Then And Now #22 Pillsbury Pie Crust

Pillsbury Pie Crust, here as it appeared in stick form in an advertisement from 1955:
And in this commercial from 1986, the easier, folded version:

Never did forget that little commercial jingle! Gotta love the Doughboy.

And as it appears today - the easiest version yet - just unroll it into your (Pyrex) pie plate!

Pyrex

The shoppers in the ad below from 1941 seem pretty excited about all of that Pyrex. I understand completely - I really like it, too! It is used in my kitchen every single day.
And I don't know about you, but my Thanksgiving pies were in Pyrex pie plates! (This ad is from 1948)
This Frigidaire Cycla-Matic refrigerator from 1952 has some Pyrex dishes inside ( and also some pretty Harker Cameoware):And this freezer from a story in 1959 sure is full. The article was about a lady and how she shops and freezes food for economy - good idea still today, of course! And she has a nice Pyrex Snowflake casserole in there. I like it:

As much as I love Pyrex, I don't actually collect the older , colorful dishes like all of the pretty ones
in the ad below. I do appreciate their beauty and usefulness, though.
I just don't have the space for another collection.
I love seeing the pictures of collections on other blogs, there are so many different colors and patterns! These sets are nice - so bright and cheery in the Daisy and Verde patterns:
But these dishes, below, are the types I have. In fact, right now our refrigerator is full of leftovers stored in a variety of Pyrex dishes - my favorites with the lids - the easiest way to store food in nice, stackable, see-through, dishwasher, microwave and freezer safe Pyrex. I love 'em!

Vintage Barkcloth

I LOVE vintage bark cloth (barkcloth?). I don't have a lot of it, but I thought I'd just scan some of my favorites and show them to you today.
I'm partial to the ones with pink and green flowers and foliage.

But you can throw some other colors in there, too - in fact, I won't turn ANY of it down!
I have this hibiscus design in two of the colorways: with a grey background:
and a white background:
This book "Fabulous Barkcloth" by Loretta Smith Fehling, is a wonderful reference and resource book full of color photographs of many of the myriad of patterns that were made:
The big, bold patterns are all so gorgeous. There are SO many styles and colors of this yardage out there. Most of the time when I see it, it's way beyond my price range. But I just love it, and I believe these fabrics were some of the most beautiful ones ever produced. Do you like them?

An Happy Thanksgiving To All!

Just a quick post to share this Tasha Tudor print from the book "First Graces":
And a few more pictures of my Thanksgiving decor:
Our dining room table, not yet set for the Thanksgiving feast:
and this is our kitchen table (located in the sunroom or breakfast room), as it was set earlier this week:
Cards on display, mostly antique postcards, but also a card that mother sent to us in 1995:

We'll be busy in the kitchen a good part of the day, but I had to post to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! We are grateFUL for our many blessings today, including our family and this cozy holiday, bountiFUL and wonderFUL. Don't get too FULL!

Pilgrims For Thanksgiving

Pilgrims and company onstage at Betsy McCall's school:
Two sweet pilgrims praying from Tasha Tudor's "First Graces":
An antique postcard:
And a reproduction postcard from Lillian Vernon:
Sweet - well, with the exception of the guy with the turkey hanging on his arm, perhaps. But, hey - they had to eat!

Another New Turkey Platter

Last year, before Thanksgiving, I found a platter at an antique shop, bought it , and wrote about it here on my blog. Well - perhaps I am destined to find one every year, because I found another one at a thrift shop a couple of weeks ago! Isn't it pretty?
This is the one I found last year:And this gorgeous, colorful one was made in Italy, and belonged to my in-laws:
I have one other that is plain white with the embossed turkey design. That's the one we actually use for our Thanksgiving bird. I bought it at Safeway years ago. I still like it, but these others I have acquired since are much more attractive!
And this picture below is a close-up of the tablecloth I'm using on my kitchen table for the holiday. It was a remnant from a thrift store in Folsom, and my sister very kindly hemmed around all of the edges for me - and it is the PERFECT size for my table.
The colors on the fabric are so rich and vibrant. It turned out to be a very inexpensive - yet beautiful - table covering!

Vintage Linoleum

If, like me, you love the look of old linoleum floors, you would REALLY enjoy this book. It's completely filled with fantastic photos of pictures of vintage kitchens, advertisements, close-ups of linoleum patterns, etc. Trust me - it's a wonderful book, as are all of the books by Jane Powell and Linda Svendsen.
Here is an advertisement from 1937 for Sealex linoleum. I wouldn't mind having a kitchen floor like this:
And another from 1938. This one shows a few more patterns. We need a new kitchen floor very badly. I'd love to have a custom inlaid linoleum design! But we'll have to settle for a less costly option when/if we get it done.
Check out this kitchen with Armstrong Linoleum on the floor. This picture and the next one are from a 1945 advertising calendar my sister gave me that was from the furniture store where Daddy used to work (he didn't work there in 1945, though!):
I LOVE this design with the semi-circles on the floor in the tan and burgundy colors! Click to see it larger and read about the Lazy Susan table! Cool:

This ad for Johnson's Wax is from 1958 - cute poodle! I like the commercial grade vinyl tiles that are available now as one of the the least expensive flooring options out there. They look similar to old linoleum, and come in a myriad of colors; my favorites are the color-flecked type. You can do a checkerboard or plaid pattern or just a border, anything you like. They're made to withstand heavy use - that's why you see them in supermarkets and the like.
I love everything about this fabulous kitchen, below, that I cut out from a magazine. The owner is a San Francisco designer named Candra Scott. What a beautiful room! The floor was done with an old, unused linoleum rug that was bordered with cut Armstrong tiles. I love the floor, the pottery, the table in the center (I want that!), the cabinet doors, the swivel stools, like I said - everything!
Isn't it fabulous?

Then And Now #21 Gold Medal Flour

Gold Medal flour, here in an advertisement from 1954:

This ad is from 1960. I see that the label used to say "Betty Crocker's Gold Medal Flour"

And these ads (from 1969) told you that you could find recipes inside the bag for cookies and candy:
And here is the package as it appears today:
I usually buy name-brand products for use in my baking. Can't necessarily explain why - they just feel sort of familiar, somehow. Sometimes they will be on sale for about the same price as the store brands. I like Gold Medal or Pillsbury Flour, and I like C&H Sugar - I'm just funny that way.

Mary Engelbreit Magnetic Dollhouse

I have all of the magnetic dolls and their outfits, but I never actually did manage to get the dollhouse itself.
My sister gave me three of the sets of furniture and accessories for the various rooms - the bedroom:
And these, for the study or library, I assume?:
And I'm guessing this one is a playroom or child's room? See that cute little red-roofed cottage inside the shelf?:
Aren't they cute? I didn't even remember that I don't have the kitchen! (You can see it in the picture at top with the house.) Shoot. Maybe I will find it someday.

Happy Birthday Goldie!

Happy birthday to Goldie! ( Picture above from Life Magazine 1968) She has been delightful to watch - from earlier movies like "The One And Only Original Genuine Family Band" and "Cactus Flower",
to "Laugh-In" and everything in between:
from "There's A Girl In My Soup" to "Butterflies Are Free", "The Sugarland Express", "Shampoo" to "Death Becomes Her", "Bird On A Wire", "Overboard", and, well, pretty much everything she's ever done. I have thoroughly enjoyed SO many movies she has starred in! I'm afraid I haven't seen them ALL - perhaps some day! But I sure do like her a lot.
My friend Kari gave this book to my sister when we were there for a visit. I just got it from her the other day -haven't read it ....yet.
Happy birthday, Goldie - you are a delight - and say hello to that handsome man of yours for me!

My Favorite Framed Prints #21

I just put these together the other day. I am so happy with the way they turned out! I had found these gorgeous vintage frames a while back at a thrift store. I just never found quite the right thing to put inside. Then I realized that perhaps an Alphonse Mucha print from last year's calendar might work! (Click to enlarge and see the detail on these lovely wooden frames.)
I did have to trim them to fit - but I think the Art Nouveau styling of his artwork is the perfect fit for these frames!
What do you think?