100 Years of Winter Coats

By | December 8th, 2020|Categories: 1920s fashion, 1950s Fashions, Fashion, Victorian Fashions|Tags: , , , |

There is no denying that winter is here. For the past year and a half I have lived in Denver, Colorado and I am still learning about how to dress for the chilly months and I’m enjoying it more than I thought I would. I was raised in Arizona and before moving to Denver had [...]

It's a Wonderful Life: fun facts and setting the record straight

By | December 3rd, 2020|Categories: Christmas, Holidays|Tags: |

Despite being the story of a man down on his luck who is contemplating suicide, It’s a Wonderful Life is considered a feel-good Christmas film for all ages. While I think it has more adult themes than we give it credit for (the black and white tends to cast a quaint impression on a lot [...]

A Victorian Christmas party

By | November 27th, 2020|Categories: Christmas, Holidays, Victorian Era, Victorian Era Celebrations|Tags: , , , |

The Victorians knew how to celebrate Christmas! During the reign of Queen Victoria, the holiday grew more popular with each passing year, becoming a national holiday in America in 1870. A good majority of the traditions we enjoy today were either started or popularized during the late 1800s and early 1900s, though in some ways [...]

Victorian cocktails: The Golden Age of mixology

By | November 26th, 2020|Categories: Christmas, Holidays, Victorian culture, Victorian Era, Victorian Era Celebrations|Tags: , , , , |

The holidays are here, and boy, don’t we all need it? It’s been a year of struggles for all of us, and I can tell how much people are looking forward to being with their families and to enjoying some comforts as we wait for the fresh start of the new year. And some of [...]

The history of Advent calendars

By | November 22nd, 2020|Categories: Christmas, Holidays, Victorian Era Celebrations|Tags: , , |

Do you count down the days to Christmas with an Advent calendar? What kind? The Advent calendar is a holiday tradition with historic roots that seems to be increasing in popularity each year. There are now the beloved Trader Joe’s version, versions with tiny bottles of booze, luxury versions, numerous food Advent calendars, versions with [...]

Fun facts about America’s favorite Thanksgiving dishes

By | November 14th, 2020|Categories: History of the home, Holidays|

Part Two How are your Thanksgiving dinner plans coming along? Are you planning to do things differently this year? I am looking forward to a cozy solo holiday weekend of gluten-free pumpkin pie, books, and some nice red wine. I will also be having a virtual cook-off of sorts with a couple of friends in [...]

Nancy Jean Gray: Mrs. Claus extraordinaire

By | November 12th, 2020|Categories: Christmas, Holidays|Tags: , , |

I have been with the Recollections team for just under a year and have had a lot of “favorite” blog posts. This one, however, might take the cake. Today, I had the privilege of speaking with customer and actor Nancy Jean Gray about her experience working as Mrs. Claus and had a ball. I am [...]

Fun facts about America’s favorite Thanksgiving dishes

By | November 6th, 2020|Categories: Holidays|Tags: , , , |

Thanksgiving is coming up! The gatherings may not be as big this year, but families around the country will find ways to celebrate safely. And that means a lot of food. On average, Americans consume 3,000 calories during their Thanksgiving dinners. It’s not hard to see why. With the smorgasbord of tempting dishes, many of [...]

Victorian Greeting Cards for Autumn Holidays

By | October 31st, 2020|Categories: Holidays, Victorian Era|Tags: , , , |

I love looking at Victorian greeting cards. The style is so charming and there are a lot of things I find quite humorous about how they celebrated holidays back then and what the cards teach us about their attitudes and culture. For instance, I love that there is so often a romantic angle in many [...]