That Vintage Girl

This month's travels took me to the pleasantly picturesque town of Santa Paula, California.  My mission was to spend a weekend at the  Glen Tavern Inn ,  a charmingly vintage three-story Tudor Craftsman hotel that was built by Union Oil in 1911. It was strategically placed across the street from the town's train station, the Santa Paula Depot,  to accommodate the many travelers, residents, and businessmen who were drawn to the area for California's sunshine and the growing citrus and oil industries.  On a side note, the Santa Paula Depot was built in 1887 and was the first train station in Ventura County. In addition to the hotel's well preserved vintage charm, it has a very vibrant history. When it opened it served as a gathering place for the town's high-society, but it may have also hosted a gambling parlor and speakeasy in the attic during the Prohibition Era. The hotel also provided lodging to Hollywood's famous and glamorous actors when the movie stud...

During a visit to a used book store, I saw the edge of a little red booklet peaking through a stack of books and it looked like it was trying desperately to be discovered.  I pulled out the booklet and thought it was a Christmas card, but when I opened it I was pleasantly surprised to find it was a little memento from 1956!  It was a booklet of Christmas Carols that were given to customers and friends of the Nance Chevrolet Company in Bellflower, California for Christmas in 1956. I felt the spirit of Christmas past in that little red booklet and it reminded me that Christmas carols, old and new, make the holidays brighter! May all the happiness of old-time Christmas be yours, not only at the holiday season, but also throughout a prosperous new year!  ~ Nance Chevrolet Company 1956 🎄  

Pumpkin spice latte is a wonderful treat during the autumn season. As the days become chilly, a warm brew sweetly flavored with seasonal spices is like a little celebration in a cup.  This very simple pumpkin spice syrup recipe can be used to flavor coffee, milk, and cocoa!    Ingredients 1 cup water 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup pumpkin puree 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional) Steps to make the syrup Combine the water and sugar in a pot and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix until combined. Simmer over low to medium heat for about 30 minutes until the water reduces and the mixture become syrupy. Pour into a mason jar and cover with lid.  Let cool and store in the refrigerator up to two weeks.