Introducing: Retro Reads Book Reviews!

One of my New Year's goals is to share some of my favorite things with everyone-starting with "reviewing" some of my favorite vintage housewifery-related readings. Admitedly, these won't be hard-hitting exposes (these books in cue have been on the market for 50 years, more or less!) but tongue-in-cheek walks through a time captured in books or cookbooks. These books are often humorous, full of actual relevant knowledge and always reflect a time and standard that the housewives (or home executives, stay-at-home mom, etc.) of today either loathe or love.

Since one topic on many people's mind at the turn of the year is to lose weight and to get healthy, I decided to start this series with the cookbook that started the Slenderella diet enterprise- the 1957 Slenderella Cookbook by Myra Waldo. Vibrating exercise machines, supliments and even IRS controversary eventually followed but this book actually gives very good, basic, weight loss advice that has relevancy today. There are no gimmicks or strange methodologies-just 3 30-day menu plans divided by caloric intake (1200, 1500, 1800). There are tips on getting your children to eat healthy with you and tips on dining out (don't talk about being on a diet!).

My favorite part of the book? The proper weight chart that lists women's heights while WEARING TWO INCH HEELS! Because I do that daily! The chart, however, is almost identical to one written today. I also found the section on WHY people are more overweight in 1957 than 50 years prior almost identical to those written in 2009 about the 1950's. Apparently, we weren't all that different in our lifestyles (I may not be in a cool car as the graphic above shows, but I do still dream about cake!)

And example of what you would eat (and have to cook!) for on a typical meal in the 1200-calorie menu:

Beef Soup (for children, add rice)

Beef Fricassee (for children, add bread and butter)

Green Peas and Potato Casserole

Cucumber Salad

Orange Whip

Coffee

Favorite quotes from the book:

"Eggs, in common with champagne, may be served at any stage of the meal-as an appetizer, main dish, salad or in desserts."

(There are 5 versions of deviled eggs alone and an entire chapter devoted to the subject of eggs!)

"A woman kneading bread is a truly beautiful and feminine sight, a sage once remarked, but it has become something of a lost art."

(Isn't it funny that break making was "something of a lost art" in a time that we all think of as the June Cleaver in the kitchen?)

I have actually prepared my family several of the recipes in this book and have found them to be very good. However, the serving sizes are very small (maybe because they are having a multiple course meal!) by today's standards.

I must confess that I have not tried the multiple recipes listed for cow tongue or cow brains....

Please share if you have a favorite vintage cookbook that you love and if you actually use it or relish it on a shelf :)

A quilt rebel log cabin tutorial

I WANTED to title this post: How to finish more than one quilt block during nap time when your child has NEVER taken even an hour long nap let alone the long naps that OTHER moms talk about...but I am not bitter about it...

But I figured that post title might be a tad bit too long :)

There are a million ways to make a log cabin quilt block and half a million tutorials you could find online. But after looking (coveting) at a lot of log cabin quilts on Flickr (some day I will write a post about my slight obsession with Flickr!), this is what I came up with to share...I started quilting/patchwork sewing before I had any other tools beyond my sewing machine and some scrapbooking scissors. You NEED no other tools than that to make this easy peasy quilt block...

Warning for the expert quilter: my methods may seem wild and crazy. I promise that I can sew and quilt by the rules and I do the majority of the time...but my favorite thing about quilting is that it can be completely by the books or completely down and dirty. THIS is down and dirty...

Step 1:

Cut strips of your favorite fabrics OR unroll a pack of pre-cut fabrics-I am using a Moda* Momo Wonderland jelly roll-each strip is 2.5 inches wide, which is a good width for your strips...make the strips as long as you like but 10-12 inches is a good length.

*(I love Moda pre-cut fabrics almost as much as I love flickr!)

Step 2:

Cut 2 squares out of your fabric and sew them together. Since I used the jelly roll, I made the squares 2.5 x 2.5 inches. (NOTE: to sew the pieces together correctly, always place the right sides together...and the right sides, if you didn't know, are the sides with the print...)

Step 3:

Here is the start of the down and dirty part...Lay your sewn together squares and line up one of your strips against the long side...cut the strip to the same length. Don't get out your rotary cutter...don't get out your ruler...just cut it and get on to step 4...your kid might wake up soon and time is of the essence!

Oh yeah- sew the pieces together...

Step 3 (through how ever big you wanna make your quilt square...):

Keep going around the square/rectangle in a circular motion (I typically add a strip moving clockwise, however, this isn't required...you can add strips willy nilly if you want! This is down and dirty!)

Yes, I used pins to get my strips to lay still when I sewed them, however this is because I am a clutz and need assistance. You may have sewing skills and can sew small strips together without the need for pins.


See me cutting with my left hand? Ha! That is because I am trying to take a picture with my right hand...how do people make these tutorials so pretty and show them using both hands?? And how do they get them done with perfect natural light that is only available when your 2 year old is awake? Thus, I took these pictures at night which is why they look all crazy...

See? Still cutting and adding till I feel like the square is the size I want...

Ta da! I finished one square. I added a random extra strip on the sides of my square for fun...no need to do this. Or you could add random strips where ever you feel like it.

So, you made a log cabin quilt square...now what? Whatever you want! Use one square and make a pillow. Make a bunch and make a quilt. Use them to make placemats...Make tiny ones for coasters! Make a mini wall hanging with it...the possibilities are endless!

Check out these great links to all the different ways that a log cabin quilt can look:

Wonky square type log cabin Quilt

Another Wonky log cabin quilt

Oh, guess what...another wonky log cabin

Traditional log cabin quilts-check out the way the color strips are added to create additional patterns...

Example of a half log cabin block quilt

Interesting fact of the day: the log cabin pattern has been seen in Egyptian tombs...you could say it is REALLY Old School!

a toast to things to come...

fabric applique and embroidery hoop art work-in-progress for my shop

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song..."

-Maya Angelou

May you find your song and passion this coming year!

Happy New Year!

Weapons of Mass Craftiness

My apologies for the cheesy title :) But I love cheesy and my new crafty tools so I had to share!

Watch out, world! I have a yo-yo maker and pins!

(What can I do with those, you ask?)

I am so glad you asked :) How about a cute yo-yo and felt holly pin for the holidays?

Or how about a cute little wristlet to keep mommy's goodies in...with a fun flower made of fabric, felt and, yes...wait for it...a yo-yo!

Some really small things make me happy...polka dots and my little labels to name two!

AND, if you feel like adding a little fabric and felt bling to your outfit, just un-pin the flower from your bag and pin it to your clothes! How cool is that? (My husband tells me it is NOT as cool as I seem to think it is, but, darn it, I am proud of myself!)

What crafty tools are YOU using nowadays? Tell me about them so that I can know (um, so that I can go buy them and try 'em out)!

sacred moments...

I recently watched Stephanie Nielsen on the Oprah show (read her story here) and was struck by a phrase that was used to describe the day to day activities of a stay-at-home mom. A viewer had written in to the Oprah show describing how she hated being at home. While "hate" has never been a descriptor that I would have used to describe my feelings during this transition, I did relate to some of the frustrations that the viewer described. She visited the getting-famous blogger, Nielsen, in her home and watched her interact with her children and go about her day despite severe and painful burns all over her body. She cannot hold her children and has to wear hospital gloves to bathe them. She cannot open simple ziploc bags while packing their school lunches. The viewer was impacted on how she never realized how sacred these moments were with her children...

Sacred...

That word invokes thoughts and feelings of spirituality. That word invokes thoughts of a Holy Ground that requires reverence. But doesn't the Home deserve that reverence? Doesn't the Home deserve the honor of being the place we come to find solice and serenity that the world tries to steal from us?

Even though the past days have been a bit trying for all of us in our home, I hope that I remember the sacred moments that I get to share and enjoy each day at home...

Harboring a slight addiction to crafty magazines and books...enjoyed with a cup of coffee

Homemade marshmallows...dipped in chocolate with peppermint on top

Holding my sleeping son during naptime

Dreaming about what goals and ambitions I have for my creative adventures

Memory Lane...

Recently, I asked a fellow Etsy Homefront Team member what type of uniform was in this pcture, because I didn't recognize it. (While my mother would point out that my dating history should be evidence of some sort of expertise in uniforms, I will confess that I can't read rank, rate or any other pertinent information that I am probably supposed to know...) My husband has changed uniforms more times than I can remember...but I will always be a little nostalgic about that young 21 year old sailor in a dixie cup hat that I fell in love with...

Returning home from our first deployment together-we made USA Today's top pictures of the year with our kiss!

Last "ship" deployment...I guess I can get used to the tan and the new hat...

What all the cool (hot?) sailors are wearing today...

My sailor has reenlisted in that dixie cup, traded a uniform for tshirt and jeans when the Navy put him through college, put on the shoulder boards that came with an officer's commission and traded the "haze gray" Navy for the the "brown water" Navy. No matter what uniform he has worn, he proudly follows in his grandfather's footsteps...and the footsteps of all the men and women who have worn the many uniforms of the Armed Services.

May we remember all of those in uniform as we approach this Christmas, particularly if they are away from home during this time. And may we also remember the families, who may not wear the uniform themself, but look forward to the day that their loved one returns home wearing theirs.

I am a business lady who lunches...

or at least drinks coffee. For those who have known me a long time, this is a new phenomenon. I still only appreciate my coffee with equal parts creamer, whipped cream and with chocolate sprinkles on top, but caffiene has truly become my friend on the mornings after late nights sewing...

I am part of the Homefront Team on Etsy and I am super happy to be apart of such a smart, supportive, and talented group of people who happen to also be military spouses. They announced their "Bits and Pieces Challenge" shortly after I became a member and I knew I wanted to participate...but what to make? What better than the perfect pair of patchwork accessories to celebrate being a new business woman (who relies on alot of coffee!)

Coffee Couture with a little patchwork pouch

the cozy is reversible and my new business cards fit perfectly inside




Made from Moda Momo Wonderland fabric scraps from a baby quilt made months ago...

If you think my little patchwork creation deserves to win, just go to the photos on the Homefront Team's Facebook page, click on the photos and leave a comment to vote for me. However, there are some VERY talented ladies that have created some amazing entries, so check out them all before you vote...