What will they think about us?

Another great article from my November 1946 issue of Seventeen Magazine: This column works to dispel the myth that the “Gay Nineties” (as in 1890’s) were the “good old days.”

“Haven’t you heard some sillies who moan, “Gosh, it would be wonderful if this were fifty years ago- during the Gay Nineties.  Life was so-o-o exciting then!” Do tales of Diamond Jim Brady and Lillian Russell make you wonder a bit, maybe even yearn to have been a Gibson Girl?  Well, when grandmother talks of the good old days, suggest that she discard the rosy-hued lenses.”

The article goes on to talk about the discomfort of corsets, the lack of variety in clothing, the inconvenience of travel.  The thing that struck me, though, is how I, and many others of us, have this same attitude now about the 40’s and 50’s as compared to today!  I don’t know how many times I have said that I was born in the wrong era.  I guess we will always be looking over that fence to see how much greener the grass is on the other side.

My favorite part of the column was the last paragraph: “Try to imagine the books that will be written in 1996 about life today.  They’ll laugh at our stumbling about with television, and at our offstage, on-street ballet slippers, but they’ll show that 1946 was a pretty exciting time in the history of the world.  Rocket ships, atomic power, another chance for world peace, penicillin, two-way telephones in automobiles.  Want to  become a charter member of my Let’s Appreciate Today Club?” ~Seventeen Magazine, November 1946, pp. 69-70

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Poster madness!

I feel like I have been posting a lot of vintage posters recently, but I just love them!  Making a poster now is no big deal.  We just get on the computer, arrange a few things, and suddenly it’s done (I am not complaining about that, especially when I need a poster for one of my events!).  The problem is that they are not works of art any more, but just something quickly put together to get the message out.  I think that vintage posters, while they had a very clear message that they were trying to portray, were really works of art in themselves.  My recent obsession with vintage posters has led me to want to design and paint some myself.  I will be posting these over on my painting blog soon, but in the meantime, check out a few of my favorite vintage movie posters I have recently come across.

Merry Christmas Everybody!

I am headed home to Atlanta tomorrow, but wanted to leave you with a couple of Christmas images and a great website to check out while I am gone for the holiday!

Photo courtesy http://oldchristmaslights.com

I just love Christmas lights.  They make everything seem so magical this time of year.  Although, I could never be one of those people who completely cover their house and yard in lights.  That is mainly because these people pay huge electric bills, not to mention the cost of updating their electrical systems to handle all that extra power.  But also because I am one of those people who gets really annoyed when I see Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving, and to put that many lights on your house you have to start sometime in October!

But, I stumbled upon a great site recently that has everything I love about Christmas lights.  It is http://oldchristmaslights.com and it tells the history of electric Christmas lights in America from 1900 through 1950.  Lots of great information and pictures for you collectors.

She’s a WOW

I have been researching the depiction of women in WW II propaganda posters for a new set of paintings.  Some of them are very familiar, like Rosie the Riveter, but others I had never seen before.  I just had to share a few of my favorites.  Pics are from allposters.com.

Greetings from Texas!

My complete absence this past week was because I was visiting my baby sister in East Texas.  This was my first trip to Texas, plus I was really excited to see my sister!  We took a day trip to Jefferson, TX, a great little town with lots of antique stores.  It would have been a really quiet, lazy day, except that it was also a biker weekend, so there were thousands of motorcycles motoring up and down the street.  I did pick up a couple of vintage linen postcards, though.

In the spirit of my trip out west, I hope everyone will head over to the Golden Girl of the West blog and check out her gorgeous photos.

And, Friday night I will be participating in the Recycle Fashion show at the Arts Center in Clemson, SC.  I finished my newspaper dress last night, and it turned out really cool.  I will post photos after the event!

“Things Go Better With Coke”

Coke commercial from 1954.  I love the girl’s dress and hairstyle, but is it just me or does she not look that excited to drink that Coke?

Cooking Up Something

I have a fairly nice kitchen, with a fabulous vintage dining table and chairs, plus an extensive collection of old coffee pots.  But, someday, I want to have one of these beautiful kitchens!  I am no cook, but I can just see a kitchen like this turning me into a gourmet, dressed to the nines in my stylish aprons, heels, and pearls, not a hair out of place, pulling a delicious and perfectly cooked meal out of the oven for my smiling family…Maybe it will take a little more than blue cabinets and cute appliances.

Weekend Inspiration

It has been so hot recently that all I really want to do is find myself a lounge chair by the pool and enjoy a cold beverage and a good book.  So, for this hot weekend, I leave you with some of my favorite vintage Coke ads, hoping they inspire you to relax for a “pause that refreshes!”

~Emily C.