Vintage Book The Trailer Trio

Like I've said before, it seems as though certain vintage books just find their way into my life.  On a table at November's flea market there were at least 100 books all spread out and this little blue one caught my eye.  Maybe it was the sweet little illustration on the cover, but whatever it was, for only a dollar I couldn't pass it up and it has been a joy to read!

 

 

 

If I remember correctly, the book takes place in 1940 or 1941, and the "trio" consists of siblings.  Big sister Anne is the oldest at 21 and is recovering from a terrible bout of pneumonia.  Brother Roger is 18, and baby sister Maleta is 15.  Their parents have died, and they have left their drought-stricken farm in South Dakota and are traveling to their Uncle's old homestead in Idaho that has been sitting empty for years.  He's offered it to them as he now lives in Florida.  They are traveling with a nifty little homemade trailer that Roger built with his own two hands. 

They stop in many places along the way including the small, government built towns of Mason City and Engineer City, built to house those working on the Grand Coulee Dam (which I discovered are all real places!)  Here Roger was to work until they had the funds to move over to Idaho and their Uncle's land.

But they end up leaving the dam and this takes them to many different fun places where they become farm hands, fruit pickers and dish washers.  The characters are very likeable, and since this is a "teen" book a romance blossoms between a college student (also traveling) and Anne. 

It reminds me a little bit of the Box Car Children.

 

One of my favorite chapters is when they find themselves in an old fashioned farm yard and they knock on the door looking for odd jobs to do.  The friendly farmer's wife gives them little chores to do in exchange for food from the garden and a couple of meals.  These jobs include helping with weeding the garden and washing dishes for the harvest crews.  This chapter has a cute illustration.

 

 

The farm women gives them her old, wood burning, cook stove that she threw out to the trash heap just a while ago (because she'd won a new stove in a contest).  They pack the old stove into their trailer and head on down the road. 

 

When they get to their destination (uncle's homestead land), they fix up the little cabin on the property, and create a new start for themselves.

 

I loved this little book and plan to read it again as it is such an easy read.  It's no worse than sitting and watching one of those cheesy Christmas movies onTV for the fourth or fifth time, right?

 

That's all for now.  Until another time have a happy vintage day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kuner's Can Bank

I like anything that has anything to do with vintage grocery stores. 

Especially these fun photos from Pinterest.

 

I actually USE Bon Ami in my kitchen and bathroom and love it! 

 

"I tell you, Marge, I just can't get over how quick and easy this instant JELL-O pudding is to whip up!"

She's thinking, "Oh Lord, here comes Martha Ann Stapleton again with her cart full of Aqua Net.  How that woman doesn't blow up when she lights up a Lucky is beyond me."

So, when I saw this cute little Kuner's Can Bank it whispered to me in that same little voice Red Owl items use to get my attention, and I knew I had to buy it.

I don't know much about the Kuner's brand but I think they started in Colorado.  I'm thinking this can bank was some kind of advertising promotion for the kiddies.  I'm guessing mid-to-late 1950s on this one just by looking at the kid's clothing.  (maybe even '53-'55)

 

The fruit side of the can is faded a bit more than the vegetable side.  Maybe it sat on a shelf in some little boy's bedroom with the fruit side facing out, catching the sunlight.  It might've been where he tucked away all of the dimes he received for mowing the lawn.  Maybe he was saving to buy a new baseball glove.  But as luck would have it, he received a new glove for his birthday from Uncle Frank and Aunt Metilda, so he longer needed to save his little dimes.  A few years later, the forgotten bank was shoved into his sock drawer, to make room on the shelf for his new Great Garloo. 

OR

Maybe our young saver realized there was NO WAY to open the bugger of a can without the help of his father's hack saw hanging out in the garage (or maybe just a can opener).  And after surrendering 5 dimes into it, he got fed up with not being able to withdraw a dime to buy this week's Archie comic, and therefore quit feeding it and tossed it into his Howdy Doody toy box. 

Yes indeed, there are 5 dimes inside that will never see the light of day unless I try my folks' "knife trick", and to quote the woman on You Tube, "Ain't nobody got time for that!"

 

The graphics on this can are so "vintage" I just love them.

 

 

"Bank on Kuner's Quality"--- How clever!...The Mad Men of Sterling Cooper Draper Price would be proud of that tag.

 

Well, that's all for today!  Until another time, save those dimes (to buy interesting, vintage items!) and have a happy vintage day!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here are some Thanksgiving goodies, to bring you Thanksgiving cheer!

 

 

 

 

The picture above cracks me up. One gal is pouring a glass of wine, while the gal in the middle (using the pot lid as a hat) looks as though she's already had her share.

 

 

There are so many wonderful things about the little card above.  The little red coats with hoods, the old boot covers that go over the little girl's shoes (look at all those buttons to hook!), and the second little girl peeking over the fence rail.  Too cute!  And look at the size of that bird!  I wonder what the families did with the bigger turkey feathers?  Did they keep them or throw them away?  Did they make them into fans?

 

 

I'm cooking a small turkey this year and am a little nervous about it.  What amazes me about this picture is, LOOK at the SIZE of her stove and oven!  Even though it's not very big, she seems to be managing quite fine, with every burner covered with some sort of pot full of delicious food.  So, If she can do it...I should have NO trouble!

Below, is an old grocery store advertisement for a week of Thanksgiving values! (found on Pinterest).

 

 

Looks delicious.  I hope all of my blog friends are able to enjoy their Thanksgiving with friends and family.  I won't even step up on my soap box this year about the terrible trend of "Gray Thursday" that's happening throughout our nation.  I'm in too good a mood. ha!

 

That's all for today!  Until another time, have a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

Vintage Finds This Fall

I've been lucky enough to find some great vintage treasures these past couple of months, and wanted to check in and share them with you.

 

At Vintage City I found this blue bird platter hanging on the wall.  Any kind of blue bird china has been on my wish list for quite sometime, so when I saw this one and found it to be very reasonably priced I bought it! 

 

 

 

Some people make jewelry out of the blue bird part (see example below), and while they are beautiful, I didn't want that to be the fate of this beautiful platter.

 

 

Also found at Vintage City was a little box of Gelatine, with all 4 packages inside, and a small McCormick Cake Décor bottle with little chocolate bits still inside (Yuck, I know, but I'm keeping them in there for authenticity).

 

 

 

 

 

They both sit on my little shelf of "smalls" in my kitchen.

 

 

And last but not least, I found this precious little Christmas card.  I just love the antique stove!

 

 

That was it for our trip to Vintage City.  Tune in next time for treasures found at the flea market!

Until then, have a happy, vintage day!

 

 

 

Vintage 1980's Commercials #3

This one is such a classic.  Every time I hear Fur Elise I think of this commercial.

 

 

 

That's all for today.  Until another time, have a happy vintage day!!

Vintage 1980's Commercials #2

This commercial for Sun Light Dish Soap in 1989 is one I stumbled across the other day.  It's quite clever! Through the magic of cause and effect, the cat does the dishes.

 

 

That's all for today!  Have a happy vintage day!

Vintage 1980s Commercials #1

For the next few Fridays I'll be posting some fun, nostalgic commercials from my youth.  There are so many jingles that I recall in my head as soon as they are heard!

Here is one I couldn't help singing along to.

Turn up the volume and enjoy the 80's memories.

 

 

That's all for today, have a happy vintage day!

Cookies Fail

Well, I attended the radio play that the high school performed, and they did a great job.  As I was walking into the theater, I saw that a little girl had one of my radio cookies.  Her grandmother said in hushed tones, "Sit down right here dear, and you can eat your house cookie."

Ummm, okay, I guess they DO look like little houses. Chalk that one up to a cookie fail.  Haha!!

 

 

Old Time Radio Cookies

My daughter's High School  Playmakers Group is putting on a Vintage Radio play this week.  As usual, I signed up to make cookies for them to sell at intermission.  These are what I came up with.

 Little vintage radios!

 

None of them are the same, I cut them by hand, and none of them look "perfect" but that's okay.  I also made circular cookies with white frosting, intending to put a Hitchcock head on each one, but they didn't look right AT ALL so we left them with only their white frosting.

I also set up all of the Radio and news equipment I had on hand to create a fun cover photo for my facebook page.
Thanks to my Dad for loaning me his KEYZ radio microphone.  There is a mix of eras in this photo, but I don't care haha!  It was fun to put together.

 

 That's all for today!  Until another time, have a happy, vintage day!

 
 
 
 



Jell-O Chiffon Pie Strawberry Filling Box

On my most recent trip to Vintage City I found this adorable, PINK Jell-O box of Chiffon Pie filling.  I just love that they dot the "I"s with stars, don't you?  Imitation Strawberry flavor pie filling...I wonder what that tasted like.  I've heard it said that everything tasted better back then.

 

I'm not positive, but I'm dating the box anywhere between 1958 and 1962.

 



 

Here is an ad from my June 1958 Ladies Home Journal

 

 

I also spotted these little potholders that my daughter said were homely, but I think are darling.  Maybe some little girl was trying her hand at embroidery?  Maybe she sat for hours on her grandma's back porch practicing her blanket stitch while Grandma sat next to her and knitted, all the while keeping an eye on the little girl's stitching.  Who knows, but for the cost of a bottle of Coca-Cola, they are now mine to love.

 



 

This black velvet purse called out my name and it will be perfect for a night out on the town.

 

 

That's all for today!  Happy treasure hunting everyone and have a happy vintage day!

Marx Dollhouse

This was one of those poker face moments I thought would never happen to me at a garage sale.  I nearly squealed when I saw this dollhouse because it was one of those treasure I thought I'd NEVER come across (at least not one within my budget).  Somehow I managed to keep it together.

 

 A Marx dollhouse!

 

As you might be able to see, the house is missing a wall between the bathroom and child's room.  There are holes for the little metal tabs to go into, so I know there WAS a wall there at one time.

 



 

 

The bathroom and part of the baby's room, below.

 

 

And here is the living room.

 

 

And I just LOVE the read and white kitchen with it's little red clock on the wall, red and white tile and curtains!

 

The little plastic sink has drain boards!  And look at that 1950s fridge.

 



 

And here is the kid's room or baby's room.  I like the decorations on the walls.

 

 

Here is the master bedroom.  (And no, that's not a subliminal billboard message through the window making you crave Taco Johns, it's just our cat's sleeping box that happened to be behind the house when I shot these photos.)

 

 

And the cute little laundry room on the end.  Now, some of these I have seen as a garage, one was even a bomb shelter (1962) that I've heard is very rare as they were made in small quantities and didn't sell real well.  I like that mine is a laundry room because....well, I like happy laundry rooms!

 

 And here is the mark that makes it a MARX. 

 

 

Originally, I think it's suppose to have a little patio tent like thing that stood over that patio, but mine is missing many pieces including the chairs for the kitchen table.  My mother said her kitchen chairs were ivory, just like the table, with little red seats.

 

Below is a similar one from the 1952 Sears catalog.  The one in the catalog is fancier with a den on one end (we call them man caves now), and a breezeway. And how much FUN would that gas station be for playing!?

 

Now, according to the internet and the big wide world of pinterest, there was another tin, lithograph, dollhouse manufacturer called T Cohn and the T Cohn 1948 house was a popular one it seems.  Here it is.

 

It is very similar and has the "Victorian" looking living room furniture and red and white kitchen chairs my mother remembered hers to have.  (Mom, it almost sounds as if you had Cohn furniture, but a MARX house just like mine.)

Here's another shot of a Cohn house from Pinterest. I thank up and down the person who posted these online, they are so much fun to see!

 

 

I really like the Cohn style furniture better because it is a bit bigger and has a bit more detail than the Marx furniture I got with the house.

 

Until another time, have a happy vintage day!!