Here's a fun retro trivia tidbit for you. Remember pogo sticks? They were a fun and popular toy in the 1950's - 1970's, and they are still around. Here's a peek at a 1969 Sears catalog page featuring pogo sticks.
This toy was invented in 1919. It was promoted by the Ziegfeld girls in their stage show in 1920. They performed a theatrical wedding ceremony on pogo sticks. I tried and tried to find pictures of this, but could not! But it is amazing to picture. The Ziegfeld girls were theatrical glamour girls. They starred in Ziegfeld Follies, directed by Florenz Ziegfeld, on Broadway. These shows were a mix of variety show, musical review, and vaudeville. Here is a photo of some Ziegfeld girls from this vintage:
So there you have it ... a little bit of pogo stick history! I had a pogo stick as a child. It was fun, and I could keep going for a few minutes. Did you enjoy pogo sticks? Were you good at using them? I'd love to hear from you in the comments!
I have always loved the Beach Boys.
They are second only to the Beatles in my list of musical favorites. I change my mind from time to time about my favorite of their songs, but I keep coming back to "God Only Knows." This is such a beautiful song, written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher, and featured on the album Pet Sounds. The lyrics and harmonies are beautiful. The song begins:
"I may not always love you But long as there are stars above you You never need to doubt it I'll make you so sure about it
God only knows what I'd be without you"
I also love the instrumentation, which includes French horns, violins, cellos, and even accordions. This song was featured in the Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy. I saw the movie this weekend, and if you love retro music and the Beach Boys, it is a must see! I think it may be my all-time favorite musical biopic (and this is a genre I love). It is beautifully written, with strong performances from Paul Dano, John Cusack, and Elizabeth Banks. The way that love brings Brian Wilson back to his life, and ultimately saves him after a breakdown, is both moving and uplifting. I've included the trailer from the movie for you:
Do you love the Beach Boys? Have you seen Love & Mercy? I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.
Hi fellow fans of all things vintage! I have a few fun little vintage additions to my shops to share with you. As always, you can find these goodies online: Birdhouse Books on Etsy Birdhouse Books on eBay
Saying Thank You Makes Me Happy is a cute little Happy Day Book illustrated by Francis Hook. You will recognize her illustrations from 1960's Northern Tissue packages.
The Family That Grew is a 1963 children's book about adoption by Florence Rondell and Ruth Mitchell.
This cute little unused parrot Valentine reads: "Hi Valentine - you fill the bill."
This vintage Valentine features a mouse holding an apple and dialing an old fashioned telephone. This is a card for a teacher.
Here is another mouse card for teacher. A little dressed mouse stands at a blackboard with a pointer.
This is a cute card from the 1920's. It features two little girls, and the card opens from the center of the heart to reveal a garden with a white picket fence.
This Valentine, also 1920's, features pink roses, and it's very sweet. (Would look great framed!)
This Valentine may be my favorite this week. A little wide-eyed girl on ice skates holds a heart. "A Token of Love." This is a 1920's card.
I hope you enjoyed peeking in the windows of my shop with me. I always love hearing from you in the comments, below.
Dear Friends, It is me, your favorite Doxie-Jack, here to spend a few minutes with you visiting and catching up. My friend Barbara wrote: "Abby, can we see you modelling your Thunder Shirt? We have heard about them, but
really don't know exactly how they work. Perhaps you can explain, as many pups
out there are afraid of loud noises, fireworks & of course, thunder."
I am very happy to talk about ThunderShirts! I have no affiliation with them, but am available if they ever want a real life spokes-dog. :-) The ThunderShirt is made of a sturdy, felt-like material. Momma wraps it tightly around my body with velcro. It fastens securely at my chest, and around my belly. The gentle pressure of the shirt makes me feel like a baby who has been swaddled. I feel secure when I have it on. Because of my background (rescued stray) I am very frightened of loud noises. My list includes thunder, fireworks, tree surgeons, and roofers. Before, I would pace and hide and almost make myself sick because the noises upset me so much. Now, when the noises start (or on nights where we KNOW there will be noise, like 4th of July fireworks), I get my ThunderShirt on. Momma still puts on music and fans to make happy noise to distract me as well ... but this really helps. We keep the shirt in the bedroom closet, and I go sit by the closet door when the noise starts ... I know my shirt is waiting there for me. Thankfully, I have Momma trained and she always goes right there to get it for me. You can read about the shirts at the official website: Thundershirt.com. They are available at any pet supermarket or pet specialty store. Fireworks have been legalized in our area this year, so we are already thinking ahead to ThunderShirts and the summer holidays!
How are you doing this week? Do you have any questions for me? I look forward, all week, to chatting with you here. I always love to hear from you in the comments, below. Love from your friend, Abby xoxo
When I was a kid, we had jungle gyms. They were on the playground at school, at public parks, at campgrounds ... and I never met a jungle gym I didn't like. You see that little girl climbing on the top of the jungle gym below? That is exactly what I would have done on this climber. You rarely see these now, with playground safety concerns, but they sure were fun! Do you remember retro jungle gyms? Were you a playground daredevil who hung upside down on jungle gyms and stood up on swings? I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.
