Sun Hat Season Again

It's the end of September, and here in north Queensland the days are warm and sunny. It's definitely back to sun-hat weather.

For someone who has just had a skin cancer removed from their face, hats are a must! It's still possible to get sunburnt here, even in winter.  The sun in Mackay in July is stronger than the sun in Chicago -  I spent two weeks walking around Chicago one July a few years ago without burning, and two hours here on my return and burnt!

So for a little vintage inspiration, here are some hat ideas from 1954 -

 

Even a small hat will stop your scalp burning, and I do have a few cute little hats in store a the moment - just $25 each!


Vintage Hats

Deb x

Vickers -From church bells to Sewing Machines

Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. The company began life making steel castings and quickly became famous for casting church bells. 

 In 1867 the company went public and gradually branched out into making hints like marine shafts, propellers and armour plate. In 1890 they made their first artillery piece and soon manufactured everything from torpedos to machine guns.

Kleenex and the death of hankerchiefs

As a child, I learnt to iron when mum let me do the hankies and the tea towels.  I loved the large checked hankies for Dad, the smaller hankies for Mum that I folded into rectangle, and the tiny hankies for my sister and I that went into neat little squares.  I still use tea towels every day, and now my own children are learning to iron on them, but hankies have sort of fallen by the wayside.

My family love their aloe-vera softened, eucalyptus oil enriched tissues - recycled tissues are 'too scratchy" and hankies are too much effort....until they leave a tissue in a pocket in the wash!

A pretty vintage hankie

The website is up and running!

Yes, I have finally organised a website for the shop, somethings I have been planning on doing for a while.

See it at http://www.kittenvintagemackay.com

Let me know if you have any suggestions.

This week I'm focusing on a new lot of kitschy salt and pepper shakers and egg cups that just arrived, and vintage compacts - they'll all be in the store soon. Here's a few to give you an idea -

Enjoy the weekend kittens

Deb💋

A behind the scenes look at Grace Kelly's Wedding

Despite an acting career only six years long, Grace Kelly remains one of the most loved and iconic actors of all time. She began her acting career in 1950, age 20, and in April 1956 retired from acting to marry Prince Rainer of Monaco and take up royal duties.

This article from April 1956 gives a little behind the scenes look at the royal wedding......

Hello again and a free pattern

It's been a while, but I finally have my google profile worked out so I can post again.

Many months ago a reader asked for a crocheted collar pattern, and finally I have one! I was listing this 1960s Pins and Needle magazine today (see my Etsy store)....

When I found this pattern....

I still can't seem to be able to change the size of photos so let me know if you'd like it emailed, or just grab the original mag from Etsy!

Vintage Beauty - Rosemary Clooney

Rosemary Clooney, known to her friends as Rosie, or even Clooney, was born in Kentucky on 23 May 1928. 

A talented singer, one of her earliest hits was the crazy but cute "Come On-a My House" in 1951.

Vintage Pattern - Knit a mohair jumper

Do you own a mohair jumper?

Living in Queensland mohair is a little warm, but I remember having a vintage 60s mohair jumper back in my Melbourne uni days...in a vile green. But apparently they did get made in other colours.

Panda Mohair, 1960

Mohair is again a fashionable fibre, and available in modern colors at most craft stores.

Cleckheaton Wool Mohair

With about twenty of these balls you can knit this cute little jumper (from the May 1960 edition of the Australian Home Journal).

click to enlarge

If you'd like more patterns from 1960, the complete magazine is for sale on my Etsy store.

Deb xx

Thrify on Tuesday - Rockin in Reds

I have finally worked out that Tuesday morning is the best day for thrift shopping (or op shopping as us Aussies call it) in my town. All the shops are actually open, and I can drop the kids at school and browse in peace....  

Today's finds -

From shop 1, some simple t-shirts with a rockabilly vibe and a cute Scotty dog tin for my collection (total $9.50).

Feeling blue? Put on your trench coat...

I love these blue suits from 1965, and in particular, the pale blue trench coat.  I don't have much use for coats here in North Queensland, but I think a pale blue cotton trench would see some use....

Vintage Fashion - Mod Fashions still Rockin'

Sixty five years ago, straight from London, the look was MOD.

It's hard to believe it was half a century ago, as Mod fashion are still as MODern looking today.  Just take a look at Christian Dior Spring 2015 Couture Collection -

Vintage Beauty - Janet Blair

Today another vintage beauty - actress Janet Blair.

Born as Martha Jane (or Jean) Lafferty (she took her acting surname from Blair County, Pennsylvania) in Altoona, Pennsylvania on 23 April 1921.

Ms Blair began her acting career on film in 1941 in 'Three Girls About Town',a Columbia comedy film also staring Joan Blondell and Binnie Barnes.

In 1942, with Fred Astaire in 'You'll never get rich,' as well as 'Blondie Goes to College', 'Two Yanks in Trinidad', 'Broadway' and 'My Sister Eileen', with Rosalind Russel, while being placed under contract to Columbia Pictures. During World War II, she made a string of successful pictures. Her singing and dancing made her a popular entertainer on several bond-selling tours, and after filming 'Once Upon a Time' with Cary Grant she went on a tour of American Army Camps.

In 1943 she married Sargent Louis Ferdinand Busch, US Army, whom she met while singing with the late Hal Kemp's band, where Busch was piano player and arranger. Ms Blair bought an interest in a music publishing business in Los Angeles and contracted all of Kemp's musicians.

1943

In 1944 Ms Blair filmed the technicolor 'Tonight and Every Night', where she played Rita Hayworth's best friend. In the late 1940s, she was dropped by Columbia and did not return to pictures for several years.

1944

1944

In 1946 she filmed 'Gallant Journey' with Glen Ford.

Janet Blair and Glen Ford, 1946

1946 in Gallant Journey

In 1947 Columbia loaned Ms Blair to United Artist for 'The Fabulous Dorsey's"  a film about the famous dance-band leaders. 

With red hair in 1947

In 1948 Ms Blair appeared in three movies, including the film noir 'I love trouble', and also appeared on television in 'The Ford Theater Hour.'

Blair played Nellie Forbush in a touring production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific; she starred in that musical for over 3 years, and claimed to never have missed a performance. She was also seen in a national tour of Mame, with Bells Are Ringing and Follies among other theatre credits.  During the tour, she also got married to second husband, producer-director Nick Mayo, and they became parents of Amanda and Andrew. They divorced in 1971.

She also starred on Broadway in the 1953 play 'A Girl Can Tell', by F. Hugh Herbert. It ran for 60 performances at the Royale Theatre.

She appeared on television on various variety shows including "The Ford Theatre Hour," "The United States Steel Hour," "A Connecticut Yankee," "One Touch of Venus" (in which she played the title role), "The Chevy Mystery Show," "The Outer Limits," "Destry," "Marcus Welby, M.D.," "Fantasy Island," "The Love Boat," and "Murder, She Wrote" ( her last TV appearance, 1991).

Blair recorded an album in the early 1960s entitled 'Flame Out' - a collection of ballads like "Don't Explain" and "Then You've Never Been Blue".  

the record!

She also made a rare dramatic appearance in the 1962 British horror film Night of the Eagle (Burn witch burn), as Tansy Taylor.

Blair as Tansy Taylor

She died at the age of 86, of complications from pneumonia, at Saint John's Health Centre in Santa Monica on 19 February 2007.

Lane's Emulsion - It's famous because it's good

I came across this ad the other day - from The Australian women's Weekly, 29 July, 1950 - and I thought it was quite cute.

I had never heard of Lane's emulsion before - it's not something I grew up with as I did with many other vintage products I see advertised - so of course I had to find out a bit more about it.

Lane's emulsion contained a great deal of cod liver oil - which would have given it a strong fishy smell - beechwood creosote (sounds safe!), mineral lime, soda, brandy (yum), vitamins, fresh egg yolk and some secret ingredients.

It was invented by Edward Lane, a chemist from Oamaru, New Zealand, in 1898, and was later manufactured in the town's Harbour Street (now part of the Oamaru Historic Precinct) in a building which still bears the product's slogan "It's famous because it's good".

 'It's Famous Because It's Good'.

Mary Scott, the grand-daughter of pharmacist Edward Lane, who invented the tonic, recalls as a child visiting the Lane's Emulsion factory. "As a child, I was let into the factory by a very small door (which is still there in the main door). The building seemed enormous to me as a child, smelling of cod liver oil and creosote and the smell clung to my grandfather's clothes," she said.   Mrs Scott said she could not remember whether or not she liked her grandfather's tonic, but said her father was quite partial to it "but that may have been because of the brandy".

Sold in clear glass bottles, the thick cream-coloured liquid was fed to generations of New Zealand children and was also sold overseas.  Blogger Don Donovan described it as "a cream coloured potion of the consistency of melted ice cream containing ghastly stuff like cod liver oil."  My mother remember's her and her siblings lining up for a spoon of cod-liver oil once a week - something she swore never to inflict on her own children!

Originally claiming to be "a reliable remedy for pulmonary ailments", the product was still in production until 1984. Oamaru company Crombie and Price, which bought Lane's Medicine in 1971, still holds the rights and recipe to the product.

source

In 2011 The North Otago Museum created a "Re-create the smell of Lane's Emulsion" competition. Oamaru's "Victorian domestic goddess", Marise Martin, won the competition , with the following recipe -

• Big proportion of oil of cod livers
• Healthy dose of brandy
• Dash of meade
• Spoon of honey
• Generous dose of milk of magnesia
• Selection of fine herbs marinated in cider vinegar
• 1 fresh egg yolk
• Secret ingredients

Even her husband did not want to taste it though, so I doubt it will be making a comeback any time soon.

Deb

Vintage Beauty - a Honey Face Mask & ideas from the 1930s

Face masks are something I always love, and have rarely bought from a store.  Home-made face masks are easy and fun, and really simple. I used to use just plain yoghurt on my face, but now I find my skin a bit too sensitive for that.  Egg white is great, but it feels really weird and drying when on (you can also use the yolk to condition your hair). Mashed banana is interesting, but my favourite would have to be just plain honey.

A Honey Face Mask

• Start with a freshly cleansed face (I find a bicarb soda scrub then an apple cider vinegar tone and tepid water splash great) 
• Smear on the honey (use a spoon to put some on your clean fingers). 
• Avoid your eyes, but do your lips, and make sure your hair is tied well back or in a shower cap. The honey goes on easily and tends to sink into the skin, so it's quite easy to wash off.  
• I like to lie down for about 10 minutes while it's working its magic!

If you want to be more creative, add a little milk and witch hazel to the honey, as suggested in this article from 1936.




You'll see the other ideas include oats mixed with warm milk, egg yolk and almond oil, fresh yeast and milk, and the egg-white mask.  The last mask, or astringent pack, is really the only one you couldn't eat!

After the mask you can rinse your face in water with a squeeze of lemon juice, as done by actress Beverly Roberts in the photo above.  Beverly lived to 95, and had beautiful skin all her life.  Here is a photo of her aged 93 - amazing!

Beverly Roberts, age 93 with a friend, who can't help touch her wonderful skin!

Definitely time for a face mask tonight, don't you think?

Vintage Fashion - A capsule Wardrobe 1942 style

I have capsule wardrobes on my mind!

Here is a nice little article from January 1942 ( Australian Women's Weekly), with a seven piece wardrobe in oatmeal linen, and over-checked linen with navy, blue, red and aqua. Perhaps like this colour scheme -

I don't know about wearing the same blouse every day - may if there were two? Of course this would have been wartime, so fabric would have been rationed - maybe the oatmeal linen was from actual linen feed bags?!

Hmmm....

Letting go, storing photos and a little me

The hardest part of de-cluttering is letting go memories.  Japanese tidying expert Marie Kondo recommends leaving old photos until last, as they are the hardest to part with. She says that many people have a box of old photos that they  are going to sort out 'one day', and that 'one day' often never arrives.

Vintage Pattern - Crochet a Cheeky Monkey!

I found this cute monkey pattern in the December 1960 issue of the Women's Weekly and had to share! I have tried to enlarge it to make it readable.

My crochet is not fantastic, but I would love to give it a go.....If you do, please let me know!

 

Apparently Demi Moore loves toy monkeys.... I wonder if she crochets?

Give Something Different....Christmas gifts 1960 style

Yes, yes, I know I said I have moved....but this blog is so much more user friendly, and I sort of miss it!

Anyway, today just a little advice on choosing Christmas gifts, from 1960....great if you have vintage loving friends, or are stuck for ideas! Maybe white cotton gloves and a pretty hankie?!

1960s manicure set on Etsy, only $11!

These 60s gloves from ruby lane

And here is a little warning of how not to shop for Christmas gifts!

If you're interested in what records were popular for Christmas 1960, here's the list.....good to see Nat King Cole is on it.

 Happy Shopping....Deb xx

Vintage Beauty - 60s Hair

Here in North Queensland it's hot. Most of the time. Now that my hair is longer, I tend to wear it up every day - it takes me about two minutes to do a French roll with bobby pins, and I don't have to worry about 'the frizz' caused by the humidity.

I do dream about short hair though.  In reality, however, it takes much more work than long hair - mine always needs wetting and re-drying in the morning - and you have to get it cut more often to keep the style. And is short hair vintage?  Well it can be - think Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy (these shots from 1962).

  

Of course these lovely ladies have very natural colored hair, but along with short hair came the desire for interesting colours.

1962 ad

I actually quite like this style - but I know the fringe would never sit like that for me, and she probably had to use gallons of hairspray!

Short hair was very popular in the 60s, but you didn't just get it cut short, you had it styled - you could get 'the Jackie' or 'the Audrey', or even 'The Cabbage' or "the Chou.'

They look like quite a bit of work!  but of course in the 60s help with styling at home was at hand - with the hair-dryer!

1964

I remember my mum using one of these when I was little....I must try and find a photo......

Now of course we have straighteners, curlers, instylers etc, but why is it (most of ) us women feel the need to change our hair style and color so often?  Seriously - I have only one friend in her 40s who has never coloured her hair - and she's had the same long straight style since her 20s.  I in the meantime have been straight and long, curly and bobbed, pixie cut, many shades of blond, brunette, black, red and even purple.  I think now I am naturally grey, but I'll give it a few more years before I let it take over.  

What about you? Natural, short, long or none?

Vintage Fashion - Winter 1950

Some more beautiful suits today, this time from winter 1950, in a wonderful chic black and white check.

And look at these sleeves - I haven't seen the looped sleeve before (below right), but I love it!

There are some lovely suit patterns from around 1950 available on Etsy -

1950 McCalls Suit Pattern Vintage Size 15

It's also available here.  There is also a retro pattern from 1951 that is available in upto size 18.  You can find it here.

These suits are motivating me to lose a little weight.....

maybe.