Tips Every Frugal Retro Housewife Needs To Know About Keeping Home

Retro Reliable Household Advice The Thrifty Kitsch Household Series

If you have not completed a proper degree in household management, than this post is sure to help you become the frugal housewife you always wanted to be. Thanks to experts like the esteemed Gold Medalist (Flour) gal, Lily Haxworth Wallace, we have lots of retro reliable advice.

Things Worth Knowing About Managing Your Household

To Avoid Slipping on Icy Sidewalks:

Cut good sized discs of felt and attach these with rubber cement to the soles of a pair of rubbers. Two sets will probably last all winter and the feeling of safety is wonderful.

To Wash Water Bottle

That have become stained,put in newspaper torn into shreds, then half fill with hot soapy water in which has been dissolved a little washing soda, Let stand for about a half hour, shaking occasionally. Rinse with clear water, drain and dry.

To Prevent Salt From Lumping:

Mix it with cornstarch in the proper proportions of three teaspoons of cornstarch to one cup of salt.

Rag Bags:

In an upstairs closet or store room, have several bags of varying sizes, in which may be placed as they accumulate, pieces of dress materials, trimmings, old cotton and linen for repairing, etc. It is a good plan to have the bags made of a piece of the same kind of material that they are to contain, so that no time may be lost in searching for the right one.

To Clean a Sponge:

That has become slimy and unpleasant, soak it in milk for several hours, wring out and rinse thoroughly in warm water to which has been added a teaspoon of carbolic acid.

A Few Drop Of Oil of Lavender:

Scattered through a book case, in a closed room, will save a library from mould (sic) in damp weather .

Photo are the courtesy of :
Kelley Street Vintage
http://johnhlavinka.blogspot.com/
http://www.collectibles-articles.com/

Let us know if you try any of these tips and remember these are the household hints of an Edwardian expert.

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of I Antique Online an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.comVisit my website, CDianneZweig.comDianne is a member of:The American Society of Journalists and AuthorsThe Society of Professional Journalists

Kitsch n Sink Idea: Collecting Vintage Wooden Ring Holders

Today's Kitsch n Sink Retro Find: A Vintage Wooden Ring Holder: Don't Lose Your Ring Down The Drain

If you really want to be a terrific retro housewife, than you need to find a vintage wooden ring holder to place next to your sink to hold your rings. This way your rings will never go down the drain when you are washing dishes.

Reminders On Some Ring Holders

Often in the shape of a coffee or tea pot , the one shown here has a dutch boy and girl decal on a glossy wooden novelty coffee pot. It is three inches tall. Other similar ring holders might be painted a solid color with a little label or sign which might read:


"Let me hold your
rings for you
while dishes or
washing you do"

Lift The Lid Off To Reveal The Wooden Ring Spindle

The lid would lift off to reveal a wooden spindle inside the "coffee pot" which would hold your ring(s) in place.


These photos are from the wonderful collection of
http://www.etsy.com/shop/sweetcottagedreams

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com

Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

Decorating Your Retro Kitchen With Yellow Kitchen Housewares And Collectibles

Yellow Kitchen Kitsch For Retro Style Homes

Yellow kitchen kitsch is favored by many collectors of vintage and retro kitchen collectibles.
While red and white kitchen collectibles get scooped up very quickly, "yellow" is also a hot color. Yellow is known as a primary color and was quite popular in 1940s and 1950s kitchens. Often dubbed The Colorful decades yellow was a common color for kitchen cabinets, counter tops appliances and kitchen sets. With yellow as the foundation color in Postwar kitchens, manufacturers produced coordinated housewares and decor.

Retro Housewives Love Yellow Because It Is A Cheerful And Sunny Color

Cheerful and sunny, yellow is a perfect color to make any retro housewife happy and content. You will find plenty of yellow vintage kitchenwares available because it has always been a best seller.

What Are Kitchen Collectors Buying?

Collectors look for glassware, mixing bowls, canisters, bread boxes yellow handled kitchen tools, vases, pitchers, dish towels, doilies, salt aad pepper shakers, tablecloths etc.

Different Kinds Of Yellow

It's great to try to keep in the same color family of yellow.

There are many different kinds of yellow, such as buttery yellow, sunflower lemon, lemon yellow etc. Deeper yellows look great in retro kitchens, while pale yellows work well in Cottage style kitchens, especially mixed with aqua.

Pairing Other Colors With Yellow Collectibles

Yellow is an easy color to pair with other colors. It's almost like a neutral. You can have so much fun adding other colors to a primarily yellow palette. I adore yellow and black housewares. Another fab combo is yellow and green. In these photos, a yellow checked tablecloth is used and is just darling. Yellow and white offer a country crisp feeling and gingham creates a warm and cozy setting.

Photos are the courtesy of Retro Revival on Etsy.

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com

Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

Are Vintage Mixing Bowls Always "Hot" Sellers? Advice From The Kitschy Collector

The Ups And Downs of Buying And Selling Vintage Mixing Bowls

It seems to me that vintage mixing bowls are sometimes "hot" sellers in our shops and at other times real sleepers. And when we are selling bowls like hot cakes, we load up on even more bowls thinking it's a good idea. But just when we have a wonderful assortment of bowls on hand...the whole cycle quiets down. And those of you who have limited shelf space know what a bummer it is to find places for "too many" mixing bowls, especially very large ones.

The Good, Bad And Ugly
So its probably a good idea for me to tell my readers what I have learned from being in the biz for several decades. The bottom line is that not all bowls are great sellers . Know your bowls!

Good Selling Bowls

1. Patterned Bowls
"Dots" (McKee, Fire king, Hazel Atlas)
"Diamonds"
"Ivy"
"Sailboats" (McKee)
"Tulips" (i.e. Fire king)
"Ribbons" (McKee)
"Kitchen Aids" (Fire King)
"Apple" (i.e. Fire King)

2. 1940's bowls in red, yellow, green, blue
( especially red or yellow) .

3. Complete nesting sets (all kinds priced reasonably).

4. Jade-ite bowls priced right.

5. Bowls with roosters

6. Pink bowls.

7. American Dinnerware (i.e. Pottery Guild).

Harder To Sell Bowls

While I find that bowls in colors such as olive greens, mushroom colors, burnt oranges, golds and browns are harder to sell, I do want to remind you that they are gaining interest.
It seems that younger collectors are re-discovering the bowls of their childhood and these Harvest color bowls are picking up a bit more interest.
How Long Does it take to Sell Olive Green Bowls?

Not too long ago I kidded a friend about how long the Olive green bowls she brought into her retro cafe-shop would sit on her shop shelves with no interest from anyone.

The Buyer Fell In Love With Her Mom's Bowl

Right after I joked about these disco era bowls, a young waitress came over to the bowls and bought them right on the spot. The young gal said the bowls reminded her of her mom's (70's) kitchen.

Proceed With Caution on These Bowls

1. 1970s earth tone bowls.
2. Very large mixing bowls.
3. Frosted bowls.
4. Common bowls which go with mixers.

Some of the photos courtesy of http://www.etsy.com/shop/RetroRevival


C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com

Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

Old "Poppytrail" and "Vernon" Dinnerware Advertising Brochures Provide Helpful Information

Finding Advertising Brochures on Poppytrail and Vernon Dinnerware

Poking through a box of old papers at a local antique show, a few years back, I came across a stack of advertising brochures for "Poppytrail" and "Vernon" Dinnerware. I put together a collection of the various brochures I wanted and asked the dealer how much he wanted for this lot of paper. He was asking a bit more than I had imagined, but something told me that I had found something special so I agreed to his price.

Vintage Catalogs Provie Important Information to Collectors

What I heard learned over the years is that old catalogs or advertising materials are precious commodities. So if you come across vintage catalogs or promotional materials at a decent price, jump on them, especially if they are about collectibles that you are interested in. Remember that there are collectors for everything.

You can keep them for your own reference or sell them to other collectors who like you are after background information and photos.

Old catalogs provide collectors with valuable information which help to date, identify and value collectibles today. For more information on dinnerware check out :

http://www.hillhousewares.com/category0maker2.html

Metlox Pottery began in 1927 in Manhattan Beach, California and grew to become one of California's premier pottery companies. There were two divisions within Metlox, the Poppytrail Division and the Vernonware Division (due to Metlox's purchase of Vernon Kilns in 1942). I carry over 70 patterns/color variations of Metlox. The Vernonware Division is listed separately (another sixty-five patterns). Metlox closed in 1989.

To learn more about identifying patterns from both the "Poppytrail" and "Vernon"
divisions go to: http://www.hillhousewares.com/category0maker2.html

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com

Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

Decorating Vintage Kitchens With Retro Housewares

Fruit Themed Housewares

Fruit themed kitchen-wares were very popular during the colorful eras of the 1930's 1940's and 1950's. Housewares such as kitchen canister sets, pottery, glassware, wall decor, tablecloths, textiles, bowls etc were adorned with images of fruit.

Popular Vintage Fruit Images

Buyers wil find vintage kitchen accessories decorated with cherries, apples, pears, pineapples, bananas and grapes. Fruits represent sweet and pleasant times and are viewed as warm and home centered.

The Meaning of Fruit Images

Every culture has given meaning to particular fruits. The apple may be a symbol of temptaion, but it is also a symbol of life, ass it is a perfect fruit that carries its won seeds of renewal.

The Hebrews view the pomegranate as a symbo of fertility. The Chinese accept the orange as a sign of good luck. Pineapples were symbols of hospitality in Colonial America. Fruit is celebrated as a luscious gift from Mother Nature and has always been a familiar image in kitchens.

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com

Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

Retro-Redheads Featuring Vintage Style Linens, Housewares and Home Accessories

Introducing Retro-Redheads
An On-Line Store For Retro Collectors

Retro Redheads is a kitchen and home on-line store that sells both originals and reproduction textiles, glassware, housewares, pottery, cookware and more. Barbara and her daughter run Retro-Redheads and are well known among "the trade".

This afternoon I chatted with Barb about all the new items she was now carrying in her on-line store. Over the years she been ordering more and more "vintage style" linens and accessories and integrating them with her originals (she is a hunter-collector just like the rest of us).

Textiles that Look Like Originals

I wondered how her long established customers felt about her carrying "repros". She said she sells a lot of "vintage style" and her customers are buying more and more.

Companies That Sell Vintage Style Home Accessories

ModaHome
Bethany Lowe
Dolce Mia

Many of the kitchenwares and textiles she has in her inventory come from very fine design houses such as Moda Home (http://www.unitednotions.com/un_main.nsf/mf_new), Bethany Lowe designs (http://www.bethanylowe.com/) and Dolce Mia Designs (http://www.dolcemia.com/).

According to Barbara, the quality of the retro inspired lines she carries is excellent. She herself uses many of these textiles and decorative accessories in her own home and is delighted with the durability.

I have to admit, the tablecloths, towels and napkins look fabulous. It is really hard to tell these newly manufactured pieces from their 1940 and 1950 cousins.

Here is the link to Retro-Redheads: http://www.retro-redheads.com

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com

Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

Flashback: Celebrating Thanksgiving Back in the Sixties

Flashback to Orange

I was thinking about getting ready for Thanksgiving when the color "orange" flashed into my head...the color of Mom's couch in our living room as kids. Today this same color orange along with greens, browns and pinks is featured in all the the trendy stores. The " mod metro" look is capturing the lines, styles, patterns and palettes of the sixties.

Growing Up in Fresh Meadows, New York

Back to my story. I grew up in Fresh Meadows, New York in a very small garden apartment in a complex called "Meadow Lark". Thanksgiving was probably the one day a year my dad took off from work, but not from cooking. You see my dad owned a luncheonette and was always in the kitchen. But on Thanksgiving, he was in our kitchen at home. My mom always wore smock style aprons and "assisted' my dad who was clearly in charge of Thanksgiving.

Late Fifites and Early Sixties Table Decor

As you look through these photos you will see the quintessential table decor of late fifties and early sixties homes. I am of course taking you through the home of nifty thrifty follks who served dinner on Melamine square plates, not bone china. Our centerpiece was a milkglass bowl with plastic fruit accompanied by lovely milkglass candle sticks .

We sat on "Bridge chairs" until my family finally bought a "Dinette set". This is the same table that we enjoyed our ritual Chinese take out on Sundays. Dad also did a lot of home crafts on this table. Notice the gravel picture of the parrot in the photo of my mom sitting on the couch?

He also made lots of mosaic tile bowls , candy dishes and trays. Yep....Thanksgiving was a big holiday in our home...... dad and mom pulled out all the good plastic on this day and used real napkins!

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com

Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.