeannie has come to realize is that the thing she might just love most about a hat is the ability to subtly express oneself through a color, an adornment, a slight placement of angle. Whether you want to hide from the sun under your big brim or show off your flamboyant style in an eye-catching fascinator – a hat can speak volumes about its wearer without her having to say anything at all. Magical! So when Ms. Jeannie came upon this quote by Martha Sliter – she could completely relate:
“A hat is a flag, a shield, a bit of armor, and the badge of femininity. A hat is the difference between wearing clothing and wearing a costume; it’s the difference between being dressed and being dressed up; it’s the difference between looking adequate and looking your best. A hat is to be stylish in, to glow under, to flirt beneath, to make all others seem jealous over, and to make all men feel masculine about. A piece of magic is a hat.”
Well said Martha! A piece of magic is a hat! This got Ms. Jeannie to thinking about the past – back to nostalgic times when women (and men!) wore hats everyday and millinery shops lined the streets of every city. Now those physical brick and morter shops are few and far between but thanks to Etsy, we can still enjoy vintage hat shopping in our new and modern way – online!
Vintage Hat Forms – photo courtesy of Greg Lang via pinterest
Lucky for us – one of Ms. Jeannie’s readers is Cindy – the dynamo behind The Vintage Hat Shop on Etsy. With over 100 hats currently for sale and over 700 hats sold in just over two years, who better to sit down with to discuss the state of the hat union than her?! Enjoy this stroll through fashion history as Cindy gives us all a glimpse behind the curtain of a true vintage hat shop….
Vintage 1940s Tilt Hat in Gray with Bows from theVintageHatShop
Cindy from The Vintage Hat Shop: I get asked that question a lot. I knew that when I opened a shop on Etsy I wanted to concentrate on just one item. Hats just seemed to work for me—they are unique, ship easily, and I like the types of folks that buy hats. I love hunting for unusual and stylish hats.
1930’s Halo Hat Clamshell Turban from theVintageHatShop
MJ: Explain a little bit about sourcing your hats – do you have to do a lot of mending and cleaning to do or do you look for hats that are only in pristine condition?
TVHS: I have my own certain criteria for hats—I won’t buy a hat that has a foul smell, is soiled or needs a lot of repair. I do replace elastic back bands, remove veils, do a bit of minor mending. I iron a lot of ribbons. And I go through many lint rollers.
MJ: Your shop spans many decades – do you have a most favorite time period?
TVHS: I like the ’40s hats myself. I just think it was such an interesting era and the hats are a reflection of the times. The styles were rather “gutsy” and dramatic. So many supplies were in short supply during the war and innovation was the key. I admire and respect that. Such a variety of fashion styles are available from that time period.
1940’s Tilt Slouch Hat in Lavender with Ostrich Feathers from theVintageHatShop
MJ: Are you just as interested in hat related paraphernalia, like hat pins, hat boxes, etc as you are hats?
TVHS: I am interested in hat related items but I seldom buy them. I have too many interests and I make myself concentrate on just hats. The hat pins that I have were passed on to me by family members.
Miniature Dobbs Hatbox – from theVintageHatShop
MJ: Kate Middleton seems to have brought some new attention to the hat industry, are most of your clients from the U.S. or overseas?
Some of Kate Middleton’s hat collection. Photos (clockwise) courtesy of: marieclaire.co.uk, graziadaily.co.uk, allhatnocattle.net, zimbio.com, hatsca.com
TVHS: I have clients all over the world. I have sold hats to folks in 27 countries—(yes, I keep a list!) About a third of my sales are international. I have hat dealers in 3 countries that buy from me for their shops. Australia is the country to which I ship the most hats.
MJ: If you could put one of your hats on any famous head, living or dead, who would you choose?
TVHS: Some of my hats would look great on Lady Diana. Can you imagine!
Actually Cindy – Ms. Jeannie can imagine this! She thinks Diana looks splendid in your 1960’s sequined pillbox hat!
MJ: What is your most popular selling style of hat? And most popular decade?
TVHS: That’s a good question, but I haven’t quite figured out the answer yet! There doesn’t seem to be one decade that is consistently popular. Right now I am selling 1960’s cloches that look like they came from the 1920’s. For awhile 1940’s tilts were very popular. The tilt/slouch look from the 1930’s consistently sells well.
Vintage cloche hat with 1920’s style (one of Ms. Jeannie’s favortes!) fromtheVintageHatShop1940’s Vintage Saks Fifth Ave Forward Tilt Hat from theVintageHatShop1930’s Tilt Slouch Hat from theVintageHatShop
MJ: At the moment, there seems to be just a few men’s hats in your shop – is it harder to find men’s hats then women’s, do they sell more quickly or do you just have a natural affinity for a more feminine style?
Men’s Newsboy Cap from theVintageHatShop
TVHS: I like men’s hats but I don’t seek them out. Men want their dress hats to fit exactly and it is very hard to size them. Most of the fedoras that I find are a small size. So I rarely list them anymore. I do sell newsboy caps which can be worn by either men or women.
MJ: In your shop bio, it reads that one of your buyers was Polo Ralph Lauren – how exciting! Have you seen your hats in any of their campaigns?
TVHS: No, but I haven’t been looking . Guess I should check that out.
MJ: What is your most favorite hat currently available in your shop?
I like the 1930s maroon tilt slouch hat. I like the quiet simplicity with a touch of classy style. But my favorite changes often.
1930’s Maroon Slouch Tilt Hat from TheVintageHatShop
MJ: Tell us a fun hat buying story in regards to one of your customers…
TVHS: Last week I sold two hats to Loretta Young’s daughter-in-law. Loretta Young loved Lilly Dache’ hats and one of the hats purchased was a black velvet Dachette turban. The hats will be used at a Loretta Young 100th anniversary exhibit at the Hollywood Museum in LA that runs from December through April. She even encouraged me to attend!
Loretta Young (1913-2000) was an American, award winning film and television actress. Photo courtesy of fanpop.comCindy’s hats are la-la bound! See them on display at the Hollywood Museum. How very glamorous! Photo courtesy of thehollywoodmuseum.com. Click the photo for more info.
Two of my 40s hats were purchased to be worn by extras in the movie “42”, the Jackie Robinson story starring Harrison Ford now being filmed in Macon, GA. You can bet I will be going to see that movie!
Movie Poster for 42
Many of my hats have been purchased for vintage weddings, theatrical productions, professional photo shoots and to women that like to dress in a vintage style. Today I sent a hat to a woman that is going to a Gatsby themed wedding and wanted a vintage cloche. You just never know! That’s what makes it so fun.
MJ: Do you have a favorite “hat” movie? “Hat” actress? “Hat” actor?
TVHS: I like the 40s movies and actresses—Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman. I can’t pick out a favorite hat movie! What guy wears a hat better than Frank Sinatra?
Clockwise from left: Bette, Katharine, Frank and Ingrid (okay Bogie – you too!)
MJ: Why do you think women’s hats fell out of fashion as a regular, everyday accessory?
TVHS: A lot of people attribute the demise of hat wearing to hairspray! When women get their hair all “dolled up” and put on hairspray so it stays in place. They don’t want to ruin their “do” with a hat. I know on the days when I go hat shopping by the end of the day I have “hat hair”. It isn’t pretty.
MJ: What do you look for in a vintage hat?
TVHS: I look for a hat with class and style. Sometimes I buy hats I don’t like because I know there is a market for them. But usually if I just don’t like a hat at first sight, I don’t buy it. And I love most any hat that tilts.
MJ: Do you wear hats yourself?
TVHS: Now you would think so, wouldn’t you? But in reality I seldom wear hats. They just aren’t in fashion in this area. (Which makes them available for hat buyers!!). But I do come home and try on every one that I buy. Shhhh. Don’t tell the family, they already think I am hat possessed.
MJ: Can you tell us something a little “extra” about these 5 hats from your shop (Ms. Jeannie’s favorites!)…
Favorite #1: Vintage 1960’s velvet cloche with 1920’s style from theVintageHatShop
This hat has a great memory. I purchased it on a trip to see my family. We had such a terrific time that day. Now it is off to London.
Favorite #2: 1960’s Bucket Tilt with Coralie Faux Fur from theVintageHatShop
I purchased this hat because the color was unusual. And the feather looked like a bird!
Favorite #3: Vintage Cloche Hat with 1920’s Style from theVintageHatShop
There is an antique shop that I stop at often, they don’t know my name, they just call me “The Hat Lady”. I found this hat there. Could anyone pass up a 1920s cloche in this condition?!!
Favorite #4: Vintage 1950’s Turban Style Hat from theVintageHatShop
Turbans are very popular right now and this is such a great color. It has more of a structured shape than other turbans that I sell.
Vintage 1960’s Tilt Slouch, Beret Style with Rhinestone Pin from TheVintageHatShop
What a classy way to do a winter hat! That beading adds just the right touch of interest.
MJ: What was your most exciting hat acquisition story?
TVHS: Last summer I went to a local estate sale. A widow had died 15 years ago at age 90 and her nephew was just cleaning out her home. She was meticulous about her belongings. Her hats were exquisite! I got some from each decade 1910s-1950s. One of her hats was made by a local milliner, that will go to our county museum. I have two of her hats that I just can’t quite bring myself to list. I am a sentimentalist at heart. I had such a great time that day! And I was so honored to pass her hats on to collectors that would also treasure them.
MJ: You have lovely models in your shop! Tell us a little about them.
Meet the Vintage Hat Shop models…Jo & Jo!
TVHS: I had searched for months for a new mannequin. I had been to antique shows, and every shop in our area but just couldn’t find a mannequin that suited my style. I had decided to order a new one on line and just make it work. My husband and I decided to go out to a small town for a Friday night dinner and parked next to a tiny gift/antique shop. The mannequin gal with the dark brown hair was in the window! The shop was closed for the night and the next day was the last day for the season. You can bet that I took another trip back to that store early the next morn and purchased her. I went to the same shop again this spring and bought the redhead. Oh, and of course many hats, too! It makes me happy each time I use them. I have named them both Jo—after a classy aunt.( yes, she wore hats and loved them!)
MJ: What style advice would you give to the first time vintage hat buyer?
TVHS: Buy hats you love of course. But the real secret is to give your hat a good tilt. For the “oo-la-la” factor.
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Other interesting tid-bits from Cindy’s world:
Currently on her bookshelf:
Recommended Books from Cindy: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, Until Tuesday by Luis Carlos Montalvan, and The Measure of A Man by Sidney Poitier
Currently listening to: Country music on the radio.
If she could luncheon with anyone famous living or dead, she’d choose:Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) – First Lady of the United States from 1933-1945, civil rights activist, author and public speaker.
Of course Eleanor would be the one in the hat!
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This interview is part of an ongoing interview series that Ms. Jeannie is orchestrating about artists, writers and musicians and their inspirations. To read other interviews in this series, simply click here.
The moment Ms. Jeannie saw this picture, was the moment she loved it…
Vintage travel photo
Can’t you just feel the excitement of the people as they watch the plane sail by? Even though we can’t see their faces, you can tell by their posture that they are captivated. Ms. Jeannie loves the composition of it too… how you can see the silhouette of the hats and hairbows, the angle of the treeline and the plane just about to leave the picture.
On the reverse side of the photo it was stamped with this information…
Fox Tone photo processing information
The copyright year was dated 1927… the place… San Antonio, Texas. The 1920’s was the time of early aviation when figures like Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh were flying about the skies conquering goals and testing limits. It was an exhilarating time in history – full of promise and potential. The aeronautical industry was on the cusp of blooming, and travelers were about to witness a whole new sense of freedom and independence. This got Ms. Jeannie to thinking about what a unique little gem she was holding on to. That perhaps there might be an interesting story behind this photograph. So she put her research hat on and got to work.
As it turns out, 1927 was the year that Charles Lindbergh flew from New York to Paris in the Spirit of St. Louis. He was only 25 at the time – and many people doubted that such an attempt could be successful.
photo courtesy of thisdayinaviation.com
Could the plane in Ms. Jeannie’s photograph be involved in such a tremendous way? Ms. Jeannie started down that research road next, comparing a bunch of Spirit of St. Louis photos to her photograph to see if they were similar.
A side view of the Spirit of St. Louis. Photo courtesy of wikipedia.Aerial view of S.O.S.L. This photo is AMAZING!Up in the air view…photo courtesy of barewalls.com
They do look similar to Ms. Jeannie’s airplane, don’t they?
Closeup of Ms. Jeannie’s photograph. You can see similarities in the overall shape, the wing span and the wheels.
At this point, Ms. Jeannie thinks these two planes resemble each other close enough to start assuming that it could be the Spirit of St. Louis. She has one other clue that might aid in her investigation. If you remember, the photo processing mark on the back was stamped San Antonio, Texas, so now she needed to figure out why the Spirit of St. Louis would have been in Texas.
As it turns out, (thanks to charleslindbergh.com) after Lindbergh returned home from Paris, he embarked on a nationwide victory tour sponsored by aviation enthusiast /businessman Harry Guggenheim.
Harry Guggenheim (1890-1971)
Many people had doubted that one man could pull off such an endeavor, Harry Guggenheim included. Needless to say, when Charles was successful in his 33 hour flight, there was much fanfare and celebration. Charles became world famous overnight! Suddenly everybody wanted to see, know and hear from this magnanimous man.
With the help of the Guggenheims – America got to do just that. Paid for by a fund set up by Harry and his father to promote aviation research and education, Lindbergh aboard the Spirit of St. Louis, visited 48 states and 92 cities on what became known as the 3 month long Guggenheim Tour (aka the US Victory Tour).
Stops along the US Victory Tour. Photo courtesy of charleslindbergh.com
While in each city, Lindbergh gave speeches detailing his flying adventures. Here’s a program from his stopover in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on August 27th, 1927. You can get a good sense of the level of pomp and circumstance involved in the tour.
Lindbergh Day in Sioux Falls, South Dakota – August 27, 1927
Along the tour, Lindbergh spent three days in Texas – September 26th – September 28th, 1927, stopping in Abilene, Fort Worth, and Dallas and flew over the following cities: Crosbyton, Stamford, Roaring Springs, Jacksboro, Bridgeport, Alvarado, Hillsboro, Waxahachie and Denton. Ms. Jeannie’s photograph could have been taken at any one of those places, with the film then being developed in San Antonio.
Now that Ms. Jeannie had a plausible situation surrounding her photograph, she contacted the charleslindbergh.com website about her theory and included a picture of the photograph. A few days later, a consultant for the Lindbergh family contacted Ms. Jeannie with verification that her photograph was indeed a picture of the the Spirit of St. Louis flying over Texas on the Victory Tour. How exciting!!!
Ms. Jeannie loves that even after almost 100 years, Lindbergh is still surprising people! See more of Ms. Jeannie’s historic photograph in her Etsy shop here. Do you have any stories about Lindbergh in your family? If so, please comment with your stories! And if you are not familiar with the charleslindbergh.com site – stop by and have a visit – it’s a wealth of information and photos!
Ms. Jeannie’s true travel adventure into the land of discovery!
In the Vintage Kitchen: Where History Comes To Eat 