Jamie Janosz

The day after Christmas is one of my least favorite days. There is so much rushing around to prepare for the holidays, that the day after feels so utterly quiet. I almost don't know what to do with myself. Plus, here in the Chicago burbs, it is cloudy without even one spot of sunshine. It is too chilly and windy for a walk - and I'm still feeling bloated from too many butter-dipped Christmas crab legs. So, I've been cleaning. Taking empty boxes and bits of Christmas decor down to the basement. I reorganized my closet a bit to make room for new treasures. Here are a few of my favorite vintage gifts from this Christmas...Thanks to my husband, daughter, mom, sister, and all of those who know my love for retro gems: My mom-in-law Helen treated me to this 1950s satin cocktail dress that I had been watching on etsy . Little gold oriental leaves and a very cool sash at the back. Also on etsy, this 1940s kelly green suit jacket - I feel like I stepped right out of a...

When we fell in love with mid-century style, it meant giving our plain-jane, modern, split-level home a retro feel. I also quickly learned that reproduction modern items could be pricey, and (sometimes) we couldn't find or afford what we needed to make our vintage look complete. After reading some other decorating blogs, I thought I'd share a few of our quirky, mid-century, do-it-on-the-cheap projects. Project #1 - What do with a long, plain hallway? Our hallway was basic beige and the major view out of our living room. We decided to paint it a soft aqua green, and panelled it halfway up with an inexpensive bamboo paneling. We trimmed it in a slightly darker molding to match the pre-existing molding in the home. Probably the biggest improvement was giving some detail to the far back closet door. While I loved the storage for sheets and blankets, the door way was dark and blank. I faux painted - with simple light ivory paint, measuring out a HUGE diamond...

My mom taught me to never drive past a garage sale. On the way to buy groceries last week, I spotted this pea green bike in a neighbor's driveway sale. I have been looking for a simple coaster-style bike, so I couldn't resist. Twenty dollars and a much-delayed grocery trip later, it was mine. As a girl, it took me a long time to learn to ride a bike. I had a beautiful grape-colored bike with a banana seat covered with daisies. My poor, patient dad would run alongside of the bike, and I would start to get balanced. Then, he would let go, and I would crash headfirst into the nearest tree or street sign. Even after I learned, I was accident prone. my friend Amy and I, while riding our bikes to school, tried to jump up and down the curbs. This was not a good idea for me. Halfway to school, I crashed off of my bike falling headfirst onto the cement curb. I walked to the nearest house that had a "safe house" sign in the window (remember those?), and asked for he...

There are a few places I have visited in my lifetime where I have instantly felt transported back in time. My visit to the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, was one of those places. I felt like the main character in "Peggy Sue Gets Married," where she enters a modern-day class reunion and falls back through decades of time and space. Oh how I wish I could be here when the room is filled with music. The dance floor is enormous and gleaming. Small wooden booths line the perimeter of the floor in three levels, where dancers can watch and rest and chat. The Ballroom is forever known as the location for the Winter Dance Party in 1959 - the last concert of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper, before their plane crashed, and we lost them all. The ballroom is still standing and remarkably similar to what it looked like years ago. They have worked hard to keep the site historically accurate. They have even preserved the phone booth where Buddy supp...