Saturday Morning Coffee, and a 1950's Newspaper.

I got up this morning and made Big Daddy his coffee. Black of course. I myself prefer cream and sugar. I couldn't get him the morning paper because Big Daddy prefers his newspaper feed on is "I-Pad". Gone is newspaper delivery at the doorstep of our local happenings. There's something about the morning paper delivered by a delivery person. Nolstalgic? Both myself and my husband delivered news papers the old fashioned way in the 1980's when we were kids.

1950's Tunes, Mid Century Housewares and My Failed 30 Day Blog Post Challenge.

Here I am back after my failed 30 blog post challenge. I'm glad no one had money bet on it. Yikes! Gee wiz it was harder than I expected. I suppose it showed me that I shouldn't bite off more than I can chew. So here's my new challenge. Just write more post's challenge. My husband suggested at least once a week. Let's try that shall we. I have added a 1950's Recipes Section, My Vintage Closet, and a 1950's music video section.

Mid Century Ash Tray Decor. "Wait, I don't smoke!"

No, I don't smoke. My husband doesn't smoke either. I fell in love with it instantly and now we own an ashtray. Not just any ashtray, a large ashtray.A classic 1950's, amoeba shaped, teal and green, drip glaze beauty that I found today at the thrift store.

The Bees Knees of Modern Living.....But like it's 1955.

I Had a busy day filled with my housewife duties and I also made some freezer jam. Here I am still going strong in my 30 day blog post challenge. I've wanted to write about the modern 1950's culture for a while now.

My husband and I find ourselves looking for other couples and guys and gals who live like it's 1955. There is a growing community of us out there and we are looking for our "neighbors". There is a huge Rockabilly culture with guys and gals living like it's the 1950's. We interact with many through instagram. We collect. They collect. We thrift. They thrift. My husband likes to call it "Atomic Rescue".

Freezer Jam Sunday. Easy recipe any Retro Housewife can make.

Homemade Strawberry Freezer Jam

Freezer Jam became popular in the 1950's when larger freezers became available to housewives. Of course freezer jam became preferred over canning in the hot summer months while fruits were ripe. This was my first attempt at making it and I opted for Strawberry Freezer Jam.

New Facebook Page and Cute Kitschy Thrifting Finds

Day two of the 30 day blog post challenge. Still going strong..lol It was a fun Saturday out thrifting and yard sale hunting. It's August so we are getting to the end of yard sale season here. Unfortunately I only found ONE thing at an Estate sale. A little doll chair for my 9 year old daughter. I wasn't vintage but she loves to play dollies.

The "Vintage Purge" is about to begin. Vintage Clothing is NOT aHalloween Costume.

It's coming up on that time of year. The vintage "purge" is to begin. I was taking a small break from my hard, hard life as a housewife this afternoon. (insert sarcasm there)

I was quickly browsing ebay for some vintage frocks and noticed in many of the titles "Halloween Costume". GASP!! Oh how I hate to see a beautiful piece of history to be thrown away after one night of wearing it. These wonderful pieces of vintage clothing have made it over 40 years and in one night are ruined and thrown out the next day. Granted some of the vintage clothing is already damaged and this is a good use for it. Still cringing...lol

Let's get blogging...Shall we? My 30 day vintage blog post challenge.

Oh Summer, what have you done? I love you, but you have taken me away from my blog.  We had a wonderful Summer here in Maine. I feel guilty that I have not updated my blog with all the events our family has experienced in the last few months. It's time to catch up on blogging. So here it is.

I am doing a 30 day blog update challenge. Yes, I know some gal's have done the 365 day challenge and I applaud them. ME...I'm going to start with 30 days. That's 30 or more posts.

After busy day I feel like I can't write anything down or there's not anything worth writing down. I feel vintage post block! Obviously there's always something to share and write about. I need to and will get out of my own way.  I see other vintage bloggers just banging out post after post. I get that "vintage blog envy face" when I am reading them.

"My Vintage Blog Envy Face"

Here I go..Stay tuned..

Happy Housewifing...

Jenn

A little peek at my Stepford Wife Closet.

I've been addicted to Instagram for the past month. I will be posting my outfits of the day here as well. Below are some from April. My hair was a bit dark and I am on my way blonde as your will see the transition. With the exception of the vintage plaid skirt I made the drndl skirts. ( yes that is the correct spelling)

Instagram - Vintage Atomic Gals I Love!

I have so much to write about and need to get on it. Spring is here?...well sort of here in Maine. I swear it has been the longest winter that I remember. Yay for being able to wear pretty, pretty dresses as my hubby calls them.

I have also discovered the fab world or culture of guys and gals who love and live  the retro life as I do. I love getting "grammed" with 1940's and 1950's outfits of the day or #ootd. Being able to follow and be followed (ha ha not by creepers) and share this lifestyle is great. 

Where I live my husband and I are quite unique. We are Rockabilly without the edge or tattoos. Ok he has tat's but we prefer keep the Stepford wife look for myself.  I prefer crinolines, drndl skirts, circle skirts and pearl necklaces and little white gloves. 

If you are interested in gals who don the Betty Draper or June Cleaver style and live the retro/housewife life. I will be posting a monthly list of my Instagram.  

  I follow and would recommend: 

***These are in no particular order.***

(most have a blog posted on their Instagram as well)

@mylifeatomic1955  (shameless plug for myself) 

@ameliajetson  - She has style of Lucille Ball and adorable little Redhead.

@modernjunecleaver - Style of Betty Draper not Betty Page. Beauty and Amazing style all in one. Amazing wardrobe! 

@fouxdufafaa - Vanilla Blonde with sweet, innocent 1940's to 50's wardrobe, hair and makeup. Superb!!

@vintageglamourpuss - Mommy and vintage lover. Sews her own homemade 1950's reproduction dresses (as I do now). Looking forward to more posts of her novelty dresses. 

@bristolelizabeth - Amazing accessories and beautiful dresses. Love her style and outfits of the day. 

@themrsjenk - Wonderful eye for 50's dresses and Bakelite accessories. Redheaded beauty love her ootd. Hope to see many more. I think her Instagram is fresh and one to watch. 

@cakesvintage - She Rocks blonde betty bangs and has sweet stepford wife style. Can't wait to see more ootd from her. 

@mistysnow8 - Living like it's 1954.  Enough said. This gal has a to die for home and wardrobe. I find myself stalking  her gram frequently. Her pics are wonderful and I get a lot of ideas from her 1950's gram. 

@sailingoveracardboardsea - Great artsy photos and her look is so perfectly point on. 40's and 50's esque. 

@micheletigerlily  - Vast postings ootd. Edgy but still pulls out the crinoline for a softer 50's look in her full skirts and novelty dresses. Awesome!!!

There are so many amazing retro instagrammers sharing their stuff everyday I wish I could mention everyone  here. Like a said before I am going to continue to do a monthly shout on my blog.  

Here is my outfit of the Day. Vintage handmade Gingham with Daisy appliqué on the collar shirt dress. crinoline, black suede shoes, vintage skinny belt, pearl earrings and retro makeup. 

Thanks for reading! Happy Housewifing!

A Mid Modern Housewife's Day of Spring Cleaning, Decorating, Sewing and Cooking

It's been a little while since a new post. I have been debating whether to keep my blog public as well as my twitter. My husband and myself  have discussed what we should do considering posting parts of our/my life. We are unique and want to share it. Unfortunately there are a group of people and we all have certain people (exes, morons, jealous haters) that we would like to leave us alone and let us live our lives. That's in a perfect world unlike the one we live in. So here it goes I hope they love my life and apparently we will always have our own private "fan" club.

It's finally acting like Spring here in Maine. We have been hit by snow storm after snow storm and freezing temperatures late into the season. This week I have been able to stop using that soot factory, I mean wood stove.

1957 Special Valentine Family Dessert Recipes

Valentines Day is coming up and I have found some very affordable and uncomplicated recipes  What better place to find 1950's recipes than looking through my vintage Ladies Home Journal magazines. These particular recipes come from the June 1957 issue.

Crown Jewel Jell-O

I'm not usually a big fan of Jell-O but I saw this wonderfully colorful and fluffy dessert and I was drawn in. 

Pretty Simple and of course pink. 

As it says... When you want a really special treat to draw admiring "ohs" from your guests.. Try this elegant new Jello-O gelatin dessert. 

The Recipe

Prepare seperately a package of Raspberry, Lime and Black Cherry Jello-O , using 1 Cup hot water and 1/2 Cup cold water for each. Pour into 3 shallow pans and chill until firm. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes. 

Next, make the fluffy filling by heating 1/4 cup sugar with 1 cup of canned pineapple juice to boiling. Dissolve 1 package of Strawberry Jell-O in the hot liquid. Add 1/2 cup cold water. Chill until just syrupy. Whip 2 cups cream and fold it into the syrupy Jell-O. Fold in the little jello cubes. 

Now, line two 9-inch pie plates with ladyfingers (or maybe vanilla wafers) about two packages and pour in the Jello-O mixture. Chill about 4 hours. Crown Jewel Jell-O serves 16 beautifully...and tastes every bit as delightful as it looks. 

This recipe may be a little time consuming because of having to wait for all the jello to firm up. I guess us 1950's housewives have plenty to do during the wait. Wink.

Dole Mint Diamond Dream!

Very simple and and most likely requires a double boiler that every modern house wife of the 1950's had. 

Recipe

1 egg white beaten with 1/3 cup of Mint Jelly over hot water until fluffy. 

Fold in drained Dole Fruit Cocktail. 

Chill and Garnish 

Diamond sprinkle with silver decorettes. 

I believe this is for one serving. 

I will be making dessert number one and I will update with my version. I'm so excited to have a wonderful husband to treat on valentines day with this vintage 50's dessert recipe.  

Thanks for reading! Happy Housewifing!!

My Search For Mid Century Home Decor

Looking for vintage at our local thrift stores is a favorite past time for myself and husband. He says it's "who" he is shopping with that makes it fun for him. I also think he loves the thrill of the hunt. He has gained quite an eye for vintage. We are currently looking for gems from the 40's to 60's. These items are often over looked at out local thrift stores by locals.

This weekend we found a few goodies for next to nothing. For example on our trip to the Salvation Army we found two large mid century Maxey trays for .49 each.

We also found the "Blue Heaven" atomic partial set at an antique store for next to nothing. I will add to this set from here. It came with six coffee cups and plates, butter dish and creamer.

I realize it is from Circa 1964-1965 but I love the Atomic Design.

I also picked up these little wooden Salt and Pepper shakers on Ebay. Mr. Salty and Mrs. Peppy. Circa 1950's

I'm still looking for a 1950's Kitchen Clock. Meanwhile I am working on making Atomic print kitchen curtains. I will blog soon with photos on my progress. 

Thanks for Reading! Happy Housewifing.

The Oh So Glamorous 1950's Alligator Handbag...Oh My!

On my quest to find some vintage purses on ebay I came across the "Alligator Purse" of the 40's and 50's. I was thrifting with my handsome husband this weekend and we actually found a beautiful Alligator/Reptile? handbag/purse.

My alligator/reptile purse is much more understated than the ones I was browsing on ebay and etsy and honestly it may be a faux alligator. I was so surprised at what some women were carrying their lipstick and shopping lists around town in. 

Here are some photos of the Alligator purses of the 40's and 50's made in Cuba.

Etsy - TheeAntiquesQueen

Etsy - GoodSoulVintage

Etsy - MyChildhoodChristmas

Etsy - VintageHeartBreaker

I really want one. I think I would get a lot of comments at the grocery store if I pulled my wallet out of this creepy/glamorous purse. Ha ha!

Thanks for reading. Happy Housewifing!

1950's Kitchen update - Jadeite Walls

Hi everyone. I've started my 1950's kitchen renovation/re-do. I chose to go with the classic colors of jade walls with pink cabinets. I went to Walmart for the paint. I brought with me a vintage 1947 Glidden advertisement I have from one of my vintage Better Homes and Gardens magazines. 

I love this kitchen with its Pennsylvania Dutch tole painting. I am not sure if I would go all out and do this to my cupboards, although it is adorable. Any ways the color in the advertisement was called "jadeite". I walked right over to the paint swatches and found almost the identical color and I looked at the swatch name and it was "pale jade". I am happy it took all of five minutes because I didn't want waste a ton of time trying to find the paint. Below are before and after photos of my kitchen walls. I was quite impressed at how this color changed the look of the room instantly setting the scene of a circa 1950's kitchen. 

Before. I started to paint and almost forgot to take a before photo. 

After the Pale Jade Paint

More kitchen updates to come. Pink cabinets next and of course I will have to find vintage hardware for them as well. 

Thanks for reading. Happy Housewifing!!!

A 2013 Poinsettia Ball, the 1950's Gal and Unflattering Modern Female Behavior

Not an actual photo but you get my jest..lol

My husband and I attended the 2013 Poinsettia Ball in December that his company requested he attend. It was decorated beautifully. We were dressed to the nine's. Unfortunately this isn't the 1950's and peoples behavior and dress made that very apparent. We didn't stay for the entire event. There was a cash bar and there was no shortage of drunk women in unflattering shiny tube dresses. Women dropping "F" bombs, couples fighting, women arguing, couple ignoring each other to text or talk on cell phones. I felt bad for many husbands at this event and a few that were actually at our table. My husband apologized for even taking me there as he didn't know that any of that would go on. I still loved going because I was with my best friend my husband and had a great excuse to wear my favorite novelty dress.  On the lighter side my husband and I were in our own little bubble and had a good time together, despite the company.

There was a nice jazz band that played oldies and newer songs. That was very nice and they did an amazing job. We danced to an old Christmas song and the song "Cruisin" originally sung by Huey Lewis and Gwyneth Paltrow. The night started out great. People were very complimentary on my "look" or dress. I was told I looked like a "doll" by one lovely lady and complimented on how I pulled the entire "vintage" look off by another. Other than my shoes and hosiery every piece I was wearing was period specific. 

We had our photos taken and I will post my favorite one with my husband and he now keeps it on his office desk.  We did leave early and went to a local restaurant together. I felt glamourus and I was so proud to be with my best friend my husband. He love's the 1950's life, how I dress and that culture and I am glad there are so many people out there like us.

My husband Joe and I at the 2013 Poinsettia Ball

Having our couples photo taken. 

My Vintage 1950's Gloves, Necklace, Clip on earrings, and Beaded clutch purse.

OK...Enough of all this Glamour, this housewife needs to get back to work.

Thanks for reading. Happy Housewifing!

1950's Housewife A.K.A Mid Century Modern Housewife Needs Her Apron's.

A 1950's housewife or Mid Century Modern housewife as we are called today in my opinion need's her apron. They are sweet, and helpful and of course complete the outfit too. They can be handmade or store bought. I prefer the handmade. I love finding an apron with embroidered details. I picture a wonderful housewife of the past sitting down after a long day, working on it in painstaking detail while the children play games on the floor and her loving husband reads the paper in his favorite chair. I get the the pleasure to wear those little apron's today. Unfortunately I have to be careful while I am out thrifting or I will end up with way too many wonderful little apron treasures. I haven't started my own personal collection...YET. Whether they are vintage half aprons or full aprons if I didn't have them something would feel incomplete in my daily tasks of laundry, cooking and cleaning. Being a 1950's Housewife is a work in progress. By adding circa 1950's vintage aprons to your wardrobe it's a simple, affordable start to living the life of of mid century modern housewife. Vintage aprons can be found at grandmas attic at yard sales and thrift stores and of course ebay and etsy. They can range from .99 to very expensive online. But if you are thrifty like me it should not cost more than $10 to purchase a handful of these 1950's vintage apron treasures. Below are photos of my first little aprons and of course I have one more on it's way in the mail.

Vintage Handmade Blue Calico Print Half Apron

Vintage Handmade Green Gingham Embroidered Half Apron

Beautiful Starburst Embroidered Apron Detail

Vintage Circa Late 1940's early 1950's Pennsylvania Dutch Half Apron

This was a store bought apron in the 40's/50's. I was so excited when I found this for $1.99 at Goodwill.

Thanks for reading. Happy Housewifing!