"Puzzled"

I found this old box of puzzles up high on a closet shelf here in the house. I am certain they belonged to my husband and his brother, and that they played with them when they were little. So they're pretty old (tee hee!).
Animal Puzzles - the box is falling apart:

I finally decided to go ahead and sort all of the pieces into bags. There were 5 puzzles all jumbled into the box, which was so full it had to be held closed with a rubber band.
So then last week I put the puzzles together. I don't do puzzles much, and there was no picture to work from - plus I had no idea of the size or shape, so I had a bit of difficulty with them. (Well, I did. And, yes, I KNOW they are kid's puzzles. What can I say?) It didn't help that pieces were missing:

Oh, yeah ....pieces were missing, all right:
From every one of them:
And they would have been so cute!

So, what has me "PUZZLED" is this?
How DO children manage to lose 4, 5, or more pieces from EVERY single puzzle in a box?
Is it a law of nature or something?
Sheesh.

And while I'm at it, what exactly does one do with cute vintage puzzles that are incomplete??
Got any ideas?

More Gingham Love

I did a post about gingham over a year ago where I showed you the only two gingham aprons I had at the time. I haven't found any bib-style ones like the one this lady is wearing here on the cover of Woman's Day....

But I have found a few at thrift stores since that post that I wanted to share with a decent photo - like this lovely pink one:

And a pretty green with rickrack:

And an olive green with some great flowers:

And since this is a gingham post, I sure do love this vintage dress, circa 1944. Honestly, I would love to have it in every color!

These little handmade gingham toys are cute:

From McCall's magazine, this sweet little pinafore is dressed up with the addition of gingham appliques and embroidery:

This adorable gingham skirt is from a 1970 Seventeen magazine. I would have loved to have had it back in the day - so cute!

Two more gingham skirts from Seventeen: I wish this picture was in "normal" color- but you get the idea.

(And, yes, that's Susan Dey again on the left!)

Trader Vic's

I came across an article in a 1965 issue of Holiday magazine about the best restaurants in San Francisco and the Bay Area. It included a nice photograph (taken inside the restaurant) of Vic Bergeron, "Trader Vic", himself:
In the article, Herb Caen had this to say about the restaurant, one of which was then located at 20 Cosmo Place in San Francisco. "I might as well warn you that I'm inclined to go off the deep end when I write about Trader Vic's. for it embodies everything I expect from a truly superior eating place. First, the service is always discreetly at hand. ....The Vic-trained waiters know their drinks and their menu, ingredient by ingredient, a quality all too rare these days. In the second place, there is an excitement about the restaurant. The most attractive and interesting San Franciscans make it their headquarters.....Thirdly, the main reason Trader Vic's belongs in a category all it's own - there is the Trader himself, a man so dedicated to his art that he is forever on the prowl for new dishes and fresh ways of serving them. I have eaten in......the best restaurants......and I'll put Trader Vic's up against any of them and ask no odds."
The late, great columnist Herb Caen wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle for many years; I used to enjoy reading his column when I had the opportunity to read the Chronicle. A friend used to bring the newspaper into work once a week and we would read it at the break table. I always read the Pink Section first!
After I came across that article, I ended up finding another one in a 1958 Better Homes And Gardens magazine, complete with more color photos and recipes, too.! Another great picture of Mr. Bergeron:
And others, too - love those butterfly plates as sauce dishes!
The Garden Room:

A matchbook from Trader Vic's was included in a lot I sold:
I knew from the matchbook that my in-laws had visited the restaurant, and Mom apparently enjoyed her entree so much that she wrote and requested the recipe in September of 1965:
And here it is - Fisherman's Spaghetti, just in case you're interested! If you try it, let me know, all right? I don't know whether I will make it or not, but I admit that it certainly does sound good!

You may or may not desire to include a Mai Tai in your menu, which was created at Trader Vic's, as well! Here is a recipe I found online, listed as the original recipe:
2 oz. 17-year-old Jamaican Rum
1/2 oz. orgeat (almond syrup)
1/2 oz. orange curacao
juice of one lime
1/4 oz. rock candy syrup (or simple syrup)
lime slice for garnish
sprig of mint for garnish
1)Shake ingredients and pour into an ice-packed glass
2)Garnish with lime slice and a sprig of mint
Bottom's Up!

Vintage Melmac Ads

I thought you all might enjoy a look at some vintage Melmac advertisements, through the years. This first one is from the 50's, I'm sure, but I forgot to write down which year:

1954:
'54, again:
1955:

1958 - I want some of that "Russel Wright Residential"!!

1962:

And 1964 - I love the blue and green ones in this last ad!:
I never find Melmac at inexpensive prices. I think the only pieces I have are these pretty rose plates that were sent to me by my friend Faith:

Love them. (Thanks, Faith!)

My NEW (Vintage) Teapot Napkin Holders!

Do you remember my previous post where I shared my teapot napkin holders with you?
And Tina's more recent post about her tulip napkin holders?
You know, the one where she spilled the beans?
Well - guess what? She didn't wait for my birthday; she gave them to me early, and here they are! Green:

Blue!
And aqua- like the infamous "One That Got Away"!

She left them at Lori's for me, and unfortunately last weekend when I went over for a visit, she was away for the weekend to attend a wedding in southern California, so I didn't get to see her while I was there.
Thank you so much, Tina! I believe my collection may now be complete, thanks only to you.
Love you!

Mr. Linkletter - You Will Be Sorely Missed

I'm sad. And I didn't feel like waiting until tomorrow to tell you so.

Art Linkletter died today.
I just loved him - please have a look back at my post from September of 2008, where I wrote about my collection of his books.
Here is the article from inside my vintage TV Guide pictured above (click to enlarge if you like):


He was truly a wonderful man. No, I never had the pleasure of meeting him - but I know it in my heart.

Vintage Begonia Barkcloth

Good morning. Tina checking in. I am going to share with you my very favorite barkcloth pattern. It is the begonia pattern. It is described by ebay sellers as various different things, but they usually always call it tropical. It has been called caladiums, bamboo, palm fronds. Before I found this barkcloth, I was already familiar with this begonia, used as a houseplant.

I went to high school with a boy named Roy. He lived out in Fairplay, California, and rode my school bus into town. Fairplay is now an area of great wineries in El Dorado County, California, but at that time mostly farmers and lumberjacks lived out that way.

Later, in our twenties, Roy and his girlfriend Julia lived next door to me on the top floor of Placerville's oldest apartment building (only 4 apartments) on Bedford Avenue in Placerville. They had several beautiful large houseplants, and this begonia was one of them. Through the years, most of our friends, including me, received cuttings from these begonias. They became known as "Roy's Begonia". I still have two surviving plants from these cuttings, I have started them over and over through the years. Roy is now passed away, but his begonia legacy lives on.
This above is probably the most rare background of the barkcloth, a nice rich black. I have a few black pieces. They are hard to come by. I have always loved the way colors show up against a black background.

I found my first burgundy background pieces in Columbia, California. They used to have a wonderful antique faire there in June. Heidi and I never missed it. The little streets were filled with dealers ready to give you a bargain, or take too much of your money for something you really wanted. I was in the second category when I found this cloth, because I hadn't seen the color in a background yet. I paid too much for fabric which was not sturdy at all. Later I covered my dining room chairs with it. Basically, now it has fallen apart under little rear ends skootching around in the chairs and larger adult bottoms just scooting them in. I am going to try again with sturdier pieces one of these days.

I have had my first pieces of this pattern since the mid-eighties. I went with my good friend Cindy (who was also the recipient of one of Roy's begonias years ago - and also went to the Columbia antique faire with us once) to a large antique sale in Sacramento, California, at the Cal-Expo State fairgrounds. There, under a table, shoved in a box, was a grocery bag full of barkcloth drapes. There were three pairs, lined, with a lovely tan background. I excitedly pulled them out, and then had to ask how much they were. I paid $50 for the bag-full, a bargain even then. I waited years for the perfect place to hang them, and finally when we moved to Kelsey in 1999 I hung them all in the living room. They are perfect!

This is a nice dark green background. This is probably the fabric which will go onto my dining room chairs when I try again.

I have many items now made out of this barkcloth pattern, including pillows, a dress, a jacket, a knitting bag/stand, a purse, and valances. I am in the process of collecting enough valances to put them up in my living room. I would like to have the burgundy background for my valances, but I think I have found more gray ones. We'll see.

There are several other colors in backgrounds out there, some of which I have in various different pieces. There is an off-white, mottled yellow, and a very nice rich blue. The most common background I have seen in drapes is gray. Many drapes you find are not lined. I definitely prefer the lined drapes since they help keep the sun from fading the lovely barkcloth. But they are not as common, and usually cost more.

I hope you enjoyed this little journey into the world of barkcloth. Enjoy your Wednesday!

Lori's Recent Yard Sale Finds

The last couple of Saturdays I went out to a few yard/garage sales. There are plenty of them around these days. In fact this weekend, my daughter's gated community are having one for all who will participate, so I may go again!!
Here are some of my finds:
Twin ceramic birds:

A set of 30 pamphlets on various Countries Around The World by the American Geographical Society [1959]- their covers were so colorful!

A small ceramic pink baby cradle:

A crocheted pillowcase:

Vintage Yahtzee and Bingo games:

A neat fold-up, on wheels, table - for my patio, I think?

A pair of ice skates:

All in all, some good finds.
(I'm saving a few for another post!)