Metropolitan Museum of Art  
Vintage  Hair ornament, ca. 1904
                                         Louis Comfort Tiffany (American, 1848–1933                                                
Silver, enamel, black and pink opals, demantoid garnets

I'm obsessed with vintage hair ornanments. This year, my daughters were once again the unsuspecting victims of my crazy obsession when they unwrapped vintage hair clips, vintage barrettes, antique combs and vintage hairpins on Christmas morning.  Realizing that the Beatles Rock band couldn't fit into the tiny boxes, they were resigned to the fact that their Christmas had another crazy vintage theme and that their untraditional mother hadn't changed much since last year. The seemingly endless boxes with tiny quirky hair accessories brought confused but polite responses like, "Oh.. another barrette" or "Oh.. it's a another hair thing".  They know me well enough to know that I spent hours hand selecting each of the tiny treasures with each of them in mind, so out of love and respect,  they pretended that each one was just what they wanted for Christmas. I love my daughters, and am so glad that they have the patience to tolerate the vintage whims of the moment  that drive my gift giving.  

                                                                                   
                                                                                    
                                                        Vintage Hair Comb With Ivy Leaves
                                                         René Lalique (French, 1860-1945)                                         
                                                           Gold, enamel, sapphire, and horn
                                                                        Photograph ©Museum of Fine Arts Boston

 It's my hope that one day, they will be glad that their mother didn't give them disposable gifts that weren't designed to last more than the season in which they were given. I also hope that they will develop a desire to own a few good things instead of mass quantities of forgettable junk.  They grew up in a house full of vintage clothing and accessories, so  in terms of quality, they know what it is, and  already express frustration at the poor quality of newly made clothing. I hope that they think twice before buying anything produced by annonymous sweatshops that might use child labor or pay less than liveable wages, and that they always consider buying something that is vintage, or handcrafted before they buy anything new


                                                                                

<:od> Antique Scythian golden comb with a combat scene                             430 and 390 BC             Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg

Last year, it was a vintage jewelry obsession that defined the gifts on Christmas. Each girl received a jewelry box filled with vintage treasures I'd collected througout the year as well as things that belonged to my mother, grandmother and me.  A few were valuable pieces with precious gems or 18k gold, some were vintage baubles that just made me smile, but most were just things that had emotional significance to me that I knew they would treasure.  It wasn't the easy way to go, it took a lot of time and I spent hours cleaning each piece and trying to decide which daughter would like which piece of jewelry.  But I am certain that they will keep those boxes of jewelry longer than any boutique necklace or bracelet I could have found. This year, I couldn't give them a Tiffany's hair ornament like the one at the Met, or a Lalique hair stick from the Museum of fine arts in Boston, but I did find unique vintage hair ornaments to match the personality of each of my very unique daughters. Below are some of the hand picked vintage hair ornaments, clips and barrettes that replaced visions of video games and cell phones this yea
                     
                                                    Vintage 1930's Kanzashi hair ornaments
                                


                              
            

Vintage Jack and Jill Barrette  and Vintage enamel arrow barrette

                                
                                     

Vintage faux tortoise barrette with ornament and Vintage Cherub Barrette

I'm not sure what will inspire next year's Christmas theme.  Vintage shoe buckles, vintage sweater guards, vintage cosmetic cases? I'll just have to see what oddity becomes my vintage obsession in 2010. The only real certainty is that whatever it is, it will be transformed into gifts filled with love and thought for the 4 grown girls who still give my life meaning and joy every day.  That's what Christmas is all about anyway, isn't it?