No Luck...

Yesterday I ran over to Pittsburg (yes, that spelling is correct - no "h" on the end) to try and get that black panther TV lamp that I shared a week or two ago.  Unfortunately, it already sold.  I did look at the black poodle tray, and they had it marked at $11.  I walked around the store to see what other TV lamps they had, and when I made it back to the booth with all the mid-century stuff, I found that someone had picked up the poodle tray.  I hope whoever got it gives it a good home!  So sorry that the lamp had sold Mick!  I promise to keep my eye out for another one!

I did find a couple of things for myself.  They have a new dealer at that place and so I checked that booth over pretty well.  This dealer obviously doesn't know how to price things yet (even the people that run the store made that comment) as I was able to get these two pieces of Pyrex for $2 for the pair.  My favorite piece is the black 1 1/2 quart casserole dish with the white snowflakes.  The brown bowl with the white flowers is nice as well.

I also found this 1954 copy of Ladies' Home Journal Book of Interior Decoration.  It is in nice shape, with a strong binding.  Most of the pictures are in black and white, but there are a few in color that I'll need to share sometime.  I found this book at that booth with all the mid-century stuff that had the black panther lamp.  I thought it was a bargain for only $5.

Have a great Sunday!

This One's for Mick!

Here are some ideas for Mick's search for a TV lamp.  I think I may have to find something more elaborate than my little green planter TV lamp after looking at these!

Also, I found a couple of great TV lamps on Etsy, so I have them featured in a piece in the sidebar to the left, just below the recent comment section.

Please note that I am not affiliated with any of the above sellers or eBay.  I do not receive any financial gain for sharing these with you.  If you are interested in buying something listed above, I suggest going into eBay through one of Retro Renovation's eBay posts and help Pam out a little, as she will get a little financial help to keep Retro Renovation running through each purchase you make by entering though her blog.

Movie Friday: Fried Green Tomatoes

I find myself questioning my vintage movies for Friday.  This movie is truly a classic in my opinion, one of my favorite feel-good movies of all time.  It will soon be 20 years old.  Vintage? No. Classic? Yes.

My favorite scene from the whole movie is when Evelyn rams her big Ford LTD Crown Victoria into the little VW Bug convertible after the two young ladies steal her parking place.  I used to own one of those big old Ford LTD's - a few years newer than the one in the movie, same body with the newer style grille, and I often wanted to slam it into another car as well, it was the worst car I have ever owned.  100,000 miles and the transmission and motor needed to be replaced...GRR!!! 

Back to the movie.  This movie will forever be a classic, as well as the book that it was based on.  If you haven't read the book, I would recommend it.  (Maybe I should add a book recommendation day to the blog...).

It's the story of two sets of ladies, living at different times.  Evelyn Couch (Kathy Bates) is going through the mid-life blues when she meets Ninny (Jessica Tandy) at a nursing home.  As the two ladies get to know each other better, Ninny reveals a story of two ladies from the past, Idgie Threadgoode (Mary Stuart Masterson) and Ruth Jamison (Mary-Louise Parker).  Through the stories of the strength and courage of Idgie and Ruth, Evelyn emerges from her mid-life slump and makes a bond with Ninny.  It's an uplifting story.

On a more controversial note about the movie, it glosses over some of the controversial themes in the book, mainly that the relationship between Idgie and Ruth was more than just friendship.  And that's as far as I'm going to go with that.  Want to know more?  Read the Wikipedia article here.

And remember, there's always Towanda!

Give Me A Head With Hair...

So, I was going through the September 1970 issue of TV Radio Talk to try to figure out how to share the lengthy story of Andy and Claudine as Christine requested (I'm still working on it Christine - it's a really long story!), when I came across this ad for women's wigs and I just had to share it with you all today.  It will enlarge quite a bit if you click on it.  There's a lot of hair to look at here!

Junkin'

I managed to get back in town earlier than usual yesterday, and since Tuesday is the day that my favorite little junk shop on the square adds new inventory, I rushed downtown.  I found three treasures:

I liked this little pitcher, someone put a piece of felt on the bottom to keep it from scuffing things.  The felt was starting to peel back a little bit, so I helped it a little.  It was made by Ru Ku in Hot Springs, Ark. in 1964.  I think that the scenes are very attractive.  $2.

Of course, I found another carafe.  I must buy every one of them that she gets in.  This is a small one with the traditional starburst pattern.  This one does still have its original lid.  It's the first small size carafe I've come across.  It was made by Corning.  $1.

Finally I found a bag full of 8 old magazines.  They are all from the 1950s except for the TV Talk which is from 1970.  There's enough eye candy in these magazines to provide me with blog posts for at least two months, probably more!  Of course, I won't just be featuring things from these magazines, but you will be seeing some things from them.  Here's what I got: Family Circle Magazine from September 1953 featuring Lucille and Desi Make a Movie (The Long, Long Trailer - remember when I featured that movie?  It's one of my favorites).  Next, TV Illustrated Magazine from June 1956 featuring Lucille Ball, Groucho Marx, and Ed Murrow.  Complete TV from May 1956 featuring Liberace.  Complete TV from October 1957 featuring James Arness, Gisele MacKenzie, Ernie Ford, and the Lennon Sisters with Lawrence Welk.  Next, TV Radio Mirror from January 1957 featuring Elvis Presley (before he was just called Elvis).  TV Radio Mirror from October 1955 featuring Rosemary Clooney (I thought of you Mick!), John Baragrey, Rosemary DeCamp, Tennessee Ernie Ford, and Lassie.  The American Magazine from August 1955 featuring the Amazing Secret of Walt Disney.  Finally, TV Radio Talk from September 1970, which has the headlines of "Patty Duke Hysterical as Desi Jr. Walks Out!", "Behind Andy & Claudine's Tragic Divorce: What Really Went Wrong With The Couple Who Had Everything!", and "The Forsythe Saga: Private Lives Of Its Most Talked-About Stars."  The whole stack of vintage magazines, in great vintage condition: $3.

Looks like I have some fun reads in my future!

I was here...and it was AMAZING!!!

Sofa Hunting on CL

First up, I love this black sectional.  I'm fairly certain that it's from the 50s, but the seller doesn't say.  The only problem is that it has the huge rip in the curved section.  I guess you could put a table where the curved section goes instead.  Definitely worth the $25 asking price.  Too bad it's too far away for me to be able to look at!  You can view the original posting here.

How about this beautiful sofa and chair set?  I love the beautiful green fabric.  It's an amazing deal at $150 for the set.  You can see the CL posting here.

I would say that this fun set is probably from the late 60s or the 70s.  The wood trim adds interest to them, as does the design in the fabric.  The asking price for the sofa and love seat as a set is $90.  View the CL posting here.

I LOVE this bright yellow vinyl sofa!  It would definitely stand out in a room.  I see it much as the seller has it, in a room that is dominated in white and black with the bright yellow sofa as the focal point in the room.  It's been on CL for a couple of weeks now, so it may not still be available.  Asking price is $400.  View the CL posting here.

Finally, I am still in love with Heywood Wakefield.  This set consists of a sofa and two matching arm chairs.  I like the contrast between the black cushions and the wood.  This set is a little higher at $1200, and definitely out of my price range, but it is beautiful to look at!  You can see the original CL posting here.

Have a great Tuesday!

Frozen Foods for the Family

Today I want to share with ya'll this fun leaflet that I found in a box of items I purchased at an estate sale (auction) at some point (I honestly can't remember when, but it has been in the past year).  This is Circular 555 from the University of Missouri College of Agriculture's Agricultural Extension Office.  Every county seat has a University of Missouri Extension Office, I believe.  Ours is a few blocks from my parent's house.  The circular is dated April, 1948.  It has apparently been well used, as there are stains on several of the pages.  I like the picture of the woman on the cover, with her paring knife in hand, cutting up something (new potatoes?) into her Pyrex mixing bowl.  Included is everything that a mid-century housewife needs to know about freezing foods.

First, as seen in Fig.2, you must choose a convenient type of container for your frozen food storage.

You should only put high quality meat in the freezer locker!

This piece of meat has been well wrapped and is now ready for freezing.

Properly blanching your vegetables will help them retain their food values!

Make sure you plunge those blanched vegetables into cold running water or ice water!

When you are preparing your frozen vegetables, drop them directly into boiling salted water on your beautiful 40" mid-century electric stove.

This chart is on the two dirtiest pages in the booklet.  My guess is that the lady who used this book used these pages often for reference.  It is titled "Directions for Preparing Vegetables for Freezer Locker."  It lists different vegetables, how to select them, directions for preparing, scalding and packing.

And now, I'm getting hungry just looking at the list!  Feel free to click on the pictures to enlarge them for a better look, especially the chart in the last picture.

Have a great Monday!

Unhindered

I hear voices in the distance,
But my heart is in resistance,
Trying to discern and learn the heart of the One for whom my heart burns.
Raising against lies of the enemy,
Claiming darkness the greater reality.
But there's something bigger than you and me,
Bigger than what I can see:
A city on a hill calling life to those who follow.
Healing and wholeness for those who sorrow.
Who holds the stars in His hand?
Built His temple in mortal man?
Called dry bones to rise and stand?
In the beginning was the Word,
The Word became flesh,
Darkness is history, that's the rest.
Who is like the Lord?
Who shows unfailing love to the undeserving,
Holy God and humbleness serving.
Those who mocked and crucified Him.
Dead, buried, rising again!
And us with Him!
Singing with Him in heavenly places
Higher than these earthly spaces.
It is finished, the ransom paid, foundation laid,
New hope, new life, it's a brand new day!

I'm home!  What an amazing experience this weekend.  I had such an uplifting time being able to help chaperon our church youth trip to Acquire the Fire in Kansas City at Kemper Arena (except for that fact that I hate navigating through cities - I was born in a small town for a reason :) ). 

The above band, Unhindered, was the main worship band, and I love their music.  The text above is the spoken part from the beginning of the song Who is Like the Lord.  Enjoy!

Movie Friday: Bullitt

Today's movie is Bullitt.  Bullitt features one of the most famous car chases of all time (except for the famous O.J. Simpson chase in the white Ford Bronco).  That car chase is always the first thing to come to my mind about this movie.  The second is the beautiful dark green 1968 Mustang fastback that Steve McQueen drives.  I love that car, and came so close to having it for my first car.  When my father married my mother, he drove a 1967 Mustang fastback in dark green just like McQueen's.  The only difference is that McQueen's car had black interior and Dad's had Ivy Gold.  Dad's machine featured a tire burning 390 c.i. big block.  It was supposed to be my first car.  It needed a fairly intense restoration, but was restorable.  Needless to say, my dad likes to procrastinate.  It wasn't my first car...in fact I have never driven it.  It is sitting out at our farm, rusting away because dad won't let it go.  I even have a good motor and transmission that I bought for it just sitting, waiting for it.  Maybe someday, but most likely not.  Sigh.

Anyway, back to Bullitt.  "There are bad cops and there are good cops-and then there's Bullitt."  This great movie from 1968 stars Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, and Jacqueline Bisset.  This is just one of those classics that every red blooded American man needs to see in his lifetime.

Have a great Friday!  I'm preparing for an amazing trip with our church youth group.  My next post will most likely be on Monday, so enjoy your weekend!

Make Your Next Car the New 1950 Mercury!

Who wouldn't love a large beautiful family sedan like this?  More comfort in the big M!  Of course with Merco-Therm Ventilation you will always be comfortable!  Better in styling, comfort, performance, and as owners report, better in economy.

I have always loved classic mid-century cars, and this ad is so typical of the car ads from the period.

Not a big post today.  Tomorrow's Movie Friday!

Looking forward to tomorrow, helping chaperon a church youth trip to Acquire the Fire at Kemper Arena in Kansas City.  It's going to be an amazing time and I can't wait!  Because of this trip, I most likely won't have a new post this weekend.

How to Have Color Harmony in Your Living Room

I found this great Kroehler Color Harmony guide on the big auction site the other day, and snatched it up - it is still in it's original cellophane wrapper.  It was printed 10-20-39, so it's too old to be mid-century, but I still feel like it is an amazing resource.  Nobody else wanted this; I was the only bidder.  Fine by me - I got it for $2.

 

To see it better, click on it and it will enlarge.  The white squiggly lines are from the scanner on the cellophane.  The first column of colors is for your Living Room Suite Color, the second column is wall color options, the third column is for rug color options, and the last column is recommended drapery options.

Here's the back, which explains how to use the guide:

I wonder if they were still printing these for mid-century homes?  I'll have to keep my eye out for one that is more appropriate for the time period of my home.  Still, I think it's an amazing resource!

Have a great Wednesday - Friday will soon be here!

A Little Something from the Teacher in Me...

As you all know, I'm a teacher.  The teacher in me relates so well with this YouTube video that I came across that even though it isn't mid-century, I had to share this video with you all!  Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!

More Finds

Warning!  This post is image intensive.  If you're on dial-up, it's gonna take a while!

So, here's what I found this weekend.  All of the items except one came from an estate garage sale I went to.  The last item came from the antique store / flea market that I posted about yesterday.

Let's start with the worst, it can only get better from here!

This sale had everything in boxes and flats, and in order to purchase one thing from the box or flat, you had to take the whole thing.  Guess that's one way to get rid of stuff!  Above's a picture of a bunch of stuff that will be finding its way into my next garage sale.  Seems like the pile for that sale just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

So, yesterday when I shared the neat little pair of vintage lamps that I was able to pass up I mentioned that I fought off my lamp collecting syndrome to make sure they didn't come home with me.  Well, I was unsuccessful earlier in the day.  Hi, my name is Michael, and I'm a compulsive lamp collector.  This brass desk lamp has a metal shade and is in really good shape.  I snatched it up for a dollar.  Still not sure what to do with it.  My desk isn't big enough for it or I would already be putting it to good use!

The hangers have come off the back of these old brass wall plates.  I'll have to figure out another way to hang them - probably with those hanger things that you use to hang regular plates on the wall.   I couldn't pass them up - I have a photo of my Grandma's house where she has a pair of these hanging over her sofa (with another picture).

Vintage Pyrex carafe.  I think my compulsion to purchase these when I come across them rivals my lamp compulsion.  This one is hard to see, but it has a sun and stars pattern on it.  Unfortunately, the lid is missing.

This pink hand-held Dormeyer mixer wasn't about to go home with anybody else!  It still runs, but one of the beaters won't turn.  I'll have to investigate the situation a little further.

Haeger 231 planter in white.

Great blue Calart Creations planter.

Some "made in Taiwan" oil paintings.

And a vintage chenille bedspread - twin size, I believe.  It has a couple of thin spots in it, but hey, it was a good deal.  Most likely will end up as a cutter for a lady I know who makes them into stuffed animals.

All of the stuff above cost $5.50.  Now there's a deal.  Now I just have to deal with the extra unwanted stuff!

Finally, here's what I picked up at the antique store:

Another planter!  Add this to the list with the lamps and the carafes - I'm getting too many!  But wait, it's more than a planter!

It's a 1950s TV lamp planter.  I love the green color (green is my favorite color!).  This is my first TV lamp.  Even though it isn't one of those cool sculptural ones like I shared yesterday, I like that this one combines with my growing collection of planters.  I couldn't pass it up when I saw the price: $5.  Now, I have to figure out how to move my CD player, speakers, DVD player, VCR, digital converter box, and the RF modulator to have a fitting place for it!

Have a great Tuesday!

Weekend Treasure Hunting

So, Saturday I got out of town and went to an estate garage sale (where I ended up with more than I wanted due to the way that they were selling things) and an antique mall / flea market.

The things that I'm sharing today are from the antique / flea market.  This store had some really good inventory.  There was even one whole booth dedicated solely to mid-century stuff, and it was a big booth, one of the biggest in the store.

Here's what I found, that didn't come home with me.  Sorry for the photo quality - my cell phone doesn't do the best, but you get the idea.

This great pair of lamps was, I believe, $10 (I've slept since then).  Very interesting, and I had to fight my lamp buying compulsion, but I succeeded.  I just came home with the picture of them.

I loved this swivel rocker.  The fabric was perfect, not a flaw anywhere.  It was very comfortable too.  When I lifted the seat cushion to see if there was a manufacturer's tag I even found that it still had the original matching arm covers and head rest cover, also in excellent shape (I didn't find a manufacturer's tag though).  Now, while I loved this chair, I don't need another vintage chair.  I need a couch.  Especially since I just bought that great mid-century Kroehler chair last week.  I hope that this gold rocker finds a good, loving mid-century minded home though.  Asking price: $70.

This is where some of my photos didn't turn out too well (they looked good on the little screen on my phone though).  This is a black panther television lamp.  I believe that it was priced around $30.  Great deal.

This one's for Mick.  This lovely lady is also a television lamp.  She wasn't very photogenic though, as you can see.  Too bad, she was really neat.  She's at the large booth filled with mid-century finds.  I can't remember her price for sure, but it was somewhere in the $45 - $50 range.  Sorry, I don't know how much the cool little poodle tray behind her was, I just noticed it while writing this post.  Wonder how many other potentially great finds I miss?

There was a pair of these great doors.  I'm sure that they hung next to each other for a double wide doorway.  No door handles on either one.  Maybe they came out of a mid-century church, or something similar.  I don't get the feeling that they came out of a house.  They were priced at $45 each.

Finally I found a pair of vintage barkcloth pinch pleat drapes.  They had great colors in the pattern, purples, grays and greens on the off-white background.  Another thing that I can't remember the price on for sure, but I think they were in the $40 - $50 range.

Stay tuned tomorrow and I'll share some of the things that I found for myself (and I'll even include a picture of all the stuff that will have to go in my next garage sale thanks to that estate sale).

Have a fantastic Monday!