7 July 1956 “Sewing Dresses and Drawing”

I realize I have not discussed my sewing in awhile. I just finished my July dress. I wanted a vintage look like this.  This pattern has a similar look on the top. Something along these lines. Only, I couldn’t find a vintage pattern, but I did find this. Simplicity 3823. Now, this pattern has a full gathered skirt, which would look great with a petticoat. Only, I had wanted to use this fabric for my summer dress.I am not sure you can really tell the color, but it is lovely summery pink, yellow and brown on a white ground. I thought it very vintage and fun. Since I did not have enough to do a full gored skirt, I cut out the top and then used the remainder of the fabric and pleated the skirt around. I am quite happy with the result. Hubby snapped this shot of me quick before he went off to work.You can see it needs to be pressed and I wanted to show how it looked without my petticoat. But as I was home alone, I had to snap the shot of it with the petticoat myself with the timer and only got the skirt, but you get the idea.You can see it will not puff out like a circle or gored skirt, but still has a nice swing. I also left a very large hem, as it seems vintage clothes in person and photos always have a very generous hem. I wondered about that and thought, I am sure when your profit margin depends on pennies (as the mass produced chinese clothes that are sold at Gap, Walmart, Old navy heck most places) every little bit of fabric counts. So we are just used to really small hems or no hems on jersey or blanket stitching. I noticed, with a full hem (this fabric is even doubled under there and then hemmed at about 6 inches) it adds a nice weight to the skirt.
I think this vintage vogue pattern is a great way for me to ‘alter’ this pattern as well.Don’t you love the little Peter Pan collar on the top! I will make one like that I think.
My June dress was for the 4th of July. I altered my other dress pattern that I had made with the rolled collar, remember my March Dress I used that pattern but did a Peter Pan collar instead. I will share it later, as I have no pictures of it. It is,of course, red, white and blue.
I am so bad at getting pictures of myself. I also am not sure I really want to plaster pictures of myself up here all the time. There is something very MySpace about it. I don’t know. Maybe if I treat it like art photography. For example, I like taking the dress photo and making it black and white to look vintage.I was also inspired to do a silly up close photo of myself (again hard to do, not sure how teens do it all the time)I was inspired by the model Jean Patchetts beauty mark and so did this shot with my ‘painted on’ mark and wearing one of my hats. The flash sort of went off in my face.
I am not sure why I am not 100% comfortable about many pictures of myself here. I should really think about why that is.
Well, besides not sharing my dresses lately, I have also not been sharing my drawings/comics. I feel my cartoon style has been evolving and feeling more vintage. Here is one I did yesterday.You can click on it to see it larger. I have not felt yet ready to show any of my paintings, but I have been so busy with the yard and my chicken house project (that post is coming, I promise, in all it’s detailed boring glory).
Well, simple daily posts so I am off. I hope all have a lovely day and Happy Homemaking.

6 July 1956 “1950’s Models and Our Body Image”

This image of one of the famous models of the 50’s, Jean Patchett, is quite intriguing to me. First off, I adore that suit and cannot see how a body hugging outfit that also stays in place when you move, is not considered sexy today. Or at least, that is what I assume, since modern bathing suits seem to be less fabric than a handkerchief and held up by the grace of God.
Jean Patchett was one of the five or six main models of the 1950’s (their version of supermodel, only better dressed off camera). So, the second thing I find interesting about this image are her legs. In many photos of Jean in dresses, you can see her very thin frame, yet here, in a bathing suit with no girdle and her thighs showing, you can see she has a ‘natural’ thigh. And by ‘natural’ I mean it is not so overtly muscled that one needs to constantly be pounding energy drinks and doing 800 reps on the stair master. The ability to maintain this sort of basically male musculature would be all consuming. And I have to say, when I saw the thighs on Jean in that bathing photo, I suddenly felt better about my own legs. That tells me the POWER of media, even here in 1956. To see someone in the high fashion world suddenly have what we would consider in 2010 as ‘thick thighs’ does wonders for a gal.
Jean came onto the scene at the very beginning of the 1950’s in Vogues quintessential 1 January 1950 cover. Her face, with her natural beauty mark, set a tone for make up and the look of the coming decade.
The other main models of the decade were Dovima , Dorian Leigh , Suzy Parker , Evelyn Tripp and Lisa Fonssagrives
Now, it is clear to see that all these models are certainly thinner than your average housewife, but they have a real body. You can see in Evelyn Tripp’s photo with the cat, her arms are shapely not skeletal. I am sure the sad bit of these women is cigarettes probably paid a major role in their weight and I know Jean Patchet dies in 2002 of emphysema. That is one lie I wish I could tell the ladies here in 1950’s, about the tobacco companies. And, oddly enough, if they simply made a cigarette with tobacco and no tar and added chemicals and bits of minute broken glass so one’s lips receive tiny slits to therefore become addicted quicker, perhaps cigarettes would have taken another turn. The greed and insatiable demand to want more and more money and not be happy with a good income making a trustworthy product has been taking over the American conscious since the turn of the 20th century. The new man, the Industrialist, wanted it all and at any cost. I wish, in any time, we could learn to curb that human trait. But, I suppose, really we are simply using our animal instinct to take and take to survive, but we are meant to be civilized, which means to think and consider.
Well, I am not sure how a photo of a bathing suit made me think of all that. Yet, there it is. I suppose my only point was, then I saw that image of that famous and thin model and saw her legs, even a hint of what we would call cellulite today, I suddenly felt a little better about myself. Sometimes 1956 can be very forgiving and uplifting to a gal. Even here, we can see she is very thin, yet see the softness in her leg. There is a spot where here bathing suit cuts into her leg and has a bulge. This, I think, is natural. The leg is not meant to be a stone pillar. It can have a beauty in its softness. That doesn’t mean be unhealthy, but I wonder, is it healthy for your mind to worry about what ‘squishes out’? And, 2010 fashions, with their low rise and where they hit the body, is just asking to make folds and ‘squishes’, it is a scary cycle of impossible body shape, unflattering fashion, and photo shopped photos on magazine covers.
When Gussie and I were at the 4th of July parade, we made note of many fuller frames that would have looked so good in a simple cotton dress hitting the waist and a fuller skirt to cover the ‘bulges’ and turn them into the lovely soft female silhouette. Yet, these frames, really the average frame, looks like a tree trunk as there is no shape to the tops and the shorts hit below the waist, forming, basically, a large lump with a head. Now, I know it is not everyone’s responsibility to look nice for me, far from it, but I wonder how much better they would feel about themselves. Even without losing weight, that modern game “Oh, I will get that or wear that once I lose this many pounds” would be a weight less wretched with a 50’s silhouette. Why wait? You can always bring in the dress. But, the boon to your self esteem, the way it makes you feel is worth it. And the 50’s shape does not have to be done all out vintage, if you wear a 1950’s full skirted dress without a petticoat, no  gloves or hat and simple sandals, you will not look old fashioned and you WILL look better shaped.
Well, just for fun, here are more fashion shots of Jean to enjoy. Yes, she is model thin, but many of these outfits would do wonders for a fuller figure.

Happy Homemaking and Dressmaking!

5 July 1956 “Our Town’s 4th of July Parade and Celebrations”

I hope all had a wonderful 4th celebration (you American followers I mean). Our parade was cute at its start. This old 1900 wooden school bus.
   The Soldiers and the cars made one feel it was 1950’s   This float was from our local book store, Titcombs. The have  a colonial figure out front of their business on our historic hwy (which I also live on) that is a famous landmark. Here they recreated him for the parade and the truck says, “Join the Reading Revolution” and they were followed by family members/workers dressed in Revolutionary hats. Titcomb’s has its own blog and here is the link to the post about how they were started, rather cute story. HERE it is.
After that, the parade took an odd turn. First off the remainder of the parade appeared to just be modern cars with random business names and then people in the back with high powered water guns and buckets of water. They squirted and squirted. Had they only done so to the youngsters up front who wanted it, fine, but they would spray up the lawn embankments and many had expensive cameras. Myself and Gussie were ‘dressed up’ (dress, petticoat etc per usual) and did not enjoy getting wet. I suppose for the throngs of t-shirt wearing cut off short individuals they didn’t mind. But it continued on like that. Then, on top of that, we had three fire trucks BLARING their sirens and horns. Now, in the old days, when the siren and bell was a darling little clang, I understand, but these sirens and whistles are ear piercing and meant to be heard by modern fast traffic of people blasting their music. At close quarters on a small town street, children were literally plugging their ears, and I joined it. It is rather easy to hurt ones eardrums permanently.
Then to top off the odd parades ending, everyone got up and immediately left with a huge mess and trail of candy half eaten empty wrappers and garbage all over the streets! How much effort to pick up your own garbage and all the children who had been collecting up the candy had no admonitions from any parents, we were appalled to say the least.
We ended the morning by going to our local tea shop for afternoon tea only to be stared at when we left by some out of town tourist all of 17 dressed in shorts TOO short and a bland uninspired Wal-Mart top. I had to laugh to myself when I thought she found US funny, we had nice dresses, ironed, earrings, handbags etc. I am not sure why style is hilarious, but it seemed to be.  But, I digress.
Here are the simple but fun parfaits I made for our gathering. The berries were picked from our local farm and the whipped cream is, of course, homemade. If anyone has ever had that horrid can stuff or the tub, then whipped their own, where in you can add the amount of sugar and vanilla or whatever you wish (chocolate, lavender anything) you will never go back to the store bought. And, of course, I do love photographing food, so here are two close ups. This was my centerpiece for our gathering, and I didn’t want it to be red white and blue. I decided to use the flowers from my yard and I think the hydrangea, lillies and Phlox, look like explosions of fireoworks, don’t you?
We returned downtown at 7p.m. to the Mill pond where a band performs and then at 9pm the 4th of July Boat Parade on the water begins. Any local can enter and you decorate your boats (canoes, dinghy what have you) with lights and affects but you have to have candle lit Chinese Lanterns as part of it, as it is the tradition.
Here is a shot by the Grist Mill and the pond to set the scene. This is fairly representative of my town and area in which I live. In many ways, very small town New England America, you can even see a couple fishing in the background. here you can see people settling in with the band in the background and the boats, later, will appear on the water from behind the old Burial ground, which juts out into the pond.
This part of our day was probably the most Vintage feeling. The band was playing older music and the mood was not as odd as our Parade.

   Here you can see the people working their boat lit only by the Chinese Lanterns. They set off a great fire display out of the top of their boat. This boat was called the Huck Finn and they had a nice campfire and tent going on their entry.
It was hard getting good pictures, as it was so dark. But some of the photos turned out to be so beautiful, that I think they almost have a surreal or abstract quality. These photos that only captured the dancing Chinese paper lanterns and one errant rocket  made me think of Whistlers painting Nocturne in Black and Gold. By no means exhibiting the depth and character of that infamous painting (he sued Ruskin for slander of his public hatred of the painting) but it has that quality to it for me; The abstraction of color and form with the reality of representation behind.  I think the images would look nice enlarged in a mid-century modern setting. This photo, again rather abstract, was beautiful to behold in person. This particular boat filled itself with beautiful large paper shapes that looked like jellyfish, which when they lit them and let them go, floated over us. you could almost feel you were under the sea in its deep dark depths. Two of these got caught up in trees and the crown began to worry and fret, “It’s going to catch on fire” many said and were worried. We were not. It soon burned itself out. Many seem to forget this whole town once was lit by whale oil then kerosene, very flammable substances, and has made it just fine. It did add to the excitement of the night.
It was very small town America. You could almost believe you were in 1950’s at points, as the local band played many 1950’s rock n roll songs, with some Beatles and Jimmy Buffet (not a fan) thrown in. At first, only the children were dancing on the lawn as all others sat and watched. I thought, ‘If this was 1956, the band would be playing dance music and the adults would be dancing, in couples.” It seemed today, only the children danced. Later, as the light ebbed and the excitement of the upcoming boats was upon us, many adults then joined in to dance. Only, it was modern in that all were just jumping up and down. I squinted my eyes a bit and imagined white gloves, sun hats and twirling couples. A Vintage girl can dream, can’t she?
One of the entries this year was interesting in that it was the same boat that had won 100 years earlier in 1910. Obviously, new decorations, as the rules imply, but I thought, my how the world has changed since that boat first tread the waters. We had not even had our first World War yet. So much innocence. The nice part is my town, in many ways, is still very much the same, only the people and their attitudes seem different. I can walk past houses and building hundreds of years old and the old grist mill, which still grinds corn meal to this day, but when I see a mother, clad in almost nothing, ignore her son as he unwraps the candy he just got at the parade and drop the wrapper to the ground with no repercussion, it feels very modern and cold.
I suppose we Vintage lovers have to found our world where we can and to make it today in ways we would think those in the past would have. We can let go of bigotry but still embrace common courtesy and general kindness. It might be old fashioned to dress nicely and appropriately for the occasion, say please and thank you and hold doors for ladies and the elderly, but whenever we modern people manage these things, I think the past smiles a little on us.
So, here is to your present and your future, may they be filled with the joy of the past. I hope all had a wonderful holiday.
Happy Homemaking.

4th of July 1956 “Elvis, Charity, Cooking Show, and Parades”

First off, let me start out by saying thank you to all of you who took the time to comment yesterday. I shall not worry, in the future, about comments. I suppose in some way I was really faced with the dilemma of “Do I post this blog for myself as much as others” and wasn’t really sure of what my answer would be. I am glad to know that there are a few of you out there enjoying my ramblings and I must say it does make it seem more exciting to know so. But, after must rumination, I do think I would have just continued on as usual, even if I had received no comments. For any of you who might feel that my blog has changed drastically from 1955, I am sorry about that. Yet, I do need to write ‘as I find’ and I think if I were in 1955 then my 1956 self would be different as well. We must evolve. I also feel that to only close my eyes to 2010 at all times would be an in-service to what I have come to really admire about the 1950’s. I think what I have learned and continue to learn about our social past IS relevant today and would serve little purpose to myself or anyone if I chose to live in a vacuum. Those in 1950’s were very forward thinking and so part of that has rubbed off on me. In some ways I almost feel more modern then before 1955, as before that I always longed for the 19th century. Now, I find myself rather modern and wanting to take all the good from the 1950s, a time I really do believe is the beginning of how we live now, and remake my own present in a better way with the advantage of my 2010 crystal ball.
So, again, thank you so kindly for all your lovely thoughts. I do appreciate it very much. And do not feel, now, that you need to comment on my account. I understand now than many just enjoy reading and have no need to say anything. I am still very innocent in the ways of blogging, though I have done it for a year and a half now. Thank you all again.
This evening, here in 1956, at the Russwood Park, Memphis Tennessee, Elvis will perform. Many of the 14,000 fans were there early in the morning, camping out to be close to the growing legend. The concept of idol and God-like star is truly born.
Young girls weep in his presence hoping to merely touch his clothes. The shift here in 1956, I believe, is beginning for youth. Today, in many ways, music probably plays the role religion once played in the lives of those in the Middle Ages. Its chants and rhythms almost a prayer to its followers. Though many, of course, are simply drawn into this new form of music. This American music which taps the roots of it’s Afro-centric heritage and the simple tunes and verbiage of the ‘Hillbilly’ that is becoming Rockabilly. This sound, in its true form, still exists today, though not on the level it is gaining here in 1956.

An interesting story about this concert is that it was in part for the benefit of the Cynthia Milk Fund which still exists today. The story of that organization is actually rather interesting and shows the power of the press:
On a winter day in 1914 a telephone call came in to the Memphis Press. The caller was concerned about the faint wailing of a baby he heard coming from a seemingly deserted house in downtown Memphis. The city editor sent Memory McCord, one of Memphis' earliest women reporters, to investigate. When she arrived at the building, a woman, holding a tiny baby, opened the door of the one-room apartment. The mother was frightened and cold. The poorly clad baby was hungry. There was no wood for the apartment's stove and the icebox lacked food and milk.
McCord, who wrote under the byline of Cynthia Grey, wrote a touching story the next day. Soon the newspaper office was flooded with contributions and offers of housing and food for the mother and child. As a result, a fund was created to help needy infants and babies get a healthy start in life. Incorporated in 1933, the fund later became a tax-exempt organization.
I find that story both interesting in it showing the growing response the populace has to the ‘new media’ (the newspaper) in accordance to such a story. Though, quite honestly, there were many opportunities for anyone to see such poor people, it was not until it was portrayed in story form that it touched enough hearts to make a difference. It really shows the power of the story. We have, even today with our blogs, still that ancient human need to gather round the fire and listen to the storyteller. We are rapt and often touched greatly when even a reality we might know very well of is put into a context of beginning and end. Digital or handwritten scribe, or oral history, we love a good story.
I also am impressed with the woman reporter in 1914, we were not always in the kitchen tied to children until the 1960’s saved us, as some people will have us believe. It is a nice story, though, isn’t it?
This darling little girl, Elizabeth, in Hopkinton Iowa today in 56. How sweet is she. I adore the children’s clothing of today and can imagine the fun for the little girls to wear the petticoats and longer skirts. At my current age here in 1956 I would most likely have had a childhood outfit much like these children in the 20’s celebrating the 4th of July. Whenever I put myself into the historical perspective of what my 1950’s self would have known as a child, it is always humbling to think what I have even here in 1956. Washing machine, Dishwasher, Good sized freezer, air conditioning, a really good vacuum. But, much as today, some of the innocence may be gone with the ease. If I had a child, I might wonder at it wanting to stare at a flickering screen watching cowboy films when there are perfectly good frogs to catch outside or cans to kick. Funny, really.
Today I am off to my own hometown to watch our little parade and later the band and a funny little boat contest on the old mill pond. This image of a 1956 4th of July parade would probably have some tears made in the audience. These veterans reenacting that famous image, it was still so close to home. I am sure there were many wives who held their hubby’s a little closer while remembering the fear of their absence and the uncertainties of the future. It is images like this that always spurs me on to over analyze where we have come since the war. There is a part of me that feels we owe that generation the right to be ‘awake’ to what is happening in our new America and to make better choices to make sure our country can become what those young men fought for. I will not rant today, but it burns me to think of American flags bought at big box stores manufactured in communist china. There is something almost face slapping about it. But, I will not spoil our Holiday, but do remember those brave men that fought and died so that we might have the opportunity to live as we do. We DO owe our past an allegiance and a certain amount of responsibility. Enough said…
Here is a Parade from Today in California.

Well, I will close with a 4th of July 1956 airing of the show “Television Kitchen” with Florence Hanford. The show was aired live at 2:30 PM Wednesdays on Channel 3 in Philadelphia, WPTZ-TV, which was the only airwave available in Philadelphia at that time, and later on Channel 6. It was sponsored by the Philadelphia Electric Company and was one of the earliest televised cooking shows, closely following that of James Beard. I do have to disagree with the electric cooking, but she is sponsored by the Electric company. And a fun side note, I love the way she says “Marsh-mallers”. Enjoy and have a Great 4th of July (for the American followers of course)

3 July 1956 “What, Me Worry?”

I have been worried of late. Not about myself, so much, but just little bits of everything. I am overall quite happy, actually rather content with my life. My time travel has turned out to be one of the smartest things I have attempted. Yet, here happy working in my yard and home, I have been worried about my posts and my blog. That documentation which began like a secret diary to my adventures and then become happily shared by many now has an odd sting in its tail. I find now, especially as I am trying to post more, that as I notice the vast reduction in comments an almost anxiety. Did I do something wrong? Am I not entertaining or are my antics boring? Have I, like most modern things, simply used up my few minutes of attention and others simply moved on.
I rarely notice my number of followers, but now that it is over 500 I begin to feel a trepidation, because I do want to continue to grow as a person and to share that growth and yet I see very little activity on the posts. Should I care? Why does it worry me? These are the actual things that worry me, why I should or should not care.

That sounds silly, I know, but probably one of my largest foibles is over thinking. I tend to analyze and re-analyze a thing until it becomes like a stone washed smooth by the eons of waves over it. It’s silly, I know. And yet, me, myself, I am not unhappy nor directionless. In fact the more I find myself getting a grip on being able to do all the things I set out to learn last year in 1955, the more I find myself wondering why there seems to be less comments. Perhaps I have become pedantic or mundane, or, as I really feel, people simply got bored and moved on. Now, with my high numbered followers, I have just become another statistic in Blog land where individuals go about seeing high numbered followers, they have a blog or an item to sell and then simply ‘add’ themselves. I believe that is an actual tactic to increase ‘traffic’ or whatever the point of many blogs are.

For me, it was really to document my life. I didn’t know or really care at first if anyone ‘heard my silent notations’ but now, as I have been heard and subsequently began to feel it almost an important thing for me to do, now with the comments almost nil, I find myself worried. Why is that? Does it matter? If I did offend, should i be upset? If I am simply old hat now or others are doing what I have done better, should it matter to me? I feel I wanted to still write it all down into a book form one day, but should I bother with that, have I lost my ‘window’ as the modern marketing world would have it. “Get in there, grab there interest, and then BLAM hit em with product and a book!” Is that what anything is about these days? Did I do wrong  by not seeking out advertisers to put on my page? Was I suppose to do that? Am I suppose to make my blog more flashy? I honestly don’t know.

I don’t know, I guess if there are any of you out there still reading and just not commenting, should I care? Am I merely being silly? And, if no one really is listening any more, how much of this recording is for them and how much for me? Would I merely stop if no one was listening? When did it become more for others than myself? Is this the odd addiction or game that is subsequent to all bloggers? I don’t know.

Well, that is enough of that today. I have a 4th of July dinner for which to prepare. We are having a few friends over and then will watch the olde time band and boat parade on the old mill pond on the 4th. It should be hometown fun. But, will my answer to this post, if it were no comments therefore meaning I am talking to an empty room, mean sadness? Or the freedom from the need to document my life rather than just live it be a happy one? Does our life have more value to us (we modern people) if we can see it on a screen? Are we so plugged in that what we do, our food cooked, rooms decorated, like lived, not become REAL until it appears on that screen or in that digital camera? Odd.

2 July 1956 “The Insular Move Indoors”

Though by comparison, here in 1956 we are much more community orientated than in 2010. We know our neighbors far more on average than in 2010, but the move away from the collective and into the single family unit is beginning here.
(click to enlarge and read) This is simply an ad for Armstrong tiles, but its focus is the need of the new nuclear family needing more interior space, sewing, tv, hobbies etc.  The porch that was sat upon and ‘hey’ to neighbors is going. When screens were invented, people said it would be the ‘good-bye’ to neighborliness, as now you could sit inside, the same was said with air-conditioning. My 1950’s magazines from the summer months are FILLED with air conditioning ads. The disposable income is becoming available for such things as this ad from Woolworth for model cars. Even here you see the cars are ‘vintage’ for 1950’s. Are we already relegating the past to ‘quaintness’ to admire and to enjoy through simply purchasing images and likeness to it? I love the 1950’s here is an apron with cherries and a picture of Elvis, now I am off to Walmart to buy my American flag made in China to celebrate our Independence from a Foreign country. I can see the beginning of the tear in our fabric forming here.
What is an interesting hypothesis is : Did the 1950’s Father spend more ‘quality’ time with his offspring than the 1930’s father, who worked longer hours (when he had work-due to the Depression) and while the child had more freedom to be out and about all hours of the day? As the family moved away from the external members (aunts, grandparents, cousins) and into the nuclear unit in a detached home on a small plot of land, they turned to one another more. Yet, in that, burgeoning hobbies, the DIY craze and TV began to then separate those individuals within the group. Now in 2010 we often have families that don’t even eat at the same time or in the same room, share very little conversation (let alone building models) and more time independently using computers and other entertainment devices. It is as if we have slowly moved and separated from one another. It seems that while the most plugged in the 21st century we are, in many ways, the most isolated. Odd, indeed.
Once, families lived in closer groups, grandparents were there for childcare and knowledge, cousins and unmarried aunts stayed on to help out and be a part of a family. Part of the conveniences for teh 1950’s housewife made it possible for her to stay home with the children and not need granny and auntie to help on wash day ( just pop it in the new machine and go). Cooking and cleaning is becoming easier by comparison to decades earlier. And the increased need for housing for all the new families after the war made the shared space with no need for cars in the cities become replaced by the growing suburbia. With that move, the family broke apart and the new crop of children are more coddled and a little less free.
I recall an episode of Leave it to Beaver when Ward remarks how much less freedom the children have then when he was a child. And how many more supervised and structured activities such as league baseball and sports and clubs. In another episode they go to a remote cabin that Ward recalled enjoying at a boy and marvels at his offspring's desire to be back in ‘civilization’ as they are bored with sticks and trees. So, even here in 1956, we see the young generation learning to be entertained more than entertaining themselves. Children’s tv shows are increasing and re-runs and monster movies are all the rage. Organized sports teams and other clubs are becoming almost mandatory and the free wheeling days of playing with an old rusty coffee can in an inner city alley or dangerous old farm equipment and guns unsupervised in the country are becoming things of the past already.
I would hate to be the purveyor of bad news here in 1956 about what is to become. Though, the children would think it keen, I am sure, but wait until they become the grandparents of 2010.
My husband and I were discussing how we know each generation always says, ‘These kids these days’ but we felt rather disparaged by the youngsters today, and heck our own generation as well. I know things are over all better, but have we lost a bit of the interactive humanity of old? Does there always have to be a this way or that and not a great meld of all the good?
Are we really reaching that bloated state that came to Rome before its fall or am I just a cantankerous old curmudgeon? What do you think?

1 July 1956 “Oh, You Beautiful Doll”

I thought today, in honor of our July Apronite of the Month on the Site, (Yes, we are back to honoring Apronite’s, so check that out on the site’s main page) I would post some adverts for 1950’s dolls, Enjoy.
This appears to be a knock off Barbie (who came to life in 1959 at the end of the decade)

This is a doll of a character from the popular children’s show, Howdy Doody,  Princess Summerfall Winterspring

Wouldn’t YOU like to have a Shirley Temple Doll?

Paper dolls, too!

And of course, who can forget Barbie? Though she really only appeared at the end of the 1950’s. Just imagined if she started in 55, the clothes would have remained wonderful.

Did you have a favorite doll or toy as a child?