A rare post written the night before, but since I’m leaving early on Saturday morning, I don’t think I’ll have time to dash off a post then. I’m heading to the Miniature Show. I have no idea what to expect, but it will be fun!
Today, which will be yesterday when you are reading this, I managed to finally get to the post office. Two packages were there for me.
One was from reader Carol, who wanted to send me a Nancy Drew book that she had. I was thrilled when I opened the package and saw this:
I only have to get five more of the Russell Tandy illustrated covers to complete my collection and this one, The Clue of the Broken Locket, has proven to be illusive and/or wildly expensive. And here it is, sent to me as a gift by Carol. Isn’t that a great cover illustration?
Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Carol. I am honored you would think of me. This will be a treasured part of the collection. Bless you.
As if that wasn’t enough, dear reader Nora told me she wanted to send me something in honor of Stella. In fact, Nora’s card was addressed to both Stella and me.
Inside the package were two vintage aprons. This one, with beautiful hand embroidery. Isn’t it stunning?
And this one:
With the map of California! How perfect for Stella, since a trip up the coast of California is what brought us to Antique Stove Heaven and Stella.
What treasures! Thank you, Nora! They are almost too pretty to wear!
My cup runneth over, as I said to Don, when I texted him pictures of the Nancy Drew and the aprons.
Today’s morning glory. A big thank you to Mother Nature for blessing my garden with these beauties as we head into Autumn. I use the word ‘Autumn’ loosely as the temperature is 89 and humid. Go figure.
I’ll talk about the miniature show tomorrow. I can’t guarantee many photos as I know that this is an artisan-based show and I’ve read that some miniaturists don’t want their work photographed, which I completely understand.
And Don comes home on Saturday night, which will be very nice, indeed.
Happy Saturday.
Those aprons! What a beautiful gift!
Have fun at the show!
I did! I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.
I know I’ve said it before, but you have the sweetest readers! Have a mini-good time at the show today.
I am blessed, that’s for sure!
I love the book and the aprons! How wonderful to receive such great gifts. You inspire us by your friendship Claudia! Your easy to give to since you give us so much in return. Enjoy your miniature show and hugs to you and Don!
I had a good time, though I’m suffering from lack of sleep. So I’m home now, but exhausted!
As I write this, you’re at the miniature show so I hope you’re having a wonderful time there. Also hoping it’s air-conditioned, since the first full day of Fall 2017 is proving to be just another typical Summer day, weather-wise. Due probably to climate change. In fact, the first WEEK of Fall is looking that way. High-80s & humid through Wednesday, with thunderstorms Tues & Wed. Listen to me [doing my Al Roker impression]. Have fun at the show & a safe trip home. Peace. ⛈
#Resist
It’s air conditioned. SO hot here! I’m over it!
Those aprons are gorgeous! And between the miniatures you showed us yesterday, and the new Nancy Drew, you are one lucky and appreciated gal! Hope you have a great time at the miniature show! (Looks like I’m just full of exclamation points this morning! ) ;)
I sometimes overindulge in exclamation points myself!
Claudia, What a weekend for you….Nancy Drew, beautiful aprons, miniature show, and Don! Have fun, stay safe, etc….. I’m heading to my local needlework store to see the goodies the owner brought back from Destination Dallas, the needlepoint show that went on last week or so. I’ll swing by to buy a seafood burrito from one of my favorite take-out places….the burritos are big enough for two meals for me.
I hope you enjoyed that burrito, Wendy. And the needlepoint! (I used to do needlepoint, but it’s been a long time!)
Now that last apron is one I could really embrace. I wear aprons each day at work (tho full length) and this one is much prettier. Hope you are having a fun time at the show. Stay cool. :) Kit
They’re almost too pretty to use, Kit!
Oh, those aprons are precious. Wear them in good health. I am so happy for you that Barbara sent you the Nancy Drew book. Hope you can find the remaining books in the series.
Marilyn
I have 4 more to go, Marilyn. I’m not collecting every book in the series, just the ones illustrated by Tandy. I don’t know if I would have room for all of the books!
Those aprons are both beautiful…the California one is just perfect for the story of Stella!…I hope you bought something you love at the mini show!
I did! I’ll show you tomorrow (although there are some pictures up on IG!)
Ahhh, what a great Saturday for you, Claudia!
I have a THING for vintage aprons; your new two are just wonderful. Mom always made a new apron (or pillow cover, or potholder, or doll clothes!) with any leftover fabric from sewing curtains or a dress. When did it change, the not-wearing of aprons? ‘Cause I remember Mom always in an apron around the house…cooking, ironing; whatever…when I was a kid in the 50s/60s. Then she never wore them anymore. Did they wear aprons ‘in the older days’ because the ladies wanted to protect their clothes in the age before wash & wear? Did they stop wearing them after they started ‘living in’ capris/jeans/sweat pants or yoga pants…say, in the increasingly less-formal 70s? Before slacks, Mom was of course always in a ‘house dress’ for household chores, gardening, etc. And then she’d put on another dress to go shopping. But never pants or shorts. In Calif public high school, we girls still weren’t allowed to wear pants, not until 1971; we could only wear skirts, dresses, jumpers. Anyway, your apron photos just got me to wondering!
And, yes, you’ve sold me on the Nancy Drew covers; they are so color-rich and era-perfect.
Loved seeing everything; thanks for sharing; truly have a sweet weekend with Don home.
Had to laugh while thinking backward…we couldn’t as teens wear pants to school, yet we ran around for gym class in these funky little rompers that barely hugged our butts! Like out on the track at the football field, playing tennis on the outdoor courts (we did a LOT of sports and it wasn’t all confined to the girls gym!). May I add, these were REQUIRED gym uniforms; we had no choice on style or color; the classes were mandatory unless you had a medical excuse. And it’s amazing to think that in junior high (age 12-13; what they call middle school now), we’d have to actually (in health class/phys ed) kneel on benches before the teacher and have our hemlines measured with a ruler. If the hem was too high and the dress or skirt too short, off to home we were sent to change our clothes. I never went to private school; this was all PUBLIC school and California isn’t exactly conservative! Kinda blows the mind, considering what I see the young girls wearing today…in my hometown, at those same schools. (Like sometimes barely dressed; nearly naked!) The times…wow, did they change. Remember at birthday parties in the 50s or early 60s, how you put on your frilliest dress and petticoat to go to your friend’s house for the festivities? And the ladies wore hats and gloves to church on Sundays. We used to dress for ‘occasions’; it’s all so different now. I think it’s on my mind because I took a good look at myself this week and I grimaced. I’ve gotten…sloppy. I used to never go out of the house without a slick of lipstick, at the very least. My hair, my clothes; my Crocs…these days, I’m looking like a frumpy/dumpy old lady. I’ve decided to do something about it. One improvement at a time. (I’ve even quit wearing earrings…and I have pierced ears! What the heck happened?! I haven’t even been wearing my wedding rings!)
I remember our gym clothes and our bathing suits, which were basically cotton tanks. And wearing dresses. In 12th grade we got to ‘experiment’ with wearing pants. No jeans, of course. Just pants. None of us had dress pants so we had to scramble to find them. Now I’m almost always a T-shirt and jeans girl. But I love my lipstick!
OMG, you only were given one skimpy, dingy towel which had maybe once been white…and the bathing suits were the worst. Only two colors; one was a yucky mustard and the other was a dull orange. Elastic all ‘shot’; no modesty for the wearer; the ‘legs’ of the suit (not really legs) flared out instead of hugging the body. And you had to shower before going in the pool and of course after being in it, being stared at by the supervising female gym instructors (why did they have to keep such a close eye and stand right there in the middle of everything[?]; did they think there’d be thefts or that we were going to have fights in the shower or something? [I don’t think I want my mind to ‘go there’ on the subject]); absolute ZERO privacy every step of the way, which was upsetting to teen girls age 14-17 with their developing bodies and feeling self-conscious a lot of the time anyway…and the shower was this huge communal thing with faucets all lined up on the wall, so 10 or 15 girls were all showering at one time, no individual stalls, no doors, no curtains; just a wide open thing you stepped into, and there was never soap; then you had to dress (as you’d undressed) in a big, cavernous room with, again, zero privacy; no garment hooks or shelves or lockers, just rough ‘ol wood benches and cold, hard floor you could easily slip on, because the shower thing was many steps from the benches where you’d left your clothes and shoes and purse and books; ‘way too primitive, ALL of it (wasn’t summer camp, after all; it was SCHOOL). I hated it SO much. And I inevitably pulled Swimming at 8am, first class of the day, like in 2nd semester (Feb – often cold even for Calif)…no portable hair dryers back then and certainly no dryers provided by the school…so went ahead for the entire rest of the day with wet, unstyled hair and, well, I look back on it and it wasn’t a well-orchestrated situation for a young teen student AT ALL; just completely backward and archaic! I don’t think it would be allowed today; younger people are much more vocal about their rights. Just because you’re young doesn’t mean you don’t have rights as a human being OR a student. We’re lucky we all didn’t catch pneumonia; it was an outdoor pool, no cover…and barely heated.
Yikes, I’m ranting. You mentioned those gym bathing suits and it hit an old nerve!
My grandmother made aprons. I made one in Home Ec Class. Maybe wash and wear made a difference, maybe women wearing pants and not just dresses made a difference?
I know of younger women who love to collect the vintage aprons…I’m older but I do, too; reminiscent of my childhood; I love the memories of that age and time…but the girls don’t seem to really wear them (well, heck, I don’t either!) although they love displaying them in a kitchen (decoration/beauty as opposed to function); they appreciate them, which counts for a lot. Counts for everything! I have to be careful not to let myself go crazy with estate sales/yard sales because I see beautifully-embroidered pillow slips; crocheted potholders; aprons with rickrack; tablecloths lovingly sewn with lacy edgings – – and I want all of it, not so much for myself, but almost like to protect and preserve it; I find it all so special, I guess because I don’t see so much of it anymore although, getting back to Etsy, I’m sure there are talented people out there duplicating the age-old sewing techniques and crafts like quilting of course, and tatting; I think you’ve told me that, actually, Claudia. And I find it so encouraging. As would my beloved grandmas!
Had to come back several posts from today (9/27) to say that Janet Korff of The Gardener’s Cottage has a post up this morning on her blog, showing herself wearing an apron(!!) from Williams Sonoma, of which she says this: “I wear an apron all the time when doing chores around here. I find it saves my clothing from stains and wear and tear.” She has a stylish, limited wardrobe (on purpose) and a lot of her clothes are vintage which I’m sure must take extra care in the laundry. Got me to thinking that I remember a time when my dad worked in a grocery store and he wore the type of apron like she’s wearing, which covered chest to knee…they were bright, kelly green…whereas I was thinking of Mom’s aprons that just covered her lap/waist down. Anyway, with my dad, he was wearing street clothes under that utility-type of apron in the 1950s, slacks and probably a short-sleeved dress-style shirt; he never wore jeans or a tee until MANY years later, more like the 80s when he began to semi-retire and his Florsheims were replaced by track-type shoes (“trainers” as I believe the English call them, like a Nike running/walking shoe) and his alpaca cardigans were replaced by flannel shirts worn like a jacket over his jeans (but he still never would wear a sweatshirt or a tee; from his generation, a tee was only to go UNDER a shirt!).
Anyway, glad to know that in some circles, aprons are still alive and well, and not just kitchen decor!
Well, I’m in a t-shirt and jeans 99% of the time – or pajamas, so I don’t really need an apron. Janet has a much more stylish wardrobe than I! But I’m glad there are still people wearing aprons!