Friday, July 31, 2009

Ahhh....some young roses!


A Few Don'ts For Girls

This is from an article in an 1891 issue of The Ladies Home Journal. It is part of a feature called "Side Talks with Girls" and is subtitled "A Few Don'ts for Girls".

Don't keep the fact that you are corresponding with some man, a secret from your mother.

Don't let any man kiss you or put his arm about you unless you are engaged to be married to him, and even then be a little stingy with your favors.

Don't let Tom, Dick or Harry call you by your first name, or greet you with some slang phrase.

Don't let any man believe that simply for the asking he can get "that pretty Smith girl" to go out driving with him, to accompany him to the concert, or to entertain him for an hour when he can't find anyone else.

Don't write foolish letters to anybody, men or women; you never know who may see them.

Don't think that you can go untidy all day and then look very fine at night, for fine feathers do not always make fine birds.

Don't believe that you can be careless in speech or manner without it's absolutely having a bad moral effect upon you.

My dear girl, it's in your own hand as to what you will be. An intelligent, charming woman, or a foolish, ignorant one, and certainly if a few "don'ts" will save you from being the last, you ought not only to read and learn, but inwardly digest and practice.

The Care and Dressing of the Hair

I found this wonderful article in a May, 1891, edition of The Ladies Home Journal. It is titled "The Care and Dressing of the Hair". This article features all of the lastest styles. It tells you how to achieve them and who should and should not wear their hair in particular ways. The one I am writing about today is called The Greek Coiffure. Here is the excerpt.

The Greek Coiffure






At illutration No. 7 is shown the veritable Greek coiffure. It is only becoming to women with oval faces, and should not be attempted by the witching maid whose face is round and dimpled. The bang is short and fluffy, soft rather then frizzy. The hair at the sides and back is slightly waved either on an iron or by pins, and is then drawn up to the top as pictured, and fastened with lace pins. The band about the hair is of gold set with turquoises. It is neccessary, not only that the face should be oval with this arrangement of the hair, but the head must be well-shaped, so she must know her points who would dare it.


Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Helpful Hints

These are just a couple of helpful hints from vintage magazines.

When dyeing cotton garments, save some of the dye bath to put in the starch. It will give the garment a more permanent finish.

Used and discarded shoulder pads make satisfactory extra pin cushions for such places in the house as closets, laundry, and kitchen. Cover with a scrap of material and dress them up with bias binding around the seams. Larger sizes may be fastened around the wrist with a loop and button, or hook and eye, for use in dressmaking projects.

To keep the kiddies' finger marks off the four poster beds, pull a pair of men's or children's socks down over the posts while they are around.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Some more of my lovely roses!

Hello again! It's been another long time away from writing. I keep being interrupted by that nasty cancer that wants to take my life, but I am winning! Anyways.....I thought I would start by showing you some more pictures of those lovely ladies from yesteryear. I hope you enjoy them. I'm going to try to put on some vintage knitting patterns in the next few days. Please come back to see them!