Why I do not like Christmas

I haven't always disliked Christmas. As a kid, I loved it. I couldn't sleep and would get up long before dawn to plunder my Christmas stocking. And I was always excited to open my gifts when my mother and my older brother finally got up. But in adulthood the holiday has lost its sparkle.

When my husband and I were dating and then later when we were married, it always involved the tug and pull of at least 3 different families. Fortunately, for the first couple of years of my marriage we avoided my parents since they made it clear they disapproved of my husband. We avoided them altogether at Thanksgiving and spent as little time as could be politely managed on Christmas Eve. Then on Christmas day it was the mad dash to my in-laws (if not later on Christmas Eve) and then the caravan to my father-in-law's sister's house. It's not that I didn't enjoy spending time with family (other than mine) but it was the pressure to do it ALL that I didn't like! I know others feel this way too, but it's almost taboo to say so.

Add to the pressure to be everywhere, the pressure to spend, spend, spend. The last couple of years we've scaled back our giving considerably. We've decided that rather than buy our friends and family something we're not sure they need or want, we'd spend our money on a charity and then buy our friends and family a little gift to open with a card from the charity. It became a fun challenge to find a unique gift for each person (or couple) keeping within a strict budget of $5.00-$10.00. This has worked pretty well to keep down the stress of Christmas shopping and we hope has helped people truly in need.

All in all, I've found Christmas to be a huge letdown over the years. And all the hubbub about keeping Christ in Christmas is just a bunch of sound and fury signifying nothing. I'm a pretty faithful Christian, and it's pretty evident to me that Christmas as we know it and celebrate it has very little to do with Christ and his teachings; if it did, we'd be serving in soup kitchens, delivering supplies and food to the needy, and visiting the elderly in nursing homes rather than over-indulging ourselves and our children on Christmas. That would be recognizing the significance of the Incarnation. That would be putting Christ back in Christmas.

I Can Only Speak for Myself

To say I've grown weary of politics is an understatement. Despite whatever I believe about the current administration and its policy decisions and agenda, no matter what corroborating evidence I can come up with, there's too much vitriolic opposition out there. I won't say I'm in full retreat and have given up, but frankly my energies need focusing on my own personal life and situations at the moment. However, some observations about our country and our culture at large inform my current focus.

I think there's way too much emphasis in this country on what we have and on spending money. In my middle age, I'm looking toward retirement and old age. What are my plans? What is essential to quality of life? Food, shelter, health, reasonable security. I don't plan to be rich and retire to the islands. I have family, friends, church and other community--these are proven to improve quality of life--I don't want to pull up stakes and leave these, I want to live more fully into them.

I'd prefer to spend less and save more while meeting my daily, monthly, yearly needs. Do I need more stuff than my house can hold? I want to focus on quality. Perhaps it's my Yankee roots, but I hate paying retail. It's so grossly inflated and you are paying for the store's overhead--far better to buy second-hand, recycle, reuse, repurpose. I don't care what the label says or what everyone else is wearing for the most part. I've learned that true class has nothing to do with such things. What about creativity? What about gratitude for the things I do have?

Got some major life changes ahead, not the least of which is a move in the near future. We will be deciding what to take and what to leave behind on every level. I'm scared, but I'm also excited.

Diana

Clearly I suck at drawings.

I won't be doing one again any time soon. However! 50sgal has won the vintage dress giveaway! I know where to find her and I'll send her a message on her forum, but no it wasn't rigged! It was a legit random drawing!

Tune back in, I'll try to have a new post up sometime this week. Lots rolling around in my head lately.

Diana

Fitness Challenge

Here's what I've been doing for the last month, among other things.

http://wsav.upickem.net/engine/Details.aspx?p=A&c=20892&s=4941823&i=1#SD

Time has gotten away from me.

I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted anything here. Life has been very hectic. I've been participating in a fitness challenge that requires me to participate in a fitness bootcamp 3 mornings a week and that leaves me exhausted for the rest of the day. One of our chickens was mauled by a possum about a month ago, and we've been trying to nurse her back to health. She's stopped putting weight on one of her legs and she can't live in the coop with the rest of the chickens and so has been living in my husband's study. She went to the vet today and we're to keep doing what we've been doing and also give her some antibiotics and see if she doesn't start to perk up some. The goodnews is that she doesn't have so much nerve damage that she can't come back from it.

We're also still hoping to get our house on the market, so any spare time we have we are trying to get the house cleaned up, packed up, and a few cosmetic things fixed up. And on top of that we have to work our jobs.

I have not heard back from the winner of my drawing so I think I will draw again and announce a new winner. Stay tuned!

Diana

And the winner is . . . .

Lady Montgomery! Congratulations. You have won my vintage dress giveaway! I do apologize in the delay in the drawing. Life has become hectic. We nearly lost a chicken to a possum attack and then I've entered a local fitness challenge and have been doing fitness boot camp three days a week!

So Lady Montgomery, send me an email with your shipping infoto dhorel@hotmail.com, and I'll send your dress to you. I wanted to post the photo again, but am having trouble uploading tonight.

Fannie.

I have not forgotten!

Drawing for the vintage dress tonight. A little late, but life got in the way. Also, vintage carshow pictures to come. Lots of 50's cars and some 40's! Check back with me tonight. You could be a winner!

Fannie!

Hobbies better than therapy, better than drugs.

As I've struggled with stress related mental and physical health problems over the last several years, I've been told repeatedly and known at least intellectually that there was more to life than work. The problem was I didn't know what else to do with myself. I liked to read and walk and watch television but was not passionate about anything (here antidepressants may have been responsible, lifesaving though they often are). I'd look around and see other people engaged in activities they loved, kayaking, playing music, making stained glass, cooking, and I didn't know what I was interested in, so I'd escape into books, or tv, or endless hours on the internet.

Several months ago, disillusioned with our world, our culture, etc., I googled something to the effect of "living in another era" and became introduced to the world of vintage collecting, dressing, decorating, even living as if in another decade.

Well, this has become a hobby of mine. Perhaps I spend a little too much time on the internet trolling ebay for bargains in vintage clothing and accessories or looking at vintage decor, but at least it's done with some sort of focus.

Unfortunately, I can't indulge the new hobby too much since most of my spare time now has to go toward getting my house on the market. But once we find a new place, I can start figuring out how to decorate it in vintage style.

But the new hobby together with the task of getting the house ready have given me something to do other than to obsess about work and to actually begin to enjoy it for a change. Because of some side effects that I found most intolerable--the inability to make ideas come out of my mouth in an intelligible fashion--I've cut back significantly on my dosage, and so far I'm doing ok with it. I'm getting better at articulating ideas--the inability to do so is incredibly frustrating to this holder of a Masters in English language and literature.

I've also entered a fitness challenge that will not only challenge me physically, but will challenge my social anxieties--I will be on television with the other participants and be in other promotional materials. So I guess as my life outside of work expands, the hyper focus and anxiety related to work, diminishes. I hope anyway.

Only a couple days left in the giveaway!

Don't forget to enter to win a vintage dress. Follow my blog and leave a comment telling me you're following. Post to Facebook about the giveaway and leave another comment for another chance to win. Tweat this giveaway, and so on. One name will be picked on August 31 and the winner announced. Good luck!

Fannie

What I Did on My Summer Vacation.

I had great intentions to get a lot done on my staycation. It was the first full week of vacation time I think I've taken from my job in the five years I've been there. So I wanted to make the best use of my time.

I spent the first two days doing absolutely nothing and thoroughly enjoying the delicious fact that I was on vacation. On Monday I visited the university where my husband teaches and where I got my Masters. More unstructured time to read and surf the internet in the library and student union and drink a latte in the Starbuck's on campus.

Tuesday, I was going to get serious and work on cleaning and packing for our imminent move (once we get the house on the market and actually sell it). But I also had a headache and our air conditioning is not what you'd call efficient. The only places it is actually the temperature the thermostats say it is is the rooms where the units are. There are lots of in between spots--like the kitchen--where it is warmer. So any activity produces profuse sweating. The heat and the headache were making me nauseus. So I cooled down and took a nap and went into town with my husband when he went to teach at a local music store. We share a car and I thought I'd run some errands or work on our budget on my laptop.

Well, those plans were foiled when I realized I'd left my wallet at home--no money, debit card or books-a-million card to get me on the wireless, and my husband and I decided we'd run the errands together when he got off because he wanted to go to the store where I needed to run the errands. So I spent about an hour and a half reading antique and art magazines. Damn the bad luck! However, I did work on the budget when we got home that evening.

Yesterday was a bit more productive. I managed to load and run the dishwasher, get a couple loads of laundry on, mop up the kitchen floor and work in the bedroom for a couple of hours. I also paid some bills and faxed some paperwork to our mortgage company. So got some necessary tasks done before I was overcome by a nap around 5 p.m.

So today, here I am on my last day of vacation. I should stay home and work around the house but will probably go back to the university with my husband and read a novel I've started on my vacation. Tomorrow the weekend starts. Maybe I'll get something done in the next two days before I go back to work on Monday.

Giveaway deadline extended

I've decided to extend the dress giveaway until the end of August. Same rules apply, see previous post. Leave a comment, share on twitter or Facebook for chances to win vintage 1950's dress with fabric covered matching belt!

Giveaway!

Well, as I pack in anticipation of putting the house on the market, I question whether it's a good idea to pack and probably store a couple of the vintage pieces that don't fit me. So I think I'll offer one of them as a giveaway.

I bought this dress on ebay. It's a little too small for me, and I typically wear a size 12 or 14 (U.S.). This seems to me to be handmade. It was touted as 1950's on ebay. I figure it's 40's or 50's. It has a matching fabric covered belt. This dress is in quite good shape. It has a side zipper. A couple of the buttons are faded and it may have a stain or two, but barely visible with the print. Perfect summer dress.

Leave me a comment for a chance to win. Leave another comment to tell me you've shared the giveaway on Twitter for another chance. Mention it on your blog--leave a comment. Share on Facebook--Become a follower--you get the idea. I will pick a winner on August 15.

One caveat. I can only ship within the U.S.

Best of luck!

Fannie

Yardsaling

There are a lot of things I like about yardsaling. The bargains, obviously. But it's also a chance to get out and about, venture into other neighborhoods, see other houses, meet people. I especially like estate sales, where you can walk through the house and pick from among items displayed or in situ. I always wonder about the lives lived in those houses.

No estate sales today, but did get a few great items:

Genuine Tupperware measuring cups. I spied these babies and picked them up. I think they were $1.00. I always need measuring cups. And I've been studying on Tupperware lately. I do not, however, know their vintage.

I saw the Scottie dog purse and had to get it. It's not vintage, but I know this plaid with the Scottie was popular back in the day, just not sure what "day." It came with a little coin purse too. Fun.

The purses are on the stool to the best buy of the day, the dressing table. I've been wanting one. Again, not vintage, but $15.oo for the whole thing! I couldn't walk away from that. We can always do something to make it fit in with whatever decor we choose down the line.

The mirror needs to be reattached. Nothing hubby can't handle. Otherwise, it's in good shape.

Does anyone like pictures of themselves? I'll spare you the apologies for the goofy picture. But check out the apron. That's vintage. I got it and 4 others off ebay this week. I'd say they are 40's-50's, some homemade, some maybe not. I'm no expert.

So grand total for today's yardsale finds: $17.00--I also bought a couple short sleeved tops not shown here 2 for $1.00.

The aprons cost me $12.42 including shipping. I'm pretty certain you can't' get a single half apron for that retail. I would, however, like to learn to make my own. That's a topic for another time. Have a great weekend!

A few of my favorite things.

I've been thinking about my blog a lot. I don't think I want to blog only about my 1950's hobby. I think it will be a big part of what I blog about, as it's a hobby I'm passionate about, but I think it was to restrictive for me. The kinds of things I like to read and write about are varied, and I don't want to have to have a blog for every other interest, so this blog will be a jumble. A mixture, a potpouri, a chronicle of this messy life (lived hopefully in a clean house).

So here are a few of my favorite things:

Our chickens. Here are Darla and Frankie, an Aracana and Rhode Island Red. Darla was handraised by someone else, and is very spoiled!

We got Frankie from a local farm where she was a laying hen in an operation with several hundred others. The other two are our newest chickens, Red and Blondie, another RIR and we think Blondie is a Buff Cochin; she has fluffy, feathery feet. They have both grown so much in the week since this picture as taken.

Now in all the excitement of the two new additions, no one, meaning Frankie, has laid any eggs. Darla has yet to lay for us and we've had her for months. She apparently doesn't think we are worthy. We are not keeping her in the manner to which she had been accustomed. Harumph!

The two new girls have a couple months to go probably before they begin to lay, although the way Blondie is filling out, she may be ready sooner. She's going to be a beautifully fluffy bird.

Long before I ever had chickens, I've had a thing about eggs! I just think they are the coolest objects in the world. I love their shape. I'm fascinated by them. I collect them, both real and whimsical.

In the red glass dishes are some eggs my mother-in-law had collected as well as shells I've collected. Every spring when songbirds hatch out, I or my husband find these shells in the yard. I must have them, so we put them in one of these dishes. I found the nest at my mother's house. It had fallen out of a shrub, one egg lay on the ground, broken, the other lay nearby. The egg was cold; I knew there was no saving it, so I took the nest and egg home with me. Alas, the egg in the nest today is a substitute. Something ate the egg out of the nest. I had it on my porch and it went unmolested for months, until recently.

I simply love the salt and pepper shakers, especially the whole egg ones. Eggs just make me giddy! I cannot explain it.

Our cat Autumn was snoozing on the window sill as I was taking pictures of the eggs. I'm sure cats will be featured here on more than one occasion. We have 3 and they are our children. They are disgustingly spoiled and run the household. Herself is the Princess.

I don't remember precisely where the milk bottle came from. I think my mother and step-father picked it up somewhere. It says Burke Dairy on it. Burke being my maiden name, I thought the bottle worth keeping. It also takes me back to my adolescence when a friend's family still had milk delivered in bottles by the milkman. I was fascinated by this, since we didn't have a milkman in our neighborhood. The milk at my friend's seemed to taste so much better!

The little glass bottles were creamers that were served at a seafood restaurant down the street 30-50 years ago. They were dug up in our yard. You see, my yard used to be my husband's grandfather's hog farm, and his grandfather used to to feed his hogs the garbage (better word than swill?) from the restaurant. So buried all over the yard were these creamers, forks, foil crab shells they made devilled crab in, etc. These creamers harken back to a time--I want to say when things were less disposable, but apparently not; however, these could have been reused . . . . and probably often were.

Well, so here goes, a new direction for the blog. Of course the vintage stuff will be displayed as appropriate. The best thing is that I now have some much needed distractions from the stresses of work, which I've needed desperately for the last 5 years. So welcome. Check it out. Chime in. Chill out. And Ciao for now.

Don't know which direction to go in

This seems to be the theme of my life lately. But really the only direction to go in is forward--that relates to getting my house ready to sell. As far as what direction my new hobby--collecting, wearing, studying the 1950's goes, I'm not sure. I guess I just need to play it by ear. I know my home and my husband need my attention, my emotional and physical presence as well as my participation around our home, especially now as we prepare to leave the home we've known for about 14 years. It's bittersweet.

My blog needs some sprucing up. I have a hard time finding images I can download for free to put on here, so if anyone has any suggestions, let me know. And I'd like to have a better background of some sort, but have yet to figure this out. Some pictures of myself would also be good. I need to get some taken in one of my outfits.

I'm also having a hard time trying to decide what to do with my hair. In my opinion, I have the best haircut of my adult life, but it's not vintage. I know it doesn't say anywhere I have to go all the way vintage--that's just another decision I need to make. Right now it's kind of the Lisa Rinna do, the razored shag. So easy to take care of and flattering. I have very thick and wavy hair and can't be bothered to straighten it, but left to itself, it becomes very thick and heavy. I love having it razored and thinned out. However, I also look good with my longer hair pulled back into a chinon or french twist. To grow or not to grow?

Well, if anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears. I've desperately needed a hobby for a long time now and this presents the opportunity for many side hobbies, cooking, sewing, decorating, etc. I'm passionate about it. More than I can say about anything I've done in years.

Hope everyone's staying cool. It's hot as blazes here in southeast Georgia, and it's not even August.

Fannie

Weekday Luddite and Time to Think

The rather obvious companion to the Weekend Luddite is the Weekday Luddite. Mr. Engels tries to avoid technology before breakfast and after dinner. His job like mine requires he sit in front of a computer all day--I need a term for not surfing the net or checking personal email during work hours.

Lately, being a Weekday Luddite has not been too hard to accomplish. You see, we've decided to put our house on the market, so most of this week after some decompression time and dinner, I've tried to do laundry and start packing up books and things we can put in storage. Then before bed, I might noodle on the computer some. Again the aim is to get back in touch with my life, my husband, my cats, etc.

The impending move is daunting and exciting at the same time. There's not a lot in the way of furniture that we intend to take with us, so this will give me a great opportunity to start with a clean slate and decorate at least part of a new house in 1950's style. We have many ideas already for the kitchen. Probably a red and white motif, formica table, red banquette, probably white appliances with red counters trimmed in crome. DH is totally on board with this idea. I've seen one vintage fridge on ebay, so I know there'll be more. And this site:
http://www.antiquevintageappliances.com/antique_refrigerators_unfinished17.html
gives me plenty of ideas, though I fear they are well out our price range.

I've been researching vintage kitchens. Flikr has some great old adverts for linoleum floors and appliances and countertops that feature 1950's kitchen styles that are fun to look at to get ideas.

Sooooo I haven't been an entirely successful Weekend/Weekday Luddite, but it's a start. At least my internet time is more focused now--on decorating ideas for our eventual new home.

And now, packing and laundry beckon. I think I'll see what Pandora has in the way of 50's music while I pack.

So until next time . . . .

Fannie

I just love giveaways, don't you?

Vintage Christine is giving away $100.00 or $50.00 ebay gift certificates. All you have to do is visit her site/blog and leave a comment telling her what you'd buy with a gift certificate if you won. Check it out: www.vintagechristine.blogspot.com

To me, these giveaways are a great way to add to your vintage collections and make new vintage contacts out there in cyberspace, meaning around the world!

Fiftiesfan

Weekend Luddite

Neither the title nor the idea are original to me. Check out http://nosdiet.com/ where Reinhard Engels has a section under Everyday Systems about eschewing technology between breakfast and dinner on the weekends. I think we all know how much of a time waster the web and email can be. It certainly is for me. I can honestly say I've replaced tv with the web. I have turned on my television once in the last two months. I've been on Facebook, ebay, Etsy, and reading various blogs, Twitter posts, and my email almost every evening instead.

While all this web browsing may have brought me to my new hobby--studying, living, blogging about the 50's lifestyle--it has also had its consequences, chief among them, my shortened attention span.

Now where was I. Oh yeah . . . . I've recently read, yes on the web, about how Facebook, email, texting, etc., have shortened most people's attention spans and interferes with normal socialization. This has been born out in my own life.

I took my mother to a doctor's appointment the other day, and I brought a book with me I'd seriously like to read, but instead, I flipped through glossy magazines, looking at the pictures, forcing myself to read the short, 8th grade level (if it's even that high anymore) writing of the articles. And occasionally, I read a paragraph of my book. I need an intervention.

So what I propose to do is pretty much along the lines of what Reinhard Engels has found works for him. On the weekends, no web or television between breakfast and dinner. That will force me to manage my time and focus my energy and my attention on working around the house, cooking, cleaning, spending time with my husband, communicating or visiting with friends.

I'm especially bad about not calling people when I can email or Facebook with them. Part of that's a touch of social anxiety I have and my greater comfort with the written word, but it's so much more meaningful to talk with friends and loved ones, if not face to face, then on the phone.

Something else interesting to note that kind of goes along with this is that in the 1950's television shows did not come on until 7:00 p.m. I found a website that has television schedules from the 1950's (http://classic-tv.com/1950sPrimetimeSchedules), so if I do turn on the television, it won't be until 7:00 p.m., and I think I'll try to find some of the shows listed on those schedules on Hulu.com or elsewhere that I can watch.

So, I'll let you know how it goes. I'm a little anxious about the whole proposition.

Not a circle skirt among them, doh!

Finally dusted off my digital camera. Here are some pictures of the vintage dresses I have gotten over the last month.

The first 3 I found on ebay. I believe they were all homemade in the 1950's. The turquoise dress needs pressing and starching and will look gorgeous. It came all shiney and crisply starched, but had that musty smell, so I had to wash it. It has a great matching fabric belt with a rose on it.

The second dress has a matching fabric belt and navy buttons.

The third is a 1950's scooter dress. I'm not wild about the yoke, but love the dropped waist and the fabric. I found the converse sneakers this weekend. They are not vintage, but don't they go perfectly? (Actually, they go with the previous dress too!) A friend on the shopping trip said, "Those rock! You have to take them home with you." And so I did.



Of these three I've only worn the scooter dress so far. The other two don't fit quite right, but I'm trying to drop a few pounds. If they still don't fit, then I'll probably sell them to the vintage store. Knowing one's measurements is very helpful, especially when you can't hold the dress up and look at it. I can often tell if something will fit when I can look at it in the store and don't have time to try it on, but ordering off ebay's another matter altogether.

Saving the best for last, the red one is a shiney atomic print day dress with cuffed sleeves and fabric covered buttons. It originally had a belt, but the belt was not included. I found it in a vintage shop in a bin for $5.00. Yay! It fits like a dream, and I got several compliments on it when I wore it last week.

Check out a Vintage Sister's Giveaway

Chronically Vintage is hosting a vintage eyeglasses giveaway with etsy seller CollectibleSpectacle. She'll be giving away a $75.00 gift certificate good toward any purchase with CollectibleSpectacle. See an assortment of their wares at left.

You can choose as many as 5 ways to enter to win. I think these look like great fun.

Go to http://www.chronicallyvintage.com/2010/07/giving-away-75-gift-certificate-from.html to find out how to enter.

Good luck and let me know if you are a winner if you saw the contest here.

Fannie

Going Once; Going Twice . . . .

Last night my husband and I went to an auction up the country. My in-laws go every Thursday night, and we hadn't been in a long time. Now that I'm interested in 1950's things, I thought it might be a great place to see what I could find. I was so excited. My husband and I also needed to get out of the house and out of our routine. We'd both been sick over the last month and frankly besides going to work, I hadn't been anywhere but the house.


So far most of what I've been looking at and studying has been clothes, shoes, handbags, hairstyles, that kind of thing. This auction didn't have any clothes that I saw, no shoes from the period. I saw a handbag, more of a clutch that had possibilities. Just a black hinged affair with a clasp at the top and a chain for a strap. What interested me the most were vintage linens. There were what were once beautiful christening gowns, badly stained now. Lots of handkerchiefs, napkins, dish towels. A few aprons that had possibilities. A pinafore I really thought twice about. But most of the stuff was so badly soiled from long years of storage in dampness maybe. I don't know enough yet to know if these things can be cleaned or if they are a loss. Also in this lot of linens were several gauzy scarves--the kind women/girls in the 1950's tied around their necks or ponytails. These also made me consider this lot.


I think I also need to start looking at 1950's interiors. I don't know enough about the period's furniture to know 50's when I see it. Some things I know right off, but I didn't see anything last night that particularly stood out.


Ultimately, there wasn't enough last night to hold any of our interest and keep us there until the bidding started. But it was a nice way to spend the evening, and it was good to see the in-laws.


The auction's held in a small town, and it was clear that I was an outsider. We tend to think of small towns as friendly places where everybody knows everyone's name (and everyone's business), but they are also suspicious of strangers. I noticed people taking my measure, knowing they hadn't seen me before, and many were not terribly open or friendly. Just an observation.


It's exciting to see some of the things I've only just started looking at on Ebay and Etsy, and to know that these items were part of someone's life in the past, in a period I'm only beginning to study. I'm hoping to make the auction a monthly event on our social calendar.

Mishaps of the Modern Working Wife

Ever have one of those mornings where nothing goes right? This morning I woke up around 6, pretty good for me lately. I was starving and wanted a bowl of cereal with blueberries. Well, my organic non-homogenized, merely pasteurized, not ultra-pasteurized, milk had gone sour because I left it out on the counter for several hours a couple days ago in my mad dash for work, having typically overslept. To add to this misfortune, I yet again had to have a Folger's Single (thank God I had them!) instead of my freshly percolated french roast, though not expensive, ground coffee, because despite several trips to the store, I forgot to buy some, again.

I decided to have toast, and discovered that the bread bag had been melted to the top of the toaster oven when I had apparently used it for something else, leaving the bag of bread on top. Interestingly enough, the bag was also sealed shut by having been melted, so there was a bonus. The hunt for the jelly was on because I never got around to cleaning out the refridgerator this weekend.

My life is chaos, and I'm sick to death of it. So, as I finish my Folger's Single with Silk soymilk, no sugar added, I plan to log off and go to my Housekeeper's Planner, this one care of http://www.brocantehome.net/, to make a shopping list and try to structure what time I do have so I no longer have to suffer these indignities.

Hope your day has started out better than mine!

Fannie

And so it begins

Welcome to my blog. A few weeks ago, I was noodling around on the internet and found a few sites about women who lived their lives as if it were the 1940's or the 1950's. This intrigued me. I started looking around some more and found a number of great sites and blogs about other women who are doing similar things. Some immerse themselves completely in their favorite era and others adopt attitudes, traditions, styles.

Well, count me among them. I'm not sure where this journey will lead, but I hope a few things will happen along the way. I want to simplify my life. I want to be more self sufficient. I want to learn to do more for myself. I want to have a home I'm proud to have friends and family over to.

Why should any of this be framed by the 1950's? Why not? And there's almost no better era in recent history where there is so much in the way of magazines and manuals to help me do all of the things I've outlined above. And nostalgia for what has always been portrayed as a simpler time. And I've always loved the fashion. So feminine.

I hope you'll join me from time to time. I can't wait to see how this unfolds.

Fannie