Hey gang! I’m guest posting over at the fabulous Nicole’s blog, Pussycat Vintage. Hop on over, because I have some fun retro rooms to share with you in the perfect shade of Valentines Day PINK! Here’s a little sneaky peek:
And be prepared to have your mind blown when you see some of Jane Mansfield’s insane Pink Palace!
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY sweethearts. Please pop over and check out the entire post here!
Friends, this has been quite a week! I was in jury duty and actually came thiiiissss close to being selected. For 2.5 days I was Juror #6….sat in the jury box, was interviewed by the defense and the prosecution. It was pretty exciting. I was a little torn, partly wanting to be excused and partly dying of curiosity how the case was going to play out. It was a very dramatic trial with a kinda creepy defendant (even his attorney would say things like, “Even if you think my client is weird. Even if you think he’s got a bizarre lifestyle or seems unappealing….you must presume he is innocent!” Wow. Way to defend your guy!). Our jury panel had a host of intriguing characters too, including a totally sweet looking older woman who during jury questioning said, “Have I ever been convicted of a crime? Um, yes. Vandalism.” What??? She then quickly added, “But it’s ok, I’ve taken anger management courses and I’m back on track.” Double wow! Eventually I was excused. And a little disappointed, I can’t lie!
Anyway, I haven’t been online much this week nor able to blog, but I’ll be back next week in full force. To tide you over in the meantime, I have a few images from an old 1976 Sears catalog that I thought were kind of hilariously awesome. Enjoy!
YES! That’s Shelly Hack, in her Pre-Charlie’s Angels modeling days.
Just in case you missed it….here’s a close up of the boys jammin’
SASSY! I do love that logo. Hey, HANDS OFF muh jeans!
This calculator cracks me up. Could it possibly have MORE keys???
And of course, some adorable kiddos in their colorful gear. Oh, to have THESE babies in the Retro Roundup!
HEE HAW! Happy Friday people!
When I was a kid, Thanksgiving was all about the PARADE. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade of course!
It was so exciting to see the bands, the Broadway acts and most importantly the floats!
I remember listening to my mom and grandma buzzing around in the kitchen as my Dad was “tasting” the rum punch while we kids were glued to the TV watching the parades. We would always have a major debate over which was the BEST float.
My brother liked the Bullwinkle one.
My cousin was partial to swimmingly cute Pink Panther.
My other cousin always voted for Snoopy as her favorite.
My favorite was Kermit. I remember watching this interview on TV as a kid! I’m sure with his new movie, Kermit will make an appearance in tomorrow’s parade!
Here’s Kermit in action on a past T-Day. He is looking a little wrinkly in this picture, so it must have been a colder year. Â I love the awestruck high school band looking on. I’d be awestruck too.
Image via:Â Daily Mail.
The adults would drop into the den and reminisce about their favorite floats from their childhood when their parents would take them into the city to watch the parade. I like these older floats as they don’t seem as commercially driven as the ones we see today.
This jaunty elf was so cute! Â I’m glad they remade one for today’s parade
Photos from Grand Life Hotels, How to be a Retronaut, Buzzfeed, MidcenturyMania.
And of course SANTA. Even my parents remember Santa being a BIG DEAL when he finished up the parade.
For me, there is  something still magical about ending the parade and seeing SANTA coming. To me, it was the official beginning of the holidays and I could squeeze as much holiday day joy out of the next month as possible. You can’t help but walk a little lighter on that day.
Somethings never change.
Image via: CBS.
I hope I can watch a bit of it tomorrow with the Peach. Â Did you watch the parade when you were a kid? Do you plan on watching it tomorrow?
We were in Marin the other weekend. And we drove by the Marin Civic Center. It’s a fabulous masterpiece and looks somewhat incongruous in the pretty Marin setting….like a sleek space station plunked down in the midst of the scenery. In fact, the groovy sci-fi movie Gattaca was even filmed there!
We decided to walk around a little bit, but we were suddenly totally distracted. Look what we have here….
Oh-so-casually parked under this little overhang….a pristine vintage 1960s Plymouth Fury police cruiser. WOW! It was so cool. I felt like I had blasted back in time (and was wishing I was wearing a more special outfit). I love it! But as amazing as the car is, let’s pause for a moment to acknowledge the insane lighting situation going on up there in the background.
WOW! Talk about crazy globes.
No one wants to be pulled over by the fuzz, but man…..this would totally help soften the blow. I’m not sure what the car was doing there. Perhaps they just bring it out for the weekend. Maybe it belonged to some kooky collector. Either way, I was loving it!
So a few weeks ago we had school photo day. Which is always a hoot. You get to pick the color background now, since it’s all digital, which is sort of wild. When it comes to a group class room picture, Wolfie’s school does them but it’s made up of all the little solo photos from the kids. Somehow it’s not the same as everyone sittin’ all proper on their little benches. I thought it would be fun to take a look at some classic Classroom Photos. I am obsessed with these, I think they are so cool. You just want to know the stories behind all these sassy little kiddos! OK, let’s take a look!
This first one is Mrs. Cliett’s Third Grade class, Shiver Elementary, 1963-64, Cairo, Georgia. Mrs. Cliett looks about a million years old, but I love her prim grey suit! You know she was the kind of crankster who rapped her ruler on those poor kiddos knuckles. Best dressed? bottom row, red polka dot dress and cat eye glasses. Aw yeah! Also, that’s a pretty handsome row of lads up there.
image: janet sumner
This next one is adorable. Grade 1 and 2 at Gray’s Lake Elementary, 1955. There’s a whole lotta plaid going on in this class.
image:Â takomabibelot.
On to the 70s….and COLOR, COLOR, COLOR. Mrs. Fujita’s Grade 1 & 2 class at Haskell Elementary in 1977. Best Fashions: where to start? bottom row, love the two pinafore girls but hellllo jumpsuit on the end! Please note how teensy Mrs. Haskell is on the end there behind THE JUMPSUIT. Also, middle row, middle girl with huge bow is awesome, but the the two guys on the top row ends (far left, denim vest and far right…little bad ass stance) rule!
image: C-Monster
Next, Eisenhower School Kindergarten class 1973, Fergus Falls Minnesota. Dig that crazy teacher’s suit. And is she wearing a fish pendant? Why yes she is. Best Kiddo Fashions: the two kids with the spex are amazing, but BOTTOM ROW WINS! red, white blue dressie and tights, FOUR cute pants set, a boy with tie…..and a crochet vest on the end. Brilliant.
image: Precious Kitty Kat
Miss Michelle Frenette’s First Grade Class at Eisenhower Elementary School, 1974, Fergus Falls Minnesota. Best Fashions: Love the middle row boys on the end (baby Joey Lawrence with bowl cut on the left and cutie cowby on the right) but again the bottom row takes it! This time with the Plaid-O-Rama pants suit, plaid maxi skirt, the baby blue maxi dress, boy with tie AND little girl in yellow pants and shirt with photo of a water fall on it. Huzzah! Feeling badly for girl in sweatshirt. I bet her mom forgot it was picture day. Also, i think that’s the same kid in the tie as above…. love Miss Frenette’s jaunty neck scarf too.
image: Precious Kitty Kat.
Mrs. Amundson’s Second Grade Class at Eisenhower Elementary School, 1975, Fergus Falls Minnesota.
image: Precious Kitty Kat.
I love this photo from the Catrine Primary School in 1970s Scotland. But uh oh, someone wore their jumper/ski sweater instead of regulation ties. Minus ten points, Gryffindor!
image: joevl,
Here’s another one from Catrine Primary School—and perhaps my favorite. Such a bunch of cuties. The boy’s all look like *such* rascals.
image: joevl
Miss Davis’ first grade class at Northside Grammar School, 1961. Hmm. That “Miss” Davis is looking a little long in the tooth…
Check out the awesome Miss Groob’s Third Grade Class at Sheridan Elementary School, 1973-74 in Ohio. “Groobie, baby!”
image: brian glass
Mrs. Thren’s fourth grade class at Landisville Elementary in Hempfield, Pennsylvania. 1974-75. All the kids are swell, but helllllo gams! Check out those minis on the teachers!
image: brechtbug
Let’s take a little jaunt across the pond and check out the “Preschool” (aka Kindergarten) class at the Princes Marijke School in Nieuw-Vennep, The Netherlands. 1974. Now this is a colorful crew.
image:Â christiaanV
Here’s the same school the next year in 1975, First Grade Class:
image: christiaanV
And finally, we head back to the states to Houston, Texas. This is Mrs. Dahlem’s First Grade Class Spring Shadows Elementary, 1972-73. Best Fashions: These guys win BEST SHOES all around. Go-go boots, mod little saddle shoes, and even t-straps on Mrs. Dahlem. Little girl on the top right is kind of fabulous, with her jaunty scarf!
image: Rowland Kodachrome
And finally, Mrs. Harper’s Second Grade Class, Spring Shadows Elementary, 1973-74.
image: Rowland Kodachrome
Mrs. Alford’s  kindergarten class at Spring Shadows Elementary, 1971-72. This whole class wins Best Dressed.  All the front row snazzers—esp little Cindy Brady on the end and those two pairs of gogo boots. Also love little boy in purple on top left….and dig Mrs. Alford’s crazy zig zag poly dress!
How fun are those? Sigh. I wish they still did those group photos.