Monthly Wish List - December

It's extra enjoyable putting together this months wish list, as I've been very good and only concentrated on finding other peoples perfect presents, ignoring anything that tempts me...most of the time! I have stuck to my promise of only buying secondhand/handmade presents this year, It's just as much so i don't suffer a stress attack in hectic highstreets as much as the heartfelt sentimental side of it! Keep calm etc!

So here are all the lovely things I had to resist this month! Starting with the gorgeous Borzoi Christmas card, which lacks a specific date, but I'd say 1920s/30s as thats when these stunning dogs were particularly 'In Vogue'. Certainly makes a change from the more serious religious tones of vintage cards - 'May we all have a jolly Christmas' is a great wish, I might pinch that for my own cards!

Next up is this adorable lithograph of sparrows in the snow, dated 1890. Looking after the garden birds is a very well enjoyed hobby of mine, and I always fuss over them this time of year! The colours in this print are exquisite, and I love the detail of the plants and trees in the background. It's only a small 7x9" print, I wish it was a larger size so you can appreciate the detail better. The shop sells a wide selection of beautiful antique prints, I do recommend a look, I would like them all!

I was very sorry to miss out on this next item, an adorable 1930s polar bear dish by Ditmar Urbach. Imagine this as part of your Christmas table display, full of sweets! If I wasn't 100% convinced that polar bears count as 'Christmassy' (there's SO many light up ones in the shops!) this little guy converted me! I wasn't familiar with this maker before, but I will keep looking for their designs now. The one on Ebay now is WAY out of my price range, the one I was watching went for much cheaper last week - booooo!

My obsession with stained glass grows ever greater as each wish list goes by! This time, an Edwardian example caught my eye! The little bird nestled amongst the prickly hedgerow is very wintery and endearing, and the colours are quite unusual for the subject matter. There's three of them listed, I think incorporating them into your front door or front windows would be such a statement. I love finding examples of stained glass with nature themes, it's the Arts&Crafts obsessive in me - I must have them all!

Finally, this 1939 issue of Illustrated magazine caught my attention, what a brilliant front cover eh? There's a very similar picture in the Imperial War Museum archives, but this is an earlier example, and I think a more natural one! As this was only the first Christmas of the Second World War, there is a sadness to this article, they had no idea how long they were going to be living through such destruction.  But as my Christmas in Wartime post discusses, they never let it get in the way of festivities!

I better stop there, as I have more presents to get wrapping!! Father Christmas, if you're reading this, any of these pressies would be just fine, the mince pies will be waiting. :)

Thanks for reading, good luck to all on this festive weekend!

Katie