My Husband and I want to take a road trip to Yosemite this Summer. We are going to rent an R.V. and go at it the old school way. (think Lucy and Desi in The Long, Long Trailer).
This site is awesome for camper restoration:
www.retrorestoration.com
I want one!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Vintage Camping
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Look What I Found!
How retro is this Ice Crusher? I found it at the darling Forget-Me-Not in CDA... so cute in my kitchen!
The Girls Want A Fairy Room.
Due to the recent Tinkerbell saturated toy market, my two girls are obsessed with fairies. They want a fairy themed room. Which at first i wasn't crazy about, I hate Disney themed rooms. So I made them on offer of an Enchanted Forest room that included fairies. Its a hit! I painted the room a lilac color, which looked great with there little rose garden bed sheets and blankets. I found all kinds of rose prints, and some vintage fairy prints, like the one above. I also scored two adorable elf/fairy porcelain dolls at TJ Maxx along with a hydrengea May Day basket I filled with roses. Its coming along quite nicely. I am wrapping some larger bulb twinkle lights in purple tulle for along the ceiling, and I found some great purple rose wall appliques I will be dealing with today. The result..and enchanted forest room the kids love, and I can live with!
I need one of these!
How incredibly cute is this? I saw it in person at the Coeur D' Alene MaryJanes Farm store. I might even go camping if I had this! Wouldn't you! The rest of the info on it is at this link!
The joys of Vinegar!
Well, being pregnant makes a woman wacko. Wacko enough to crave the smell of vinegar! So, I have been using plain old white vinegar to clean everything! Counters, sinks, floors windows..you name it, I've cleaned it with vinegar this week! It makes my floors so incredibly shiny! I also discovered adding it to my was to brighten colors..it works!
Muffins
I have a new muffin obsession. I think the family is getting a little weirded out by all the muffins I am making...but..they are delicious! My favorites so far are the Lemon Apple I made. I found I also like them better made with soy milk rather than cows milk..makes them a little fluffier, and my lactose intolerant toddler can eat them that way too!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Beneath It All: '50s and '60s Underwear
by Pat JacobsAfter World War II, lingerie designers celebrated their liberation from wartime restrictions with a lavish use of color, sheer fabrics, and lace (In the 1950s, printed and colored underwear were successfully marketed. New fabrics like Dacron and nylon debuted. There was increased use of rayon.)Women missed and wanted glamour again that had been deprived in the war; enter the conical bra, the height of 1950s underwear fashion.The Bullet Bra (featuring exaggerated pointing or cone-shaped cups) and Push-Up Bra (by Frederick's Of Hollywood) all debuted during this decade. Women now appeared to have breasts that almost reached their necks!Panties became more colorful and decorative.Hollywood and the movies also influenced undies: "Sweater girl" Lana Turner's bras helped to make her an anatomical wonder (Legend has it that Jane Russell's bras were designed by Howard Hughes) and the T-shirt (Named because of its shape and design) became popular.
T-shirts were previously worn as strictly underwear, but Marlon Brando ("A Streetcar Named Desire", 1951) and James Dean ("Rebel Without A Cause", 1955) remade this item into an icon of cool (for men only at this time).
As the '50s went on, Elizabeth Taylor in "Cat On AHot Tin Roof" (1958) made a fashion statement (andprobably scandal) wearing a custom-made slip throughmost of that movie.
Slips were also featured in "Psycho" (1960) withJanet Leigh in a white bra and slip, than later as adecamping embezzler in a black ensemble.Frederick's Of Hollywood and Maidenform becamenationally prominent during this decade. Frederick'swas created by Frederick Mellinger (he claimed to haveinvented the first push-up bra) in 1946. He started out with a racy catalog which quicklybecame popular, then branched out into a chain of morethan 175 stores. You could say that Frederick's wasthe Victoria's Secret of its day.For two decades (1949-1969) Maidenform had one ofthe most successful advertising campaigns ever. Theyconverted everyone's worst nightmare-appearingundressed in public-into an effective way to sellbras.The ads featured models in everyday or fantasticsituations, elaborately costumed but wearing only aMaidenform bra above the waist, with the slogan "IDreamed I (whatever action the ad conveyed wasinserted here) In My Maidenform Bra". For example, "IDreamed I Painted The Town Red In My Maidenform Bra". A typical late '50s underwear ensemble mightconsist of a very structured pointed bra to givedefinition for fitted bodices, while sheer petticoatslong and short were layered to add buoyancy to fullcircle skirts.The year 1959 would see some innovations that wouldcarry over well into the sixties and beyond. Mesh stockings (or hose), which previously wouldhave been worn only on stage or for seductionpurposes, began its way into the mainstream.
Women's involvement in active sports (and dance)also contributed to female undrwear change (pun fullyintended), but not quietly.
In 1955 Italian tennis player Lea Pericol revealedlacy panties during her game that caused a sensationat Wimbledon. In 1959, another tennis player,"Gorgeous Gussie" Moran's one-piece tennis dress withlace-trimmed underpants made headlines worldwide.As the new decade dawned from 1960 to 1963, men hada new underwear option: briefs and boxer shorts couldnow be bought with bold patterns or with images onthem (Except for this and a wider array of colorsavailable, men's underwear basically remained thesame).
However, Ringer T-shirts (the collar and sleeveends are of a different or contrasting color than theshirt itself. Introduced in mid-decade, this tookhold in the late '60s. Tie-dye and screen printingT-shirts were also in demand.) became popular amongthe youth and rock sub-culture.
For women, the bosom was still the main fashionfocus: Bras, due to newer, lighter material (Lycra)became prettier, easier to wash, and more wearable.In 1961, the Model 1300 plunge push-up bra debuted.This was the forrunner of the Wonderbra (made by thesame company).
A typical early-mid '60s underwear ensemble were asofter, lighter bra and panty girdle. But even withthis vast improvement, more changes were underway.By mid-decade, fashion went through a completerevolution like everything else, it seemed.
Innovations such as panty hose (seamless debutedin 1965 and in 1967 strong colors were consideredcutting edge; hosiery was still usually flesh-toned)and mini-skirts made the girdle obsolete to a newgeneration of women.
A few designers, such as Yves St. Laurent and RudiGernreich put out sheer blouses without bras, or a"no-bra bra" (this had molded nylon cups with a narrowelastic band that encircled the rib cage), but thesewere impractical for most women. (Inspired byGernreich's creation, Warners developed the bodystocking in 1964 or '65. Acounts vary.)Smaller panties, like hip-huggers and bikinis, became available.Ankle-to-shoulder underwear for slacks and tights debuted in '65.By 1967, underwear no longer hid the body shape,instead revealing and controlling it. Bras were wireand padding-free (if you were wearing the newest ones;Many women stayed with what they were used to.) The Wonderbra debuted in 1968 (It made a 34 cuplook 36) and was a huge hit, as were bra slips.It was also the era of protest. Some womenstopped wearing bras or underwear, period. It becamefashionable in some circles, perhaps in response tothe hippie movement. But most didn't, because most NEEDED theirundergarments (Small-breasted women could go bralessand still look decent, but if you were a size 38 or 40D, come on now!).
I'm getting better
So...I made myself a cute little red and white polka-dot tote today. Didn't turn out half bad either....not as Cute as the one on thefarmchicks.com, but I'm still proud of myself for improving.
The Golden Age
The 1950s - A Rare Golden Age Indeed
By David Bellm
Over the years it's become extremely common to view the postwar period- the 1950s in particular - as America's Classic Era, a utopia to beadmired and emulated forever more. With its innovative spirit, boundlessenergy, and seemingly limitless possibilities, many Americans haveadopted this unique, colorful era as the touchstone for the course of thenation. They see this as a time when "everything was right" in America,a period in which the United States really fulfilled its destiny as theleader of the world in all respects that mattered.We were after all, the technological leaders of the entire planet. Noone produced more cars, airplanes, locomotives, medicines, bombs, orbridges than America during the 1950s. And we were also the culturalleaders of the time. This was where Jackson Pollock stunned the art worldwith his audacious breakthroughs in modern painting, while Elvis Presleyand Chuck Berry employed a daring new musical form called rock & rollto induce hysterical, frenzied excitement among the masses. Theseexemplary pursuits were framed by political and military initiatives thatstrived with remarkable efficiency to raise the rest of the world toalmost our level and bolster them against the oppressive forces that stillremained in power in Europe.Ours was a nation of seemingly all things good and admirable. We wereconfident, powerful, smart, and ambitious. Why shouldn't we forever holdthe era up as an ideal to aspire to, a halcyon period in which wefinally "got it right," the kind of America we should compare all otherlater iterations of our culture to?But no matter how hard we try, we could probably never duplicate the rareconvergence of circumstances that produced the magic of the era anyway.Much of the reason there was so much abundance in the 1950s, is thatthe excess production of our war-inflated industrial base was by thattime chasing such a small number of consumers. Population growth inAmerica had been flat for a number of years. Families during the GreatDepression simply couldn't afford large families. Then, America enteredWorld War II, which severely limited the opportunities to start families.And then there's the matter of America's unflagging optimism in the1950s. Unlike almost any era except the 1980s, America in the 1950s wasdesperate to be optimistic again. By 1946 we had lived under the blanketof a general glumness for nearly two decades, first with theDepression, then WWII. When those obstacles were finally removed, Americanscouldn't help but be consumed by an almost unstoppable longing to lead "TheGood Life."At the same time, how could the United States not be the technologicalleader of the world? There was, in fact, little of "The World" leftstanding after it had been bombed into rubble the previous decade. Americafound it easy pickings to dominate the world industrial scene - ourswas among the only significant industrial infrastructure left in anylarge capacity.And these are just a few simple examples of the many ways in which thejoys of 1950s America could really be best characterized as a being afluke -- an anomaly.Now, don't get me wrong. I don't point out these things to make less ofthe 1950s. It will forever be my favorite of all eras in Americanhistory. It was the climactic moment when our nation was poised at thesummit, astride the world with a benevolent smile and a youthful energythat still holds an obvious, immediate magic when studied decades later.Rather, I say these things to point out that this was a rare aligningof the planets - a one-in-a-million moment that produced spectacularresults that reverberated throughout the world, forever imprinting ourcollective psyche in how things could be.And that only makes the 1950s more special. This was a cherished epoch,one which America will likely never see the likes of again.
By David Bellm
Over the years it's become extremely common to view the postwar period- the 1950s in particular - as America's Classic Era, a utopia to beadmired and emulated forever more. With its innovative spirit, boundlessenergy, and seemingly limitless possibilities, many Americans haveadopted this unique, colorful era as the touchstone for the course of thenation. They see this as a time when "everything was right" in America,a period in which the United States really fulfilled its destiny as theleader of the world in all respects that mattered.We were after all, the technological leaders of the entire planet. Noone produced more cars, airplanes, locomotives, medicines, bombs, orbridges than America during the 1950s. And we were also the culturalleaders of the time. This was where Jackson Pollock stunned the art worldwith his audacious breakthroughs in modern painting, while Elvis Presleyand Chuck Berry employed a daring new musical form called rock & rollto induce hysterical, frenzied excitement among the masses. Theseexemplary pursuits were framed by political and military initiatives thatstrived with remarkable efficiency to raise the rest of the world toalmost our level and bolster them against the oppressive forces that stillremained in power in Europe.Ours was a nation of seemingly all things good and admirable. We wereconfident, powerful, smart, and ambitious. Why shouldn't we forever holdthe era up as an ideal to aspire to, a halcyon period in which wefinally "got it right," the kind of America we should compare all otherlater iterations of our culture to?But no matter how hard we try, we could probably never duplicate the rareconvergence of circumstances that produced the magic of the era anyway.Much of the reason there was so much abundance in the 1950s, is thatthe excess production of our war-inflated industrial base was by thattime chasing such a small number of consumers. Population growth inAmerica had been flat for a number of years. Families during the GreatDepression simply couldn't afford large families. Then, America enteredWorld War II, which severely limited the opportunities to start families.And then there's the matter of America's unflagging optimism in the1950s. Unlike almost any era except the 1980s, America in the 1950s wasdesperate to be optimistic again. By 1946 we had lived under the blanketof a general glumness for nearly two decades, first with theDepression, then WWII. When those obstacles were finally removed, Americanscouldn't help but be consumed by an almost unstoppable longing to lead "TheGood Life."At the same time, how could the United States not be the technologicalleader of the world? There was, in fact, little of "The World" leftstanding after it had been bombed into rubble the previous decade. Americafound it easy pickings to dominate the world industrial scene - ourswas among the only significant industrial infrastructure left in anylarge capacity.And these are just a few simple examples of the many ways in which thejoys of 1950s America could really be best characterized as a being afluke -- an anomaly.Now, don't get me wrong. I don't point out these things to make less ofthe 1950s. It will forever be my favorite of all eras in Americanhistory. It was the climactic moment when our nation was poised at thesummit, astride the world with a benevolent smile and a youthful energythat still holds an obvious, immediate magic when studied decades later.Rather, I say these things to point out that this was a rare aligningof the planets - a one-in-a-million moment that produced spectacularresults that reverberated throughout the world, forever imprinting ourcollective psyche in how things could be.And that only makes the 1950s more special. This was a cherished epoch,one which America will likely never see the likes of again.
Could the Farm Chicks be even lovlier? No!!
I had such a fantastic time at the Farm Chicks...so many unbelievably talented people! The goods were amazing....I came home with some terrific finds.
Too bad for me, me digital camera broke, and I had to get a cheapo, that took the pictures upside down.....this is the best I got!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
FARM CHICKS!!!
So excited! Farm Chicks is June 7 & 8 at the Spokane Fairgrounds! My Aunt Cheryl and I have a booth...."Roses FlowerCart". This is our first Farm Chicks show together, although we have done two Vintage Barn sales last year. Our booth is very unique and hard to find antiques....and a ton of Retro Housewife Memorabilia. So come see me!!!
Skirts and all that.
So, as a retro housewife, I approach my job as a homemaker as anyone approaches a job. I dress the part. I get up, do my makeup, and make sure I am dressed nicely, not in ratty old sweats. Who else goes to work in sweats......so neither will I!! Anyway, because I take pride in my job, I dress appropriately! Unfortunately. the other Mothers that I see each morning when I drop my oldest off for school, don't feel the same about their appearance. So, they pretty much can't stand me. I think it's either resentment, that I look decent in the morning, or they mistake the pride I have in my Happy Housewife status for something else....not sure, but all I have to say is, a little mascara never hurt anyone!!!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
1950s Housewife Era and Rock and Roll Inspired Makeup Trends and Vintage Fashion StylesIf you ever watched the TV hit series, "Happy Days", you have some good ideas about Fifties fashions during that fabulous decade. Teenage girls' costumes included cashmere twin sets and poodle skirts for date nights, nice, mid-calf length dresses to school and simpler skirts or even blue jeans at home. Trends were conservative, although rock and roll would soon change that. The casual hairstyle was a ponytail, wrapped in a scarf. When you washed the car, you might substitute the scarf for a bandana, which was easier to wash than chiffon.
Fabulous “Nifty” Fifties Trend BackgroundThe Nifty Fifties were a continuation of Forties femininity, with a little added paranoia. Those men left alive had come home from war. The unusual thing about WWII was that for the first time, women's work had expanded to all sorts of jobs—not just teaching or nursing. Women had worked in munitions factories, shipyards, banks—everywhere a man had gone to war, a woman had taken his place. But when the war ended, the factories and industries employing women dismissed them summarily and en masse. Women were sent home—even the single ones, the widowed with children, the ones who wanted and needed to work. Many women were delighted to return to housework and wifehood after years of hard work and privation. Some were angry and hurt at the change from wage earner to housewife. All were disenfranchised. Soon, babies were created and born in enormous numbers. The Baby Boom forced the country into something resembling normalcy: after all, kids require diapers and kindergartens and puppies and homes in the suburbs. It's hard to hang onto the vintage past when the future is cooing in your face.
50’s Feminine Fashions Meant Lookin’ for a Husband Fashion changed with the country. Once again, a woman's main occupation was in the marital hunt, and after the hunt, bliss and childbearing. For the hunt, women needed the tools of the trade—makeup, perfume, high heels, ultra-feminine wardrobes. In contrast to the scaled-down fashions of WWII, Fifties styles were fluffy with petticoats, bosomy and leggy. The Forties figure was slim and straight, with shoulder pads to make a bolder, more responsible appearance. The ideal Fifties era figure was rounded, curvy and made for love. Smart girls pretended dumbness and dumb girls reveled in being pretty. Movies started an odd trend, though. Eyeglasses became fashionable. Cat's eye styles, rhinestones and bizarre shapes brought attention to the eyes. In "How to Marry a Millionaire", Marilyn Monroe taught the world that men would make passes at girls who wore glasses—even rich men. (But in the movie, Marilyn's character got the line wrong, saying, "Men aren't attentive to girls who wear glasses".
The 1950’s Married Housewife Glamour GirlThe quintessential '50s married glamour girl was Lucille Ball, whose fashion sense was as rigorous as her business acumen proved to be. Lucy's poodle haircut was perfect for the day; shorter, but perfectly controlled by permanent and frequent trips to the salon. Hair spray became commonly used, making more complicated hair styles possible. Peaches and cream make up replaced any previous vamp-styled pallor. Lips were rosy pink or red and welcoming; eyes were lined in mascara (the one cosmetic that has never gone out of fashion). Eyeliner made an appearance at night, as well as pastel nail color and eye shadow colors in blue and green. Foundation was de rigueur.
Evening Makeup Looks and Trends for the 50sEvening cosmetics shimmered in shades of pink for lips and eye shadow reaching past the lid. Eyebrows were plucked thin and slightly high, as if to underscore the naiveté of the woman below them. Dimples were revered, but not freckles, unless you were a child. Bangs often consisted of pincurls, finger fluffed into a fringe. Women looked like dolls—the girl next door for daytime became an elegant Parisian model by night. For a nation returning from war, it was a return to a safe, romantic fantasy.1950s teen party themes might include the sock hop, with dancers wearing rolled up jeans and penny loafers or vintage circle skirts and Oxford shoes.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
TV
So, TV was such a big deal in the 50's. The fam all watched it together, after a little din-din. Kids waited all week to watch cartoons on Saturday. Good cartoons too...not Doodlebops and Backyardigans. But, what used to bring the family together, now seperates them. Each kid has a TV in their room, and parents have one in theirs.. Families don't eat together..OR watch TV together. What is the world coming too???
I can't sew.
Seriously...how did they do it all? Sewing there own garb? Its hard. My skirts come out looking like pillowcases and my husband won't let me near his shirts o mend them? Oh well, practice makes perfect.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Amazing Blog.
VISIT THIS SITE:
It is SOOOO fantastic. Take time to really look at the pictures, they are hysterical.
The houses.
Retro home plans have stood the test of time. House designers who are still actively designing new house plans today designed this group of homes in the 1950’s and 1960’s.It's time to stop maligning the humble rambler, the practical, ubiquitous one-story abode that has embodied suburbia for more than half a century.Across the country, the 1950s-era retro homes are desirable real estate again -- and are even being embraced as historic architecture, worthy of preservation.Yes, the humble and prolific one-story home is becoming retro chic.
What does ATOMIC Magazine have to say about the retro revival?
It's a great style that so many of us relate to and grew up in. But people are taking off the cedar shakes and putting on vinyl siding when they don't have to. Now that ramblers have come of age people should maintain their charm.Yes, you heard right: charm. Once derided for cookie-cutter floor plans and a humble working-class image, the rambler is becoming something suburban real estate is almost never called: retro chic.Sometimes called ranch houses, ramblers typically had about 1,000 square feet of living space -- enough for a modest-sized living room, kitchen and three small bedrooms.Who is buying these retro style house plans? First-time buyers are buying some and a secondary market is the empty nester looking to downsize to a one-story home.
Now I'm ready for summer!!!
After WWII, many returning GI's married and settled in the suburbs. A house with a back yard was one of the symbols of American status. How best to show off one's back yard? Barbecue! It's no coincidence men proudly did the grilling. What was served? Women did the planning and prep-work based on suggestions offered by contemporary magazines and cookbooks.
Lamb Barbecue:
Lamb Roast, Indienne, with Savory-mint Barbecue Sauce Fruited Pilaf, Whole Tomatoes Quick Vegetable Salad with Parsley Dressing Buttered Crusty Bread Slices Fruit Basket, Coffee."
"Come Over for Steak"
Grilled steak, Butter-toasted Corn, Garlic French-bread Slices, Mixed Green Salad, Roquefort Dressing, Honeydew Melon with Lime Slice, Coffee."---Family Circle, August 1957 (p. 51)
"Backyard Barbecue"
Charcoal-broiled Steak or Hamburger ,Cheese and Caraway French Bread,Peach and Apple Pie,Coffee, Milk."---Woman's Day, June 1959
The Good Housekeeping Cook Book [1955] offers a chapter titled "The Bountiful Barbecue" (p. 593-600). It offers tips for planning a barbecue, including equipment checklist (asbestos gloves, Monosodium glutamate!), practical notes (choose a menu to fit the grill's space, double-wrap foods in heavy-duty aluminum foil) and safety notes (never heat canned foods in the unopened can). Recommended meats include: big steaks, little steaks, king steak, salt-grilled sirloin steak, barbecued spareribs, heavenly hamburgers, hot franks, grilled ham, barbecued bologna roll, amb and beef alfresco, kabobs, charcoal-grilled chicken, charcoal-grilled duckling, fish fries and barbecues, and shellfish alfresco. Fresh grilled vegetable recipes feature corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms. Special instructions are provided for grilling canned and frozen veggies. Grilled breads were also popular. Good Housekeeping recommended grilled French & Italian breads , grill-baked breads, rolls and muffins, garlic-buttered slices and a variety of hot grilled sandwiches. Dessert could also be prepared on the grill. Popular items included caramel roast apples, walnut roast, fried marshmallows, baked bananas, and "Marshmallow Treats," (aka S'Mores).
House and Garden's Cook Book [1958] contains instructions for grilling the following items (p. 195-208): Churrasco (South American beef steak), Beefsteak Jerome LePlat (Italian recipe with Hollandaise sauce), Beefsteak Pizzaioula, Sliced Larded Filet on French Bread, Chateaubriand Marchand de Vin, Sate with Steak, Kebabs, Roast Leg of Lamb, Shoulder of Lamb, Lamb Steaks, Oriental Lamb Steaks (soy sauce & ginger), Ham Steak, Plain Hamburgers, Savory Hamburgers (w/chopped onions, olives & mushroom powder), Frankfurters, Grilled Italaian Sausages, Spitted Roast Chicken, Chicken Tarragon, Garlicked Chicken, Ginger Chicken, Baby Chickens on a Spit, Sate Ajam-Chicken on the Spit (Indonesia), Grilled Chicken Hearts, Epicurean Broiled Turkey, Broiled Turkey Flambe, Broiled Duckling, Broiled whole Fish, Fish Mixed Grill, Rotisserie Veal with Kidneys, Roast Leg of Lamb Hong Kong, Shish Kebab, Pork Loin with Sherry, Pork Shoulder Robert, Loin of Pork California Style, Port Tenderloin Orleans, Spareribs Island Style (w/pineapple), Spareribs German Style (w/sauerkraut), Suckling Pig on a Spit, Roast Chicken Pierre (w/sherry), Chicken Far East (w/cashews & peanut butter), Long Island Duckling Gourmet and Goose Montmartre
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)