"Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"

Living in Minnesota, Christmas just isn't Christmas without snow. This year we have had warmer than usual weather and rain!

Yesterday as I was finishing my decorating (I know it was supposed to be done a week ago) anyway.....it was pouring rain outside. I was not feeling the holiday! But I finished, and here are the results.



I can't wait for Christmas Eve with all my family, fantastic food, and maybe just a little wine!

Happy Holidays and thank you for following. I enjoy writing this blog, and hope you enjoy the read!

"Here's a toast to the future, A toast to the past, And a toast to our friends, far and near. May the future be pleasant; The past a bright dream; May our friends remain faithful and dear." ~ Anonymous


Look for a new feature starting January 1st. I'm working on a blog series titled "Happy Birthday"...January, February, March, etc...
I'll talk about birthstones, their origins, legends and myths. There will be special jewelry items in my Etsy shop each month featuring that months birthstone.

First up: "Happy Birthday...January." Look for some great items in the next two weeks featuring garnet and rose quartz.

It's begining to look a little like Christmas....Finally!

It has been a busy hectic few weeks. And I have been neglecting my blog, so I thought it was time for some "Holiday Catch Up".

I don't even know where to start....

Nostalgic Summer is looking to the new year already. I've been designing some new pieces for the coming year (just in time for Valentines Day). I know it's not even Christmas yet, but look for a preview in a few weeks.

Also I have been brainstorming some new blog series ideas and will start them in January. I have two fun ideas that I hope everyone will enjoy.

Now back to Christmas.....It is getting crazy here, I just found out TWO days ago I will be hosting our annual family Christmas Eve party. It is a casual fun event, about 30 people, with everyone bringing food, but I haven't even put up the tree yet!

So today I am starting a three day a whirlwind decorating event! Here are a few of the in process photos.
Front entry before:

After:



The stockings are hung, but the fireplace is not decorated. And this is a before picture of the dining room.


I gotta go...but I will update with some final decorating pictures on Saturday. And maybe a Christmas party update after Christmas!


"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Soon the bells will start
And the thing that will make them ring
Is the Carol that you sing
Right within your heart, right within your heart"

Merry Christmas!

Featured!.....And a Giveaway*

Nostalgic Summer has the honor of being featured on Satori Design For Living's blog.
Shauna Oberg is the founder of Satori Design for Living. Shauna is known for creating interiors that strike a balance between desires, sentiments, practicality, and personality. And she writes a fantastic blog!

The *GIVEAWAY* Visit Satori Design For Living. Read the Nostalgic Summer post, and follow the giveaway instructions. While your there start following Shauna's blog, it's well worth it.
http://satoridesignforliving.com/nostalgic-summer-an-etsy-feature-giveaway

And in honor of being featured Nostalgic Summer's Etsy shop will be offering a 15% discount through December 14th. Enter code BLOGSPOT at checkout.

Thank you Shauna for this wonderful feature. I feel truly honored to be included on your fantastic blog!

Is 91 the new 40?

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.”
~Henry Ford

On 11-11-11 my mom turned 91. Since she is the subject of my logo I thought I should write a birthday post. A little belated, but we had a very busy birthday weekend!

Here’s a little history on my mom’s life. She was born Gjertrude Jeanette Folstad on November 11th, 1920, in Bergen, Norway.
Now my grandmother was already living in America at the time, but decided to visit her family in Norway, and my mom decided to be born there.

She spent most of her childhood in Duluth, MN and her teenage years in Minneapolis, MN. Married her first husband at the age of 19, against her mother’s best wishes. He died in an airplane accident in the Air Force. Years later she married her second husband, my dad. They raised eight children together, four from her first marriage, two from his first marriage, and my brother and I.


She has always been a fearless person. She and my dad traveled all through Mexico in a car and trailer. AND I mean ALL through Mexico. She has some great stories! She still belongs to a book club, quilting club and a women’s group. Her social life is much more exciting than mine!

So what do you get a 91 year old for her birthday? An IPAD of course! We already got her a stationary bike for her 85th birthday.
She aced her ten minute intro to IPAD at the Apple store, started emailing everyone the next day, and by the third day was telling us she had it figured out! (She had never even looked at a computer before!)

Friday we go back to the Apple store for her 0ne hour training session. I’m just afraid by the end of it she will be wearing a blue Apple shirt and running the store!

Happy Birthday to my amazing, wonderful, loving, loved, caring, smart, adventurous, 40….oops, I mean 91 year young Mom!

A Little Creativity….Work Zone

“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” ~Author Unknown

Since I’m waiting for my book to come in so I can do my last Jewelry History post, I thought I would give you a peek inside Nostalgic Summers “World Headquarters.” Actually…my spare room turned into a work space.

Now I have to tell you I am a bit organization obsessive! I love when everything is neat, organized and color coordinated. But I do admit when creativity strikes I throw all that to the wind.

So here’s a look inside my creative space.
Here’s my desk, an old enamel top table, which I am IN LOVE with! Above it is my inspiration/memory board.



This is my computer desk, also a wonderful enamel top table. I painted the bottom red originally it was industrial gray.


On top is a great old chippy blue cubby (cupboard?), and the white container on top is my puppy treat jar. (they work hard and need treat breaks).

My “helpers,” Audrey and Lily.

These next few pictures are of my props, jewelry display pieces and my great patriotic collection.


I hope you enjoyed the peek inside. I would love to hear where you spend your creative time!

Happy Halloween!
AND….I promise A Little Jewelry History, Part Five will be next!

A Little Creativity….Auction Finds

“The pearl is the queen of gems and the gem of queens.” ~ Author Unknown

Remember all the booty from my “A Day At The Auction” post? I’ve been working on lots of pieces from the loot and thought I would give a little preview of what I’ve created.

My sister in law works for Delta and the Flight Attendants are wearing pink for October in honor of BCRF’s awareness event. She purchased a necklace I had made with vintage pink rhinestones. Then she said I should think about making some pieces for October and Breast Cancer Awareness. I didn’t have much vintage in pink, so I didn’t think much about it.
But…as fate would have it, there were several great pieces of pink in the auction box I had won. So I made a few necklaces, put them on Etsy and decided to donate a portion of the sale of all pink items in my Etsy shop to BCRF.

Here are my Pink Etsy items. They are still available and a portion of sales will go to BCRF.



I also have two pink Advertising Art Pendant Necklaces that I’m including.


I have also been working with the HUGE stash of vintage pearl beads I won at the auction to create bracelets for my “Something Old/Something New” Bridal Line.



These are also available on Etsy. I have LOTS more pearls and would love to create a beautiful, unique, one of a kind keepsake for your big day.

Stay tuned next week for…..A Little Jewelry History ~ Part Five. The 60’s and 70’s!

A Day At The Auction

“Who'll give me a dollar? One dollar bid, now two, now two, will ya give me two?”

I haven’t been to an auction for years, but I found an auction bill at the grocery store in Battle Lake a few weeks ago. Among the usual auction fair it listed a large collection of costume jewelry. I was intrigued (and hooked!). The auction was Saturday, and since we were at the cabin I decided to check it out.

I forgot how great auctions are, everyone’s checking out the items, pretending they’re not really interested.

Now I don’t have a poker face…so I’m sure it was easy to see me drooling over all the vintage pearl beads, fantastic vintage brooches and clip on earrings!

Even though I didn’t hide my excitement I did pretty well. Here’s my auction bounty.


I can’t wait to get started on some new pieces! I already have an idea for the pearls!

“Well, the auctioneer was goin' about a mile a minute
He was takin' bids an' callin' them out loud
An' I guess I was really gettin' in it
'Cause I just shouted out above the crowd!”
~ John Michael Montgomery- “Sold”

A Little Jewelry History ~ Part Four: WWII/America's Golden Age

“A kiss on the hand may be quite continental
But diamonds are a girl's best friend
A kiss may be grand... but it won't pay the rental on your humble flat
Or help you at the automat
Men grow cold as girls grow old
And we all lose our charms in the end
But square cut or pear shape these rocks don't lose their shape
Diamonds are a girl's best friend” ~Marilyn Monroe

We start this jewelry history in the 1940’s. Men were away fighting the war, and women were filling the jobs they left behind. Many of the factories that had produced jewelry were now producing war related items. Many metals were restricted for costume jewelry so sterling silver was the substitute.
Costume jewelry of the 1940s could be identified in two categories: fashion and novelty. Fashion jewelry was cast from the finer metals like sterling silver, and was being produced by the major manufacturers, Coro, Trifari, Haskell, and Carnigie to name a few.

The glass stones that were so abundant previously were now in short supply. Manufacturers used them sparingly, creating bolder designs with single large faux gemstones.


Novelty Jewelry was stamped from less expensive base metals or molded from plastic. Novelty jewelry was more fun and whimsical. Patriotic jewelry was a popular theme.


The fifties brought Americas Golden Age. The war was over, and there was a lot of optimism in the country. Jewelry of this era reflected this optimism with glitzy gold tones and lots of rhinestones.


When Marilyn Monroe sang “Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend,” women went crazy trying to emulate the look and rhinestones were a perfect fit.

I think this era more than any other made me fall in love with costume jewelry. I remember my grandmother letting me play with her box of “old” jewelry when I was little. It was a treasure trove of “glitzy” 1950’s brooches, bracelets and of course the famous necklace/earring sets!

Nostalgic Summer Catch Up

"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all." ~Stanley Horowitz


The last two weeks have been very busy here at Nostalgic Summer, so this little post is to catch up.

First as you know from my last post I am creating a new line, “The Vintage Matchbook Advertising Art Pendant” Here are the finished pieces.




I have so many matchbooks to go through, stay tuned for more designs to come!

Also yesterday was Nostalgic Summers FIRST Art Fair. It was held at The Second Debut in St Louis Park.

I had a great time, sold several pieces and had the opportunity to get to know another wonderful artist Karla Mae. Look for a few art fair collaborations to come!
This is Karla's booth. She is a wonderful Visual Artist who creates mixed media collages, cards, custom scrapbooks and photo memory albums.


Everyone have a great fall.
And look for “A Little Jewelry History...Part Four” next week.