Celebrating May Day Through the Years

Spring officially arrives in April, but it seems it is not until May that we can really celebrate warm weather, blossoms on trees and flowers sprouting through the ground and the greenest grass of the year. We enjoy May after long winter months indoors.

In the States, we celebrate May with Renaissance Faires, Mayfest celebrations and even school children have plays, parades and Maypoles and anything that will take us outside to enjoy the warmer spring weather.

There are many interpretations of the first MayDay, and many different theories and origins, all with the same principle ~ people through the years loved to celebrate the coming of spring on the first day of May!

The celebration of May Day is documented as early as 1628 in the US, when Govenor William Bradford of Plymouth documented indentured servants created their own colony and set up a pole in the middle of their settlement and danced around it.

Another possibility is that it was celebrated by the Druids because it brought the Beltane festival and the observation of pagan fertility rites. May 1 was seen as the beginning of a new year, and fires were lit as part of the celebration and was the second most important holiday of the year.

Maypole dancing evolved into Ribbon dancing around the maypole in the 18th century, and is possibly derived from traditional and 'art' dance forms popular in Italy and France.

In old Eurpoean villages, the youth would go into the woods and cut down a tree, removing the branches and covering it with violets. At daybreak they blew horns and celebrated and the towns would know May Day had arrived.

By the Middle ages, English villages had a May Pole, and everyone ~ from adults to children would all go into the woods to select the tree, making it a parade and singing songs as they went back to town. Often large cities like London would leave the maypole up for an entire year, so it was ready for the next years may day dance.






In Yorkshire, dancers gather in a circle, each holding a coloured ribbon attached to a much smaller pole. As the dance commences the ribbons are intertwined and braided either on to the pole itself or into a web around the pole. The dancers may then retrace their steps exactly in order to unravel the ribbons or leave them as a beautiful design on the pole.

Today MayDay and dancing around the May Pole are still traditions in many European Countries and the United Kingdom.

In the US there are still many ribbon and May pole dances but usually in elementary schools as part of a May Day celebration and are often part of a school presentation.

Hawaii celebrated May Day as Lei Day, in praise of the season of summer and celebrated in a very different from the MayPole, although they do have parades, pageants, and a Lei Queen.

The MayPole has evolved to MayFest celebration in the US with many cities celebrating the entire month of May instead of just one day or dance.

Enjoy your month of May, which ever way you choose to celebrate it!

The Royal Flowers - Kate Middleton's Bouquet

Like millions of others, I was up at 4am to watch the Royal Wedding. As a vintage dress fan, of course I absolutely adored Kate Middleton's dress. I thought it simple and elegant, tasteful, and perfect for her. The second I saw the lace bodice and sleeves, and the fullness of the dress, I immediately thought of Princess Grace, one of my all time favorite bridal gowns and was thrilled. It was definately "vintage inspired" with a fresh update.. I loved it!

But.. it would be too predictable for me to blog about the dress. So I thought I'd blog about another beautiful thing about the wedding, and another passion of mine ~ gardening and flowers.

The greenery in the Cathedral gave the entire atmosphere even more of a fairy tale effect, perfect for a real life fairy tale. It gave a "Spring" feeling, almost like an English Country garden. I loved that it was "ecological" and they used living trees, native to the area. Even nicer, the maple and hornbeam trees will be planted at Prince Charles estate after the wedding.

Kate's bouquet was fabulous. Simple, understated and elegant. It suited her perfectly and complimented her dress. Again, local native flowers were used, and seasonal ones. It too, looked like it was hand picked from an English Country garden. Each flower in Kate's all white bouquet was chosen for their meaning.

One of my personal favorite flowers is Lily of the Valley, so it was thrilling to see the fragrant flower in her bouquet. Lily of the valley signifies trustworthy, sweetness and renewed happiness, as well as the April flower. Very appropriate!

White Hyacinth, which also is incredibly fragrant stands for consistency. Sweet William was included, which was a charming touch honoring her groom.

The most sentimental and nostalgic though was the sprig of Myrtle. Myrtle signifies traditional innocence of a bride.

According to the Royal Wedding website carrying myrtle has been the ongoing tradition since Queen Victoria was given an arrangement of flowers with myrtle by Prince Albert's grandmother during a visit to Germany.
The myrtle was first carried by Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Princess Victoria, when she married in 1858. Each Royal Bride since then has had a sprig of Myrtle from the Osborn House which continues to grow from Queen Victoria's original plantings in 1845.

The Royal bouquet is never tossed. Instead, like Princess Diana, Kate Middleton will lay her bouquet at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, a historic grave embedded into the church floor in 1920 to commemorate anonymous soldiers killed at war.

Vintage Lingerie Makes a Perfect Bridal Shower Gift

What does a vintage selling Mom give her daughter for a bridal shower? Ok. that's pretty obvious! I must admit I did "look" at Allana's registry, but my heart was just not into buying them a place setting of Fiesta,a crock pot or sheets. I wanted something more memorable.

So a vintage chiffon Vanity Fair peignoir set in a pretty ivory color it was. Long to the floor, full, beautiful, lacy and feminine. A wedding night set. Most of the twenty-something girls in attendance had never seen anything like it, and it was a hit with everyone there, most of all the bride; my daughter.

If you are going to a bridal shower ~ think out side the box. Give her something she and the groom will love, and in five years, they will remember it was from you, unlike most other gifts.

Here are just a few suggestions from
Vintage Outlet




Vintage Victoria's Secret Satin Nightgown Chiffon with Pearls M



Vintage Chiffon Peignoir White Blue Lace Full Sweep L




Victoria's Secret Vintage Satin Chiffon Robe M L



Vintage White Chiffon Eyelet Nightgown Peignoir Robe XS S


all these and more available at
Vintage Outlet

Easter Fashions for Children 1959

(cousin Clory, my sister Sabrina, Clory's twin Jean, my sister Laura, me.)


Another of Dad's many "hobbies" was photography. He loved taking pictures, and although we probably dreaded having constant pictures taken back then, we're grateful for it now. We have reminders of wonderful memories.

Easter was one of them. Every year, Mom would take us each shopping for the "perfect dress" in a pretty pastel, little white gloves (sometimes just passed down) a new spring coat, and always a new (mandatory!) Easter bonnet hat and purse. We picked them out ourselves and they were our treasures.

Of course we left the gloves on in Church and all day.. we were proper ladies!




a few more cousins, including Chuck with his "dapper grown up hat" and Maria looking like a little doll on the car, shortly before she tumbled off.

Addicted to Peeps - My Legacy

I confess. I absolutely love Peeps.. only the ones at Easter. They have to be yellow, and they have to be chickens. No bunny peeps, no bright neon colored chickens in blue or pink. absolutely NO gross orange pumpkin peeps at Halloween no green Christmas Trees or red hearts. Just yellow chickens, thank you. Yes, the others are darling, but I guess I'm a peep purist.






A huge chocoholic, I was thrilled to find chocolate covered peeps.. and grossed when I bit into one to see the bright yellow inside with the chocolate outside. Nope. Give me the originals and hold the chocolate please..






Recently I re-connected with an old friend on facebook, a vintage friend (had to get vintage in here somewhere, lol!) that I've known for 30+ years, but haven't seen in at least 20. The first thing Shelly posted on my wall? "Do you still love your peeps stale?" A funny thing to remember about me after all these years, I laughed. She knows me well. Please don't let peeps be my legacy.

Shelly's memory is correct. I like to open the package, let the little peeps "air dry" for a day and eat them a little crunchy. Not quite stale but crunchy. Then I eat the eyes, which are really only wax, despite thinking for years they were chocolate. Then the little tails, and next the heads. OK.. now you'll think I'm really crazy. Its just nice to have a chunk of marshmallow, the body left for savoring little bites.

A bit of peep trivia ~

•Sam Born began selling Peeps in the early 1920's. He sold them in a small grocery store he owned in New York, under a sign that read "Just Born".

•Today it only takes 6 minutes to make a peep.

•Yellow chicks are the favorite color (ha! i'm not alone!)! After yellow, the favorite color are- pink, lavender, blue, and white. Just food dye, they all taste the same.

•The average adult eats 5 peeps in one sitting.

•The shelf life of Peeps, if stored properly, is years.

•A single Peep has how only 32 calories

You can do more than just eat them plain ~

Help, Help, Mr. Bill!!


Floating in chocolate




I also love the cult following of peep art:

Peep Marshmallow Roast


For the Wedding Peeps


My Favorite bucket of chicken



Smoking makes your peep wings fall off


A Peep-za (for my DD Allana, the Pizza Hut Account Exec :)


Give Peeps a Chance

Peep Kabob


Biker Peeps



Almost every city, every newspaper has an Annual Peeps Diorama contest ~ the creativity is just amazing! Here are a few winners:

Gentlemen prefer Peeps!



Chilean Peep Miners



Split Peep Soup



Peep 3 D show

To all my peeps ~ Happy Easter!

Its Time For Spring Pastel Nightgowns

The Calendar says Spring! That means its time for lighter weight, sleeveless or short sleeve nightgowns in pretty pastel colors. Its time to pack up the dark, jewel tone or primary color lingerie and switch to spring colors. If by chance its still snowing where you are, nothing like a pretty nightgown to get you over the winter blah's and ready for spring ~

Here are just a few of pretty spring colors available at

Vintagepretties






Vintage 50s Nightgown Pink Chiffon Bodice Long Lorraine Lg Tall




Vintage Miss Elaine Lilac Blue Nightgown Long Nightgown Med Lg






Vintage Miss Elaine Peach Nightgown Tall M L





Vintage Lilac Chiffon Nightgown Pretty Pintucks Long Feminine S M

Another Birthday Means More Nostalgia

It's odd as you age, each occasion spurs memories. I think the older you get, the more you reminisce. A recent birthday brought back a flood of old memories.

When I was just a few years old, my parents moved us to the suburbs from Detroit. It was a huge thing in those days to live just a few blocks north of eight mile (yes.. the very same Eminem 8 Mile) and it was considered "out in the country."

Warren had a small town feel then. Most stores were independently owned, and Dad wouldn't dream of not shopping local. We all knew the grocer, the hardware store man and all the shop owners by first name.

This of course included the "electronic store" owned by Joe Sunday. He was the nicest man, and dad was often in his "Sunday's Appliance" store. We also got anything that plugged in from him, from radios to washing machines.

I was born loving music. It was only natural that the spring I turned 13, I wanted my very own record player. A portable one. With a handle. That I could take to my girlfriend's house, or could play my beloved 45's in my bedroom ~ The Beatles, Herman's Hermits, The Rolling Stones and lots of our "native" Motown.

That's all I asked for that year. The only thing I wanted. Of course, Dad went to Sunday's Appliance. Joe and Dad found the "perfect" record player for me. Joe assured Dad I would love this special one. What young girl wouldn't? Joe of course had only sons. That should have been a clue for Dad.

To make matters worse, my parents decided to have a surprise birthday party for me. Thirteen was a big deal back then. An occasion to be celebrated. You are officially a teen ager, no more little girl. I don't remember specifically how many of my school friends and neighbors they invited, but I do remember walking into the kitchen to be surprised by lots of them. I hate surprises. Then and to this day. No surprises please.

It was a great party, and we had a wonderful time. Food, cake, ice cream, games and presents. As I got through the pile of gifts, there was one box remaining. It had to be four feet tall. I couldn't imagine what it was, especially since a record player is much smaller.

I opened the box. It was a DOLL. omg! Total humiliation! A doll for a 13 year old? and worse, given in front of all her classmates? I would never live that down! I was an official teen ager now!

In retrospect, the doll was amazing, and she came with a record player. Thus Dad & Joe's conviction that I would love it. What girl doesn't like dolls AND record players? A completely unheard of SINGING doll? Well, maybe a 13 year old.

Very progressive for its time, the doll had a speaker concealed in her. When you played a record on the special record player, the song would come out of the speaker in the doll. Saranade was her name, and the record included was one she would sing, about her name and what she can do.

Needless to say I acted a spoiled brat that day. Having a fit that my parents would insult me with a doll for my birthday. I immediately gave the doll to my sisters, and kept the record player. My sisters would use the player to make Saranade sing, at the same time taunting me with verses of "Saranade, saranade that's my name! I can talk, I can sign a song or two ~ with you, I'm you're Saranade!"

The taunting was endless. They really enjoyed rubbing it in that I got a doll for my birthday.


Ten years ago, searching for something unrelated on line I suddenly discovered I was looking at a Serenade doll! The memories of that birthday flooded back, and I laughed as I remember Laura and Sabrina singing the Saranade song, and the doll now long gone.

I don't know how or why it appeared on my screen, but obsessed with nostalgia, I absolutely had to have this piece of my childhood. So I bought it, paying way more than planned.






The doll arrived and was exactly as I remembered in the original huge box. It's missing the record player, and every once in a while I search "Westinghouse children's record player" in hopes of finding one.

I've long since apologized to my parents and specifically to my dad for my child like behavior as a young teen. We laugh, and my sisters still know the entire Saranade song.

The doll is in my bedroom, she's too big to really display anywhere else. She's never even been removed, still mint in her original box. Once a month I dust her off.

Hopefully one day I will have a granddaughter. I'll give her my doll and my memories for her 7th or maybe 8th birthday. I wouldn't dream of embarrassing her with it at 13.