22 November 1956 “More Thanksgiving”

Just a quick post today, as I am off to a friends and I have some Thanksgiving things to prepare.
I love this image of the son watching his father check the turkey. And what a bird!
With more information for any of you new Thanksgiving chef’s, here is a good turkey roasting time-table I thought I would share.
I am not sure if I am going to try these myself. I will at some point, not sure if I will for Thanksgiving. But, they are so much fun I had to share, in case any of you were looking for a fun way to serve up those sweet potatoes this year! What a lovely vintage way to do so and a marshmallow in the center of each little treat, what fun.
Happy Homemaking.

20 August 1956 “It’s Blackberry Season!”

Well, folks, here in 1956 it is Blackberry Season! Here you can see a lovely handful of these delicious fruit. I have bushes I have planted in my yard (still giving a small yield but will increase next year). The path we take to the seashore is also lined with blackberries. Luckiest of all, of course, was dear Gussie brought home a large bag full from our local farm where she works.
Now, I love blackberries. They are the perfect blend of sweet and tart. They always herald those late summer days, dining alfresco, and sweet mouthfuls of ripe berries and cream.
We have been Blackberry Mad around here lately. I have made countless batches of blackberry pancakes. Yesterday, I wanted to make filled crepes. I had some cream cheese in the house, so I simply popped some in the mixer, added some sugar and vanilla extract and whipped it smooth. No recipe here, just go for consistency and taste to your liking. You could have even added blackberries to that while you were mixing it to give it taste and color. Here they are. In all fairness, they are really thinner pancakes and I used toothpicks to keep the closed. Normally, when I make a crepe, they are much thinner and would have been easier to roll onto themselves and hold their shape. I simply made my usual pancake recipe and just reduced the baking powder. Normally, when I make crepes, rather they are sweet or savory, I use my recipe from the 1950’s Boston Cooking School Fanny Farmer cookbook.
CREPES

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup milk or meat stock (depending on sweet or savory of course)

Mix well, make thin pancakes.
Very easy indeed and savory crepes are a great way to stretch a food budget. Leftover meat and even potatoes and veg mixed with an easy gravy or sauce stuffed into crepes, topped with sauce and garnished. Looks lovely, very easy and tastes wonderful!
I also make some wonderful Blackberry scones the other morning. Some mornings when I get up a little earlier than usual, I like to bake for breakfast. I am a morning person and having the house quiet, the coffee percolating often sets the perfect baking mood.
This recipe is rather easy and makes a triangular scone.
Blackberry Scone
3 cups flour
1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cups butter (cold and cut up, I keep my baking butter in the freezer)
1 cup butter milk (if you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, it’s easy to make. Add one tbs vinegar to each cup of milk needed.)
handful of blackberries (about a cup)
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and then cut in butter. I always use a pastry cutter so as to keep the dough cooler, like when you make a pastry dough. Gently stir in the blackberries. make a circular shape with the dough. Cut into triangles. Brush tops with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. They turned out rather well and were very delicious.
I also made some wonderful Blackberry/Blueberry Jam. I had blueberries left over from Gussie’s last farm gift of blueberries. A touch of lemon rind to this sort of jam does wonders to the taste.
Now, on the list to make still are some of the following. I found this great recipe in one of my magazines for a baked date pudding.I am just going to replace the dates with blackberries. And instead of just orange juice will most likely use less juice but put it in the blender with fresh blackberries to add more fresh flavor. (click to view full size)

And I would like to make a good Blackberry Roulade. THIS RECIPE is fairly good, though it is modern. Most likely I will end up tweaking it, as I do most recipes. I am not sure why this happens other than when I use a recipe now I have certain baking formula that flit about my head and recall things from previous recipes. Therefore such thoughts as “Oh, this would be nice with buttermilk” or “If I added some cocoa here and I could cut back on the flour here and make it a bit moister” come to me.
Now a Roulade is not only a dessert item. The word Roulade originates from the French word "rouler" meaning "to roll". Therefore meat lends itself well to this roll and fill food stuff. Duck is wonderful in a roulade, especially stuffed with pate’ (If you love fatty things as I do!) HERE is a great step by step for a meat roulade that uses flank steak. I often find this type of meal great for a cheaper cut steak, for when you slice it and pound it well (with your meat mallet or rolling pin) it really tenderizes it.
From one of my favorite cookbooks,     Betty Crocker’s Picture Cookbook, Is this recipe for Blackberry cream pie (click to enlarge and read) I love how this book is set up, as it gives you the guide to make a basic recipe and the suggestions to make variations, therefore teaching you how to make your own recipes. This is the page for the one layer pie crust.
Well, I hope whatever your current climate is, you are able to enjoy cooking and baking with some local fruits.
Until tomorrow, Happy Homemaking.

6 July 1955 “Better Use For Leisure Time”

I have mentioned before that since starting my project some of the 1950s ‘educational films’ I used to laugh at now seem to actually be good life guides. It is interesting how what once was easy to mock and think, “How silly, who even lived like that? What a strict time.” Now, however, I often find some of them rather good advice. So, I wanted to start this post with this short.  I like how it mentions how things were in the past for father and mother. I really think it is worth watching, so watch it first and then read along.

It really does show how today the work concept of 40 hr weeks really had begun then. Yet, here is the advice that says, look how far we have come to have only 40 hrs a week to work, so use your time wisely. Yet, I feel most of us (I know I certainly did!) waste or while it away. There really is a lot more satisfaction to ‘filling your free time’ with activities than just sitting about.
Here is another example of a movie I once laughed at.

In fact it was used in the funny Mystery Science Theatre 3000 episode. It is true, what they joke about over the movie is hilariously funny, I grant you that, but now watching the movie without their jibing over it, I realize this video, too, is full of sage advice: Helping one another, looking good for other memebers of the family as well as themselves, dinner conversations more about pleasing one another than monopolizing the conversation and being rude. We may see this now and think, “How robotic” but really it was certainly seen rather stiff even then, but the element of truth of kindness and concern for others is quite true and wouldn’t we enjoy our time together more if we do think and act a little more in this vein? I think so, what do you think? I know when they say such things as “Pleasant unemotional discussion” it sounds stiff and odd, but really, wouldn’t you rather have a pleasant conversation at dinner and I think they really mean, no shouting or arguing, as it does affect digestion.
That brings me to another point I have noticed in today vs. then: We are very concerned with diet and food and how it affects us etc yet so many people eat their food in front of TV or in uncomfortable ways, propped on laps or out of pizza boxes. It has got to be better on the digestion to sit square and properly in a chair at a table, napkin on your lap, good conversation, than slapdash on the sofa watching the idiot box; just a thought.
Well, speaking of food, I bought some lovely blueberries the other day for a pie and wanted to try this quick and easy pie crust in one of my books. I did and it was quick and easy and so good I have to share it with you.
It was very easy and if there are any of you out there not quite ready to try your hand at homemade pie crust, this is the one to try first. There really can be no mistake, as you do not roll it out, everything happens in the pan. Simple and easy.
Here it is before it went in the oven: and after: It served up rather pretty, I think and it tasted wonderful. The crumbled ‘extra crust’ on top gave it a nice crunch.
Included in last nights dinner was a fresh salad made entirely from my garden. I snapped this shot in my garden as after picking the salad fixings in my antique bowl, I thought it looked picture perfect. There was lettuce and crisp cabbage and sweet snow peas and some chervil and basil as well. There is such a feel of satisfaction and contentment in eating from your own grown foods. I wonder, if we get the nerve up, what it will be to eat a chicken dinner from one of our own ‘homegrown’ birds. I know that the eggs are so wonderful and bright compared to store bought.
Well, as tomorrow is talking point Tuesdays, maybe I will just end today’s post with the Talking point: What do you think of the two movies I included today. I know they may seem severe, but do you think there is any truth or good advice in them? Would you think your life could be improved by taking some of the advice. What out of the two do you already do? And, finally, do you think it realistic in the modern world to try to follow such advice? I am anxious to see how you all feel and what you think.
Until later, then, Happy Homemaking.

4 & 5 February 1955 "Literature,Leftovers, Bacon fat, Cake and Fabric"

First off, I want to thank everyone for all the wonderful comments. I love how we are creating a place to chat and discuss these things which we all really have a passion for, thank you so much.

Now, for news today, I think I will talk a bit about some books of the time.

I was pleased to recall that one of my favorite writers, Flannery O'Conner, published in the 1950's and 60s. I have read all of her work, but am re-reading the two I would have had available. The first is Wise Blood, a novel that came out in 1953. It is part of, (or perhaps the beginning of?) The Southern Gothic style. This novel, much like other O'Conner works, can either be read as straight out entertainment, or as a sort of philosophical text leaving the reader to resolve the opposing views of reality portrayed in its characters. I really recommend her reading to anyone who has not tried it. All of her characters and incidents are set in her native south, and I am as much a 'Northerner' as you can get!, but her stories and characters really are a pleasure to read. She addresses racism, religion, and the human condition in such a brutaly honest way, you can't help but be moved by them.


This book of O'Connors came out this year (1955) and is a great collection of short stories. I think she is probably one of the best short story writers I have ever encountered (man or woman). She manages to evoke a novels worth of feeling, passion, disgust, anger, sadness, and joy in a few paragraphs. If you have never read her, here is a link to one of the stories in this collection. It is called, "Good Country People" http://www.geocities.com/cyber_explorer99/oconnorgoodcountry.html

Now, another book published this year (1955) of note, is Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov. It, however, was published in Paris only. It would not make it to america until 1958 and obviously it's controversial main characters obsession with pre-pubescent girls is the reason for this. A film adaptation to this will be made in 1962 by Stanley Kubrick and was greatly sensored. Lolita was played in the film by a then 14 year old actress, Sue Lyon. An interesting fact I found out, is that the main character Humbert Humberts first love Annabel Leigh, is named after Poe's poem Annabel Lee as well as Hubert Huberts name alluding to the other Poe poem, William Wilson which is about the Wilson's being haunted by his doppelganger.

Here is a snippet of the Poe poem Annabel Lee:

''I was a child and she was a child,
''In this kingdom by the sea;
''But we loved with a love that was more than love-
''I and my Annabel Lee-

One can see little bits here and there of the changing times. I am constantly amazed by the growing and changing things occuring here in 1955. Amongst the happy plastic people we always picture for this decade, we see the ruffling of the feathers of the great bird of change getting ready to take wing. I think, as many of you must feel, that with that flight was lost many honest and simple things which we, as humans, find ourselves longing for. Courtesy, trust, love of the fellow man, love of home and family even fashion and formality. I see that we, none of us, want to return to a time of segregation and distrust, but there is a certain element of dress which leads to courtesy and kindness that seems to be lacking from our modern world. Maybe I am just, as so many before me have, romanticising the past, but I KNOW that when I make sure I look 'done' before leaving the house I get a different response from people (mostly positive) and that I, in turn, am more positive. With my increasing interest in my home as a place of comfort and style and my skills in the kitchen, I find myself wanting to know my neighbors and get involved in my community. To share these things. This is really something new to me. It somehow seems to be magically linked with these other things which can seem superficial: your wardrobe, your homes decor, your cooking skills.

This, of course, could be only an instance specific to myself, but I wonder, if others were to follow suit, how long before they would find themselves changing into the patterns of the past? I know that with my family and friends when we are gathered together at a table with linen napkins nicely set with homemade multicourse meal, we act differntly. And I don't mean formal or uncomfortable, but we converse more. We aren't plopped down with pizza boxes in front of the tv, but are having great conversations and even, without their knowing it for I watch them, my friends and family are just adapting to the setting. Napkins find themselves on laps, mouths are wiped before glasses touched to them, without any comment, just naturally occuring. And it is not as if we are play acting some great fluffy tea party, but just enjoying ourselves in a way that feels very 'grown up'. It's funny because I have always thought my generation was the generation that would never grow up, but now that I sort of feel I am doing so, I really like it. Of course, I say this while I am 'pretending to live in the past'. But, maybe my generation, and the other generations of today, have that childlike quality to play at somthing until they see it is, in fact, good to be a grown up. To care about others as well as yourself. To want to help out those less fortunate. To welcome a neighbor to the area not caring if they think you are 'cool' or not. I want to be responsible for others and kind.( I put the grocery carriage back at the front of the store to save the young boys trips to the parking lots.) But, I find myself doing it naturally and then noting to myself that I am more courteous and conscientious. It is not forced!

If you click on this image you can read a bit out of my vintage cookbook on mealtime manners.

Well, that is enough philosophizing for today, on to the good stuff!

I found this bit on Leftovers rather interesting in my General Foods Cookbook. I like that it discusses the 'accidental' as well as the 'planned' leftovers. I have to say, in my house they are definitely planned. I am already planning on pancakes this sunday breakfast (though they appear at least one morning a week for my hubby from me) so that sunday dinner can be "Pancake Ham Roll-Ups". Now that we have our Saturday 1950s dinners I am thinking of doing a more casual Sunday dinner for hubby and I and Gussie, of course, as she is often here on Sunday. That way Sunday will truly be a day of 'rest' for all of us.

I noticed the other morning when I had made pancakes that home-made pankcakes made with bacon fat are delicious WITHOUT butter and syrup. I had just made a great heaping batch (I guess I do have 'accidental' leftovers sometimes) of pancakes. And I thought, "this morning no dry toast with my black coffee for me, but dry pancakes!"

I ate two of them dry and they were so good. I could really taste the bacon fat. I know, I know, it sounds like a commercial, "Now, with 30% more Bacon fat...MMMMM, thanks mum, bacon fat.

I can picture it now, the commercial: Two housewives are in a kitchen over a cup of coffee, the husband comes in dressed for work, briefcase in hand, "Thanks darling," he says kissing her cheek, "I could really taste the bacon fat this morning" and off he pops while the friend turns to her and says,

"My husband NEVER notices my bacon fat" and then of course the product with a voice over:, "Franklin Bacon Fat, Let your husband notice your Fat" or something along those lines. But, seriously, they were so good that I didn't need to add the sugar and fatty bacon to it, so I probably had less calories with the bacon fat in the pancakes.

While on my favorite subject, bacon fat, I have to show you my new book I just recieved. I was soo excited. I have this EXACT Osterizer blender. I was happy to find that it is indeed from 1955, if it coincides with this book. This may have even come with it originally, I don't know. But when I saw this recipe I had to laugh and thought, "the blogger friends are gonna love this one!"

Pineapple BACON muffins, how perfect! I mean what COULDN'T they do with the stuff?

I did use a recipe from this book yesterday as it had just come in the mail and I was soo excited I couldn't wait. It was providence as well, as I had just slipped the last piece of pie into hubbys lunch that morning and I knew I needed another dessert before the usual 'sunday cake bake'. So I made this one. I wanted to slice a fresh banana along the outter edges for its decor, but hadn't one ( I was using up old ripe bananas I had previously frozen, see leftovers!)
Here it is sliced to reaveal the guts, which I thought was important. And here is that slice waiting to be eat up, yum! I allow myself one piece of my cakes/pies. I cannot be a good baker/chef without trying my concotions, right? It was rather yummy and the cake itself was a nice mix between a cake texture and a banana bread. I can feel my skills growing as I learn basics of baking. For example, this cake was to have this frosting, also from my new book, but it turned out to be too sweet. I don't like confectioners sugar as a base for icings, I am finding, as it is far too sweet. So, I simply made some 'melted chocolate' which is powdered unsweetened baking chocolate mixed with oil (no, not bacon fat...however, hmmm but that might be another post) which, of course, is not sweet at all. So, when added to this icing it became a rich almost dark chocolate flavor. I also find that leaving these types of frostings to 'set' for an hour or so makes them a dream to ice with . I made the mistake of using this type right away at first only to have a slippery gooey mess. But, again, I probably would have learned this long ago at mothers knee.

It is funny how normal it now seems to have a dessert around. I now approach a cook book like a child who has finally learned to read. All those looming figures and shapes that had once daunted me, now have wavered into focus and I have a voracious appetite (pun inteded, by the bye!) to make up everything and anything I can get my hands on in cookbooks. They have become the fairy stories of my kitchen where I can dive into the pages and bring out my handsome prince. I have kissed the frog and he is, in fact, a brownsugar glazed ham and a fruite compote!

Oh, speaking of ham. I made the best bone in ham the other day! It was not spiral cut, so carving was left to my imagination. A skill I am quickly learning, though I have told my hubby time and again, that carving is a sign of a gentleman, but he just laughs and waits for seconds.

Now, I am sure to any vegetarians out there, this must look a horror, but I am rather proud of it. I liked that when I purchased this you could see the actual skin of the pig. I mean, there is no sense is sugar coating meat (well, except in actually putting sugar on it, it's yummy!) this is a dead animal. Rather it is all trussed up in cellophane in the store or not it was an animal and I like to know that. Somehow it feels more real or almost as if I am being more honest to the animal that died for me to eat it. Anyhoo, I had to score the skin after cooking the joint for 45 minutes, as my book instructed me, and then put in whole cloves, which I did and it was quite fun. I then basted it with brown sugar (and syrup I told you I am an New Englander, I will put syrup on anything given the chance!) It was soo tender and juicy and wonderful.

I have saved the bone with most of the unusable fat and meat and skin and that will make a wonderful pot of peasoup, which I am excited about. Yes, I admit it, I am EXCITED about an old bone in my icebox covered in fat and skin, it's a sickness with me, these leftovers. It is like the challange of the kitchen. Really the very core of homemaking seems to be challange: The personal and physical challange to shape and make a world in which to dwell. It's a wonder more housewives don't have a God-complex, as we stir and cut and sew our world around us making our own little realities of food and clothes and decor. It is like being a magician, a scientist, an artist, hostess, decorator, and a conjurer. Ta-dah! I lift my satin cape and behold a table set for a king!

Now, onto some design. I just got this wonderful vintage fabric. I love alot of the modern ATOMIC styles of the 1950s, but my house, for the most part, does not really call out for an overall modern design, nor would it fit my personality. I love antiques and old things, always have and would have done so if this actually were 1955. However, there are 'modern 1950s' fabrics that go along with decorating styles then called "Early American" and "Early New England". This fabric fits that category. I like that it depicts 'early american' images, but in a very pop art sort of way.

There were even furniture lines by Ethan Allen and such who came out with Early American lines that expressed a desire for the simplisity and natural wood structures of the past but often with a modern turn and sensibility. I have, myself, actual antiques and I like to mix new pieces, so my new infatuation is to mix in these 1950's "early american" pieces.

This is one such piece I picked up at a sale the other day. It has the lines and it expresses a 'queen anne' style chair, but in a very modern way. It is lower. The wings on the side are in wood rather than upholstered and there is a low skirt to emphasize its porportions to the floor. I think this will mix rather nicely in my living room which is being turned into my library. Although I love the vintage fabric which is now on it, in blues and browns, I may reupholster it in a vintage nautical print or perhpas a solid color.

This photo sort of illustrates the direction I mean to take in this room: The sailing model, the blue and white sofa, the quilted pillow.( I think the blue ticking fabric on the sofa goes rather nicely with the vintage fabric, don't you?) The fabric is most likely going to become curtains and some throw pillows. There are also pillows quitled in the soft blue I love and I will use this color throughout the house.

I live near the ocean. Sailing is and has been a part of our lives. We live in New England and I feel the decor should reflect that. I am hoping to draw together the things I love and have with 'new 1950's things' and remake the house. This is an antique hooked rug (which is quite large and fills most of the floor) and has the color scheme I want in this room. The blue white red with browns and just hints of green. I belive using a harmonizing color scheme through your entire home makes it more cohesive. I will be using blue, red, yellow in various shades through the house. While in the kitchen it will be soft robins egg blue, butter yellow and true red, in this room it will be the cranberry red of New England, the deeper blues of the sea and the yellow will become the golden brown of wood and accents. Etc.

I would also like to show that though we often think of 1950's decor as all sharp modern angles and curvilinear forms in primary colors, that was only a portion of what was happening. Many people still decorated with antiques and other styles. I am going to, for the fun of it, create a swanky lounge/rumpus room/bar in our finished basement that will hi-light more of the modern furniture and fun shapes of the 1950s. I think this is appropriate to my home and way of life. I will enjoy tea and cakes in a room decorated with antiques and early americans and just as well an old fashioned or a martini in the swank lounge dancing to records and such. What do you think of my color scheme idea for the living room/library?

Sometimes I feel a bit of a fraud using my camera and computer, but honestly I could never really share all of this with any of you if I did not. If this were actually 1955 I would be sharing it with the neighbors and bridgeclub and the coffee klatch. But, all of you have become my cyber-coffee klatch. We sit around the virtual kitchen table swapping ideas, recipes, woes, and happiness. It is quite nice and shows that we still long for such a spot. A little corner to sip our coffee, nibble our home-made goodies and just gab! Thank you for joining my coffee klatch.

2 February 1955 "TV, Coke, Nutrition, and Interiors"

2 February 1955: First Presidential news conference on network TV - Dwight Eisenhower on ABC.

Until 1955, Coca-Cola was available only as a soda fountain drink and in 6 1/2-ounce glass contour bottles.
1955 saw the debut of the King Size (10- and 12-ounce) and Family Size (26-ounce) glass contour bottles in the U.S., marking an important step in giving people more options to meet their needs.

I just bought the 8 oz. glass bottle 6 packs they have at our local grocery store. Unfortunately there is not diet soda until TAB in 1962, but with only 8 oz. of soda (1 cup) not too many calories. I love the feel and weight of the small bottle. It seems appropriate to my year, however the 8 oz. is even bigger than the original bottle.

Here is a real swell video showing the evolution of the coke can from 1955 to present: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1062118640244&oid=8605796091

I had decided to include some of the dietary information in one of the main cookbooks I use, then someone had commented on my last blog that they would like to see this, so here it is. This is only a small portion of the info, but I will include more in the future.

I really find it interesting that the daily amount of calories seems quite high and yet I don't think we had the obesity problem we have today in this country. Of course, after rationing in WWII I guess we were heading towards the eventual outcome as we began to stuff ourselves on the overabundance of food.

In post-WWII USA, the diet industry took off like a rocket. Diet books muliplied and monopolized the bestseller list. Metracal and other good substitute products were introduced very successfully as were national weight-reducing chains. Women were the primary targets of these marketing strategies.
Here we even see advertising giving various options for the low-calorie lifestyle.

With this new concern over calories and eating properly comes exercise. And, if you are a housewife in middle america that can only mean one thing. Jack Lalanne. Here he is talking about a diet plan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuW3RfWJ1H0

Here is a great site that has most of his shows. This is the site I am using to start my 1950's exercise program: http://jacklalanne.com/tv.html

"Between 1951 and 1985, LaLanne presented fitness and exercise advice on television. "The Jack LaLanne Show" was the longest running television exercise program. It began as a local program on San Francisco's ABC television station, KGO-TV, and was eventually carried on the ABC network nationwide. Critics said the show would last less than six weeks, but it ended up lasting 34 years. In 1959, LaLanne recorded Glamour Stretcher Time, a workout album which provided phonograph-based instruction for exercising with an elastic cord called the Glamour Stretcher."

Here he is in 1954. In 1955 (age 41): Jack swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco while handcuffed. He is still alive today at 94.
I have been a good girl this week, and here is this mornings breakfast: black coffee and dry toast. It is hard to cook bacon, eggs, and pancakes, as I did this morning for hubby, and not want to snack. I am determined, however, as the fashions of 1955 have really inspired me to finally drop those pounds I have been chasing around for the past few years.

Now, speaking of food, I am still cooking using recipes in my book, no modern meals of bulger wheat etc. Last night I made a really good Vegetable au gratin dish. My cookbook tells you how to make vegetables au gratin and then it is up to you WHAT vegetables. I did green beans, potatos, and peas. They were SO yummy.
Here is what it looked like before I dished it up. The bread crumbs were quite tasty mixed into it.

Today was a Gussie day. As it is washday, I did (am still doing) the laundry. In the America's Housekeeping Book under the Household Employees chapter it suggests: "Experienced homemakers will tell you that if the employee does the washing and ironing, the homemaker must assume a major share of the other housekeeping jobs on laundry days." I, in fact, did the reverse. I did the laundry while 'Gussie' cleaned, shopped for the meal, prepared it and cleaned up afterwards. I have to say I am getting used to having the help. I am hoping that the interest 'Gussie' has in the project will last the year out.

With no dishes to do and a wonderful warm meal to be served up, I even had time to 'dress for dinner'.

Having had the freedom to go out shopping, I did.

I found this wonderful vintage metal step stool at one of my antique haunts. It is so perfect for the kitchen redo. Obviously I have to repaint the seat, but I am hoping I can find a matching red to this color as I believe it is the original paint. I want splashes of red to go along with my robins egg blue and touches of yellow. I can't wait until this and the 'new ice box' get to dwell in the kitchen. Do any of you have vintage kitchens?



I also stopped at our local Sherwin Williams paint store. I love it as it seems very 1950's to go to a store dedicated to paint and wallpaper instead of HomeDepot. They have a nice line of vintage paint colors. So, I nabbed these two great brouchures fot the 1950's. I think the cover artwork is so nice.

This scan is not completely true to one of the palletes in the brouchere, but you can get the general idea. I am thinking of this pink as the main color of my new sewing/laundry room. I think a very girly pink confectionary room would be fun in a smaller space and one in which I will only use sometimes. What do any of you think?
I also bought five of these boxes. I know they are not vitage, but I think they definitely have a vintage feel. I can see them on a shelf to hold patterns and ribbon and zippors etc. They have great little metal tag holders on the front. Don't you love the image on the top of the box? I hope it isn't too modern. I have some wonderful vintage wallpaper I found today that is too delicate to actually cover walls, but I think I will use it for hat boxes for my closet as well as some for my sewing room and some in the kitchen redo maybe on some tins or maybe to line the back of a cabinet. The color in the scan is not very true to the real color, but you get the idea.

I also found a wonderfrul vintage repro new plaid wallpaper in taupe and soft blues and greens that I might use in the living room which is going to become the library. There will be pics when I get to that. I really want to do wallpaper. It is making a comeback today and would be quite normal to use in the 1950s.

Well, I need to post this as I have to get back to my laundry. I think I have done far too much galavanting about today. I won't take the time to edit, so you will excuse me I hope. Have a great day.