Pictures from the archives of Christmas Past

32 comments
It's over. I'm always happy to see Christmas disappear into a wake of expensive memories. It was so much easier being a kid at Christmas time. That was pure magic. And every child should have wonderful Christmas memories.
This very humble photo is of me in the middle with my sisters Paula on the left and Michelle on the right taken at Christmas time (no snow that year). As kids we had no idea then that "Santa" bought our gifts on credit and it took a whole year to pay them back.
Skip to a Christmas 9 years later. This Christmas is a nicer home with furniture recovered by Freda and home made drapes too. No fireplace in that house so we improvised with a box and brick paper. You can see my very favorite gift my "SUPER THINGMAKER"! As well as Spirograph, books and other gifts. Mom (Freda) must have gotten an electric frying pan and a new purse that year, too. No more Christmas on credit.
And here I am lounging on the couch. Santa brought new slippers and a new robe as well. This photo makes me feel somewhat 'Sally Draperish'.
And now I'm married with 5 little girls. Heaven help that hair-do, it adds 20 years! Those were good old days.
And more fast forward to the first Christmas in the house we live in now. This was 1995. All 8 children are there. Looks like Laurie had self-cut bangs that year and flannel and denim shirts were in style. How I could get ready for Christmas 2 weeks in advance when my family was young... I don't know. Now I'm sewing and cooking until nearly midnight on Christmas eve.

I should have a photo of this Christmas 2010 but I can't believe we didn't line up and take one! Oh well. Too busy living it I guess. My decorations are put away today except the tree and my Christmas quilt. I love having everything up but I love having it all put away, too. Bring on the valentine decorations and 2011.

-nanette
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32 comments

Mary on Lake Pulaski said...

Yes, Sally Draperish indeed! Thanks for the tour of your past Nanette!

PamKittyMorning said...

Love that photo of little girl you!!I too am glad it's over. Now to clear this debris, and bring on the spring decor!

Mary Anne Drury said...

Hello fellow Pennsylvanian! I'm from Tamaqua and now live nearby in Jim Thorpe, Pa .... my sister and her family live in Mt. Penn and she works at Reading hospital. ANYHOW .... I know how you feel about Christmas .... now that I'm the grown up it really is ALOT fo work! (My stuff is still up because I pretty much just got it all up days before Xmas .... oh, I started not too long after T-giving, but am too busy with work to get it all done in "a timely manner" as they say at work.... ugh! .... so my stuff will hang around until the tree keels over by itself!)....

P.S. I think I had that same robe and slippers .... and I DEFINATELY got the Thingmaker .... the one with all the flowers you can make ... my brother got the bugs.

Shelley said...

Oh wow, that sure brought back some memories for me too :)! Nannette, what does a Fat 6th measure? That's a new cut to me!

Sherri said...

Fun photos! I love putting everything away too...that's on the list for today...along with hopefully a little sewing!

Sandi Linn Andersen said...

Really fun to see the photos from the past. Love the plaid skirt photo. :-) I'm one who keeps the Christmas decorations up for a couple weeks after Christmas. I love to savor that special time of the year and cannot bring myself to pack it all away the day after Christmas.

AnnieO said...

Fun photos, Nanette! Wow, that's a passel of cute girls posed there. I don't remember Thingmaker but my brothers had some gooey stuff that made bugs too. Lots of Christmases at our house were bought on revolving credit too in the early years--Montgomery Ward mostly, I bet! I like to leave my decorations up until New Year's Day, then try to get them all put away at once. It's such a big job!

em's scrapbag said...

Love the old photos. Pictures of Christmases past are the best. Full of the happiest memories.

Mary said...

I love that cardboard fireplace!
I don't know why but this year I am so ready to get rid of my Christmas decorations. All 3 of my boys are born b/w feb 4 and feb 15 so we don't get into Valentine's decorating. Just glad to be back to normal!

Jennifer said...

Thanks for sharing! I love seeing families evolve and develop thru pictures. I'm glad you had a wonderful Christmas but I'm with you on being glad to take the decorations down and move on into 2011!

Jennifer :)

Elaine/Muddling Through said...

Oh, Nanette, I have a huge smile on my face looking at your sweet photos. Good memories are a joy forever. I've been putting things away, too. Lots more to do. I'm ready for the next thing, too!

Carrie P. said...

Oh, what fun photos and memories. I had a spirograph. One of my favorite toys.

Unknown said...

Your photos reminded me of similar ones of mine Nanette, I think we had the same fur collar coat LOL!
I grew up in Pittsburgh, my Mom used to take us on the bus downtown to see the wonderful window decorations at Hornes department store. I also loved my Christmas jammies and slippers :) My decorations will come down on New Years Day, I am ready to move on though, bring on Valentines and the Easter Bunny, I love holidays!

Jane's Fabrics and Quilts said...

Oh, I so enjoyed that post!! Thank you so much for sharing!

Retrogirl said...

Oh so wanted the spirograph, Nanette! Our neighbors had one and we played with it for HOURS. So nice to see your Christmas memories.

Shari said...

What wonderful memories... you have a beautiful family... another successful Christmas for you! And I know just what you mean, too busy living life to stop and take a photo... I had all three of my girls in one place at one time and I didn't get a photo... sigh.

Thimbleanna said...

What fun pictures Nanette! Don't you love those old Christmas pictures? I wish we'd taken more of them, but like you said -- too busy living it, I guess! I'm glad it's over too, but I won't clean up until after the first. It takes too long to put it all up, so I'm going to enjoy it LOL. How on earth did we get so much done when the kids were little? Must've been our youth!

Red Geranium Cottage said...

I love all the photos!! There great to see. Loved the hair. lolol

Lurline said...

Oh, nanette - that first pic - you can still see it is you - oh, so lovely!
Hugs - Lurline♥

Mimi Sue said...

So cute! Hope your Christmas was as fun as mine. Mimi

Nedra said...

Look how cute you were as a young girl! (still are) I could tell which one was you in an instant. Great photos of your girls. And what is a Thingmaker? Sounds very Dr. Suesserish.

Rumi said...

What sweet trip down memory lane! Thanks.

Barbara said...

Oh, just look at that aluminum tree! Before Christmas, I love the decorations so much I think I'll leave them up halfway through January. But when Christmas is over (at least this year) I am ready to clean up and move on.

Anonymous said...

I'm almost over the fact that you have taken Christmas DOWN?!?! Girl, you need some talkin' too!! The 12 days of Christmas START on Christmas DAY!!! This is just DAY FOUR!!! Oh my, it's enough to give me an ulcer! But to each his own I suppose...I shall pray for you that you may live long enough to overcome this quirk! Now...I have to THANK YOU for mentioning the website about old department stores!!! What a treat! I discovered pics of Auerbachs, an old SLC department store where my grandma used to work and where "magic" happened on the 1st floor at Christmas! Thanks so much!! I loved your post and your pics - what a wonderful family you have! I shall now go about celebrating the 4th day of Christmas enough for both of us! xoxo, Nan

Simone de Klerk said...

What a wonderful share!

chelsey said...

12 days of Christmas?!! Oh boy don't tell her about the year we took the decorations down Christmas eve.....

Char said...

Loved looking at you pictures. I got a Thingmaker for Christmas as well and I still find myself singing the jingle from the commercial sometimes.LOL

Janet said...

Our Christmases get more minimal every year and this would have been the cheapest ever but I did miss having kids here, they make Christmas magical. I loved seeing the photos, put it on the list for nexy year to take photos.

Sue said...

What a gorgeous post Nanette. I loved the photos of Christmases past

Momoo said...

Enjoyed looking at your Christmas's past, thanks for sharing.

Lynn said...

Lovely Christmas memories!

Shari said...

Oh The Joy. Love this blog