Home Decor 1950s Style: Be Generous With Color

How to use color:

Color is everywhere around you isn't that so? But you must admit that nowhere is it more exciting than in your own home.

So many choices and so much variety. The American home picture book of decorating below brings you info on how you can be subtle or bold with color in your home. 

Color harmony is very important. Choose fabrics, wall, and floor coverings in colors that go well together. I think adding a dash of an accent color would be good, and you can also use a more intense shade of the room's base color. That way it can pick up a scheme that is done in perfect harmony. 

If you notice the pink ceiling in the room at the far left reflects its color from the floor covering and gives some warmth to the room making the high ceiling seem lower. The blue room reflects many other colors. Notice the rug, cushions, and some of the more brighter accessories give it a light blue effect.

Now take this green walls, carousel wallpaper, and pink plaid cushions, give a garden feeling to this little sitting room.

Sunny walls set simple, effective color scheme. Yellow and orange pillows and chair pads alternate for interest.

Now be generous with color! Let paint or wallpaper create a nice mellow atmosphere in your room. Walls and floor coverings give you the broadest chance for lavish use of color. Give these areas exceptional attention. Use color to change a room's section. Light colors make a room seem bigger, dark colors can lower a ceiling that's too high. Horizontal stripes can make a narrow room look wider. Bring out the beauty of your furniture by outlining it against paler colors or overcome its imperfections against darker tones. A fascinating color variance on the walls with paint or wallpaper or a new shade of floor covering can make your entire room look brand new without changing any of the furnishings.

Use a single color boldly! 

And when I say use a single color boldly I mean your favorite color OF COURSE! It will serve as a take-off point in your scheme that is absolutely your own masterpiece. The trick in boldly using a single color is in several lighter and darker tones, and with lots of white as the background. But use it striking for the most decorative effect. 

Christmas cookie recipes from the ’50s: Snowflake sugar cookies

Ingredients

1/3 cup soft shortening (part butter)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract OR 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/4 cups sifted Gold Medal Flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Mix thoroughly shortening, sugar, egg, flavoring. Sift together dry ingredients and stir in, then chill for 1 hour. Heat oven to 400 (moderate/hot). Roll the dough to a 1/3-inch thickness on lightly floured board. Keep the dough chilled, rolling only half of the mixture at a time. Cut with star cutter.

Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 6 to 8 minutes, or until delicately brown. Decorate cool cookies with Shiny glaze [recipe below]. Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Shiny glaze for snowflake sugar cookies

Ingredients

3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
4 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/4 cup hot water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract or vanilla
Food coloring, if desired

Directions

Mix all ingredients until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Cover. Stack cookies on rack in pairs with points of top star between points of bottom star. Place rack over pan. Pour 1 teaspoon of glaze over snowflakes. While the glaze is still soft, transfer cookies to waxed paper and decorate as desired. Let snowflakes dry before storing.

Success tip: Add few drops of hot water to thin glaze as necessary. Add decorations before glaze dries.

Never-ending Dishes

So who wants to come over and clean my kitchen? It seems like no matter how many dishes you wash and get out of the way they keep piling up. Although most days hubby does help me with the dishes, because it's one of my least favorite housewife duties to do, it seems like they are never-ending. Being a family of 5 with 3 hungry kids most of the time it seems like we are constantly dirtying dishes. And once they all get done and you are relieved that your dishes are finally done and your kitchen is all nice and clean, then that's when one of them decides it's a good idea to get hungry or thirsty for something and dirty some more dishes! It seems like doing dishes some days it's absolutely pointless. And not to mention that I do not have a dishwasher so we do all our dishes by hand which makes it much harder. If you can relate to this don't fret my fellow housewives and mommies because here are 7 tips for hand-washing dishes FAST, because nobody's got time for a slow scrub.

1) Switch to a soap with the right ingredients. Look for antibacterial soaps with lactic acid, which provides antibacterial benefits and gets the job done fast. Soaps with lauramine oxide have grease cutting power.

2) Use a sanitizing rinse. Dipping dishes in a sanitizing rinse will mimic part of the process they go through in a dishwasher, and it'll provide peace of mind that your dishes are clean, even if you don't scrub them for hours. After washing, dip your plates in one gallon of water with one teaspoon to one tablespoon of bleach. You can also use this solution to clean your dish sponge and your sink in a jiffy.

3) Be patient. Let dishes soak. It's tempting to start scrubbing cake-on food right away, but do yourself a favor and let pans soak in a sink of warm, sudsy water first. Those couple minutes of soaking time are going to go a long way in making things a lot easier to clean. It'll loosen food particles and save your hand from sponge-induced fatigue. For pots with burn marks on the bottom, soak in salt and cold water overnight, then boil the water to remove grime.

4) And while you're waiting, go get a serious sponge. I hear some people swear by the Dobie Pad sponge. It's covered in a plastic netting that allows you to scrub like a brillo but it doesn't cause any scratching. Lysol's scrub sponges are also a strong, scrub-worthy alternative to the average dish sponge, for a comparable price.

5) Use cold water to un-stick dairy and starches. Rinsing ice cream and butter off a plate with hot water can cause it to gum up. Get these foods with a cold rinse before continuing to wash the dish in warm water.

6) And make baking soda your grease-dissolving best friend. Coat a sticky, greasy pan with one tablespoon of baking soda, and cover the bottom with water. Heat it up a bit, then scrub the gunk off in mere seconds.

7) Don't stack dirty dishes in your sink. It's a small tweak, to be sure, but have your guests or family leave their dishes on the counter next to the sink, not inside it. Remember, you need to leave your sink open so that you can actually wash those dishes. Unstacking and re-stacking is going to make washing your dishes take longer, and nobody has time for that.

I hope  these tips and tricks will help all my fellow housewives out there who are seriously getting tired of constantly having a never-ending pile of dishes. Applying these techniques certainly makes our lives a little easier at least because let's face it, dishes will always be there. They will never disappear for good. 

How To Be A 1950s Housewife

I've always found it fascinating to learn about how people used to live back in the 1950s. But I feel that what women in the 1950s were expected to do for their husbands? Well, those traditions have certainly flown right out the window! I read an article that was published in May of 1955 in "Housekeeping Monthly" titled "The Good Wife’s Guide". And it's basically a detailed guide of how to be a good housewife and mother. It's amazing to me to see how different things were back then. Yet such a simple way of living. 

Well here it goes, these are the rules that were compiled back then for the magazine:

1.) Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready, on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs.

2.) Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favorite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.

3.) Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you’ll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.

4.) Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

5.) Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper, etc. and then run a dust cloth over the tables.

6.) Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering for his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

7.) Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children’s hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair and, if necessary, change their clothes.

8.) Children are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part. Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.

9.) Be happy to see him. Free him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him. Listen to him.

10.) You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first — remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

11.) Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner, or other places of entertainment without you. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his very real need to be at home and relax.

12.) Your goal: Try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquility where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

13.) Don’t greet him with complaints and problems.

14.) Don’t complain if he’s late home for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through that day.

15.) Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.

16.) Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.

17.) Don’t ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment of integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.

18.) A good wife always knows her place.

And there you have it folks! Those were the guidelines back then to being a good housewife and mother. Now in the times we are living now these are some old traditions that maybe many people today can't actually believe that people really followed back then. Maybe it feels a little strange to accept these rules today, but it's so interesting to see how society once behaved. I for once am fascinated by it all. Could I apply every single one to my life? Maybe not but I feel that in those simpler times housewives and mommies were probably much happier and dedicated to their family life and their homes. And in all honesty is something that I strive for every day. And although I may not be perfect and fail at most of these many days, I sure hope to be that good example of a praise-worthy mother and wife some day. I may not be there 100% yet but I strive for that because there's nothing I love more than being a homemaker, wife, and mommy. As a child I always dreamed of being what I am today. When you are a kid people often ask you what you want to be when you grow up and most children will respond by saying they want to be a doctor, or lawyer, or police officer, or ballerina. I always responded by saying I wanted to be a mommy and wife and have many children. I've always been very motherly ever since I was a child. And It showed in the way I played with my dolls. Some women really are not that hard to please. Some of us don't really ask for much. The simplicity of just wanting to be a loving wife and mother who cares for her family, and loves to cook, clean, and keep them happy is a very rewarding job at the end of the day. When you see the smiles on their faces after a satisfying home cooked meal made by me brings me so much joy. To see my husband savoring every bit of my food and constantly praising me for my hard work and dedication really uplifts me and inspires me to keep striving to be a better housewife and mother. And no other feeling in this world compares to that. Would you be able to follow these 1950s housewife rules? Let me know below!

Every Storm Is Part Of Your Journey

God is good! Plain and simple. When I sit here and think about all the good things God has done in my life it makes me realize that my problems are small compared to how big my God really is. Life can get overwhelming at times but every storm is part of your journey.

It all comes down to us trusting him. Many times we may not see a light at the end of the tunnel but we must never lose hope because God is always with us during our hardest moments. He promises to never leave us nor forsake us. Today I am inspired to talk about God because not only do I need to apply these things to my life as well but I feel there might be someone out there who needs to hear and read these words. Don't ever lose hope because that is the last thing that a person can lose. Life is so beautiful and we must learn to live happy. We must choose happiness because if we constantly sit there and wait for the circumstances and situations in our lives to be perfect so then we could be happy, that is never gonna happen. We will always have troubles and tribulations in this world but be of good cheer because Jesus said he has overcome the world. God will be with us through every difficult moment of our lives. We must choose to be happy no matter what is going on around us. Choose joy and choose positivity. Stay strong in your faith and don't let go of God's hand because He will never let go of you.

Vintage Pink

So my favorite color has always been purple. All shades of purple, especially lilac or lavender. But I do love vintage pink and for some reason I love looking at images of all things vintage and retro pink. They bring a sense of happiness and coziness inside. Here are a few gorgeous ones I have found on the net that I would love to share with you guys.

Look at this gorgeous vintage record player. I have always wanted to own one of these:

This one right here is a classic that I have seen many times around the net but I never get tired of looking at it!

What about this gorgeous pink and gold tea set! It is absolutely breath-taking:

Oh wow and look at this old pepsi vending machine. I love it. Takes me back and I love photos that take me back to simpler times. The nostalgia is real:

Wow what a gorgeous typewritter. This is a rarity nowadays what with computers and smart phones and all. And it truly is a shame. I miss the feeling of typing as a kid and how excited I would get when I would get the chance to type in a typewritter to do a project for school:

And this kitchen table is just simply adorable. I have always wanted a kitchen table set like this with that 1950s feel and style to it:

And what about these retro casseroles. I don't think there was a family back then that didn't have a set of these in their kitchen. Makes me wanna be a 50s housewife. I love to cook and keep my family happy with my meals and these make me wanna take out my apron and start preparing casseroles for my family and cook some good homemade comfort food:

Anyway those are just a few of the gorgeous vintage pink images that I wanted to share with you guys. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog and it inspires you to keep it retro.

I'm Back!

Hey everyone it has been forever since I have posted in this blog. I had totally forgotten about it since I have my hands tied with so many things but please stay tuned for more to come. Reading my old posts gave me a sense of nostalgia and I just need to revive this blog because I put a lot of heart and dedication to it and I wanna get that back. I hope you guys are excited cause there is so much more to come! I hope you are all doing well.