A classic candy...in different flavors?

This ad, in my daughter's April 1955 The American Girl magazine, is for Tootsie Roll. Tootsie Roll is a classic American candy that goes way back. It's fallen by the wayside in recent years, and really we only get the tiny Tootsies at Halloween anymore, it seems.

I can't remember the last time I saw an actual candy-bar-sized Roll. And I've never seen any other flavors than classic "chocolate." I put that in quote marks because, let's face it, it's more "Tootsie Roll flavor" than actual chocolate!

Why'd we stop doing Tootsie Fudge and Tootsie Milky Caramels? And no, I don't mean those silly colored Tootsie Fruit things. Blech...

I, too, want to sit around the record player in my super-cute capri pants and a jaunty scarf tied around my neck and chew (and chew, and chew, and chew) on a Tootsie... Roll, Fudge, Caramel... Maybe all three! Mmmm...

I Want to Ride My Bicycle

In honor of the Tour de France, which I love to watch for the excitement, the drama, and the scenery, I'm thinking of bike riding. Granted, I've never been nor will never be at that level of riding, but I do love a good cushy bike and a nice place to ride.

Sadly, I have neither. I regularly peruse the lovely Diary of a Vintage Girl blog, and Fleur often shows her gorgeous self on her bicycle, and I am so jealous! It's too hot here in Texas to do much of anything but sit in front of any kind of cool air. And I have no place to ride to anyway. Woe is me...

I know that many places around the U.S. and the world are very bicycle friendly, but I don't live in one of those places. The car and truck rule the road, and we have no sidewalks to speak of. Town has a few bike lanes, but that's a 30-minute drive away. So I'll moan for myself, Why'd we stop allowing anything but motor vehicles to use the roads? And why don't I have a comfy bike with a big springy seat and a cute outfit for coasting down the hills?

So I'll continue to live vicariously through Martha Raye and her cute hooded romper and the cyclists making their way to Paris. For those of you who not only have a great bike but also a great place to ride it, do enjoy it as much as you can!

Pardon the intrusion...but there's a sale!

Sweet summertime sale!

So sorry to intrude in my blog topic with my Etsy shop. But I did want to spread the word that I'm having a one-week sale.

Just visit Wire 9 Vintage and enter coupon code stopdoingthat (all one word, no spaces) for 20 percent off your purchase price.

Happy shopping!

Truthiness...

With so much at stake in the political arena these days, I couldn't help but be called up short by these ads from a set of 1940 Time magazines. The ads are for Fortune magazine and the New York Times. Whatever you think about those publications, the sentiments expressed in these ads, just before the U.S. was to enter World War II, is a sentiment for the ages.

So for this Fourth of July, I will ask, "Why did we stop doing that?"... bragging about honesty in news reporting, encouraging thoughtfulness, presenting the news that goes beyond a sound bite? We've ended up with an endless string of catch phrases and talking points, endlessly...and mindlessly...repeated with nary a real fact to be found (hence Web sites like PolitiFact.com).

Unfortunately, the media gives us what we ask for. When did we stop asking for the whole truth...and nothing but?
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On a more shallow note, we are saddened in Texas by the lack of rain...which means we can't have fireworks this holiday. Enjoy yours!

Long Hangers and Toilet Seats

... really have nothing in common! Except... In September, 1937, Better Homes & Gardens included them both in the "It's News to Me!" column. I often spot items like this in old magazines and books that look so useful, I really do ask, "Why did we stop doing that?"

Check out the page:

Among the numerous goodies to help folks make their lives easier is one thing I sure could have used about seven or eight years ago, and another thing I sure wish I had right now.

First, number 2... really, no pun intended! The description reads: "'A clever idea,' says Gladys Denny Shultz of the toilet cover, designed for the home where there's a baby. Its second hinged seat, built in to rest lid-like on the adult's seat, fits the child. Thus the unit has permanent, swinging seats in two sizes, and a lid..."

How brilliant! If you've also struggled with the various potties for training, you know how handy -- and clutter free -- this beauty would be. And it would still be around, presumably, for when child-sized visitors need to visit the bathroom...or maybe even grand kids.

The second item, I'm sure is still made somewhere. But I've never come across them, and I'm sure if I did, they would be out of my price range. Our bedroom closets have two shelves above the rod. I can't get to them, nor does anything really fit on them that I would like to store. What I would really like to do is take them out, drop the existing rod, and put another rod up near ceiling height. If I had some of these hangers, that would make my closet twice as large, and I wouldn't even need to stretch to get to stuff up out of the way.

The description: "It it's top hat and tails for the big time, just reach your clothes from these long-handled hangers. hanger at left (No. F), hooked on a high closet rod, keeps an evening gown from trailing. The other (No. 0), placed high, saves a man's dress suit from the closet crush of the hoi polloi!..."

Or... my winter things could pop up to the top rod, along with my special clothes, and my current rotation of clothes could reside below.

Don't these things just make sense? Why'd we stop doing that?

Appropriate Clothing

My grandmother knew a thing or two about dressing comfortably. She lived in an old house out in the country, and until her later years, she and my grandfather gardened extensively, kept animals, and generally lived the rural lifestyle. But when she had to go to town--for groceries, to the bank, or for some entertainment--she dressed for the occasion. That was when her best clothes, shoes, and jewelry came out, and she could fix her thick and curly white hair into the prettiest styles. (She tended to wear hairnets around the house to keep her rather wild mane in order!)

Anytime I venture out, I have to question, "Why did we stop dressing appropriately?" Seeing people in dirty and torn clothing at the library, seeing people in the grocery store in pajamas, seeing adult men "of a certain age" wearing the same things that 10-year-old boys wear and women wearing super short shorts and barely-there tops away from the beach or pool.... Not appropriate! It's a lack of respect for themselves as well as for those around them.

I live in an area where people come from all over to tube the river. I hate the tubing season because everywhere one looks is more flesh than I care to see, especially when I'm shopping for food or stopping in a cafe for a bite to eat. I fully understand that bathing suits are appropriate to the river, but for walking down the street? For shopping? We passed a woman the other day walking down the street whose bikini was so small that from a not-far distance, we could have sworn she was completely naked!

So I was delighted to see that the great Edith Head had made a list--alphabetized!--for appropriate clothing for women. I've just finished reading her memoirs, titled The Dress Doctor, from 1959. After many tales of dressing some truly amazing men and women (and herself), she concludes with an appendix, "For the Do-It-Yourself Dress Doctor."



One of the fantastic illustrations by La Edith.

 Some of her "Prescriptions for Dressing":

AMUSEMENT PARKS: Spectator sport clothes--skirt + sweater or blouse, or sport dress, sport suit, or simple street dress; + comfortable shoes+sweater or jacket at night. Hat and gloves optional.

BICYCLING: Shorts, pedal pushers, or pants + shirt, sweatshirt, or sweater; + sneakers + anklets. Cap optional.

CHURCH: Day dress, dressmaker suit, or ensemble (dress and jacket); + hat + gloves + street shoes. Hats or head coverings are always correct, in some churches obligatory; bare arms, incorrect.

COLLEGE:
Classroom.  Sweater (pullover or cardigan), or blouse (sport or tailored), with skirt (straight, gored, pleated). Or sport dress (shirtmaker, jumper), or sport suit (suitable fabrics--wool, wool jersey, flannel, tweed, cashmere, corduroy; cotton and synthetics in spring); + jacket (cardigan or blazer) + vest + car coat + top coat + loafers, moccasins, saddle shoes or oxfords + bobbysocks (cuffed) or knee-length socks or hose + gloves (knit or sport) + bag + scarf or hood for campus.
Leisure. Pants--blue jeans to velveteens--Bermuda shorts or pedal pushers; + blouse or sweaters + loafers or leisure shoes.
Social Functions (teas, luncheons). Dressmaker suit or afternoon dress (wool, knit, silk; in spring, prints, cotton, organdy); + jacket or coat + day (not sport) shoes + hose + small hat + gloves.
Evening--semiformal. Afternoon or dinner suit or dress (suitable fabrics--silk, taffeta, velvet, soft wool, brocade, satin or lace; in spring, organza, cotton, organdy); + coat, jacket or stole (fur or fabric) + dress shoes + hose + cocktail hat + long or short gloves.
Evening--formal. Short, long or ballerina-length dress (faille, taffeta, brocade, satin, lace, tulle, net, organdy); + formal coat (taffeta, brocade, satin, fur) or stole + evening footwear.

DINNER:
CITY--FORMAL
At Home. Hostess: Short or long dinner dress. Guests: Short or long dinner dress (depending on hostess's request); + evening shoes + wrap + gloves.
Restaurant, Hotel or Cafe (usually a dinner dance or dinner preceding other formal functions). Hostess and Guests: Long or short formal dress; + evening shoes + gloves + wrap.
CITY--INFORMAL
At Home. Hostess: Afternoon dress, short dinner dress, hostess gown, or evening separates (dinner pajamas, or dinner skirt or slacks with evening sweater or blouse). Guests: afternoon dress, ensemble, or evening separates (skirt + sweater or blouse) + suitable shoes, gloves optional.
COUNTRY CLUB--FORMAL
Hostess and Guests: Short, ballerina, or full-length formal dress; + stole or evening wrap + evening shoes + gloves.
COUNTRY--INFORMAL
At Home. Sport dress, afternoon dress, or cocktail dress, + suitable shoes. Guests: according to request of hostess.
Country Club. Sport dress, short dinner dress, afternoon dress, or separates; + suitable shoes + wrap + gloves.

HOUSEWORK: Housedress, smock, duster, or skirt or pants of any becoming length with shirt or T-shirt or wash sweater (all clothes in this category must be functional and washable, but colors can be gay); + apron suitable for work in hand --rubber, plastic, or cotton + low-heeled ties, moccasins or flats--not bedroom slippers.

ROLLERSKATING: Action skirt, or slacks, with blouse or sweater; + wool socks + cardigan sweater or jacket.
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There are many other gems, like what to wear shopping, what to wear to a prize fight, what to wear hunting (including specifics for game or bird hunting) and fishing (whether fly or deep-sea!), and much more. This was a fun read that definitely puts the meaning of dressing well and appropriately in a new light from someone who spent her life thinking about how clothing made people look. She wasn't just about "what to wear and not wear" but about the outcome of all kinds of presentations. Really interesting stuff!

I'll leave you with this quote from Ms. Head;
"There is a point every woman can learn from the actress. Do your clothes justice--never appear in them half-baked, be the finished product. An actress doesn't wear a dress or suit and say, "This'll look wonderful when I have the right shoes and the right hat." She knows that each impression she makes is important, that she's always being seen. She takes pride in herself.
So should we all."

Penmanship

Are you old enough to have had a class called penmanship? For me, second grade was that magic time when we set aside such childish things as printing in block letters and moved on to the much more adult style of writing (but still in pencil! ink wasn't allowed until high school!). Cursive was that amazing and magical way of writing that meant we were growing up.

But my kids didn't have that. My teenager had a class called "keyboarding." We called it "typing" in my day. My younger daughter will not have either class, although they did learn some cursive--a simplified, rather stripped down version--and something called "italics." (See article here: Op-Art: The Write Stuff)

Some studies show that learning penmanship, the art of correct handwriting, can improve students' education overall. Once upon a time, penmanship was important. Students worked hard and spent a good deal of time working on their hand, getting used to the tools of penmanship, learning the art of it. And it was indeed artwork. A beautiful flowing hand was an admired trait. How many times have you seen some old piece of handwriting and said, "I wish I could write like that!"

I have a book from 1872 called The Payson, Dunton, & Scribner Manual of Penmanship, published in New York and Chicago by Woolworth, Ainsworth, and Company. It is a manual, not for learning how to write beautifully, but for teaching students how to write beautifully. Interestingly, the first thing stressed is that the teacher should do all the work the students will be asked to do, and that he or she basically lead by example. It also teaches the future teacher of penmanship how to criticize. It give specific instructions for how to ask students questions and correct their work. I love this piece of advice: "It is not enough to discover the fault. They must know what to do to make the desired change." Words all teachers should live by!

Here are the parts of letters at the back of the book:

Yes, I wish I could write like that, but I honestly don't know how practical it would be. After all, who would know how to read it? But, teaching students how to write by hand, neatly, legibly, and with a little flair is important. And we've apparently stopped doing that. Why?

Predictions of handwriting's demise didn't begin with the computer; they date back to the introduction of the Remington typewriter in 1873. But for at least a generation, penmanship has seemed a quaint and, well … schoolmarmish subject to be emphasizing. Now, backed by new research, educators are trying to wedge it back into the curriculum. After all, no one has suggested that the invention of the calculator means we don't have to teach kids how to add, and spelling is still a prized skill in the era of spell check. If we stop teaching penmanship, it will not only hasten the dreaded day when brides acknowledge wedding gifts by e-mail; the bigger danger is, they'll be composed even more poorly than they already are.

The above quote is from a Newsweek article from November 3, 2007, titled "The Writing on the Wall." According to the article, handwriting fluency has been found to be a building block of learning. Those who can physically write better, can not only demonstrate their skills better, but the act of expression is part of the learning process. After all, we've been writing by hand for an awfully long time. Typing, or keyboarding, has its place (I couldn't write to you now without it!), but so does handwriting. Just because we do one doesn't mean we don't have to do the other anymore. The common argument ties it to the calculator: Just because we can use a calculator to figure hard math does not preclude us from learning the technique behind the equation. It's two different things. Learning how to add is important, and it's a building block for a lot of stuff. So is learning how to build letters into words and words into sentences at the rhythm that our brain and hand work together.

And to close... my mother had an autograph book in 1940. I've always been fascinated by the little notes from family and friends in it, and also by the handwriting from so long ago. In 1940, my mother was in the seventh grade. Just look at this little gem, so beautifully written and with such flair... and written by a boy!

Who was John? I don't know. But doesn't he look interesting? I wonder if someone will see my handwriting one day, 70 years from now, and say, wow... I bet she was smart and interesting? I wonder if I will leave behind any handwriting at all...