Guest Curator by Traci

Dinner for Two: Meet the 1950s Housewife

This is Traci from BucktoothedBunny. Toni, the Bunny herself, is my sister. I’ve been helping her with her shop, so she talked me into being a guest curator.

The 1950s are typically remembered with a great deal of nostalgia. America became very prosperous in the post-WWII years and the nation took the center stage in world politics. Americans were very proud of their country, and were determined to live happily in peace. Conformity was the rule of the day and everyone had to play their part. Young people were moving en masse to the suburbs, with everyone having their own homes, cars, and all the latest gadgets available. This was a time when the men worked and the women stayed home to tend the homes and families. These women were expected to keep their homes immaculate and look great at all times.

In the summer, this would be the perfect dress for the typical 1950s housewife to wear in order to look great AND get all of the housework done. It would be unheard of for anyone to show up at her house and find her looking anything but her best. She must not forget to wear her pearls!!

Vintage 1950s/60s Kay Windsor Sundress at Raleigh Vintage

If anyone should drop in, it was important to play the perfect hostess. Fresh flowers should be on hand to give the house a fresh, happy look. Refreshments for the housewife's guests are a must, even if it is just water with ice from your new Frigidaire!

Vintage 1950s Glass Bavarian Pitcher at Mirandas31

While vacuuming, dusting, making beds, and cleaning all of her new kitchen gadgets, our housewife needed to look her best in one of her many pairs of pumps. Only the best for the lucky suburbanite! And really, who doesn’t clean in a pair of stiletto pumps?

Vintage 1950s Pumps at Luncheonettevintage

 If our housewife completed her chores in a timely manner, perhaps she could slip into a lovely swimsuit in order to soak up the rays. This way she could have a healthy glow when her husband arrived home from work.

Floral Vintage Swimsuit 1950s at DeLaBelle

With the house in perfect order, our housewife can begin work on dinner. Betty Crocker is a necessity for every housewife!!

Vintage Betty Crocker Dinner for Two Cookbook from dirtybettyvintage

 Our housewife would have the table set and ready for her husband’s arrival. She just couldn’t keep him waiting after a long day!

Starburst Pattern Mid Century Modern China at CheekChickVintage

 With the table set, dinner ready, and a cocktail prepared for her man, our housewife waited at the door as he pulled into the driveway. 

 Vintage Ford Thunderbird 1955 Advertisement at SurrenderDorothy

Ah, yes those were the days!

Guest Curator

Blue Birthday Presents for my Sister

Jana here, from luncheonettevintage. I curated a little list for my sister. Because, well, she rules. We've been super close since Day One and she is the main object of my gift giving obsession, partially because she inherited our mother's amazing ability to shop (the retail gene, we call it), but doesn't shop for herself nearly enough.

My sister, who is younger but more mature, is also part sensible and part silly, part girlish, part powerhouse. And she recently got a great big promotion. As it's her birthday soon, I picked out some work-related items in her favorite color (also genetic, from the maternal side), blue. Each item's a multitasker, same as she. 

LOVE languages tote bag, BucktoothedBunny

Tote bag / Message to Self. Girl carries huge folders and files and papers everywhere, because she rarely stops working. Here's a sweetly optimistic and appropriately global-centric and heartfelt tote that, when in the elevator with the Mayor on the way to your office in the morning, you can flip to render plain workaday navy, and then flip it back for a smile at the sight of all that lovely love.

14 oz blue coffee mug, JDWolfepottery

Coffee Cup / Sign of Professional Self-Respect. Since high level types shouldn't be wielding paper cups with logos and plastic lids from their desk, here's a cup for pouring the rest of her take-out latte into.

Button bracelet, nicolecarey

Jewelry / Figgedagibbit. Otherwise known in the female workforce as a bracelet to fidget with while reviewing massive budgets and spreadsheets. Also doubles as sign of being not without a sense of humor when dealing with possibly resentful colleagues who might otherwise label a newly promoted person as suddenly inaccessible.

Open Sea photo, Maddenphotography

Art / Covert Escapist Moment. When the four walls and million items on the to-do list are beginning to multiply on their own, a photograph of the sea, positioned somewhere very easily stared at, will help.

Underwood typewriter, Sarahanntiques

Bangable Object / Childhood Reminder. When we were little and Mom took us to work with her (she worked in a museum), we got to play in the meeting room with the office supplies. My sister liked to play librarian — stamping on "library cards" with a loud, resolute thump, or write irate, overblown letters on the old manual typewriter, which often resulted in tangled diatribes and tirades in which one letter was superimposed over the other until the paper shredded against the roller. Always good to remember one's roots. 

Swing arm lamp, AMRadio

Lightgiver / Possible weapon. Long ago we sisters decided that swing-arm lamps made great swords and staged a mock swordfight using our desk lamps, which we unplugged and pulled out of their clamp stands with great force. Our house was modern; our mother was furious; but we had a blast. Now that she's a grown-up, she can just swing the lamp a bit too abruptly in some fool's direction. Should have a good effect.

Giant hat, Floradorahats

Beach hat the size of an umbrella / Relaxation strategy. The heck with work, honey. Go to the beach. Having a birthday in July has its advantages. Enjoy them!