Organized Clutter

Are you old enough to remember Home Interiors or Homco parties?    They were very popular home parties (like Tupperware parties) until 2009 when the company went bankrupt, probably due to changing shopping patterns with the emergence of the internet.  The company later reorganized as Celebrating Home. I purchased or should I say re-purchased the Home Interiors' wooden books above at the thrift shop last week.  I say repurchased because I bought them at a party years ago.  Back when I decorated with Wedgwood or Country Blue and Mauve.  Teal was big too. These little books are about to get a makeover!

I purchased this fun vintage post office box door last month at a local antiques shop,  Jackson's Icebox Antiques and Collectibles .  

While my blog is usually about crafts, decorating, junking, re-purposing and flower gardening, I do post about of nostalgia too.  After all I am a baby boomer and vintage collector too. I recently came across this little Women's Army Corps Booklet from 1944.  It is in excellent condition.  I enjoyed paging through it, and I thought maybe you would too.  

I looked on the internet to see when the term "Black Friday" originated, it has some history dating back to 1869, but was really not coined until the 1960's for the day after Thanksgiving shopping.   I have a "Picture Magazine" insert to the Minneapolis Tribune from November 22, 1964, and I thought it would be fun to look at the advertising.   Christmas Decor from Dayton's to "Set Christmas Aglow".

Are you a baby boomer?  If you are, chances are you remember the Partridge Family and David Cassidy. My Aunt bought some old comics at a rummage sale recently, and three of them were Partridge Family.  This issue from Charlton Comics is dated January 1972, and the price was 20 cents.  (I was in tenth grade in 1972.)  I know I watched the show faithfully but I don't think I had any Partridge Family comics.

It's my birthday today, so I am reminiscing with some of my old birthday cards.  The cards are sweet and innocent, so like the 1950's. This one is a Forget Me Not from neighbors.

Shirley Temple Black was 85 years old on April 23rd.  I saw this on the news and remembered I had these paper dolls. When my Mom was downsizing she sent these paper dolls over in a bag of memorabilia and collectibles.  These paper dolls are not really that old.  Copyright 1988.  I think these are the only paper dolls I have right now.

Can you believe this was a magazine cover? Other than the date, August 1951, and 5 cents, there is nothing on this cover but an adorable baby.  Would someone snatch this up at the grocery or drug store counter without knowing the other teaser titles contained in the magazine?

The following ads and photos are from a 1951 Woman's Day magazine...   I remember my Grandma making sandwiches with Underwood Deviled Ham when I was young.  I don't think I have ever purchased it.

The Woman's Day magazine from 1951 that I purchased a couple weeks ago is so full of interesting articles and ads.  This one is in the "Found Money" section, and instructs the housewives of the 1950's how to make a woman's suit out of a man's suit.  The suits are really quite stylish.

I am lucky enough to have a bag of late 1950's and early 1960's Valentines from my relatives and my kindergarten classmates.  Here are a few of my favorites.

I recently picked up a copy of Woman's Day magazine from 1951.  I was surprised to find an article, complete with how-to instructions, on re-purposing humble packing crates. Of course it wasn't called re-purposing in 1951, rather making Early American Adaptations or Brand New Antiques .  So if any of you creative types have run out of new ideas for pallets, here are some new "old" ideas:

If you missed part one of this book, "How to Plan and Build Your Fireplace", the link is  here.

I think looking back at anything from the 1950's, 60's and 70's is very enjoyable, and collecting from that era  is fun too.  I am a baby boomer! I picked up this Sunset Book, copyright 1967, "How to Plan and Build Your Fireplace" for $1 yesterday while thrifting.  Unfortunately the photos inside are all black and white, but so was the television set at my house in 1967.  

I was visiting some of my favorite blogs recently only to find busy bloggers' hands knitting, crocheting, sewing and weaving. Tracy at  Crow's Feet Chic  shared a retro crochet booklet's photos and her own crochet projects.   Pam at House of Hawthorne's picked up her crochet hook for a Valentine's Day chain stitch on  her Facebook page.   (There is also some talk of dog sweaters.) Laurie, at  I love a cloudy day  shared a great painting, of course, and her sock knitting to keep her feet warm.   Vickie at Ranger 911  keeps the sock monkeys multiplying. And, Dru at  the Country Farm Home  is busy, busy with rag rug weaving. Me, I do know how to knit and crochet but haven't in years.   My Mom and I used to sell all sorts of vintage items on ebay including old patterns.  I came across this "Weather Beaters" Coats & Clark, Red Heart, Book No. 266, Copyright 1977, knitting and crocheting booklet.    ...

I have another little booklet to share from General Mills, Inc. and Betty Crocker from 1943.   The booklet is aimed at the woman of the house, doing their part for the war effort while keeping the household running smoothly. The cover.

Since I had such a positive response with my old refrigerator manual post, I am sharing a fun old laundry booklet.  It's filled with super fun vintage photos of the women of yesteryear dealing with their everyday laundry problems. The cover.

My Mom, the original clutter and junkin' queen, recently gave me this booklet from her thrifting days. This is the cover of "How To Use And Enjoy Your Frigidaire Refrigerator".  Very sweet, innocent and wholesome.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!   Here in northern Minnesota, there is still a long winter ahead of us.  The older I get, the less I like the snow and cold.  I always wonder what possessed my ancestors to settle here in northern Minnesota.   When many of them immigrated in the late 1800's, the winters had to be even more brutal without snowplows, central heating, and heated automobiles. The Minnesota DNR has compiled this climate data on Minnesota: Climate Average annual precipitation  -  Average Annual Precipitation Map Northwest: 19 inches/year Southeast: 34 inches/year Average annual snowfall  -  Average Annual Snowfall Map Northeast: 70 inches/year Southwest: 35 inches/year Latest spring freeze  -  Median Frost Date Table April 29 - metro area May 27 - far north Earliest fall freeze  -  Median Frost Date Table October 5 - metro area September 16 - far north Average temperature Spring ...

My 31 Day Nostalgia Series is coming to a close today... Let's look back at the month of October: Day 1: I shared my kindergarten hand plaque from 1961, and my three kids' plaques. Day 2: I shared some of my favorite record albums from the 1970's. Day 3: I shared my vintage 1940's rotary dial wall phone and reminisced about party lines. Day 4: I shared a couple old pincushions on display on my treadle sewing machine. Day 5: I shared some WWII ration stamp booklets that were my Grandma's. Day 6: I shared my vintage collection of Cracker Jacks charms. Day 7: I shared my childhood Barbie dolls. Day 8: I shared my girl scout sash. Day 9: I shared a photo of an uncle who died before I was born, and discussed being the family historian. Day 10: I shared a small collection of Little Big Books. Day 11: I shared my vintage charm bracelet. Day 12: I shared a collection of small vintage tins. Day 13: I shared a footstool I ha...