Santa and his team of reindeer didn't always look this way.
This is how they looked the first time I saw them, their base sticking out of a garbage can at a really grungy estate sale.
And this is what I saw when I pulled it out. (What, you don't pull stuff out of the garbage at estate sales?) Broken and tangled, but with promise.
I found this guy abandoned in another room. I took both pieces to the clerk, and she looked at me like I was nuts and charged me a dollar.
Santa was a perfect fit. You can even see where the reins had been attached. The only modification I made was unscrewing the bottom and removing the old light fixture inside. I'm not comfortable with vintage lights. In fact, I am terrified of them. I'll just leave you with this advice: If you buy a string of old Christmas light sockets and want to see if they work, make sure the string is unplugged before you screw in a light bulb to test them. If you screw the light bulb into a live socket, make sure you're not wearing a fuzzy sweater. If you're wearing a fuzzy sweater, and the light bulb makes a loud POP! and ZZZT!, check to see if a spark has caught your sweater on fire. If a spark has caught your sweater on fire, remember what you learned in grade school: Stop, drop and roll. It works.
Once Santa and his sleigh had been repaired, it was time to introduce him to some other Santas. These three are candy containers from the 1940s and 50s. The one on the left has a hole in his mitten where a lollipop can be inserted, but I keep forgetting to buy lollipops. There's plenty of time for that.
Some goofy Santa snow globes, found on different trips to the thrift store.
And a large Santa light, a yard sale find. He also came with an old light-bulb-and-cord attachment, which I am not using but will probably replace. I think he'd look pretty impressive lit up.
They're living on the shelves formerly occupied by the turkeys, along with some spare plastic and celluloid deer.
Today's wrapping paper is another Tie-Tie print, this one called "Christmas Decorations" from 1946. The little sidebar photos are kind of hard to see, so I'm uploading them on flickr too, a few at a time. There's a whole group for vintage wrapping paper over there - great stuff!
In the meantime, I'm recovering from a Christmas ornament overdose. I'm feeling about Christmas ornaments the way a florist feels about roses the day after Valentine's Day. In the past week I have wrapped and mailed, I don't know, maybe 300 ornaments that I sold on eBay. (For which this soon-to-be-paying-tuition-mama is extremely, extremely grateful.) On Sunday, the youngster for whom we will soon be paying tuition urged me to decorate the Christmas tree. He was interested for the first 20 minutes. Then he vanished. Occasionally he would reappear and make a Zen-like observation like, "It is always good to have more." (That is a direct quote.) Hours and hours later, when all of the ornaments had been hung, I was not exactly in a festive Christmas mood. But I will be soon.
It's so nice that you can decorate anything (and I mean anything) in vintage. Love that wrapping paper!
Posted by: LiLi M. | December 02, 2008 at 02:33 AM
Very nice! You're getting me motivated to crack open the 30 odd boxes I've just pulled down from the attic. Let the decorating begin! xo, suzy
Posted by: Account Deleted | December 02, 2008 at 07:26 AM
It is fun to watch the seasonal transformation of your shelf.
I can totally relate to the "momness" and the "teenness" that is going on in your house. We also have a dog that watches football, but she only likes college ball. Maybe your pup can tell her how her favorite players are doing in the NFL.
Posted by: Tina in Duluth | December 02, 2008 at 08:07 AM
My mom collects Santas and would love yours.
Posted by: Judy | December 02, 2008 at 09:10 AM
Hahaha, did you really catch your sweater on fire? LOL
(I never use old lights either. Never even plug them in. I do occassionally buy them if they have a really cool box though.)
Posted by: Sarah | December 02, 2008 at 09:26 AM
Your Santa display looks great! I love the garland from the earlier post too. You always have the best ideas on how to use vintage stuff.
Posted by: VintageWhimsy | December 02, 2008 at 10:04 AM
OH....OH.....i have some of these santas....your larger santa holding the green Christmas tree.....i have him too plus the snowman to match...i have a tiny santa wearing snow skies with the tiny wooden skie poles still in one piece....Oh...Oh....i must go find them.....now...
Posted by: belinda | December 02, 2008 at 12:55 PM
Is'nt it amazing the stuff laying around just WAITING to be FOUND.My sister thinks I'm nuts for doing that,but I have found LOTS that way. I really enjoy all of your goodies.Love, Aunt Barbie
Posted by: Aunt Barbie | December 02, 2008 at 03:19 PM
I'm so glad you rescued the reindeers! (I would have done that too!) They look so fantastic on top of your shelf with all the santas - it was meant to be!
Also . . . teenagers. I feel your pain there!
Posted by: Crystal | December 02, 2008 at 03:30 PM
Ohhhhh!! I wanna see your tree too! I can't imagine someone throwing that Merry Christmas item out!! WHAT ARE PEOPLE THINKING!! hehehe
Posted by: Jenny | December 02, 2008 at 04:04 PM
The shelf looks great with her new Christmasy makeover!! Can't believe you found that in the trash!
Posted by: Kim G. | December 02, 2008 at 05:24 PM
Those look great all displayed together!
Posted by: Wendy | December 02, 2008 at 07:51 PM
Dear Aunt Barbara:
Thank you for not putting ornaments up until Sunday. It was one less thing Mommy had to worry about me touching.
Hope we can color together again soon.
Love,
Will
Posted by: Lillian P. | December 02, 2008 at 08:20 PM
that sleigh is awesome! You are one clever and LUCKY girl! I scored several boxes of vintage ornaments over the weekend...some to keep...some to sell...but HOW do I know what they're worth...or if they are the original boxes? I consider you my leading expert so any insight you have I'd appreciate it!
Posted by: Robin~Thrifty Miss Priss | December 02, 2008 at 08:45 PM
by the way... I thought this was HILARIOUS and had to read it between laughs outloud to my husband!
Posted by: Robin~Thrifty Miss Priss | December 02, 2008 at 08:46 PM
Wow, you have been a posting fiend! I have been to busy to check in...but when I did..such fun! Love the sleigh redo. And vintage light cords? I feel the same way (alhto i have never had a fuzzy sweater incident!)
Posted by: laurie | December 03, 2008 at 01:23 AM
I love each and every item you showed us. And how fabulous they all look together on your shelf!! Ho Ho Ho!
Posted by: HeidiAnn | December 03, 2008 at 11:48 AM
ohhh I love those santas and the sleigh. It is wonderful you rescued them. Like I said before I think they would look better at my house! Why can't I find things like that?
Posted by: Nanette | December 03, 2008 at 01:29 PM
Oh, we so love the same vintage things. Every single post has the exact perfect addition to my collection (s)!!!!
Posted by: Vicki | December 04, 2008 at 07:00 AM
You crack me up with your writing...fuzzy sweater, vintage lights, zap! lol. Good deal on the garbage picking - I better start doing that if I can find such cool stuff. :)
Posted by: tammyCA | December 05, 2008 at 02:49 AM