Cissy's Shiny Brite Christmas

Nine more days until Christmas.  Each year I try to slow the time down.  I work steadily on projects that make me dream of snow, and pretty lights strung on rooftops.  Nostalgia has taken hold of me this season like no other December I can recall. Beyond feeling sentimental for the feelings of excitement and anticipation from my earliest childhood, I've wanted nothing more than to bring those feelings from the past to the present. 

I spend hours on Pinterest looking at vintage and retro images of Christmas.  I've been keeping an almost daily post of national "this" day with images relating to December and Christmas, on Facebook.  Finding just the right illustration is a joy.  Sharing it is even better.  I love to bring a smile and maybe a feeling or memory to anyone who sees my posts there.  I even shared one of an adorable vintage Christmas wrap from the 50's.  Its how I pass the time in a pleasant way.

This year I decorated my home a little more conservatively. 

I only set out three Christmas dolls.  I kept the colors and drama low key, but all the nooks are just as beautiful and charming as always.  I guess I was hoping that taking it all down would be easier if I didn't set out too much, but it seems every few days, I go digging in the closet and pull out more Christmas cheer.  Hopeless!  I love Christmas.

For years and years, I've collected, and hung on my tree, only Old World Christmas ornaments, each commemorating something I treasure or an experience from the recent or long past.  For some reason, I fell back in love with Shiny Brite ornaments this season.  We had them when I was little.  My mother had a set of "indents" that had little scenes in them.  When I hung them, I would transport myself into that tiny scene and think about it for hours.  A little deer among the trees.  Santa on his sleigh.  Three remain but will stay tucked away as they have been since I can recall.  Instead, I chanced upon Radko's Shiny Brites and I was a goner.  I bought a three ornament set just to see how they would look among the other

ornaments and they looked gorgeous.  So I bought some more!

German immigrant, Max Eckart, established the Shiny Brite company in New York in 1937, and partnered with Corning Glass Works to mass produce ornaments line with silver nitrate.  The silvering process was to ensure they stayed shiny and bright through the years.

The first Shiny Brites were sold in 1939 at F.W. Woolworth stores for 2 cents to 10 cents apiece.  Prior to that, most glass ornaments were  hand blown and imported from countries like Germany and Czechoslovakia.  Shiny Brites were mass produced and sold by the millions every year.  

They came in a variety of shapes and sizes.  Balls, tear drops, indents, lanterns, tops, bells, icicles and pinecones were among some of the designs.  The best dressed tree was decorated with Shiny Brite ornaments.

In the late 1990s, Christopher Radko acquired the Shiny Brite name.  His company has been making reproduction Shiny Brite ornaments, and new designs inspired by the originals since then.  And they are wonderful!

Another tug of nostalgia came along when I slipped into the world of Tammy.  She was Ideal's answer to Barbie but created as a sixteen-year-old ingenue.  To me, she's like a tiny Cissy.  She even has the big eyes and red pouty lips like Cissy.

And lastly, my love of antiquarian and vintage books crept back into play, and off I went hunting down a few gorgeous books from the early 1960s.  All Christmas ones, of course.  The illustrations were sweet, light hearted, and beautifully done.  This came about after hunting down a mint and uncut Little Golden Activity Book, Tammy.  Hopeless, yes.  These things bring me great joy!

So, when I went to design a new party dress for Cissy to wear this Christmas, all these themes had been running through my mind for several weeks.  Well, two.  Or since I finished her ski costume.  Something like that!  

I wanted something different for Cissy.  I've made so many lovely gowns and dresses for her, and I needed something fresh and Shiny Brite!

A few years ago, before my friend, Jenny, passed away, she sent me some silks to sew with since she could no longer use her hands.  This beautiful plaid silk taffeta was waiting for just the right purpose.  There wasn't much of it, but just enough for a very full skirt.  I added a spruce green silk bodice to complete the dress and a front bow from the pretty silk taffeta.  These little bows were quite common on party dresses from the 1950s.  On her feet, are Cissy-standard, black heels and these were made with rhinestone details.

I printed off some vintage-retro Christmas wrap, in miniature, to wrap a gift for Cissy to take to the tree trimming, gift exchange party tonight.  

She has her own miniature Shiny Brite ornament to add to her friend's tree.  I have two sets of these minis and they are so rare and hard to find in nice condition.  I even printed off a set of vintage gift tags and added one to the gift with gold thread.

I was trying to think of something that would bring this party dress together.  I made Cissy a headband out of the taffeta and that wasn't enough.  I made her a pearl necklace and earrings, and that wasn't enough.  I was "getting there", but the black shoes, as elegant as they are, needed some attention.  So, I made her a black velveteen coat and Juliette hat.

I do not like sewing with velveteen and worse, I do not enjoy sewing a silk lining to it.  Yet, I love the results.  I love velveteen.  Its more luxurious to me than silk.

The coat is closed with one black velveteen button.  I struggled over what to use because of the rhinestones on the shoes.  I try to think of what a young woman would wear from her closet.  There'd be a mix surely.  Pearls are much more ingenue and it was also quite fashionable to use a rhinestone pin on your coat or sweater.  

I had four of these rhinestone pieces, and made a pin of one for Cissy's coat, and applied two to her Juliet hat.

Understated, yet elegant and classy.  That's Cissy!

Cissy will enjoy an evening with friends, music and fun as they decorate the tree, hold a gift exchange and dance until midnight.

Below, I'm sharing The Golden Christmas Book that I acquired just the other day.  It may not arrive next week, but Oh, if it does!  I'll spend hours in it and have it for every year and Christmas to 

come.  I have to see if I can find a copy of The Christmas Book with the two children on it.  I collect these books for the precious illustrations and sweet stories.  I'm also looking for a copy of The Night Before Christmas, illustrated by Carol Munshi.  I've included a couple of opened book illustrations from it to enjoy.

I hope you'll enjoy the assortment of vintage and Radko Shiny Brite ornaments I've included.  

Nine more days to Christmas.  I'll be working on Dolly Dingle's new costume to go along with Grace's over the next few days.  I am thoroughly enjoying this year's Christmas season, and I couldn't be feeling more comfort and joy!

Happy Holidays!  Melissa