We Always Knew Joan Crawford Had A Big Head

If you think Joan Crawford looks like a bobble head on this vintage trading card, check out the rest of the movie stars on the 1949 set of Turf Cigarette cards.


Vintage Mildred Pierce card found via The Golden Age Of Hollywood Ning Group.

Doodle Weakly? Then Doodle Weekly!

Doodle Week is now at The Ungulate.


The first week's challenge is "dollies." And you certainly can't do any worse than my pitiful little doll. So go ahead, doodle; I double-doll dare you.

Professor Fliggins Vampire Pants

From Shawnimals.

Your Guess Is As Good As Ours

Sure, we could look the clipping up in Google translate, but why ruin the mystery?

Beware: His Tattoo Will Put Your Eye Out

Who doesn't love A Christmas Story? (It's one of my favorite -- though newer -- holiday film traditions) But dude, a tattoo? ...Won't your next favorite film make you remove it?



Tat belongs to Jim of the Spectremen, who recorded a song called Red Rider, a tribute to Ralphie.

Ha Ha, Your Momma Took Penicillin

Searching for old letters to illustrate my article at Inherited Values (yes, I need another website to write at, thank-you-very-much), I found this gem of a blog, Matrilineal, by Linda (a jackass owner), who is transcribing 15 years of previously unread family letters. Sadly I did not find any scans of the old letters (I just love looking at them; it's almost as good as holding them), but when you find entires like this one dated December 6, 1954, you can forgive nearly anything:

I was so scared and horrified when I read that you had taken penicillin. No wonder the doctor tested your heart. Don't ever take it again. After taking it several times it reacts on the heart and often causes death in a few minutes. Don't let any doctor give you any more of it.

Getting The Christmas Tree

Looking for Christmas tree photos for other blog posts, I found these photos...

Brining home a Christmas tree on a Vespa reminds me of those motorscooter kids carrying home a 3-foot-tall bookcase during Cleanup Week.



Real men cut down a real tree: sawing down the National Community Christmas tree for the Christmas Pageant of Peace in Washington, D.C., 1959.

Hopalong Cassidy Remained Still

Well, at least the boy in the Hopalong Cassidy costume remained still long enough to be photographed.

I Love the Smell of Vinyl in the Morning

I Love the Smell of Vinyl in the Morning by AmbergEntertainment
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Sid & Nancy Glitter Heart Necklace

As if combining Sid & Nancy with a big blue glittery heart weren't enough, there's a safety pin and and a razor blade to drive it all home to kitschy heaven. Necklace by IndyGrrrlProductions.

Retro USSR Earrings

Plastic hammer & sickle circles for your ears.

What Cool Looks Like

Muhammad Ali in black sunglasses; photo by Eddie Adams.

High Style, Daddy-O

Via Life.

El Vampiro Atomico

Via Giovannarama at Collectors Quest, the Mexican lobby card for the 1958 U.K. film, Fiend Without a Face. For some reason, the Spanish title is far more intriguing to me.

Contest Alert

This month Antique Trader is giving away a copy of Price Guide to Holt-Howard Collectibles and Related Ceramicware of the 50s & 60s. You can enter here, once a day for the entire month of June.

Bettie Page Isn't Too Hot For Cold Beverages

If this Bettie Page Tumbler makes your glass sweat, don't worry; there are coasters too.

Revenge On The Clowns

Spotted in a local antique shop, an old tin or metal clown toy with a metal rod through his nose, holding his hat 'up'.

Tainted Love

Cool Bad Girl gear to hold your ID, Nano, business cards etc.; via Relationship Underarm Stick.

Brrinng! Someone's On The Retro Hotline

Crosley Classic Kitchen Phone, via Retro Chic.

Tin Man Tick-Tocks, But No Word On His Heart

This vintage tin man pin has his clock belly facing 'up' so that you can tell the time while wearing him.

Retro Turquoise Smoking & Magazine Stand

This is too cool for words:

It has a hanging magazine holder, a center stamped template for glasses, cigarettes, matches and a multi colored glass lined area. The turquoise painted portions are wood while the pole is a brass colored metal. It is 18 1/2" tall, 15 1/2" wide and 12 1/2" deep.

Far Out, Way Out, Or Way-Way Out?

Amazing super psychedelic disco platforms -- for tripping in all it's various forms.

These and more retro platform shoes at Here's Looking Like You, Kid.

Vintage Geek Link Round Up

Vintage Goodness helps us all declare our Vintage Geek Pride.

Speaking of geeks, Michael Duff made me smile with his comment on the definition of "geek":

The Urban Dictionary defines “geek” as: The people you pick on in high school and wind up working for as an adult.

All this really proves is that the Urban Dictionary is written by geeks.

Past Perfect Vintage gives us history lessons on the inaugural dress of former First Ladies.

Cheetah Velour knows her stuff. The proof lies in the stuff she didn't buy -- and with good reason!

Crafting geeks, I wonder how well you know your pine cones!

You'd Have To Be Drunk To Wear 'Em

This is what I'd call a Holy Grail Kitsch Find: a vintage pair of "happy sloshed pipe cleaner men earrings". Dude, I know what we're making next Girl's Night... Because it probably helps to be tipsy to make 'em too.

Intro To The Dean Martin Show (April 1969)

You Always Wanted To Blast Her Skirt Off

Via Tad Too Tan For Taupe I found Zombie Kitten and these fantastic, out of these rocket skirts!

Most Awesome Family Portrait Ever

Billy Dee Williams, Drew Barrymore, Ann-Margret and Bonnie Franklin, from Life, 1984.

Seahorses Do Not Have Legs

But are there sea-zebras?



Leila Hyams & zebra sans gams at the beach, via Flickr.

Playing Doctor: Scrubs & Beyond

I was reading Slip's post about how fashionable scrubs are now and it got me thinking... Maybe scrubs are the new aprons.

But more than that, I'm thinking hubby needs some scrubs. I'm tired of him ruining all his jeans and shirts with all this projects -- not to mention when we do Science In The Kitchen stuff with the kids. The Landau scrubs lab coats would be especially cool for that. (He always has reminded me of Beaker the Muppet. ...And then we could play doctor. They're only $20. Such thrills!)



Come to think of it, I wish they made scrubs in kids sizes. Science In The Kitchen gets messy sometimes.

Practicality of scrubs aside, I'm loving the kitschy fun of scrubs. There's the NASCAR scrubs, a ladybug print, cheeky monkeys, candy corn printed scrubs...



And yup, Betty Boop.



Get yer Cherokee scrub pants, Landau medical scrubs, at Scrubs & Beyond.

Hoop-Dee-Doo, Time To Tie One On!

Vintage necktie advertising Kay Starr's version of the swing tune Hoop Dee Doo on Capitol records; via eBay.

This Is How The World's Greatest Entertainer Gets Into His Car

Long Hair Saucer Chair

Discovered at WalMart last night (and apparently sold out this morning; I called to get more info to find a link for you -- how dedicated am I?!), the Long Hair Saucerchair. I bet it's more fun to say than to sit in. In truth, I just keep saying long-hair-saucer-chair over and over again -- but have no desire to sit in it.



This was the closest I could find to the chair. They make them for pets too, of course -- it would be cool to train a dog to take to his chair at the command of "Long Hair Saucer Chair."

Craft-Scan Friday: Twin Martian Dolls

From McCall's Needlework & Crafts, Spring/Summer 1971, instructions for making these twin Martian dolls. I'm in lurve with the see-thru plastic dress on the female Martian.

No More Happy Families

Found via Kinsanity, this art collage by Mira Rudio.

Hey, Sailor Grrl, Today Only: Free Shipping At Zazzle

Sailor Grrl by kindnessofstrangers
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Anne Frank's Not The Only Thing Hiding In The Attic

This gal found this Polaroid of her family in the attic. We're pretty sure she means the photo was found in the attic; but then again...

What's A Pink Pussycat Worth?

I traded ephemera from the Pink Pussycat to Silent Porn Star (NWS, duh) for some magic beans -- the magic part is 'when' they will arrive *wink* Now she owes me. Big time.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Of 1942

Tales of Manhattan: the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants of 1942. Only about a black formal tailcoat. And for grown-ups.