A few years ago, my mom emailed these pictures of me sitting on Santa’s lap.
Apparently the enormous chair with pom-pom fringe was a big part of the 1970′s era Santa.
Also, nice all-denim ensemble I’m wearing, complete with rollers in my hair. Something tells me this was an unplanned Santa visit.
However, this next trip was clearly orchestrated because why else would I be wearing my festive harvest gold tights with my harvest gold turtleneck and denim jumper?
This next Santa was a long way from the fancy throne at the mall. I have vague memories of walking into a double-wide trailer parked outside the Bealls store.
I think the imitation wood paneling really says it all.
And speaking of imitation, it’s a sad day when Santa can’t even afford a real fireplace.
Dang. That is one ghetto Santa set up.
I asked my mom to send a few more pictures last night because I was feeling a little nostalgic. A few hours later, she emailed several to me. She couldn’t remember how to work her scanner so she had my stepdad take pictures of the pictures with his digital camera.
You can hardly tell.
Oh look. This was a big Christmas for me. It was the year Santa brought me my very own curling brush.
It was the beginning of my quest for big hair.
And here I am in 1988.
It would appear that I finally mastered the technique for maximum hair volume.
I also cannot express how much I loved that outfit. It had a green jacket that went on top of that purple shirt and I believe I even had some purple flats to bring it all together.
Merry Christmas indeed.
Anyway, none of this really has any point other than to force you to take a walk down memory lane with me.
And to serve as a procrastination device before I force myself into the kitchen to bake untold amounts of holiday goods.
And to help me forget that this is in my backyard right now.
I’m afraid the reindeer won’t land for fear they’re being hunted.
Best title ever. And I love how, in the second picture, Santa looks like might be getting ready to make a run for THE PARKING LOT OF FREEDOM.
I don’t ever remember seeing a pom pom Santa throne. Perhaps that was just a Texas thing?
I think you look adorable in all your denim outfits – - – matching turtlenecks and tights were all the rage.
Are you SURE that’s you and not Caroline? Oh my – - – that apple didn’t fall far from the tree!!!!
No WONDER she’s such a cutie!
What IS that in your backyard? I do believe I had some harvest gold tights myself- it was a fine era of fashion indeed.
That last line had me cracking up laughing. I can just see skittish reindeer veering away from your house come Thursday evening ‘abort landing enemy fire.’
I do believe I see quite a resemblance to Caroline! You are so funny, with your last photo and comment…if I were Rudolph, I think I’d fly on by!
Have a wonderful Christmas!
those pics are GREAT!! I also happen to love Elf!!
SANTA! I know him!!!! LOL
I NEED a scanner. But your mom’s idea is a good one. I think I’ll have to do that with my old photos. Such fun!
I love Elf. You had me at the title.
I hated harvest gold as a child. It was a mainstay in my wardrobe anyway.
Love your posts.
I am rolling…rolling…over here. And coughing, and hacking b/c I can’t stop rolling and laughing…pass me some darn Sudafed. This post is hilarious!
I love a dander down memory lane – especially someone elses
Awesome pictures! Did Santa smell of beef and cheese?
I’m quite disturbed that in the “fake fireplace” picture, Santa is wearing not pants, but TIGHTS. Consider yourself blessed that you weren’t quickly wrapped up in some scandal.
I have long suspected we are separated-by-a-few-states-fashion sisters, but the green plaid skirt with purple mock turtleneck (and un-pictured flats & jacket) confirm it.
I owned the exact same outfit. OH YES I DID.
But now I’ve moved on to more mature looks like tucking my jeans into my boots. (gulp).
Merry Christmas:)
I too am a product of the ghetto santa and the big hair. I’m convinced it is a cause and effect relationship.
OK, I’ve not even read the post yet, but the title flat cracked me up!
“Of you’re Santa, what song did I sing to you last year on your birthday?”
I love “Elf”!
OK, now I’m going to read the post…
Merry Christmas!!
I’ve gotta say that you don’t look all that thrilled to have received that baby doll (in the middle picture) or perhaps you were extremely tired.
That is awesome that you have so many pictures to remember the good ole days.
Have a Merry Christmas!
Was that the “Baby Walks-A-Lot”? ‘Cause if it was, we weren’t too thrilled with ours…they walked into walls, and for babies, that’s just wrong. Some of your pictures look lifted right out of our living room, East Texas, circa the 70′s. I swear we had that macrame plant holder! Everyone’s mom and aunt must’ve been working off the same patterns.
There were some creepy Santas in ’70′s.
Awww, I so loved this post of Christmases past!!!!!
And what a trip it was! (Down memory lane with you.)
I’m always amazed at the varied Santas that show up every year.
The 70′s were such a dark time, both fashion-wise and interior-decorating-wise. Pom-pom fringes? Denim pantsuits? I’m suffering from PTSD now. Thanks.
I see now why you were drawn to the denim puffy vest because you wore a lot of denim as a child. And I’m laughing that your sister had on a nightgown and you had on rollers in that one picture. This whole post just CRACKED me up!
I’ll be honest, I was never a big Santa fan. All the photos my parents have of me sitting on Santa’s lap show me with puffy eyes from crying and trying to wriggle away.
Thanks for the walk down memory lane. I almost spit out my coffee from laughing.
p.s.- man, Caroline looks like you! (minus the harvest gold getup)
So adorable! I love the memory lane….you’ve come a long way baby!
Very fun walk down memory lane. The 80′s was definitely the decade for gi-normous hair and the oh-so-natural combination of purple and green. Very cute!
=)
Mindy
http://www.thesuburbanlife.com
Well, at least you’re not screaming in any of the photos! My husband has a picture remarkably similar to the first one except he’s squalling for all he’s worth. Very cute…
I think Santa in picture 3 is taking a nap. so cute. but these Santas have nothing close to the creepiness of the 50s-60s Santas.
Know what I noticed most about the pictures????? How VERY much Caroline looks like her Mama! I just love looking at old pictures! Thanks for sharing!
Merry Christmas!
Marilyn…in Mississippi
I loved the walk down memory lane. I remember my curling brush. I was in my 20′s before I learned how to use a curling iron properly.
The picture of you in the blue nightgown – Caroline looks just like you!!!!!!! I saw it in several other pictures but that one – man – she is your daughter. And she’s one blessed little lady!
Feeling any better?
My hair looked exactly like that in ’88, too. Wait. It still does.
Ooh…we had that baby blue with mauve rose-buds living room set! We had the couch, love seat, chair and ottoman. I know, sad but true…the entire collection! I’m sure I missed the point of the pictures by commenting on that, but what can I say? It was still a trip down memory lane for me.
One day I might scan my Senior year Homecoming picture. My hair hides part of my date’s face. I’m not even kidding. I had big hair down to a science!
Have a Wonderful Christmas!
Surely that’s Caroline! Not you. Stop forcing big hair on that child!
I am still laughing from the title of the post, let along all the sarcasm that riddles each awesome outfit that you are rocking! Wow, how did you get your hair that voluminous…I just gotta know! and final LOL moment of this post is the fact that reindeer will not land in your yard and for good reason! glad you are feeling somewhat better!
Heather in NC
Weren’t the 70′s some of the tackiest years ever? I laughed when I saw in the background of one of your pictures a macrame plant hanger. My Mom had several of those and I didn’t like them even when they were popular!!
I hope you came over to my blog today to see some old pics of Kelly that have that 70′s flavor! Today is her b’day so I had to mark the occasion with a few old pictures! She’ll forgive me tomorrow, I”m sure!
Caroline DOES look alot like you!
Merry Christmas…hope you feel better!
Kelly’s Mom, Judy
All I had to do was see the title and I started laughing…
You are(were?)adorable in that picture with the Bealls Santa! The fact that you post these pictures on the internet for all to see means one of two things: 1) you’re so secure in yourself are the way you are/live now that you don’t mind, or 2) you’re on some sort of cold medicine overdose and will regret this in the morning. I much prefer to think its the first reason!
Just kidding,Big Mama. I’m so glad you put them up!
Have a wonderful Christmas!!!
What kind of reindeer decoy does P use?
Sleigh bells?
Great pictures. I was driving around San Antonio last week and saw two guys standing on the side of the road, one dressed up as Santa. The other guy (both were probably in their late 40s) was holding a sign that said “Pictures with Santa”. So creepy.
Hilarious! Wow, it was like looking at pictures of Caroline. Minus the 70′s styles because you would never dress her like that.
I assume you are on the mend with your cold? CUTE pictures! We had some creepy santas growing up – mostly relatives putting on a less than mall-grade suit. Anywho, GREAT clothes in those pics – no wonder you are the “author” of Fashion Friday.
Oh, and is that a camo tent in the back yard??? Yes, be afraid, reindeer, be very afraid. Have a blessed Christmas, Big Mama and thanks for a year full of laughs. You’re awesome!
Those pics are priceless! A couple of those pictures look just like C! Like mother, like daughter. Not long and she’ll be asking for her very own curling brush…er…I mean, chi for Christmas!
What fun…tfs. =) The resemblance between you and your d’ter is amazing. =)
i am almost positive I wore the exact same skirt Christmas of ’88…clearly, we rock!
Love the trip through time. That last photo looks like something from a horror movie… “Rudolph: The Hunted”
I have no idea what that thing is in your backyard, other than knowing it is for hunting and likely belongs in the woods (and not in your backyard, lol)
…you smell of sausage and cheese! Best movie EVAH!!
I love the pics…and that was a killer outfit. Purple and green together was so *hot*, I’m jealous!!
Merry Christmas!
You look adorable, but the Bealls Santa somehow reminds me of a child molester. Maybe it’s the paneling / laz-e-boy combo.
I’m sure he’s a very nice man. Just trapped in nightmare-inducing environs.
Love that quote from Elf. So funny. I’ve been saying, “Son of a Nutcracker” a lot lately. LOL
We are going to my mom’s tomorrow and I think we will have to pull out our photo album to check out our Christmas pix.
Oh, those gold tights were priceless!
Merry Christmas!
your precious little one looks like her mom!! love these photos!! I appreciate you & your blog….Merry Christmas.
http://wareaglefam.blogspot.com/2009/12/santa.html
Just had to share this pitiful Santa set-up with you. Knew you could appreciate it.
oh my…have several pics from the 70s and 80s that resemble the ones you posted. including several of my sister and i in those long flowing dresses like the one in the pic w/ the macrame flower holder.
steff
Oh man, you are so right. That is a ghetto santa setup for sure. I enjoyed your walk down memory lane. It’s fun to look back at old photos and I can SO relate to your mom not remembering how to scan a photo. I had to laugh about that. My parents were just here visiting us and it was like having two more kids. They couldn’t work the tv remote, the couldn’t get the computer to work, and I just about lost my mind. Have a great Christmas.
…well the rounded edges of those old pictures brought back memories, as did the Santa pics… can’t say that I’ve ever seen him in a mobile unit with imitation paneling though. Merry Christmas.
Ok, don’t laugh, but I think I might want to make a Christmas tree skirt with the same red pom-poms. I’m digging them.