Throwback Thursday 2

Hey Kids!
I’m back with a new edition of Throwback Thursday.

Shall we take another quick stroll down memory lane? 😉

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Potholder Loom with Cotton Jersey Loops!

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Did you make these when you were a kid?
OMG! My sisters and I imagined we’d become big time entrepreneurs as we created dozens of colorful potholders that seemed to fly off the loom!

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Woolworth’s 5 and 10 Cent Store

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Gosh, I can almost smell the apple pie and other delicacies that were always cookin’ behind the refreshment counter of our local Woolworth’s! Shopping was hard work and that delicious aroma made it awfully hard to resist stopping for a bite . . . or at least a Coca Cola! Our store had a little shelf, just under the counter, where you could place your purchases while you snacked!

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Avon Calling

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When I was about 7 yrs old, my Mom was an Avon Representative. Seeing all of the girly, glamorous, wonderful things she carried in her over-the-shoulder selling case surely made an impression on me. I loved all of it – so much so that when my own kids were young – you guessed it! – I became an Avon Lady, too! It’s funny how I remember the names of the fragrances and lipstick – Moonwind, Charisma, Topaz, and Pink-a-ling!

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Barrettes

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Oh how I’ve always loved a pretty barrette! As a child, my hair was long so besides being decorative – barrettes were a necessary part of getting dressed in the morning. Now that I’m a bead seller, specializing in vintage, I realize that my little barrettes were actually made of “Lucite”!

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Dixie Cups

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Although, today, they’re often considered a wasteful use of resources and not very good for the environment, there was a time when fancy little paper cups seemed a fun novelty! In an era without dishwashers – serving a cold drink to a bunch of neighborhood kids on a hot summer day was infinitely easier with a Dixie Cup dispenser!

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‘Til next time,

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I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Click the envelope to leave a comment or to read what the other kids are saying! 😀

Mrs. Cleaver, Is That You?

Here’s a nostalgic piece of artwork with a “crafts” theme. It’s a vintage package of sewing needles – probably from the 1950’s. When I first glanced at it, I thought: “Oh, pretty! Bright and cheerful!”

sewing kit card

But as I looked closer, I began to think that this little advertising scene would probably put a lot of pressure on a busy Mom of that era. After all, the ladies shown are awfully “gussied up” for an afternoon quilting bee! Did they really have time to live such a carefree existence? They had bigger families, much less convenience food, and no permanent press!

I decided to google “life for women in the 1950’s” and came up with the following excerpt from a 1950 Home Economics textbook – no less!

Whew! Talk about pressure . . .

Have dinner ready: Plan ahead even the night before to have a delicious meal on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospects of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.

Prepare yourself: Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work-wary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.

Clear away the clutter: Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives, gathering up school books, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too.

Prepare the children: Take a few minutes to wash the children’s hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.
Minimize all noise: At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of washer, dryer, dishwasher, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad to see him. Some don’ts: Don’t greet him with problems or complaints. Don’t complain if he’s late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day.

Make him comfortable: Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax-unwind.

Listen to him: You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.

Make the evening his: Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and relax.

The goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

When I finished this post, I asked Sir Beads to read it. Afterwards, he said with a wink: “Hmm, you know… there are a lot of good points there!” 😉

What do you think?

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Friday Favorites – Memories!

This week’s Friday Favorites features either a “blast from the past”, or an ancient history lesson, depending on how old you are!

Here are the original customer loyalty cards.

green-stamps

S&H Green Stamps were given to customers by grocery stores and gas stations to encourage repeat business. They were collected, pasted in books, and could eventually be traded for a wide selection of merchandise, depending on how many stamps you were redeeming. Families enthusiastically poured over glossy catalogs in search of the perfect prize. Once a selection was made, it could easily be retrieved at a local redemption center.

washer An automatic washer!
OK, semi-automatic. I can remember my mother having to feed each article of clothing through that scary-looking wringer. We had heard tales of women who had caught their hands in it! The clothes were pretty well wrung out after the laborious process, but it was definitely a slosh-y mess while it was going on. Next stop, the clothesline – nobody had a dryer.

It’s a wonder that we have any teeth!

gumchain

This is a paper chain made with gum wrappers – LOTS of gum wrappers. Kids had a ball making these. It was a challenge to see who could make the longest chain! Some of us also made belts, purses, and even hats! Of course this was before sugar-free gum. We were blissfully unaware that future dentists would be cringing at the thought of kids chewing as much gum as possible in a race to lengthen their paper chains. It sure was fun to make them, though. 🙂

A little out of season, but my favorite of the bunch!

colorwheel

There was nothing more magical than to lounge on the floor in the semi-darkness, and watch the revolving color wheel as it cast a rainbow of colors on the sparkling silver tree!
Talk about high tech!! lol

Happy Spring, Everyone! 🙂

See you Monday with the new questions!

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