Call on Cynthia - Advice for the Vintage House Wife!

Dear Miss Cynthia,
What is the best way to entertain unexpected guests?

Oh, dear! Miss Cynthia would never advocate popping up at someone's doorstep unannounced. 

However, a good hostess must be ready for every entertaining eventuality. Proper preparation will enable you to view your unexpected visitors as a pleasant surprise and fully enjoy their company.



 

Naturally, one must assume your abode is kept spotlessly clean at all times. Even so, everything (including you!) looks better by candlelight. 

Eliminate harsh lighting and enjoy the soft glow of candles placed in beautiful holders like these from TickleBugTreasures:

 

Westmoreland Candle Holders - Doric Border

 

Your surprise guests will love to nibble some pantry snacks you can quickly pour into these fun bowls from AllThatVintageNMore:

Vintage Wooden Snack Bowls
















Keep your company entertained and engaged with an impromptu game night with classics like:

Vintage 1989 Scrabble Game 
from  FindingMaineVintage


 

OR:

Vintage Strategy Poker Game from

Forrestina Vintage

And finally, Miss Cynthia has a sure fire solution to guarantee the errant bell ringers not turn up again! 

End the evening by showing everyone slides from your latest trip to the Grand Canyon. Yes, all 463 of them.



 




Remember: when faced with a vintage dilemma, don't fret! Simply chill the champagne and CALL ON CYNTHIA!



Cynthia is a pseudonym for Angela with the Etsy shop, SunshineSurprises

 

Old Fashioned County Fair - Part 2

While trying to decide what in the word I should blog about, I remembered the old saying, do what you know. So with that in mind, I’m sharing articles here the V2 blog about growing up in the country and connecting my memories with vintage items.

Old Fashioned County Fair is a 4 part series.

In today’s visit we’re going through the building where all the home canned goods are presented and judged.

Of course you also had to go through the isles of all the home canned goods; like pickles, jams, jelly, chow-chow, butters, canned fruits and vegetables. You name it and it could be pickled or made into a jam! My Mama and Granny particularly loved to go into this contest building to see what new recipes had been thought up, and of course to see who had gotten that blue ribbon!

As many of you know, good cooking can be an art form. We can pour our hearts and souls into the foods we prepare for our families. In preparing for the home canned goods contest, one must remember that these must be to the satisfaction of the judges and not necessarily to the tastes of the cook and her/his family members.

You can find all manner of vintage items for canning and preserving in many of the V2 Team shops! Below are just a few examples of the fine things you’ll find.

Etsy Shop: KarensChicNShabby

Vintage French Grater

Etsy Shop: TreasuresFromTexas

Aircraft Spice Box

Etsy Shop:littlecleoathome

Six Turquoise Lidded Mason Jars

Etsy Shop: SnapshotsThroughTime

Checkerboard Pattern Fruit Jar

Etsy Shop: DottieDigsVintage

Vintage Turquoise Double Boiler

Etsy Shop: mainevintagetreasure

Vintage Country Pink Yellow Ware Bowl

Etsy Shop: WeeLambieVintage

Vintage Kitchen Tools

Etsy Shop: EagleWingVintage

Antique Primitive Stoneware Crock

Etsy Shop: MargsMostlyVintage

Vintage Womens Circle Cookbook

Thank you for tagging along through the fairgrounds of times gone by.

On our next visit to the county fair, we’ll relive more wonderful memories of this special time when we go through the buildings and tents set up for the judging of home garden flowers, fruits and vegetables.

This blog post was written by Denise of Country Mini on Etsy.

Part 1 of her series - Old Fashioned County Fair - Part 1

Movements in Home Décor and Fashion

Part Five: The Modern Era

In our last installment of this series, Movements in Home Décor and Fashion, we will be looking at the Modern Era which begins in the late 1950’s and continues through the 60’s. During this time we see sleek minimalist designs that, in a sense, shed the weight of the past and had an eye on the future. It was a time to be fast, cool, and carefree! With new methods of advertising, such as TV commercials, modern trends were spread more rapidly than in the past, and had greater influence on the whole society. Modern designs, therefore, not only affected fashion and décor, but also automobiles, electronics, work space, art, and architecture.

Today, we shall take a look at just two areas of interest: mid-century modern furniture and mid-century barware.

Mid-century Modern Furniture was greatly influenced by Danish designers and was characterized by sleek minimalist designs. These designs offered a striking contrast to the soft and curvy glam trends of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Some design features of this era include straight lines, the use of dark wood such as walnut or teak, and bold colors such as orange and green.

Influential designers, such as couple Charles and Ray Eames or Dorothy Thorpe, contributed innovations in molded plastic, plywood, metals, and glass. During this time, we also see a great increase in the use of imitation/artificial materials such as imitation wood (faux bois), laminate (aka Formica), faux leather/vinyl, and polyesters.

Two Tiered Atomic End Table                                            Danish Modern Chair by

by CobblestoneVintage                                                       Karen’sChic and Shabby

Danish modern ‘floating’ desk by Fine Romance

Midcentury Barware: The midcentury modern movement produced many housewares and barware reflecting society’s increased interest in travel, work, and entertainment. Television shows ranging from the 1960’s, “I Dream of Jeanie,” to today’s hit show, “Mad Men” highlights this trend. Household items were often decorated with ‘futuristic” or “atomic” designs, which highlighted social and political realities - such as the race to the moon, or the development of the atomic bomb.

Atomic Coffee Carafe and Warming Stand         Dorothy Thorpe Style Silver Rimmed Bowl

by Kickass Style                                                                 by Snapshots Through Time

CeraCoin Tumblers by Comforte                          Kromex Faux Leather & Chrome Ice Bucket

                                                                   by  Sunshine Surprises

Mid-century modern designs are very popular among young vintage collectors. Colors and shapes from this time are really making a comeback. It’s not uncommon to find a 60’s inspired dress in the mall, 60’s paint pallets in home improvement stores, or a vintage inspired coffee table at the local furniture store. Knowing style history can be fun and can add a bit of interesting background to your new décor picks.

This article was written by Mary Herboth of Fine Romance Vintage, and is part of a series called, “Movements in Home Décor and Fashion.” Please follow the links below to read more:

Part One: The Victorian Era

Part Two: Edwardian Period

Part Three: TheArt Movements

Part Four: Depression and Post-War Era

Part Five: The Modern Era (above)

Easter Bonnets

Oh yes....the Easter Bonnet! Made even more famous by the movie, Easter Parade, which featured gents and their fine ladies sauntering up New York's 5th Avenue in their most fashionable attire, topped off by the famous Easter bonnet, which we also know as the hat or chapeau.

The Easter hat is a celebration of spring and spiritual renewal going back to the 16th century and in more simple times a lady would have been proud to wear one of these from the shop WeeLambieVintage

Spring Bonnet

 

Times may have changed some since the horse and buggy days, but during the Great Depression ladies and gentleman still wanted to look their best to celebrate the coming season so if they could not afford a new hat they would refurbish one they already had. 

Those lucky enough to purchase a new hat would have bought something like this from the Etsy shop,Retro Rocking Cafe

 





Vintage Black Fascinator Hat

 

In the 1960s, mothers and daughters wore wide brimmed straw hats with festive pastel ribbons. My own Easter hat in the 1960s was navy blue and white and had a long ribbon down the back anchored to the hat with a cluster of cherries. 

Maybe you will remember some of these hats from your own youth.  

 

 from the Etsy shop, BitofHope:

Vintage Natural Straw Hat with Crepe








or this Vintage Fedora Hat from the shop jpcountrymarket






And if you couldn't buy a hat, why not make one? Here is a pattern for hats below from the Etsy shop AnnesVintagePatterns: 

 

          Simplicity Hat Patterns


So as our thoughts turn to spring, grab that vintage Easter bonnet and parade up the Avenue!



Written by Amy/Dottie of DottieDigsVintage and Mr Dottie Digs Vintage