When we think of the holidays many of us may think about the gifts we plan to give or to receive. The lists are written and checked and rechecked to make sure we haven't forgotten anything. But something we might forget is sometimes is when we get things that we need without realizing that we need it. One such story can be found in the episode of The Twilight Zone called, "What You Need".  Ironically it aired on December 25, 1959 and it was the twelfth episode in Season One. It starred Steve Cochran as Fred Renard and Ernest Truex as Pedott, a peddler. 

The episode is simple, a meek old man approaches strangers and gifts them things they may need because he has the uncanny ability to to gift people what they need before they need it. But things then go wrong when Renard keeps asking the peddler for more items that he may need. Time and again Renard is saved from whatever item the peddler gave him (or that he takes) until it backfires on him permanently. Renard wants to take more than the peddler is willing to give and in the end although he gets what he needs, he pays the ultimate price for his greed.

We may not be able to see into the future like the peddler does but what if we were able to give ourselves and others what they needed instead of what they may want? For the holidays, the new year to come, or just any day, maybe we can give more of what is needed. For example, we could reach out and call someone we haven't spoken to in a while, we can text a friend "hello", mail a birthday card to loved one, or even just simply comment on their photo letting them know how fantastic it was. What if we pampered ourselves more by doing a face mask, painting our nails, or watching a nice movie? Giving ourselves and others around us the little things that we may need can really uplift our spirits and theirs as well. We can't go out and do the usual things we did to support others or to tend to our own well beings but there are so many other ways we can help each other along these challenging journeys we are all on. 

So next time you give think about what you may want, think about what the peddler might give you if you saw him. And ask yourself, what do I really need? 

Miracle on 34th Street (1947) is one of those quintessential Christmas movies that for many of us, is a part of our childhood holiday memories. Starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood, and Edmund Gwenn. Natalie Wood was just nine years old when this film came out and was already her sixth film.

The story follows the Walker family (O'Hara and Wood), their neighbor Fred Gailey, and the illusive Kris Kringle. From beginning to end you can't help but wonder if Kris Kringle is really Santa Claus. It keeps you wrapped up in this sweet mystery all the while teaching valuable life lessons.

Here are 4 lessons I learned after watching Miracle on 34th Street:

1. We should never forget what it feels like to be a child whether we are a child still or all grown up. Keeping a connection to our innocence and fun keeps us young at heart.

2. Be passionate about the things you love. Kris loves being Santa Claus so whether he is or isn't doesn't matter. He loves what he does.

3. Don't use your past as a way to stop yourself from living a fuller and happier life. We all make mistakes, some big and some small. We are all perfectly imperfect. Don't use your past as an excuse to not be your best self.

4. Believe in the impossible. Not everything can be explained. Just repeat after me, "I believe...I believe... I believe."

Miracle on 34th Street really embodies the spirit of Christmas. The spirit the reminds us of the importance of friendship, love, and faith.

It's that time of the year where we bring in the Christmas cheer and play our holiday music. For some of us its on a radio or on our phones, but for others it may be playing old fashioned vintage vinyls on a record player. I find myself lucky that both my husband and I grew up with listening to music on a record player. Both sets of our parents listened to their records often and I remember listening to them while lying down on a pillow in the living room. Listening to vinyl records now brings back good and sweet memories. It also brings me that glimmer of Christmases past.

I happen to own a few classic Christmas albums from Bing Crosby, Andy Williams, and Doris Day to name a few, and they are such a treat to listen to. Even my children have a good time putting on the record and listening with me.

There are loads of holiday albums out there to choose from both vintage and modern. I wanted to share with you eight essential classic Christmas albums that I think are worth giving a listen to.  I mean who doesn't want to hear Elvis singing "I'll be home for Christmas" or The Beach Boys sing "Little Saint Nick". These albums truly bring in the beauty of Christmas cheer. Try them out and give them a listen during this holiday season.

It's most likely with winter or summer where you are. One extreme weather or another. The holidays are in full swing, the pandemic continues to roll out its fury, and you might be feeling stuck. Sucky weather, holiday stresses, and limited access to "normality" can make any one of us cranky, depressed, or creatively stunted. I have personally felt it all. My four walls albeit cozy and warm have been my constant here at AVN HQ. My days are filled with the same things on repeat; housework, kids school work, and keeping everyone in a good frame of mind. 

And what am I doing for myself you may ask? The need for creativity for a creative person is like the need for a clean, fresh cup of water on any given day. You need it and it needs you. So in the midst of it all my go-to creativity tip is to look for inspiration everywhere. Look at the movie you just watched, look at Pinterest, look at some magazines, but don't stop looking.

Here I am in the middle of a bad weather day. It has been raining a lot here in New York and in the middle of school lessons I dolled up and went outside by my house and striked a pose. Why? Aren't I tired, unmotivated, or feeling drained. Of course I am but to keep myself going and my creative juices flowing despite not being able to attend events or traipse around Manhattan, sometimes you just need to grab hold of that inspiration and express it.

And express it is exactly what I did. With the holidays all around us the color red is a popular color choice when it comes to fashion. A few years into blogging I found my love for this color to run deeper than I though it could and now I wear it year round. One of my favorite color combinations is red and blue. It's classic and they are my two favorite colors. I was inspired by some 1970's photos I came across on my PINTEREST of jumper dresses. 

Comfy and cute is a must when I put together an outfit and this one checked all the boxes. I paired my blue corduroy jumper dress with a striped turtleneck top and a 1970's red knitted cape. I could have painted the town red with this outfit and I might just do that one day. Until then although I am not a big fan of getting dolled up without a purpose, I think in these special circumstances we should do exactly that. 

If fashion is your jam then doll up whenever you can. It doesn't matter that no one will see you. Just do it. Look for inspiration all over the place and grab hold of the things that make you feel good. In these trying times if a cute outfit and some red lipstick will make you feel better than you did the day before. Go for it. I have been doing this as much as I possibly can because not only do I want to bring you vintage fashion inspiration but I want to inspire myself as well. We all need some pick-me-ups so why not put on a cute top and red beret next time you run errands. It just might make you feel yourself again which we all need.

When the character Judy Haynes sings, you're actually hearing Rosemary Clooney or singer Trudy Stevens. The only time Vera's real singing voice is heard is when they disembark the train in Vermont and the quartet sing the opening lines of "Snow.

When the film came out, Rosemary was 26, and Vera-Ellen, 33. Even more striking? Bing, who plays her love interest, was 51 when the movie debuted.

The film was the highest-grossing movie of 1954 with a box office take of $12 million. 

Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye's comedy act wasn't originally in the story. They were goofing around, though, and director Michael Curtiz found it so hilarious that he wrote it in. Apparently, the actors found it comical, too: The laughing during the number is real.

Although Dean Jagger was made out to be the "old man", Bing Crosby was actually six months older than Dean in real life.

When Bob looks at a picture of Benny Haynes, "The Dog-Faced Boy," it's actually an image of a grown-up Carl Switzer. He's best remembered for playing Alfalfa in the original Our Gang, also known as the The Little Rascals.

Percy Helton, who plays the railroad conductor, also appears in another holiday movie, playing the drunk Santa Claus at the beginning of Miracle on 34th Street (1947).

At 18, Vera-Ellen was one of the youngest Radio City Rockettes.

"Judy" was shorter than "Betty" so in an effort to make them even heights for their song numbers, although their shoes were matching, Judy's heels were higher.

Bob Fosse was the uncredited choreographer.

Throughout the film, dancer George Chakiris accompanies the Haynes sisters in an uncredited role. But soon after, he received the credit he was due: He later won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor as Bernardo in West Side Story. 

The Vermont inn is the remodeled Connecticut inn set from Bing Crosby's earlier movie Holiday Inn (1942).

After Fred and Bing's success in Holiday Inn, this film was intended to reunite them. But Fred had "retired" by the time White Christmas was shot 12 years later and he declined. Then, the part was offered to Donald O'Connor (known for Singin' in the Rain) but he pulled out after an illness. Then, the part was reworked for Danny Kaye.

An elf's job is never done and when December comes rolling by it means its time to get ready and excited about the holiday season. I have been keeping busy with decorating the house, greeting Phoebe the Ef, and all sort of other Elfing jobs to help Santa out this year. My kids are beginning to question Santa's greatness but I reassured them that it is worth believing in the magic.

And what a wonderful way to start the holiday season than with some vintage holiday inspiration. One of my favorite go-to books for vintage holiday inspiration is a book by Charles Phoenix called Holiday Jubilee: Classic & Kitschy Festivities & Fun Party Recipes. This book is chalk full of vintage inspired recipes and information about the way the holidays were celebrated in the 1950's and 1960's. The section on Christmas is the longest section in the book but he covers Halloween, Easter, and Valentine's Day, just to name a few.

I find vintage recipe books to be too overwhelming because they usually don't have any photos of what the end product would look like. Unlike most vintage recipe books, this book is covered from front to back with colorful images of all the recipes. 

I tried the Astro Weenie Christmas Tree last year and it was a hit with my family. I plan to make another one this year but this time instead of using fruit and meat I will make it a dessert Astro Christmas Tree. It was so much fun to make and Charles Phoenix with his detailed recipes made me feel confident that I could make vintage inspired holiday treats.

If you are looking for vintage holiday inspiration that you can use all year round, make sure to ask Santa to put a copy of this book under your tree.

Have you ever thought about what films you could never do without? Think for a moment about the films that influenced you, taught you, and inspired you. Truthfully my list would be a mile long but for now I put together a short list of eight films that I am currently thankful for.

Gone with the Wind (1939) was my first classic film. I watched it with my grandma around the age of eleven. After that I was hooked. Even to this day I love epic well-written films that flesh out all their characters. Gone with the Wind is prime example of masterpiece story-telling.

The Women (1939) and Barbarella (1968) came to mind because of how the female characters were portrayed. In The Women we have a cast only of female actresses while in Barbarella we have our first female comic superhero come to life in all her glory. In both these films the woman are strong and feisty and I found their portrayals refreshing.

Two of Hitchcock's greatest films; Rebecca (1940) and Rear Window (1954) showed me how much suspense and mystery can be created without a hundred clues or visual affects thrown in your face. And then you have Manderley and the building across the street from where L.B. Jefferies resides. Both structures loom over the films and create a character of their own. That set that Hitchcock had built as the building is one of the most intricate and brilliant set pieces I have ever seen in a film. 

The Seven Year Itch (1955) showed me that a woman can be nameless and beautiful and still be the funniest person in the room. 

West Side Story (1961) was the first time I saw Puerto Rican's depicted on screen and according to my father it really was like that back in the 1960's. This film sets gangs and racism in a backdrop of incredible music and dance. To me it is a quintessential New York film. 

And last but never least is To Sir, with Love (1968). Sidney brought to life the true struggles of an educator amidst trying odds set in a backdrop of the sixties London. As a former teacher this film always moves me and inspires me.

What classic films are you grateful for? Have you seen any of the films I listed? What did you think of them?

Sometimes we can forget to be thankful for the little things in our lives. We can get caught up with day-to-day activities and being grateful ends up staying in the back of our minds. A Penny for Your Thoughts (1961) is one of the episodes where you watch a character realize their worth and learn to be thankful for all the things they have instead of just living their life in a droll manner.

It's an ordinary day for Hector B. Poole when on his way to work Hector throws a coin into open box to pay for a newspaper but the coin lands on its edge. Not thinking anything of it he goes about his day except he begins to hear peoples thoughts. He hears strangers secrets and his coworkers deepest desires. Listening to peoples thoughts makes Hector realizes that this is a lot more than he can handle. Eventually he decides to use his new found gift for the greater good and lands himself a new job, a girlfriend, and a more positive outlook on his life.

On his way home he passes by the same newsstand to purchase another paper and he inadvertently knocks down the coin he previously tossed earlier in the day. Hector realizes the gift of being able to listen to other peoples thoughts is gone but knows that he is better man without it. Because of this experience Hector becomes aware and thankful of all the good things that were always around him.

Rod Serling ends this episode with saying, "One time in a million, a coin will land on its edge, but all it takes to knock it over is a vagrant breeze, a vibration, or a slight blow. Hector B. Poole, a human coin, on edge for a brief time - in the Twilight Zone."

Things have been tough all over the world in the past year. Some more than others but we have all felt the stress from the changes around us. Trying to do things "normally" has been challenging for all of us. For people like me who are high risk, the challenges we usually face became even more challenging. But taking the right precautions has been a priority for us. 

A few weeks ago I decided we needed to try and do something outside of our new norm. So with masks in hand we visited our local farm and attended a beautiful event called The Fall Escape. It was a chance to do something that made me and my family feel a little more a part of the world.  There were heaps of flowers everywhere and my children decided to wear their Halloween costumes for fun. We took photos, and laughed, and acted silly. Despite the masks and the social distancing, the day out really helped us feel like we were doing something special.

It was nice to doll up in my new fall dress and wear my "new-to-me" vintage cardigan. And even nicer to watch my children do something fun outside of our house. It lifted up our spirits individually and as a family. Even though family fun and outings have had to be altered, just doing this really made us all appreciate moments together even more. 

Everyone has had to change their pace and how they go about their days. But if you get a moment where you can just take a deep breathe and put the stress aside, it really is so good for our well-being. I don't know if we will be able to do something like this again. The colder weather is making its way to New York and so many things are still up in the air. But I will remember this day as the day we got to escape into the fall.

Outfit: Orange and Navy Bow Tie Plaid Dress from Unique Vintage, 

Vintage 1960's Orange Cardigan, and Orange Beret from Retrolicious

Confession. I have gained ten pounds since the pandemic lockdown. Inactivity has been cruel to me because without the ability to get out of the house and be active I have become a weight that I never, ever have been in my entire life. You can see the difference in my face and it goes directly to my midsection. How does it make me feel you wonder? Honestly I have been quietly struggling with it. I have been careful with how I eat per usual, attempting to take walks when I can, always busy at home, and taking my vitamins. I have been on the search for some exercise videos which are hard to find because with my disability there are a lot of things I have a hard time doing. But I haven't really been feeling good about this.

Did I tell you I can't fit into my favorite jeans? Can I also tell you how gut wrenching that has been for me? I always keep in inner dialogue with myself where I remind myself that I am in in 40's, I did have three kids, I am Latina, and I am disabled. So I do not expect to be slim like I was in my twenties but lately I have had a harder time managing the positive inner dialogue.

The other day I decided out of the blue to just throw on a cute outfit to create some content and walked over to the park with the kids. I slapped on some lipstick and brushed my hair and twirled about in the park for my shoots. But I have become very self conscious about two things; my midsection and the way I walk. Both horrible in my book but probably not as horrible as I think they are. Thats the trouble with negative inner thoughts and allowing them to wash over you. The  negative thoughts slowly feel like a weight on your shoulders and they become heavy.

At the park my daughter randomly started telling me how cute I am. I asked her,"Who me?" and she said," Yes mom you!" And if there is one person I trust immensely it is my daughter. My daughter and I talk a lot about body image and thinking positive and working on remembering things that we love about ourselves. We also talk about being forgiving for the things we think are "wrong" with ourselves. She made me feel good and totally cute. I walked with a spring in my crooked step and felt happier about it all. 

That day was a good reminder about forgiving myself for my imperfections. It was also a good day to begin to reevaluate how I have been viewing my looks. Reminding myself to be kind to myself and that in my own way I am still as beautiful as I was when I was ten pounds lighter.

I want you to look at this list and ask yourself if you have done any of these things to yourself. If you answer yes to a few of these you just might be compromising your self-esteem and self-worth without even realizing it.

• You feel lost or overwhelmed when it comes to knowing what to wear.
• You buy clothes and realize it doesn't feel right but you keep wearing it anyway.
• You rush the shopping process and just grab whatever is there.
• You buy pretty things but never wear them because you tell yourself you need to lose or gain weight before you can really look good in them.
• You choose you clothing by asking others what they think instead of relying on your own tastes.
• You avoid meeting new people because of your appearance.
• You give up even before go shopping because you figure, "what's the point?"

There's nothing better during the month of October than watching spooky movies. Maybe pumpkins and hot tea come close but watching scary films has been a love of mine for ages. Horror films have progressed a lot through the years. During the 1960's horror films went from campy to psychological. They playing on more on what the mind thought was there rather than an actual monster hiding in your closet. 

1960's horror films also played on the idea of innocence lost as a part of its scare factor. The naive person getting caught in a nightmare they don't quite understand. In many of the films I listed here the innocent characters usually go on a journey that typical doesn't always end well. 1960's horror showed the viewer that it isn't always things that go bump in the night that can scare us but the fear of not understanding what is going on around us. 

Some of my favorite horror films from the 1960's are Peeping Tom (1960), The Birds (1963), and Night of the Living Dead (1968). I can watch a good spooky film anytime during the year but there is something extra special about watching it during the month of Halloween. The changing of the leaves and cool weather just make you want to cuddle up in front of a tv screen and watch something that  will spook you out. How many of these 1960's horror movies have you seen? What are some of your favorites?

Psycho (1960)

Village of the Damned (1960)

Eyes Without a Face (1960)

Peeping Tom (1960)

The Innocents (1961)

Mr. Sardonicus (1961)

Carnival of Souls (1962)

The Birds (1963)

The Haunting (1963)

Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Eye of the Cat (1969)