"Plant Stand" A Sunset Stitchery Picture

Today's post is about this particular vintage Sunset Stitchery kit, "Plant Stand":

I found a framed version of this particular crewel stitchery at a thrift store a while back.
I probably posted a picture of it in a previous post.
What I find interesting is that the person who stitched it changed it up a bit.
I like that they "did their own thing"; I simply haven't particularly noticed that having been the case on any others I've come across.

You can see quite a few differences in the flowers, the plant stand, the pots, etc.
Here again, the picture on the front of the kit (which dates from 1977):

The person who did mine did not WANT pink flowers, apparently. And they didn't want to do the fern fronds, either.
Hey, I don't have any problem with that!
Here are the yarn colors that were provided with the kit at the time:

 OH! And I was pretty tickled to see this very same stitchery hanging on the wall on the set of "That 70's Show", when I was watching a couple of episodes last week! I thought that was kind of cool, actually!
 I was like "Hey - that's my stitchery I was going to write about!".
 It was in Kitty and Red's bedroom, as I recall.
 I was unable to find a single picture online of it in the TV show.
And believe me, I tried!

I happen to love the idea of taking a kit and just completely going crazy with color changes, as a matter of fact!
But I haven't done any crewel stitchery in a very, very long time.
(If I do any, I'll let you know, okay?  Yes with photos for proof, LOL!)
Right now I'm more focused on trying to get the vintage kits I have stored away ready for sale!
 I do not happen to have this one to sell, by the way - only the framed example shown in the second photo, which is hanging in my home and very likely to stay there.

Skillet Apple Pie From Trisha's Southern Kitchen

A while back, I decided to try a recipe I had seen Trisha Yearwood make on her Food Network TV program "Trisha's Southern Kitchen.
I really enjoy her show. I like her a lot; I enjoy her music, and also her personality.
 She's very down-to-earth, and she just seems like the kind of woman who could become an instant friend, if you had the opportunity to meet and spend time with her!
I made it in my Lodge cast iron skillet, which was a Christmas gift last year.

You can find the recipe on the Food Network's website. (Click here  to view the recipe.)

It was easy to make, and we liked it!

I didn't end up making the Cinnamon Whipped Cream, which I believe I would have liked very much, as well.
I didn't have any heavy cream on hand, so I topped it with vanilla ice cream instead.
My only issue was that I found it difficult to get the brown sugary layer of goodness at the bottom out of the pan while cutting it.
I may have baked it a bit too long; I'm not sure.
But it was good.
Very sweet - but good.

Happy 90th (!) Birthday To Dick Van Dyke

I just want to wish a VERY happy birthday to Dick Van Dyke today.

 He's one of my all-time favorites.

 I have been a huge fan of his for as far back as I can remember - truly!

 Hard to believe he celebrates his 90th birthday today.

Happy Birthday, Dick!
Thank you for enough laughs to last a lifetime.
Love 'ya!

More Of Those Fabulous Peacock Chairs

I've done a post about these fabulous chairs before (click here), but I find more images all the time, so I felt they warranted another post!
Here's one in which a sweet little kitty cat has made himself or herself comfortable:

An advertisement, obviously - (I am  not encouraging smoking, just showing you the chair)  :

I like this one, below, in green - though you can't see all that much of it - and dig that gorgeous paisley lampshade and seat cushion!

An artist's rendering of a matching pair; I like it:

Here's a photo I saw on Instagram from the fabulous Retro Spectrum shop in Australia.
 (Yes, I asked permission before posting this.)
 Oh, how I wish I could transport myself there to shop in this gorgeous establishment!!

 (I only just now realized that I have every one of those books on the shelf).
And one more - just for fun.
I have been LOVING watching Columbo (one of my all-time favorite programs) on the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries Channel. Here is Peter Falk (miss him!) sitting in a fabulous pink chair.
 That happens to be Valerie Harper's backside, by the way!
I was already planning this post, and I simply had to try and snap a picture off of the television screen.

It's not a very good one, but you get the idea.
No matter what color, these iconic chairs are fabulous.
And Mr. Falk, if you were still here with us, you'd be welcome in my living room any time.

A Rockwell Postcard

My friend Faith sent me this Norman Rockwell postcard seen below.
She knew I would like it - and she was right.
(Thanks, Faith!)

"The Window Washer", by Norman Rockwell.
I like it because, not only because am I a HUGE Norman Rockwell fan, but also because this particular work of art reminds me of "Mad Men", which, of course, begins airing the (first of the very) last episodes tomorrow night.
I can't wait!
Although, I'm not looking forward to it ending - at all.
I can always watch the entire series again, though - if I want to.
And I just might.

A Bit Late To The Party

I have been "late to the party" before once or twice in my life, to be sure, so perhaps it should come as no surprise that it happens to be the case with me as far as watching  Downton Abbey  goes!

(Photo above, of actress Michelle Dockery is from TV Guide.)
You must understand, from the first time I heard about this PBS series, I knew it was something I wanted to see, and I felt certain that I would enjoy it.
But I only just started watching it this past Tuesday.
You see, I've been recording it all along (on VHS - I don't want to talk about it....), so I have Seasons 1-4 on tape. Since I began watching it, I scarcely want to watch anything else!
 I finally decided I had the time to start tackling this backlog of episodes, seeing as how Season Five begins this evening, and I will be needing to record all of the new episodes, as well!
LOVING it.
Completely.
But then, I knew I would!
I am determined to get caught up; I'm nearly done with Season Two.
 I think I can, I think I can....

The Perfect Gift For (My Friend) Heidi

One of the gifts I gave my friend Heidi for Christmas was just perfect.
Truly.
This is how I wrapped it up (she's a horse-lover, just in case you were wondering....):

And this is what was inside (below) - a framed vintage "Mr. Ed" LP album.
Heidi has a collection of vintage framed albums.
Most of them are rock albums, and many of them are even autographed.
But, I had a feeling she'd really like this one.
( I wish I could have gotten an autograph from Alan Young!):

 She LOVES it.
And that makes me very happy.
Isn't it fun when you find something so special to give as a gift?

And it's a particularly delightful feeling when the gift is so well-received.
Makes me smile, just thinking about it.

Models Revisited Susan Dey

Here I am with yet another post dedicated to the lovely Susan Dey, who was one of my favorite models back in the 1970's.
First up, here she is on the cover of Simplicity Fashion News:

And next, in an advertisement for "The Red Eye", from Seventeen Magazine:

Another from the fashion pages of Seventeen:

Sporting that western look:

Rockin' a scarf:

And a fringed vest - with another scarf:

The next two were from an advertisement for Samsonite and Bobbie Brooks (clothing). Cute clothes!
I would like one of those pink Samsonite bags, please.......

And yes, I'm at it again with the snapping photos of the TV screen - here she is, below, in an episode of The Partridge Family.
I really enjoyed watching this show again while it was on a while back. I recorded as many of them as I could, and I think I may still have a few that I need to watch yet!
 I enjoy seeing the fashions of "the day" worn by Miss Dey on the show:

Here she is with her sister Leslie Dey, from a Seventeen article:

And that is all for today.
I'd imagine I will do another post about her in the future, but I have some other favorite models that I will also "revisit" first!

Death Comes To Pemberley

 Did anybody else watch?
 When I first heard about this two-part series of the P. D. James novel "Death comes To Pemberley" based on Jane Austen's characters from "Pride and Prejudice", there was no question in my mind that I would be watching.
I mean, this type of program is right up my alley!
I certainly do love a P.D. James mystery brought to life on PBS, and I have been watching Masterpiece Mystery for many, many years.
 I am really enjoying it. I haven't quite finished watching yet, since I actually went to bed before it was over last night.
 I'll probably finish watching it this evening.
Coincidentally, just a few days after I watched part one on October 26th, I came across this copy of the book by P.D. James at a thrift store:

For fifty cents, I wasn't going to pass it up!
From the dust jacket of the book:
 "A rare meeting of literary genius: P. D. James, long among the most admired mystery writers of our time, draws the characters of Jane Austen's beloved novel "Pride And Prejudice" into a tale of murder and emotional mayhem."
"Inspired by a lifelong passion for Austen, P. D. James masterfully re-creates the world of Pride And Prejudice, electrifying it with the excitement and suspense of a brilliantly crafted crime story, as only she can write it." 
I haven't read it yet, but I will.
 (Yes, so I'm doing it backwards - watch the series, then read the book. Whatever. Sorry.)
Here is the picture of the author from the back cover:

Doesn't she look lovely in her pretty blazer and scarf? I feel fairly certain that the scarf is vintage. I think it's gorgeous.
I have some similar scarves that are paisley, but they're packed away.
So, I decided to dress Penny up in a jacket I got at a thrift store and one of the other long, vintage fringed scarves I have that reminds me of the one P.D. James is wearing in the photo.
 This red, white and blue number will have to do:

 P.D. James - I think you are marvelous!
And kudos to PBS Masterpiece Mystery, as well - always classic, always fabulous!

Meet The Swinger

Before YouTube even existed, I remembered this Polaroid TV commercial from 1965.
 I've always remembered the entire jingle; I'm just funny that way.
"It's more than a camera, it's almost alive. It's only nineteen dollars and ninety-five...."

So, when I saw this one sitting on a thrift store shelf (really cheap), I "snapped" it up.
Call me crazy.

No matter that I have no use for it....

I have no FILM for it.....

Whatever.

It's "The Swinger!", for crying out loud.
And I just thought it was cool.
(Oh, and yes, that IS Ali MacGraw in the commercial.)

Alley Cat By Betsey Johnson , Circa 1972

I have written about Betsey Johnson a number of times before here on this blog.
I was able to find some more advertisements featuring her clothing designs in my vintage Seventeen Magazines, and I decided to share them this morning, since I am looking forward to seeing Betsey again tonight on Dancing with The Stars.
Last week she had an unfortunate situation with a feather boa prop; I felt badly for her.
 But she made it through to dance again with her partner Tony Dovolani, and I am wishing them both the best this evening.
In honor of that today, we have some more of the fabulous vintage clothing she designed for Alley Cat.
Most, if not all of these are from 1972.

SO cute - love the sweaters, socks and shoes!

 The cardigan, shirt and cords in the photo below were all her designs for Alley Cat, as well:

 And in the next picture, you see a cute, quilted jacket that is the same fabric design as the shirt above:

 In 1972, I would have been THRILLED to have owned any one of these fashions!
Good luck tonight, Betsey!

Cinderella, Finally

I have wanted a copy of the Rodgers And Hammerstein's "Cinderella" that was first on TV back in 1965 for SO long!

 Despite searching, I have never even been able to find a VHS version at a thrift store:

Finally, this delightful version of the musical starring Lesley Ann Warren is available on DVD from Amazon TODAY!

I have already ordered mine......

And I am really looking forward to seeing it again!
"In my own little corner, in my own little chair, I can be whatever I want to be......"