You know, vintage really is a matter of perspective. What’s vintage to me may not seem vintage to someone else. When I started the shop, I felt like we needed to establish some sort of vintage standard even if it was subjective. So our adopted ‘Vintage Description’ for the shop basically states that anything dating earlier than 1975 is considered ‘vintage’ to us.
Well it hit me recently that I fall into that category! I’m VINTAGE? What?! Just because I lived the generation that once had Madonna hair and obsessed over The Police, does not make me vintage now, right? (Agree with me, people.) So I got a grip and calmly reminded myself that vintage is just a matter of perspective. And the great thing about getting older is that you begin to appreciate the things that remind us of a simpler time.
Which led me to get a little nostalgic and take a trip through some old family photos… ‘vintage’ in varying degrees of course…
The first photo is my dad decked out in blue when he was 3-years-old (circa 1947). His mom (my grandmother) had entered him in a local ‘Prettiest Baby’ contest the day this photo was taken. He won first place! Doesn’t he just look thrilled to be there? Hilarious, right? My dad still had this photo AND the trophy he won that day — both of which I quickly confiscated once I was old enough to appreciate them for what they were. Today the trophy sits on my son’s dresser and this photo hangs in his room. Kinda cool, huh? (Footnote: I thought the polka dots made it a little more playful. How I love the many wonders of scrapbook paper!)
The second photo is my mom when she was around 4-years-old (circa 1953). This was the Little Miss Peanut Pageant which she won! What a ham. Every time I look at this photo I can see glimpses of myself and my daughter. It’s amazing all that we pass on to our children. This little charmer hangs in the hall.
And finally we come to moi. Here I am at my 4th birthday (circa 1978). I guess it does kind of have a vintage flair already. Those rounded corners are a dead giveaway, not to mention the Dorothy Hamill hair on my mom and the bright yellow dress I’m wearing. What I wouldn’t give to have that hair again! This one stays in the family album, but the funny thing is that some day one of my kids will probably pull it out (thinking it’s really cool and vintage) and maybe even frame it for their children to appreciate — just like I’ve done with my parents’ photos.
Weird how that works, isn’t it?
