Happy New Year!

Post marked 1913

In case you need any last minute help planning your New Year's party, here are a few tips from "Parties for Special Days of the Year" copyright 1931!

 

Christmas Music- Julie Andrews

I absolutly love this song! I think it has something to do with it being English! And who better to sing it then Julie Andrews.

My sister and I use to sing this in bed when we were too excited to sleep at Christmas. Happy memories!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I was suppose to get this posted last Friday! Goodness! But you know how it goes! I ended up getting Friday off of work and spent it doing all those little last minute christmasy things. Sorry I am so late. I hope everyone had a lovely and busy Christmas!

A White Christmas at Holiday Inn

Everyone has seen Irving Berlin's White Christmas, at lest I hope so! It is a holiday classic. You can't go wrong with Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney to sing and Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen to dance. Throw in a handful of Irving Berlin's songs and you know why it is a classic. He had such a way with words.

White Christmas was released in 1954. But did you know, it was made because of the enormous success of a previous movie?

Made in 1942, Holiday Inn was based on an idea of Irving Berlin's about an innkeeper who just wanted to open his inn fifteen days a year, on holidays! Of course there is a song for every occasion. For Christmas, "White Christmas", sung by Bing Crosby and Marjorie Reynolds.

The first time White Christmas was sung. Such a cozy scene!

And look! Bing is wearing an apron!

This is from the New Year's Eve scene. If you would like to hear the song, "Let's Start the New Year Right" click here. for some reason I couldn't embed it.

And of course, dancing by Fred Astaire! This is the St. Valentine's Day song. In case you didn't guess!

These two movies are some of my favorite Christmas movies, well really my favorites movies. White Christmas introduced my sisters and I to 50's musicals. The first time we saw it (we were about 10), we fell in love. Everyday for a week we had to watch it! Lol!

Christmas Carolers

No, not real ones, candles! This is part of my Mom's collection. As I said in my Thanksgiving post, these were made by the Gurley Candle Co. in the 40s-70s. A few of them look like they have been around awhile, the poor little chapels got melted somewhere along the line and now lean! I love the angels, such sweet little faces!

Frosty and Santa in a winter wonderland. The bottle brush trees are new this year. A find in a local antique shop.

More Christmas Carols!

Isn't this fun!

What is your favorite carol? Or favorites!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

  I have just finished reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I know it was published a few years ago, why has it taken me this long to find it! This book is so cute! It has a sweet old fashioned feel to it, even when dealing with the horrors of war. I usually don't like modern writers, they either over explain everything or assume their readers have no imagination. But this book is so good! One of my favorite eras too!

  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is about a writer, Juliet, who in 1946 like most people were trying to put their lives back together and move on. During the war Juliet had written a newspaper column which was so successful, it was published as a book. While she is proud of her writing and is busy promoting it through teas and book signings, she would really like to write a book. While she tries to decided what subject she could stand thinking about for years, she receives a letter from a stranger on the isle of Guernsey. Thus starts a correspondence with not just one person from Guernsey, but half the population! All it told through letters. Letters to her publisher, letters to her friends, letters to the people of Guernsey and an occasional telegram! Through them we learn about Juliet's years through the war in London, the Guernsey islanders' experiences with the Germans, how the island is recovering, how the Literary Society came to be, the members take on classical literature, and the love of books.

Christmas Music- Rosemary Clooney

A very cute video of Rosemary Clooney singing "Let It Snow!" Love her dress!!

Another old favorite!

Danity Aprons

Here are two new aprons to the collection. Both are white. One a picked up at an antique store and I think is late 20s early 30s.

Defiantly a "hostess" apron. Tea anyone?

An advertisement for a similar apron from the early 30s.

A closer look at the lovely detail.

  My Grandma gave this one to me. I am not sure if it is a costume apron or really old, I think really old. The fabric is beautiful! So soft and the stripes are actually woven it. It looks like it was handmade by a very good seamstress.

Christmas Music - Harry Belefonte

 In honor of the Christmas season I am going to try and post Christmas music favorites each Friday. How do I decide? There are too many choices!

Harry Belefonte is one of our favorite singers. We first started listening to his Christmas songs. Some of them folk songs, like Mary's Boy Child.

Our absolute favorite of Harry's is Jehovah the Lord will Provide. Unfortunately I couldn't find a video of it on YouTube. But I did find the words.

Jehovah, Hallelujah, the Lord will provide

Jehovah, Hallelujah, the Lord will provide

The foxes have a hole,

 the birdies have a nest

But the Son of God,

He don't know where to lay His sweet head.

Jehovah, Hallelujah, the Lord will provide
Jehovah, Hallelujah, the Lord will provide

There was room at the inn
For the merchants that day,
But Joseph and Mary had no place to stay.

Jehovah, Hallelujah, the Lord will provide
Jehovah, Hallelujah, the Lord will provide

Then a star in the heavens,
The message did bring!
The tiny Babe in swaddling cloth, was Jesus the King!

Jehovah, Hallelujah, the Lord will provide
Jehovah, Hallelujah, the Lord will provide

A sweet reminder that He provided for His Son and he will provide for us.

Another of our favorites!

Unsung Sewing Patterns

Poking around on the internet, I always keep an eye open for new and interesting apron pictures or patterns. When I found Unsung Sewing Patterns I hit the jackpot! This website is all about the everyday ordinary patterns, the pajamas, nightgowns, aprons, uniforms, smocks and costumes. The patterns that often get overlooked by fashion enthusiasts. Did you catch that? She has aprons!! And very early apron patterns, at that. Here are a few favorites.

Her hair just makes me laugh! Very 1910s, a little Greek revival there. I like the window pane plaid it is made out of.

 Very flowy, the back is very interesting too. I would put this at 1906ish.

 I love the dusting hat with this one. Doesn't everyone need one?

Early 1920s. Bungalow apron? I haven't heard of one before. It looks like a predecessor of the 60s house dress.

Happy Thanksgiving !

I hope everyone has a blessed holiday! Aren't these little pilgrims cute? They were made by the Gurley Candle Co. You could buy them at the five and dime stores between 1940 and 1970.  They are well known for their Christmas candles, santas, carolers, snowmen, angels, reindeer etc. Mom remembers having carolers when she was growing up. Now she has a collection!

Dresses and Aprons for Work in the Home

 I recently ran across these aprons in a book in the North Texas University Digital Archives click on the link to view the whole book. The booklet is entitled Dresses and Aprons for Work in the Home, copyright 1952. This was put together by the United States Bureau of Human Nutrition and Home Economics to "Discusses the importance of functional features when selecting patterns or ready-made dresses and aprons." Quite an interesting little book.

Notice the sturdiness of the aprons. These were designed to work! I love the different configurations of the shoulder straps, trying to solve the ever present problem of them falling off the shoulder. And of course, large pockets!

Isn't this clever? I am not sure why you just can't bring a basket if you are going to pick apples. But I think it would come in handy for other things. It is now on my to-make-list!



Home for the Holidays!

This song always remindes me of Thanksgiving. On Pie Day (day before Thanksgiving) the sisters and I would drag out the old boom box and crank up the christmas music while we baked!

 My grandmother loved Perry Como. I am just beginning to apprecited him.

A fun song to sing along with!

Lesson in Pie Making

I can't believe that it is only a week until Thanksgiving! What happened to November?? Life sometimes just takes you by the arm and whirls you around.
 In honor of all the holiday festivities I have put together a tutorial on pie making. Get out your supplies, grab a sister, daughter or friend and crank up the Christmas music! Let the baking begin!!

The hardest part of making a pie? The crust!

I have decided to share my method of making pie crust. I don't want to boast, but everyone says I make a mean pie! With Thanksgiving right around the corner, maybe this will inspire you. I like to make my pies the day before, as it doesn't usually work for pies and turkey to compete in the oven. Besides you want the pies to be completely cooled, no melting whipped cream! 

Perfect Pie Crust
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 cups flour
dash of salt
About 1/3 cup cold water 
(depending on your weather, you might need more or less) 
Makes one top and bottom crust or two open faced pies.

1. Measure flour and salt into bowl. Add shortening and cut into flour in pea sized pieces.
*Tip* Pie crust works on the principle of melting shortening or butter creating steam, thus making flaky layers. Shortening or butter does not have to be mixed into the flour in teeny tiny pieces.

 

2.Add butter in chunks....

....Cut into flour in flake size pieces.

*Tip*You will know your crust is rightly proportioned when a handful of your mixture sticks together when you squeeze it in your hand and then crumbles apart again.

3. Start with half your amount of water, then add more in small amounts if needed. Depending on your weather and the humidity level, you could use more or less.

 For the perfect amount, you should have a little flour left on the bottom. It should form a ball but still look craggy.

4.Turn dough out on lightly floured surface.

*Tip*Flour your surface sparingly. I little goes a long way. Too much can reduce the flour to shortening ratio and ruin your crust.

5. Knead gently three times. Really more of just squeezing the dough together and rolling.

*Tip* If you tend to have warm hands, touch the dough as little as possible. Maybe even run them under cold water before you handle it.

6.Divide dough in half and roll one section out 1/8 inch thick.
*Tip*When rolling crust only a slight pressure is needed. Don't mash your dough.

Your dough should have faint swirls of shortening and butter in it.

7.When dough is thin enough place in greased pie plate.

 8. Trim dough with sharp knife.

 9. Pleat edges.

 10. Refrigerate until ready to fill and bake.
*Tip*Refrigerate your crust a few minutes before going into the oven. I usually make the crust, fit it in the pie plate and put it in the refrigerator. Then make the filling.

Pumpkin Pie Filling
1 egg
1 1/2 cups pumpkin (16oz can)
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 1/8 cups evaporated milk

 Pouring in the filling.

 Making leaves to decorate the top.

 

Ready for the oven!

 

 Making a lattice top.

Sealing the strips.

Finished!

Fresh out of the oven

Yum!

I am back...

Sorry friends for just dropping of the earth like that. I went to visit my sister last week. I meant to have a few posts all ready to go, but that just didn't happen. Anyway I am back and had a wonderful time! Even though it was a working holiday, it was fun. I went up to help a friend of my sister's with her wedding, as coordinator. Such a fun job! I have some really fun things to share, if I can find a camera.

 I have a very small blue glass collection, Very small, as it is so pricey! This is the newest addition.

Made by the Hazel Atlas Glass Company between 1940-1950, the pattern is called "Moderntone". It is in beautiful condition! A great piece for my collection. besides, I really love pitchers!