Mirrored Reflections, Circa the 70's

I found this picture in a magazine from 1973......
....and then I was going through some of my old photos, and I found this picture of me, taken by my boyfriend in 1974. (Do you see that I was already collecting antique postcards back then? Those are two on the table that are framed. And I started my collection of vintage vanity items/cosmetic jars back then, as well. I still have that great old mirror, too).
...and then I found ANOTHER picture of me, this one was taken 5 years later by my friend Carol:

I was wearing my Gunne Sax sun dress that Penny modeled for you back in this post.
I would have seen that picture at the top in Seventeen magazine, but I can't imagine that I would have remembered it.
I believe it was Carol's idea to take the shot that way though, not mine. We were at her house; she just was into taking photos with her new camera or something, as I recall. I wish the picture wasn't so dark. Many years later, I did buy a 1940's vintage vanity table with one of those big round mirrors similar to the one in the top picture.
Just "reflecting" on the past - that's all.

What's Penny Wearing? #34 Red Calico

I'm not sure why, but whenever I come across another one of my "old" dresses, I just want to dress Penny up in it and take pictures! You all don't mind, do you? I think this one is from the 80's.......

..... from back in the days when I used to get dressed up for dinner dates, and I also liked to dress up a bit if I needed to hostess a night at the restaurant. A simple style in a tiny red calico, but I loved the detailing on the bodice:

Penny in an outdoor shot:

And a close-up of the sleeve and that pretty work on the bodice:

Yes, indeed - I truly have held onto an awful lot of stuff!

Gopher In The House!

Gold Country Sis Lori here:
OK, this is kind of comical, but not really, as I don't like these things in my house!!!
Here's the story:
When I get up in the morning and it is cool out, I open my sliding door in my bedroom a bit to allow my cats to go enjoy being outside a while. They are mostly inside cats but love my little yard and because over the fence and down an embankment is a busy road, I limit their time outdoors.
Well, after getting a shower and then a cup of coffee upstairs, I came back down to my bedroom to find my younger cat playing with a gopher inside the sliding door. Oh horrors, what do I do!! I watched a minute and it was kind of funny because the cat would bat at the gopher and he would turn and look him in the eye, as if to say, leave me alone darnit!!!
So they got into my small bathroom, which was good because I could shut the door, and I grabbed a shoebox and cornered him, with the cat out of the picture now, and managed to capture him in the box. Then upstairs, to get my camera, and back outside, where I released him into the wild. Hopefully he goes over the fence and down to the road somewhere far, far away!!!!

I really don't like them critters in my house!!!!!!

Bye, bye, little guy!

Barbie Dress Up Day #10 "Let's Dance"

Barbie truly is ready to dance up a storm in her beautiful blue dress today:
I didn't have the heart to tell her that I am not overly fond of her hairdo. (Keep your opinions to yourself, Heidi.)

I can't see or hear "Let's Dance" without thinking of the David Bowie song. Sorry I don't have red shoes for Barbie to wear out tonight.

More - From a Thrift Store...

A few more recent finds from yard sales and thrift stores: A nice Edwin M. Knowles platter (apparently I am a platter freak, too), a small original painting by Anita, a pretty green planter, some lace notions, and a pretty fabric remnant:
I got a kick out of the fact that both my painting and my remnant - found at different shops on the same day - both featured blue coffee pots:
A gorgeous wood tray with reverse painted glass insert, another pretty fabric remnant, nice Melmac bowl, and a pot lid that I couldn't resist because of it's pretty color and style:
A nice vintage TV tray with anthuriums:

A great tablecloth, a small Dala horse (to go with the bigger one that I already had), nice Mid-Century style pitcher and salad serving set, a vintage Whitman book, and a green salt and pepper set:

There's a story behind that green salt and pepper set. Do you ever decide you want some specific thing and go on a quest to find it at the thrift shops you frequent? I already had two nice wooden pepper mills here at home that I used regularly. A tall dark wooden one, and a shorter one in a "blond" wood shade. I used the dark one for black pepper and the light for white peppercorns. Then I ran out of white peppercorns and could not find them ANYWHERE. I looked at every store I could in at least five counties - even had people looking in other areas. No luck. Months went by. My husband thought I was a bit crazy for insisting that I needed white peppercorns. But what would I put in my light wood pepper mill if I had none? Oh - the great problems of life, right? (Snicker.) I finally gave up and got some green peppercorns instead. Just not the same. Then we went to O'Brien's Market in Modesto - and guess what we found?? So - then I decided I "needed" a green pepper mill to transfer my green ones into, to free up the blond shaker - right? (Yes - I know this is a long story and that you are thinking - yep, she's a crazy woman, all right. I won't argue with you.) I wanted a VINTAGE pepper mill and I wanted a GREEN one. Kept an eye out on all of my "thrifting" jaunts. And before long, I found the EXACT thing I wanted. And it came with a salt shaker - actually didn't need that - but who am I to separate them when they've been side by side for all these years?
So- if you come to eat at my house, you will have your choice of THREE shades of freshly ground pepper.
Problem solved.
Crazy woman done writing.

Gingham Again? Yes, But Only Blue This Time

It's all about blue gingham today, with a number of examples - first, this lovely vintage apron:
And on the pinafore of this sweet little doll from a 1961 Woman's Day Magazine:

Another apron, from a turkey advertisement this time:

Blue gingham in the bedroom:

On the walls and the lampshade, too:

And looking lovely here on this sofa gracing the cover of Cottage Style Magazine:

A dress from the 50's:

Another dress - in a Bell Telephone advertisement:

It's everywhere! On a tablecloth:
And even here in a cute dirndl skirt on this lovely blonde:

One more time on a great pinafore from Seventeen Magazine, 1975:

Lori found this skirt in one of the boxes of Mother's stuff. I can't bear to get rid of it, so I washed it and pressed it so I could photograph it for you:

You can see me wearing it here in these pictures, below. When I was in (I think!) sixth grade, a group of us girls performed chapters from "Little Women" for the class. I was Amy:

And that's it for my latest gingham installment. (I like gingham - did I already tell you that? Yes, I believe I have.)

Are the Stars Out Tonight? Abingdon Pottery Stars

Are the stars out tonight? I don't know if its cloudy or bright, 'cause I only have eyes for my Abingdon Pottery star planter vases!

Good morning, Tina here, sharing a collection which I have had for many years.
Abingdon Pottery, located in Abingdon Illinois, operated between 1934 and 1950, and made many pieces, including vases, bookends, plant pots, etc. Most of the pieces were designed by sculptor Mrs. Francis Moody at her kitchen table. These lovely stars, with their raised pattern of stars and clouds, are 7 inches tall, about an inch and 3/4 wide, and measure 8 inches from star point to star point. They are a nice solid vitreous china and do not tend to get the crazing that often shows up in vintage pottery.

The fabrics I am showing behind and underneath my stars (with the exception of the first photo, which is actually a blouse) were inherited this year from my husband's Aunt Marie, who passed away. She was a wonderful seamstress, and earned her retirement living by making doll clothes, potholders and other kitchen items, pillows, throws, etc. which she sold at flea markets and doll shows. At the age of 80 plus she drove all over Washington state to sell her homemade goods. These are a selection of paisley patterns, which are new, not vintage.

Sorry this is so unclear. My camera was not cooperating in its close-up mode. This is an original sticker on my pink star. It is a type of silver foil, and says Abingdon U.S.A. It is rather worn but nice to have.

Most Abingdon pieces will have this mark. Abingdon U.S.A. There will also be an incised number stamped in that I believe is a batch number.

There are pink stars...

A nice soft yellow...

A sort of blue/green...

And a nice clean green (the shade didn't turn out too well in the photo).

Someday I hope to have a mantel over my wood stove, and I would like to place my six stars there. Until then, they reign supreme in what I call my celestial bathroom, which I may get around to showing you someday.

The Great Gatsby, Revisited

I wrote a post last year about how much I loved this 1974 film version of the classic F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. But, after I had written that, I came across this great newspaper clipping I had cut out and saved for all of these years. A lovely work of art, and I wish I knew the name of the artist who rendered it, so I could give credit where credit is due:
I also already showed you this great photo of Mia Farrow on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post:
And, yes - I told you that I had the movie and the paperback:
But I didn't even remember that I also had this! Another paperback, purchased in 1974, this one about the filming of the movie. Found it packed away in a box of books I unearthed in my storage space - books I have had since I was in high school. So, one more piece in my little collection:

And I am STILL hoping to get my hands on that soundtrack LP.
Maybe one of these days.

What's Penny Wearing? #33 Gunne Sax Skirt

Yes, I have definitely shown you vintage Gunne Sax before - but here's another one: this gorgeous skirt from the 1970's.
I just LOVED Gunne Sax clothing back then. Couldn't get enough of it - so I got whatever I could!
I love this skirt:
Such pretty detailing, like all the Gunnes had:

I think I found the perfect blouse to pair with it back then!
The beautiful necklace was a Christmas work gift exchange present, from a dear lady named Barbara. I believe I got the nicest gift of anyone that year- and I think she made it!
Hope you enjoyed Penny's latest installment of "Let's dress up in Heidi's old clothes that don't fit her anymore."

Raggedy Ann's New Clothes

My Raggedy Ann, whom I've had since I was little, had a nice little outfit. But it wasn't her original outfit. That got lost long ago, I suppose. It was a lavender gingham pinafore and white bloomers. I got her little blue outfit with the lot of items I bought from my girlfriend at work who sold me her old Barbie stuff.
But she only had just the one, this sweet little blue and white dress and hat she is wearing below. She is also wearing the little hand-painted heart pin I wore on my wedding day:
I walked up the street (and I do mean UP -it was a bit of a workout for me!) to a yard sale a couple of weeks ago, and among the items I bought there were these doll clothes:
I even already had a little pair of bloomers to go under the turquoise dress!
I'm happy to say that Raggedy Ann now has a replacement pair of bloomers - or pantaloons - to wear under her new purple floral dress. I think she likes them! Here she is with her Amish friend, who offers some support, as Raggedy Ann has only one arm:

She has certainly been well-loved over the years, that's all I can say.