Happy Birthday, Laura...

Today is Laura Ingalls Wilder's birthday. 

Laura Ingalls (not yet Wilder) in 1884

I have read and re-read the "Little House" books so many times, I've lost count. I have made Laura's Gingerbread Recipe on numerous occasions. I've always wanted to try grinding wheat in a coffee grinder from which to make coarse brown bread, so that I could better understand the privations of The Long Winter.

As a child, I wore a sunbonnet and played "Little House" in a playhouse my father built for me. The playhouse seemed large to my child's eyes, but I realize now that it was probably no bigger than a typical prairie claim shanty.

From Laura's books, I learned so much about what things were like in another time and place. And yet, I also learned that some things, like the love of family, are timeless. 

I think Laura explained it best:

"But the real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with the simple pleasures and to be cheerful and have courage when things go wrong." --Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957)

For the countless hours of reading joy and lessons learned, I thank you, Laura. 

A Place for Everything and Everything in Its Place...

Who doesn't love having a vintage something or other in which to keep crafty tools, supplies, and projects in progress.

Here are a few of my storage options for crochet-related things...

Nifty fifties "pony tail" pencil case - no pencils, just my trusty crochet hooks.

 Old-timey folding yarn/knitting basket (or magazine holder) - and yes, it IS overflowing!

Wee woven sewing basket... gee, I really need to finish those projects!

So, do tell - how do you use vintage for storage?

Nothing Could Be Finer Than Breakfast At The Diner...

... Foote's Port Henry Diner, that is...

My mister and I needed a break after a rather rough summer, so off to the "Adirondack Coast" of northern New York state we went. Now, when we travel, of course we prefer to dine vintage-style. I recently learned that the former Miss Port Henry Diner (a Ward & Dickinson dining car) had been spruced up and reopened by a new owner. Port Henry, NY is a village delightfully poised at the edge of Lake Champlain with the Adirondack Mountains as a backdrop.

The last time we trekked northward to the village, I was saddened to see the diner looking a bit forlorn, decorated with "For Sale" signs.

But when we arrived this time on a Saturday morning in September... 

...the diner peeked out and invited us to come in.

And, well, vive la différence! We were greeted by the bright smiling face of 

Foote's Port Henry Diner.

Miss CherryBubbles is ready for a hearty breakfast, if only she can get Mister to put away the camera for a moment so we can go inside.

Counter or booth?

Why, booth, of course!

Two cups of coffee... and, yes, that IS a marble table!

  

Mister chose the Breakfast Bake. Mister chose wisely.

 Real Maple Syrup, by golly!

What a terrific experience it was to enjoy a truly delicious breakfast served with a smile 

in a historic diner! We shall return.

 Many thanks to Donald Foote for 

bringing this delightful diner back to life!

If you find yourself in the Port Henry area, be sure to stop at the diner 

for breakfast or lunch... or both!

Foote's Port Henry Diner

5 St. Patrick's Place

Port Henry, NY 12974

Hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 6 am - 2 pm

Gone Fishin'... or, My Favorite Catch of the Day

Sometimes, visiting antique shops can feel like a day of fishing... I head to my special "fishing" spots that I like to think no else knows about, arrive prepared with the proper "implements," and although I may not "catch" a blessed thing, I've thoroughly enjoyed a relaxing day. Then again, sometimes I come away with full "creel."

A couple weekends ago, my Mister and I headed out to Melben's Murkantile and Endless Collections, both located in the little town of Nicholson, PA. Both of these shops are well worth visiting, if you're in or near northeastern Pennsylvania. Of course, we breakfasted at MaZar's BridgeView Restaurant before tramping down to those special spots. Incidentally, the bridge, of which there is a view from the restaurant, is the Tunkhannock Viaduct - once called the "9th Wonder of the World."

Postcard image from ExplorePAHistory, courtesy of Dan Cupper

While my "creel" was filled twice over with several other tasty "fishies" that day, including a cute cotton late 1950s Jeanne Crain dress, my favorite catch of the day was this fun Depose mother-of-pearl fish pin...

 

What is your favorite unexpectedly delicious "catch of the day?"

A Purse By Any Other Name...

When I was a youngster, the women in my family usually referred to their "pocketbook" rather than "purse" or "handbag." Nowadays, I almost always call that carrying-container brimful of what I deem necessities for a day out and about... a purse.

Image courtesy of NYPL Digital Gallery

I am often fascinated by words and how their usage changes over time. Today, the word purse has decidedly feminine connotations, but there was a time when a purse was simply a small bag or pouch, usually leather, in which to carry money. A man could have a purse and no one would bat an eye... and a woman could carry a purse and not end up with bursitis in her shoulder.  ;)

I am also fascinated by purses and how their styles change over time. If only I could choose one era of handbags to love... there are just too many wonderful styles - from the beautiful mesh bags of the late 1800s to the quirky "telephone cord" purses of the 1930s to the tailored Kelly bags of the 1950s. Really, can a girl ever have too many handbags?

Here, in celebration of that accessory of necessity by whatever name you prefer, are just a few delightful examples available from four of my favorite Etsy shops...

From Stella Ranae Vintage, this adorable Puppy and Kitty Purse

 Art Deco Dame offers this fabulous Beaded & Sequin Clutch

From Vintage Pickle, this Shiny Gold Woven Box Purse

And FuzzyLizzie offers this lovely Victorian Miser's Purse

So, what is your favorite era of purse, pocketbook, or handbag?

Build It Yourself, or, How Mister Hit the Jackpot...

On a recent antiquing jaunt, my Mister was lucky enough hit the jackpot!

I'd recently heard about Iroquois Antiques & Collectibles in Bainbridge, NY and thought it sounded worth the trip. What a fun multi-dealer shop! And what an amazing array of vintage, antiques, and collectibles - just about anything you can think of!

Iroquois Antiques & Collectibles, Bainbridge, NY

Well, we weren't too long in the place when my Mister discovered a treasure trove of Popular Home Craft magazines... all from the 1930s, no less... and only $1.50 each! 

 Of course, he ended up buying all twenty-two issues.

Along with the brightly-colored covers, the magazines contain all sorts of do-it-yourself projects. Here is a sampling from the March/April 1934 issue... including building your own travel trailer and wiring a doll house for electricity!

What's your favorite "vintage jackpot" experience?

A Hundred Gold Stars to the New York Public Library's Digital Gallery!

The other day, my Mister remarked about how amazing he thinks the New York Public Library's Digital Gallery is. 

Now, this was the first I'd heard of NYPL's online library of images, so, of course, I had to see for myself. Let me just say that he wasn't exaggerating... it is an AMAZING resource for all manner of images. I found photographs, fashion illustrations, book jackets, sheet music, and postcards, to name a few, ranging from the distant past to the recent past. Just search a year, a place, a person, a topic and you'll be presented with hundreds of images to browse, study, or even embed, as I've done here.

And did I mention that this incredible resource is FREE? Thank goodness for public libraries!

And while I'm on the subject of libraries...

 

...Visit, use, and, 
most of all, support your local library! :)

It's February... let's Stroll!

Here it is February of 2012 already and by golly, this lil ol' blog is 3 years old...

Life has been so busy over the past several months that I've sorely neglected my blog. Not that I haven't had a multitude interesting ideas for posts... Anyway, I'm going to try to post at least a little something here on a semi-regular basis and I'll start off Past Life 3.0 with this terrific demonstration of The Stroll from February of 1958:

A Few of Miss CherryBubbles’ Favorite Autumn Things...

Fall is my favorite season of the year and I observe many annual autumn traditions of my own making. One tradition involves reading books and watching movies with an autumnal backdrop or theme. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you...


Nothing says autumn like the biggest college football game of the year. Now, I'm certainly not the biggest football fan around, but I am a Nancy Drew fan. So, what do football and Nancy Drew have in common? They both appear in the 1932 fall-themed Nancy's Mysterious Letter by Carolyn Keene, the 8th book in the Nancy Drew series. Nancy solves a mystery revolving around an unusual letter she receives at the beginning of the book, but most of the action takes place at Emerson College, where Nancy cheers on her special friend, Ned Nickerson, in the big game.

"Indian Summer is like a woman."  So begins Peyton Place by Grace Metalious, published in 1956 and quite controversial in its time, for revealing those things about small towns that one wasn't supposed to reveal. Sometimes I read the book... sometimes I watch the film version, starring Lana Turner. Sometimes I even read Return to Peyton Place.

The gorgeous fall foliage of northern Vermont provides the perfect backdrop for my most favorite autumn film, The Trouble With Harry. I simply can't imagine the movie taking place in spring or summer. It just wouldn't be the same. Although I have read the book it was based on, nothing, in my opinion, surpasses Alfred Hitchcock's film version.

What are your favorite autumn traditions?

 

Have You Visited the Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en?

They're the hosts with the most!

Kelly and Paul of Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en

It goes without saying that one of my favorite web series, or vodcasts if you prefer, is the Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en... oh heck, I'll say it anyway! I love this show! While at Ohana: Luau at the Lake last weekend, I was pleased as punch to meet Kelly and Paul, those kitschy-kool kids who bring us all the fabulous tips, advice, and cocktails needed for mid-century modern living.

Love the matching togs made by Kelly herself!

Kelly not only makes fabulous hors d'oeuvres and cocktails, she's quite a crafty seamstress as well. Paul is a music maestro and grillmaster extraordinaire. Their shows cover all sorts of fun subjects, including camping, how to survive in a bomb shelter, midnight snacks, and, most recently, a visit from hippies!

This particular episode is chock-full of tips for your next cocktail party...

What are you waiting for? Head over to the Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en now - you'll be glad you did!

Miss CherryBubbles enjoys a tiki-fied hot dog at Ohana, courtesy of Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en!

Father's Day...

Here's to all the swell dads and granddads who've been a part of our lives and made living them that much more wonderful!

Little Miss CherryBubbles and her very own swell Dad


Happy Father's Day!

Home on the Range... and Blond Furniture Revisited

I'm thrilled to pieces and just had to share that my Grandma Elverna's Frigidaire stove is coming to my house!

My grandmother's stove in her pink and red kitchen.

I can't wait to cook with the range that my grandmother used to make me real hot cocoa when I was a child... and that she cooked so many wonderful family dinners with. I also have one of her aprons... I'm sensing a photo op in my future.

This stove has a deep well on the range top and it has TWO ovens. Oh Miss Frigidaire, the soup and cookies we will make, you and I!

Just for fun, here is another view of my Grandma Elverna's kitchen, showing the cute little shelves above the sink...

Grandma Elverna and Grandpa Bud in the mid-1940s with their two boys... the little guy on the left is my Dad. :)

Now, as I recall, I promised to let you know when the Heywood Wakefield furniture from Grandpa Bud and Grandma Elverna's house would go to auction. The furniture will be sold on July 12 in a special auction of higher end antiques at Travers Auctions in Dallas, PA. There's also an antique oak sewing cabinet & machine in this auction that my Grandpa Bud brought from his parents' house several years ago. It looks like the auctioneers have some really terrific items for this auction, so it might be worth the trip if you live in or near northeastern Pennsylvania.

So, who has a suggestion for a good first thing to make using my grandmother's stove?