Party Recipe: Christmas Card Addressing Brunch

My vintage entertaining books are chock-full with fun holiday ideas. A particular favorite comes from Brunches and Coffees (1960). You may remember this book of chicken wire carnation arrangement prestige. Here’s an excerpt:

Bring your Christmas Cards to Brunch
Set the date for this brunch at the end of November or no later than the first week in December. Have your guests bring their Christmas cards to address and inject a little gaiety into that tiresome, nagging job. Ask as many as you can fit around your dining room table — with the extension leaves of course. Card tables may be used, but they take up lots of room and can only accommodate two people with their cards. Remind your guests to bring pens, but have extra ones on hand for those who forget. You will also want telephone books for addresses, ink, and little damp sponges in sauces to take care of the stamping and sealing.

At one end of the buffet place an arrangement of flocked greens with canceled postage stamps tied on with fine gold cord. White flocking can be bought in spray cans at your hardware store.

Menu: Honeydew melon wedge with thin slice of prosciutto ham. Mushroom souffle. Cheese sauce. Caramel pecan rolls. Toasted English muffins. Jam or jelly. Coffee.