I hope all of you, here in the USA, enjoyed Labor Day. Here is the song from the movie Picnic (starring Kim Novac and William Holden) played on a jukebox from 1954. This would be the way to enjoy music here at a bowling alley, bar, or possibly a soda shop that allowed dancing. The movie Picnic came out last year 1955 and I believe I discussed it then. It occurs on Labor Day culminating in, of course, a Picnic. Another 1950’s film that involves Labor Day is Peyton Place. This film...

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My latest comment to your comments on yesterday’s post was too long to be processed as a comment, so I am just making it into today’s post. Therefore, it is my continuing comment on those comments made on THIS post. Missfifi-isn't it funny how often the 50's are shown as the time of 'keeping up with the Joneses' and certainly that was somewhat true then, but not like today. Today it is all about who is the coolest, hippest with the latest gadgets or most ironic tshirt saying or lowest rise...

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Since starting my project I have really come to wonder at the nostalgia of things. The look of vintage appliances and canisters on a kitchen counter. The feel of either a vintage fabric or a vintage cut dress and the swish of the petticoat. The sounds: The heavy click and bang of the manual typewriter, the jet-engine roar of my vintage Kirby vacuum, the pure crescendo of the old telephone’s ring. Why is it that these elements of the past, these visual and audible, even tactile, messengers from...

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As many of you may know, Hurricane Earl is charging its way into 1956. Odd, certainly, for a modern day storm to do so, but it has found its way into my time machine and therefore we are busy with oil lamps, bags of ice and preparation of possible power outages. So, if I suddenly disappear for a few days, it is because we are without power (and we have no generator) so don’t worry. I shall be back as soon as possible to daily posts. Here is part of my post last year (1955) about Hurricane...

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First off, I am sorry to be posting so late today. But, Hurricane Earl is heading now towards the Cape and will maintain a 2 Status. This requires us to prepare for some very damaging winds and possible multiple days of power outages. I have been to the market and stocked up on a few extra canned goods. We have secured what we could in the yard and have tested all our oil lamps. Hubby has just cut and singed the new wick ends. We are as prepared as we can be. The telephone has gone through...

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I had intended a longer post today, but I now have my new tenants moving in tomorrow (the 2nd) and therefore took an opportunity this morning to go to the house. I decided to take most of my lovely hydrangea plants from there. It is silly my making it lovely for people only to have them trash the place nor not care a fig for the yard. I dug up and brought home five large (5-7’ tall) hydrangea bushes. Of course today it was almost 90 degrees, while last week we were in the 70’s, my sill luck....

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I know this song is meant to be a sort stereotype of the middleclass, but in a way it sort of has a new meaning to me. Sometimes a little ‘same’ is nice and comforting. Sometimes all the ‘same’ is merely many people happy. But, I digress. Sorry for such a late post today.  I thought I would share more photos. I just love photos like these. They come from a site about steel homes, (there are more pictures there). The site is interesting and apparently they made and still make all steel...

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I discovered, hopefully not too late, a fun challenge on a site. The challenge was the questions, “Is the old saying true, Everyone has one book inside of them?” With that in mind we were asked to make up a dummy or idea of a book we would like to make. So for the “Nuffnang August Blogger Challenge” I thought I would have a go at it. I have often thought that my year in 1955 would make a fun and interesting book. My current busy schedule of both living in the past, running my household, and...

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I am taking today off, sort of. I am using my ‘computer time’ today to work more on the total re-vamp of the site that I have been doing. I also will be busy over the next three days easing my old tenants out and letting new tenants into the house we rent out. So, I hope all are enjoying their Sunday. Hubby, Gussie, and I are about to go for a lovely walk to the shore. I need some good calming rest before dealing with my tenants. I shall still endeavor to post this week, daily, though. I...

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I have mentioned this before and shall, most likely, do so again in the future: Why use box or prepared when it is easier and cheaper to make your own? I think often we modern women (well when I was a modern woman I did) think, ‘Oh, it’s just easier to use prepared’. However, every day I try another pre-packaged item home-made, I am always more pleased with myself and the product quality. Cake mixes are fairly easy to make ahead, in fact I have blogged about it before. There are some good...

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We had a friend in today so I didn’t have a moment to post. She is moving back from Austen to Maryland and is from the Cape originally. I had fun and made dinner and enjoyed our company. Here are some fun pictures, then, to make up a last minute post for today. Here are some darling dressed from a Speigal catalog from 1956 summer. Aren’t their strappy shoes adorable and fresh. These are so adorable, I love both the drop but fitted waist of the blue number and the puff sleeves of the lilac...

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Other than the radio and jukebox, here in 1956 our music is on vinyl. Records, we call them.  This photo is a wonderful shot of a record store. It is quite large so click on it to see the details of the shop (thanks to Shorpy). Of a Saturday night, this place would probably be jumping with kids getting the latest. Elvis, seen here himself with with records, is becoming quite popular. He has his first #1 hit this year with Heartbreak Hotel (the song from the same titled album) It was...

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This morning I made doughnuts for hubby and my breakfast. I made the cake doughnut as opposed to the yeast-raised doughnut. Both are very good ( I am partial to a hot plate of fresh yeast-raised dredged in sugar!) but the cake is an easier and quicker doughnut to make, as there is no waiting for the dough to rise. This is the good advice from my Betty Crocker Cook Book and here is their recipe for Cake Doughnuts. (Click to enlarge) It is a very good recipe. Today I used this version which...

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At a Fourth of July family picnic this year,1956, Milton Levine came up with the idea for the Ant Farm. You can actually buy the reproduction of this ant farm today. I put it in the corner store under vintage child  HERE. I know I don’t have a child, but I might actually get one for my desk. Have any of you had an ant farm before? Now, for real farms. There is a very definite downward trend in number of actual farmers: In 1940 18% of American labor force was farmers. By the end of...

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I was thinking about my last post and uniforms. And also considering all your responses, which I was surprised no one scolded me and said, “Don’t be silly casual is better”. I think many of we modern gals (and gents) do appreciate dressing up. We appreciate and admire clothes. Many of us, when we watch old movies or even modern shows like Mad Men, do so in many ways because of the clothes and sets. Yet, there is nothing stopping any of us from having such ‘sets’ and clothes in our daily life....

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I thought it would be fun on this fine Sunday morning, here in 1956, to share with you the types of uniforms and people I would meet during my days. The homemaker and the postman. The milkman. The milkman around my New England Area. HERE is an interesting article about Hood and New England in milk delivery heyday. The gas station attendant. Yes, ladies, that is a bow tie and long sleeve shirt. I am sure his wife pressed those trousers for him, as well. The supermarket checker. She...

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I thought for today I would post some fun random happenings and items from this year, 1956. i-Pod, CD player, cassette, 8-track, radio? Yes, they even, back in 1956, were thinking of how we could ‘take along’ the music we wanted to hear. “In 1956 they teamed with CBS to create the “Highway Hi-Fi” – an under-dash phonograph that played vinyl records at a super-slow 16-2/3 revolutions per minute. The slow speed allowed a small disc to pack up to an hour of entertainment on each side. Special...

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Well, folks, here in 1956 it is Blackberry Season! Here you can see a lovely handful of these delicious fruit. I have bushes I have planted in my yard (still giving a small yield but will increase next year). The path we take to the seashore is also lined with blackberries. Luckiest of all, of course, was dear Gussie brought home a large bag full from our local farm where she works. Now, I love blackberries. They are the perfect blend of sweet and tart. They always herald those late summer...

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A recent comment from a long time follower really touched my heart: Hey 50's Gal, Sorry I haven't commented the past few days, we buried my Grandmother yesterday, a great lady at the age of 90, she will truly be a hard act to follow. In the 50's she raised her family on a farm, helped my Grandpa out in the fields, took care of the barns, yet still managed to make homemade food and pies. Lunches were like suppers with meat, starch, veggie and dessert. I don't know how she...

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On 11 August of this year, Jackson Pollock died from a car crash due to his drunken driving. He had his girlfriend (though he was still married to artist Lee Krasner) and her friend with him. The friend was killed and the girlfriend survived. Pollock rocketed to everyman’s fame due to a 1949 3 page article on him. I won’t get into all the aspects of what I think of his work or the work of abstract expressionism at the time. What was happening was timing. Prior to this period Paris was the...

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