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July 7, 2012

Of sleepovers past and a little more present

Much as remains the case to this very day, when I was a little girl I usually didn’t have a large group of close friends. Incredibly shy and introverted, I was anything but popular in my early school days. However, thankfully, I did make a handful of good friends over the years, each of whom I have very fond memories of sharing slumber parties with.

The first person I would define as my best friend was a cheerful, much more outgoing gal named Talia, whom I was very close with during grades 1-3 (I moved several hours away towards the end of grade 3, and though we stayed in touch for a while afterwards, the distance eventually dissolved our friendship).

While I did sometimes have birthday parties with friends and classmates as a youngster, once the festivities of the day had wrapped up, it was the evening that I most looked forward to, because I knew that it meant a sleepover for Talia and I would get to share a one-on-one party of our own

Under the sweltering heat of a bright July night we’d haul our sleeping bags into the backyard,  glasses of cream soda (my favourite pop) and bags of Cheeto Paws (both special occasion treats for me in a household where junk food was highly restricted most of the time) in hand we’d chat and giggle, share secrets, play mad libs, plan our future, count the stars, and listen to an orchestra of crickets mere feet away from our heads.

Talia and I on 8th birthday, July 1998
{Me and Talia, on the left in the colourful t-shirt, on my 8th birthday in July 1992. Yes, I was very, very short as a child. I adore how happy and full of energy we look here.}


With my birthday coming up once more in just three days, I can’t help but reflect fondly on memories of sleepovers – be they birthday ones with Tal or others enjoyed over the years with different friends, at their homes or my own – from my youth.

Slumber parties have always been a fantastic part of childhood, experienced by most all of us at least a few times (if not dozens or even hundreds, if you were a major social butterfly) throughout of life. Sometimes they may have involved just one friend, at others five, ten or more gals would gather together for a night of little sleep, movies, yummy food, games of truth or date, manicures, pillow fights, playing records (or CDs), building blanket forts, and repeatedly ignoring our parents’ instructions to "stop talking and go to sleep".
Sleep, after all, ironically, has never factored much into slumber parties. A point which is evident in the following series of vintage sleepover photographs captured by photographer Lisa Larseen for Life magazine back in 1954.
































{All images via Life magazine's photo archives.}
 
♥ ♥ ♥


There is such a relatable, timelessly fun quality to these images of teenage girls having a blast as they whittle away the hours of the night, doing just about everything but sleeping – well, for most of the evening at least!
I’m grateful for my childhood friends and the nights such as these that we shared. Now, mere days away from turning 28, I’d love nothing more than to gather all of my vintage loving blogging friends together for a celebration of our own.

As that’s not possible though, I hope you’ll join me in the jubilant spirit of sleepover goers everywhere and imagine we’re all gathering together in our favourite vintage jammies with as much junk food, mad libs, and classic movies we can possibly cram into one night of awesome slumber party fun.

26 comments:

  1. Wow! That is truly a joyful childhood photo and a great post on the sometimes infamous slumber party! Can you imagine being featured in LIFE magazine as a teenager? In my youth so long ago, I learned that a slumber party had to have an even number of girls--3's and 5's never worked! A little part of me remains horrified at some of our antics!

    Happy, Happy Birthday!

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    1. Thank you, dear Ann. I know, it must have been out-of-this-world to have been featured in a Life magazine post, especially given that these snaps were taken ages before the reality TV era, wherein it's now quite commonplace for anyone to potentially end up in the limelight for a few minutes. I bet that no matter what other neat adventures these girls went on to have throughout their lifetimes, they never forgot the experience of being featured in one of the most famous magazines in the world.

      ♥ Jessica

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  2. Although I had sleepovers with friends, there were only ever the two of us, so I am thinking I may have missed out, especially when I see some of the fun times in your pics!

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    1. A lot of my sleepovers, especially the those in grade school, only involved one other person (save for my siblings, or theirs, if I was at someone else's house), too, so I don't think that your experiences were uncommon at all, dear Tracey. There's a lot to be said for a sleepover just with your bestie! :)

      ♥ Jessica

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  3. These photos are great. I love the joy and happiness these women were experiencing.
    I wasn't allowed to host or attend any sleep overs, even with family members. My father was always paranoid about something happening to us. I think that's why I have a hard time making and keeping friends.

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    1. Oh no, that must have been really tough on you while you were growing up, sweet gal. I wish you and I lived closer, I'd love to throw a sleepover with you as guest of honour.

      ♥ Jessica

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  4. Such a timely post! I was talking just last night with my sister about how much fun it was to have sleepovers and how even though I too am 28 and married, I still wish it could be like the old days! Im not a social butterfly either but I treasure those few friends who are like family! Thanks also for your comment and check out my vintage look today if u get a chance! Jenn

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  5. That's such a sweet story about you and Talia. I didn't have a lot of sleepovers as a little girl, more in my teen years. I also didn't have a lot of close friends growing up. But around a magical age of 10 I realized my sister was my best friend. :-) So I guess you could say we sleep over at each other's house every night. LOL!

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    1. Awww, that is so wonderfully sweet! Are you and your sister close in age? My sister is six years younger than me, but we were really close as kids (just as we still are), and she was definitely a joy to have sleepovers with (not hard at all during the years we shared a bedroom!) as well.

      ♥ Jessica

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  6. These are amazing photos! As for turning 28, it's not so bad. ;)

    I really love the girl climbing a tree in her pjs, that would have been some slumber party!

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    1. I agree, it looks like they were having a right, proper blast! :)

      28 isn't too bad at all, I'm thrilled to still be in my twenties (not that I dread or am saddened by the thought of hitting my thirties in the least, but still, one does love to keep a foot in youth for as long as they can), and am excited to see what the coming year holds in store.

      ♥ Jessica

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  7. What a cheery post Jessica! LOVE all these photos and happy happy birthday :)

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  8. Hi Jessica,

    I'm a new reader - just discovered your blog a few days ago, and I'm hooked! I immediately signed up to receive your posts via e-mail. You are a beautiful young woman and I love your vintage style! And your writing is delightful!
    Happy, happy birthday to you.

    Susan

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    1. Hi Susan, thank you very much both for the lovely birthday wishes and for your immensely sweet words about Chronically Vintage. I'm delighted to have you as a reader and fellow vintage loving friend.

      ♥ Jessica

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  9. Oh Wow just look at you with such blonde hair. No denying it's you with that same smile. As you say Sleepovers were always such fun. Memories :o)

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    1. Awwww, so true, I don't think my smile has changed that much over the years. I must get that from my mom. I have a childhood photo of her when she was about six or seven and her smile back then is a dead ringer for the one on her beautiful face these days.

      ♥ Jessica

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  10. Wouldn't that just be lovely. That picture of you is just so cute! xx

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  11. Aww, great pictures! I loved sleepovers when I was wee! :) Have a grand weekend sweetpea! xxx

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  12. I loved this post...so nostalgic,so romantic. I moved a lot throughout my childhood so close friends were hard to come by and sleepovers precious , few and far between. The photos are wonderful. Especially the last one.... I felt like I was in a 50's sorority house. xx Shauna

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    1. I moved a few times throughout my youth and can completely understand and relate to what you mean about how that made keeping friends a challenge. I'm happy to know though that you were able to have a few sleepovers and that you now have those memories to cherish. Such a shame we don't live in the same town, it would be a blast to throw a sleepover together and put each other's hair up in pin curls! :)

      ♥ Jessica

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  13. Good morning darling ladies, thank you each very much for you wonderfully sweet comments and birthday wishes. Hard to believe that the big day is just two more sleeps away! :)


    Tons of hugs & joyful Sunday wishes going out to all of you,
    ♥ Jessica

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  14. Oh,that WOULD be fabo!It is so seldom that you come across kndred spirits.

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  15. I can't believe that there's a BOY in the second picture! What's going on there? Sleepovers were all-girl events for me! Perhaps he was the older brother - that was always fun when the host had an older brother, especially if his friends were around too. Something extra to giggle about! Fantastic photos though, thanks for sharing. And hope you have an absolutely wonderful birthday, whatever you do. Will look forward to hearing about it.

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  16. This was such a nice post to read, it made be both happy and a little sad, as nostalgia often does.
    I didn't have that many friends when growing up and preferred to be on my own but I am glad to have experienced the excitement of a good old fashioned sleepover or two. Giggling, giggling, giggling the night away! :D

    I hope your birthday will be a lovely one! I hope 28 is a good one, as I'll be joining the club in a month and one day. :)

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  17. Loved loved loved sleepovers! Like you, i was shy as a girl, but did have a few very close girlfriends. Sleepovers were a blast for sure. All the secrets, talk of cute boys, games of truth or dare. (Those sound much more risque than they actually were.) :) And i love your black and white vintage photos you've posted. They're fantastic. So.. you were 8 in 1992? LOL I was an 'oldster' that year of... gack! dare i say it? Twenty nine! 29! What a youngster you are. (I mean that in the best way possible.) Happy Birthday, Jessica. You're never too old for some cake and ice cream. Remember that, my friend..

    Mary

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  18. Oh wouldn't it be fun darling! I think we should wear vintage sleepwear...and get the portable record player out...and dance...and do manicures and pedicures...and have midnight snacks...and giggle...a lot....
    Happy birthday dear Jessica...will be there with you in spirit!

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