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Lover of anything vintage. I spend my free time looking at antiques,watching and collecting classic films,and reading some of the greatest literary classics known to man.This blog is just my way of sharing my interests with other people.

Monday, December 31, 2012

"We'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.."




Happy New Year to you and yours, from Think Classic!
Enjoy yourselves but most of all, be safe and blessed during this holiday.
See you next year ;)




P.S.- If you're interested in a more detailed, vintage post on some of the history of the ball drop, check out our post from last year by clicking here:

Monday, December 24, 2012

A Very Vintage Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas!

Well, actually it is Christmas Eve and at this point in time it is officially less than 24 hours until Christmas Day.
I want to keep this post short and sweet, but I also just can't bring myself to do it without providing a little historical background.

A Visit from Saint Nicholas is considered to be one of the best known American poems in history, and is also recognized and well known by people from all around the world. It was first published in the early 1820s, and nobody is completely sure who it was written by. It appeared as an anonymous poem but later on was connected to Clement Clarke Moore, the son of the famous New York bishop, Benjamin Moore.
It became immensely popular very quickly after its original publication, and it has never lost its popularity. Even today, almost 200 years later, it is still traditional in families all around the world to read it on Christmas Eve night. So here it is now, in its entirety, for your enjoyment.


"Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas would soon be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar plums danc'd in their heads,
And Mama in her kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap--
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters, and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow,
Gave the luster of mid-day to the objects below;
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name:
'Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer and Vixen!
On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Donder and Blitzen;
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
Now, dash away! Dash away! Dash away, all!'
As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly,
When the meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the house-top the coursers, they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys--and St. Nicholas too:
And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound:
He was dress'd all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnish'd with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys was flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack:
His eyes--how they twinkled! His dimples: how merry,
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry;
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face, and a little round belly
That shook when he laugh'd, like a bowl full of jelly:
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laugh'd when I saw him in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And fill'd all the stockings; then turn'd with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
He sprung to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew, like the down of a thistle:
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight--
'Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!'"


Sunday, December 23, 2012

"Catastroph!"

A Very Vintage Christmas post #8

Today is December 23, so there are two days until Christmas!
We have a classic Christmas film for you today, but it also happens to be in conjunction with TCM's Star of the Month for December, so here she is:

STAR OF THE MONTH
Barbara Stanwyck
Born July 16, 1907
Died January 20, 1990

Barbara Stanwyck was in fact born as one Ruby Catherine Stevens in Brooklyn, New York in 1907. She had a difficult upbringing and developed a tough skin because of it. She was the youngest of five children who were orphaned from a young age. Her mother was killed in a streetcar accident when she was 4 years of age, and soon after that her father left for a job on the Panama canal dig and he was never seen or heard from again. Ruby was left in the care of one of her sisters who was only 5 years older than herself. She stayed with her older sister, Mildred, until the latter decided to pursue a career in show business. From that point on Ruby and one of her brothers were placed in innumerable foster homes. During summer vacations, Ruby was reunited with her sister and would travel and tour with her, memorizing routines and developing a passion for performance. Mildred tried to discourage her from getting involved in the business, but Ruby desperately wanted to be on stage--to be noticed. She never attended high school, and when she was still just 15 in 1923, she landed herself a job at a night club in Times Square. She was only there for a short time until she auditioned and won a part as a Ziegfeld girl for two seasons.
Ruby worked the circuit as a chorus girl for the next 3 years until she met director Willard Mack in 1926. At the time, Mack was attempting to cast the roles for his play The Noose, and Ruby was referred to him by a friend and mutual acquaintance. She was given the part, but the play was not successful until it was rewritten with adjustments to her character. After the tweaks were made, it became an amazing success on Broadway. It was during this time that Ruby Stevens officially became Barbara Stanwyck. The name of her character was Barbara, and the last name was taken from another actress. And thus, a star was born.
In 1927, the new Barbara Stanwyck was cast in a leading role in the hit show Burlesque. She quickly began taking up small parts in silent films later that same year. It was also during this time that she met her future husband, Frank Fay, while working on the stage. They were married in 1928. The two were married less than 10 years, and reportedly fell apart due to career differences. Fay was also an actor, but he could not successfully switch from silents to talkies, whereas Stanwyck's career skyrocketed shortly after talkies rolled into production. Fay also had alcoholic tendencies and was abusive to his wife in public.
From her first talking picture in 1929, The Locked Door, Stanwyck just kept going and building momentum as she went. She quickly was cast in memorable pictures such as Ladies of Leisure (1930), Stella Dallas (1937), The Lady Eve (1941), and Sorry, Wrong Number (1948). She was also considered for the part of Scarlett O'Hara in the film adaptation of the classic novel, Gone With The Wind.
Stanwyck went on to marry fellow actor Robert Taylor in 1939. She was very hesitant to get involved with anyone else after her previous disastrous relationship, but Taylor was persistent. She claimed that he was the love of her life, and they were happy for a while, but he began to stray and the couple fell apart after a while. They agreed that it was best to divorce, and they officially did so in 1951. Stanwyck stayed active after her divorce, but her personal life took a toll on her career and she slowly began to decline in the film industry. After 1957, she began to dabble in the television industry, and had some minor success.
Barbara Stanwyck was looked upon as the friendly face of Hollywood. She was known for showing warmth and kindness to all of the crew and backstage workers on her films, and she was a great favorite with all of her costars. During her time in the film industry she starred in over 80 motion pictures, and won an Academy Award in 1981. She died of heart complications at the age of 82 in 1990. There was no funeral according to her wishes.


"I'm a tough, old broad from Brooklyn. I intend to go on acting until I'm ninety and they won't need to paste my face with makeup."
-Barbara Stanwyck

"'Career' is too pompous a word. It was a job and I have always felt privileged to be paid for doing what I love doing."
-Barbara Stanwyck


And now, for our Movie of the Month pick starring Barbara Stanwyck, which is also the main part of our post for A Very Vintage Christmas today:

Christmas in Connecticut
1945
Starring Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Reginald Gardiner, S.Z. Sakall, and Sydney Greenstreet

During World War II, a smart, young, single woman by the name of Elizabeth Lane (Stanwyck) has a job as a writer for a successful housekeeping magazine. To all of America, Elizabeth Lane is a loving wife, nurturing mother, and sensational cook who lives on a country farm in Connecticut. Only three of her closest friends know that she is in fact a single woman who cannot cook to save her life and lives in a small apartment in the city. Certainly her boss, Alexander Yardley (Greenstreet) has no idea--he's an old stickler for the truth and is in favor of anything that will boost circulation. There doesn't seem to be any reason to inform Mr. Yardley about Elizabeth's real home life...that is, until Mr. Yardley receives a letter from a nurse who is engaged to a sailor and she wants him to be able to go and spend Christmas in a good, happy, comfy, traditional home. Mr. Yardley thinks it will make for an excellent story--Elizabeth Lane, America's model housewife, taking in a naval hero for the holidays.
Elizabeth finds out about what Mr. Yardley is planning and she is devastated, knowing that she must tell Mr. Yardley the truth and lose her job. Whenever she goes to meet with him, she can't work up the courage to tell him that she is not a housewife from Connecticut. Then, she is even more dispirited than before when her friend John Sloan (Gardiner), who has always been determined to marry Elizabeth even though she's not interested, pays her a visit. John is an architect and he mentions in passing that he has a house in Connecticut, which sparks an idea in Elizabeth's head. In order to keep her job, Elizabeth says that she will marry John; that way the two of them can go to his country house in Connecticut and receive the sailor there and pretend that she is the housewife she claims to be in her magazine articles. John thinks her whole predicament is rather ridiculous, but he goes along with it because it means Elizabeth is finally accepting his proposal.
So, shortly before Christmas, John travels to his country farm in Connecticut with Elizabeth, who insists on bringing her "uncle" Felix (Sakall) who is a professional chef and who has been giving her recipe ideas for the magazine articles for years. Everything is ready; they even have a baby to complete the picture because the housekeeper watches a baby whose mother works at a munitions factory during the day. The only problem is that Elizabeth has qualms about marrying John since she knows she doesn't really love him. They are supposed to get married as soon as they arrive at the farm by a justice of the peace but Elizabeth manages to put it off. John gets upset and insists on knowing what they're supposed to do, but she manages to placate him by saying that they will just pretend they are married but she will sleep in the guest room at night. Things only get more complicated when the sailor arrives two hours early and Elizabeth very quickly falls head of heels in love with him. Then things get even more crowded when Mr. Yardley himself also joins them for Christmas.
Everything turns into a big, jumbled mess as Elizabeth tries to keep up her act so she doesn't get fired, but she can't help showing her attraction to the sailor, Jefferson Jones (Morgan). Uncle Felix helps her keep her secrets for a while but eventually Mr. Yardley starts to catch on, but he only picks up on some of the details--he thinks that Elizabeth and John really are married but that she is having an affair with Jefferson. Everything gets more confusing and tense until the truth finally comes out. Elizabeth quits her job and is heartbroken because she never realized Jefferson was engaged until his fiance turned up at the farm. But new truths are being unveiled all over the place and Jefferson discovers his fiance came to break the news that she is now married to somebody else.
Everything seems melancholy and chaotic until Uncle Felix steps in. He gets Elizabeth her job back with a pay raise, and he fills in all the gaps for Jefferson so that he knows Elizabeth is in love with him. They then reconcile and proclaim their love for each other, and everyone has a very merry Christmas in Connecticut, after all.


Christmas in Connecticut is a great family Christmas movie. It is a true comedy of circumstance and is full of humor, and a little romance too, of course.
It is one of my favorite Christmas movies and I even own a copy of it myself.


Alright, so tomorrow is Monday so we will be doing a post then for Christmas Eve.
I can't believe Christmas is so close at hand! We here at Think Classic truly do wish you all a wonderful, happy, blessed Christmas. Be safe this holiday season, and in light of recent tragedies that have befallen those across the country and most especially in the Northeast: as you reach out to those around you whom you love this Christmas, remember those who have now lost their loved ones. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Have A Very Vintage Christmas!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

"Sing choirs of angels, sing in exultation!"

A Very Vintage Christmas post #9

Today is December 20th, which means the final countdown is finally on with only 5 days to go until Christmas. I don't know about you, but I'm ecstatic that it's almost here, yet also sad that the Christmas season is passing so quickly.
Anyways, to business...
Today is also a Thursday, which means it is also time for another classic Christmas song.

"O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him
Born the King of angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord!
O sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation.
Sing all that hear in heaven, God's holy word.
Give to our Father glory in the highest;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord!
All hail!Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning!
O, Jesus, for evermore be Thy name adored!
Word of the Father now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord!"

O Come All Ye Faithful is a very old English hymn that was originally written and sung in Latin, known by the title of Adeste Fideles. It was translated in the 1700s, and through various translations a verse that has been made official and recorded reads:

"God of God,
Light of Light,
Lo, He abhors not the Virgin's womb;
Very God,
Begotten not created."

Not every artist sings all the verses or sings them in the same way, just as with other songs; regardless, the song is still widely recorded and sung by scores of musical artists today.


In 1948, Frank Sinatra released his album Christmas Songs by Sinatra. On the album, he had the song Adeste Fideles, but he sang the English translation even though he used the Latin title of the song.


Although I adore Frank Sinatra and this blog concentrates on such vintage and classical things, I have to put in a good word for my man with the voice of an angel, Josh Groban. On his Christmas album Noel, he has an absolutely gorgeous and killer version of O Come All Ye Faithful, so if you'd like to give it a listen as well, click on this link:



Our countdown is getting smaller every day but we've still got some Christmas magic up our sleeves, so be sure to come back this Saturday, December 22, for another classic holiday movie post, which ties in with TCM's Star of the Month.
Until next time, have a very merry and A Very Vintage Christmas!

Sunday, December 16, 2012

"Caroling, caroling through the snow, Christmas bells are ringing..."

A Very Vintage Christmas post #8

Today is (already) the 16th of December...
Do you realize what this means?It means it is only NINE days until Christmas.
We're down to single digits,people!

Christmas caroling!

A lot of people traditionally do this during the Christmas holidays, whether you do it as a part of a church group, or you just do it with family and friends.
I have some memories of Christmas caroling with my grandpa's church when I was a youngster in elementary school. And, in much more recent times, I have a group of friends that gets together shortly before Christmas, watches the movie White Christmas, and then goes Christmas caroling to the surrounding houses in the neighborhood.

But have you ever wondered exactly where the idea of Christmas caroling came from? Or maybe wondered how long it has been around? Well if you ironically happened to be wondering about those two exact questions, then you've come to the right place because that is exactly what today's post is about!

The word "carol" comes from a word that means to dance or sing songs of joy. "Carols," or traditional songs date back centuries, to celebrations of the Winter Solstice. As time went on, more carols were used for all the seasons, including spring and summer, although only winter carols really survived the test of time.
When the early church began to make efforts to replace the Winter Solstice with the Christmas holiday, special carols for masses and celebratory services were written. However, the common people got tired of them fairly quickly because they could not understand them since they were written and sung in Latin. So, the use of Christmas carols was put on the back burner, so to speak.
The celebrated monk, Francis of Assisi, began bringing back the use of Christmas carols during his nativity plays, and they became much more appealing to the people in the audience because he made an effort to have them sung in their native language. This practice caught on and quickly spread all over Europe.
It was during the Middle ages that the idea of public caroling as we know it today was started. Minstrels would travel through the streets during the Christmas season, especially on Christmas Eve, and sing carols for others enjoyment. Eventually, the use of carols temporarily died out once again during the 1600s, when Oliver Cromwell rose to power. Yet even though they were not sung in public anymore, many people still privately used them in their homes, so they were not entirely forgotten. They began to come back into use during the Victorian Era.
Naturally, when settlers came to America, they brought their tradition of Christmas carols with them and turned it into their very own tradition, until it grew into the modern idea of Christmas caroling that we have today.
So, if you enjoy Christmas caroling then maybe this will fascinate you the next time you do it. If you've never been Christmas caroling, perhaps it will inspire you to do so. Either way, I hope that you have enjoyed this little throwback on an old Christmas tradition.


That's it for today!
Check back with us on Thursday, December 20th, for another classic Christmas song.
Who knows, maybe you could add it to your list of songs to use when you go caroling.
Until then, have A Very Vintage Christmas!

Saturday, December 15, 2012

"Winter must be so cold for those with no warm memories.."

A Very Vintage Christmas post #7

Today is December 15th, so we've got 10 days til Christmas!
Crazy!

An Affair to Remember
1957
Starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr

During a winter holiday on board a cruise ship heading from Europe to New York City, an unlikely pair meets and falls in love. Nickie Ferrante (Grant) is a very wealthy, playboy, socialite. Terry McKay (Kerr) is just your average, beautiful, well-educated woman. The only problem is that Nickie is in a very well publicized relationship, headed to the altar in a short period of time, and Terry is also in a relationship.
The two of them can't deny their attraction and feelings for one another, so just before the ship arrives in New York they make a deal. In six months' time, if they still want to be with each other and they can get themselves respectable careers, then they will meet at the top of the Empire State Building and get married.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and the two meditate on their feelings each day that they are apart. Nickie decides to actually do something with his life and becomes an artist. At the end of six months the two are both excited and anxious to meet one another just as they planned. Nickie arrives at the top of the Empire State Building first, so he waits. Terry is just a few blocks away, within sight of the building. In her excitement, she is looking up as she is running across the street and she gets hit by a car. She survives, but she is taken away for special treatment. Nickie is shown waiting at the top of the building, not knowing what is happening as sirens are heard from down below.
Some time later it is shown that Terry, now a teacher, is confined to a wheelchair. It is also revealed that she never contacted Nickie to tell him what happened because she didn't want him to see her as an invalid. At the beginning of the Christmas holidays later that year, Nickie and Terry both happen to attend the same ballet. Terry is still in her theater seat when he sees her, so he still has no knowledge of her condition. Bitter, believing she just stood him up that summer, he simply nods and says, "Hello," as he passes.
On Christmas Eve, Terry is at home by herself in her apartment when she gets a visitor. Nickie looked up her address and came to confront her about why she stood him up that day. He tries to bring up the subject, but she dodges all his questions, not wishing to talk about it. eventually he puts all of the clues together, and sees her wheelchair in her room, finally realizing that she never intended to leave him there. Completely apologetic, the two of them embrace and the movie ends on the positive note that as long as Nickie can paint and they can work on it together, then Terry can learn to walk again.


There are certainly sad parts to this movie, but it is also very heartwarming. There is a lot of wit and humor, and of course it is a romance with a happy ending.
To view the trailer, click this link:

If you are interested in giving this as a gift, or just in buying it for yourself, you can price/buy it if you click on this link:


Hope you enjoy this classic Christmas film.
Come back tomorrow for another post on a fun Christmas tradition.
And in the meantime, have A Very Vintage Christmas!

Thursday, December 13, 2012

"When it snows, ain't it thrilling..."

A Very Vintage Christmas post #6

And it is now December 13th, so that makes it 12 days until Christmas.

Eek! That's less than two weeks! And, looking back, I definitely mourn the fact that I did not grab onto the predictable and cliche opportunity to make today's song choice The 12 Days of Christmas.
What was I thinking?
Oh well..today's son is still a great, fun one!

"Sleigh bells ring, are you listening?
In the lane snow is glistening.
A beautiful sight,
We're happy tonight,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
Gone away is the bluebird.
Here to stay is the new bird.
He sings a love song,
As we go along,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
In the meadow we can build a snowman,
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown.
He'll say, 'Are you married?'
We'll say, 'No man.
But you can do the job when you're in town.'
Later on, we'll conspire
As we dream by the fire,
To face unafraid the plans that we've made
Walking in a winter wonderland.
In the meadow we can build a snowman,
And pretend that he's a circus clown.
We'll have lots of fun with mister snowman
Until the other kids knock him down.
When it snows, ain't it thrilling?
Though your nose gets a chilling.
We'll frolic and play the Eskimo way,
Walking in a winter wonderland."

Winter Wonderland has definitely become known as a classic Christmas song over the years.
It was originally written by Richard B. Smith in 1934 as he looked out over a joyful winter scene in his city's public park from an upstairs window. Originally, the verse about the snowman being a circus clown was not included. However, many people at the time deemed it inappropriate for younger listeners that the only main verse in the song was about a young couple spontaneously getting married. So, the children-friendly verse was penned and put in. Most artists nowadays sing the song with both verses.

It is an extremely popular and well known song, having been performed by well over 100 artists including Andy Williams, Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis, The Carpenters, and Brenda Lee.

But today I give you the classic version of the song sung by Dean Martin:

There are also many modern artists who perform Winter Wonderland, making even more great versions of the song. Today, I'm going to do something a little different and let you listen to a modern and different version of the song by A Fine Frenzy:

Hope you enjoy adding this Christmas classic to your playlist this season!
We are scheduled to do another post this Saturday, December 15th, but I will be spending my day at Denver International Airport, and then spending another 3 hours in the air, so that post will be postponed to Sunday, December 16th. We won't move the already scheduled post for Sunday, so that means there will be TWO posts on Sunday, December 16th.

Until then, have a thrilling, and A Very Vintage Christmas!

Sunday, December 9, 2012

"Give three cheers for this Christmas old!"

A Very Vintage Christmas post #5

And, in case you're keeping track like me, it's 16 days til Christmas!

Now, I know that I am rather unusual compared to quite a few people in that one of the things I love to do best on cold nights during the Christmas holidays is curl up with a warm blanket, a cup of peppermint hot chocolate, and a great book to get me into the Christmas spirit.

That's right, I love to read.

And there are so many types and forms of literature that pertain to Christmas--poetry, novels, short stories, etc. Well, a couple of years ago I found an old book in my parent's house that was full of traditional Christmas short stories. Naturally, I couldn't put it down after I found it. And one of the ones I particularly enjoyed was an excerpt from a rather old novel. And today, I bring you an excerpt from one of its chapters that really is full of cheer and Christmas spirit.

The Pickwick Papers
An 1836-7 novel
by Charles Dickens

An excerpt from Chapter 28:
"As brisk as bees, if not altogether as light as fairies, did the four Pickwickians assemble on the morning of the twenty-second day of December, in the year of grace in which these, their faithfully-recorded adventures, were undertaken and accomplished. 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. Gay and merry was the time; and right gay and merry were at least four of the numerous hearts that were gladdened by its coming.
And numerous indeed are the hearts to which Christmas brings a brief season of happiness and enjoyment. How many families, whose members have been dispersed and scattered far and wide, in the restless struggles of life, are then reunited, and meet once again in that happy state of companionship and mutual goodwill, which is a source of such pure and unalloyed delight; and one so incompatible with the cares and the sorrows of the world, that the religious belief of the most civilized, and the rude traditions of the roughest savages, alike number it among the first joys of a future condition of existence, provided for the blessed and happy! How many old recollections, and how many dormant sympathies, does Christmas time awaken!
...the old house, the room, the merry voices and smiling faces, the jest, the laugh, the must minute and trivial circumstances connected with those happy meetings, crowd upon our mind at each recurrence of the season, as if the last assemblage had been but yesterday! Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveler, thousands of miles away, back to his own fireside and his quiet home!"


The Pickwick Papers, by Charles Dickens, is just one of many excellent books which contain various chapters with wonderful depictions of a good, old-fashioned Christmas, and the joy of celebrating it with friends and loved ones.
That was just part of the 28th chapter of the story, so there are more Christmas details within that chapter. Then there is a Christmas story that one of the characters tells in Chapter 29, and Christmas Day itself is depicted throughout Chapter 30, including a hilarious scene that unfolds when all of the Pickwickians and their host decide to venture out and go ice skating.
It just puts you in a cheerful, Christmas mood. If you or someone you know is interested in the book The Pickwick Papers, I know for sure that you can find and download it for free on Kindle. You can also purchase it in your local Barnes and Noble, or online at Amazon.
And if you are equally interested in other popular Christmas literature that is out there, then I would recommend The Fir-Tree by Hans Christian Andersen, The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie, The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, and of course A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
Other classic novels that have great Christmas sections or chapters in them are Emma by Jane Austen, most of The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.


I hope you enjoyed that little excerpt into the vast land of Christmas literature, and I would highly recommend The Pickwick Papers.
Come back again and join us on Thursday, December 13 for another Christmas song to add to your collection.
And in the mean time, have A Very Vintage Christmas!