What Shall I Do With Her?

Her name is (of course) Petunia; I found her in a local thrift store and she is about the size of the Drama Queen. The question is which houseplant will do justice to her coy porcine loveliness? Suggestions welcomed.

A Valentine Tea

More cunning and novel entertainment suggestions from that swell man-about-town, Paul Pierce.

Here's to a cup of tea. It holds intoxication great for me.
I find it makes me want to dare
Do bold things right then and there;
To steal a kiss from Phyllis fair, as she pours tea.

"Pink is the color scheme; the invitations are written on rose-tinted cardboard, cut heart-shape and adorned with floral love-knots. The hostess can wear a pink gown and the rosy-hue effect is also carried out in the dining-room decorations. On a blank space of the wall have two hearts formed of pink carnations and smilax, and pierced by a gilded arrow. Beneath, on a pink cardboard, lettered in gold, have this verse:

"Love always looks for love again;
If ever single it is twain,
And till it finds its counterpart
It bears about an aching heart."

The long table, covered with snowy cloth, has the valentine idea in heart design used as much as possible in the decorations. The candles are pink and the paper shades in the shape of roses; pink bonbons bearing appropriate mottoes and tiny cakes covered with pink frosting, are in heart-shaped dishes; around the dishes are garlands of green, caught in a bow-knot with a narrow pink satin ribbon. In the center of the table is a large heart-shaped cake, fringed with smilax and pink roses, and on the top, pink figures numbered from one to sixteen. Before the cake is cut, a silver tray holding corresponding numbers is passed, with the explanation that one of the pieces contains a tiny gold heart, and that the finder will surely succumb to Cupid's darts before another year. In another piece is a dime which will bring the lucky possessor success, wealth and happiness.

The place-cards consist of heart shaped booklets with the name of the guest in gold, and an artistic sketch of Cupid equipped with bow and arrow. On the leaves are the following conundrums:

What kind of a ship has two mates and no captain? (Courtship.)

What is the difference between a mouse and a young woman? (One wishes to harm the cheese, the other to charm the he's.)

The souvenirs are square cards, on which are quaint pen sketches, and rhymes, each peculiarly adapted to the one that receives it, and, of course, more or less personal.

The ices are heart-shaped and the two maids who act as waitresses represent the Queen of Hearts, attired in dresses bedecked with hearts, and small crowns of hearts upon their heads.

Have a heart hung from the chandelier, the guests in turn being placed about eight feet from it, then request them to hold the left hand over one eye, raise the right arm even with the heart, and keeping it in that position, walk rapidly straight ahead and hit it with a finger, striking horizontally. It is declared easy to do until tried."

Caturday!

(swiped from William the Coroner).

Quote of the Day

The right dress in the right place will not only insure approval of your mode of dress, but will also manifest your breeding and your tact. Outside of a shop, a dress is not, in itself, a beautiful thing, only as it is part of yourself; and it then becomes beautiful in association with you and the background, atmosphere, or surroundings in which it is worn. ~Harry Collins, The ABC of Dress, 1923.

The Online Bookshelf -The Tale of Old Dog Spot

From a popular early 20th century children's author...not much of a story but who can resist such a nattily-attired cat?

Flanking Movement

It has been too cold for the cats to go out since before Christmas, but last week during a brief thaw I opened the back door to let Her Majesty venture forth. She paused on the stoop just long enough to sneer at the dogs and then made a quick hop for the gap between the fence and the house.

And got stuck. Wedged, one might say, and by the time I pried her loose Funnyface had decorated her hindquarters liberally with dog spit.

I have reduced her rations to half a cup of diet kibble in the morning and again at night, may the God of fat kittehs forgive me.

Patterns of the Past - Needlecraft, September 1914

Some designs are timeless classics. This is not one of them.

Vintage Valentines from TipNut

More on her website.

Tatting - a 1949 Doily

At the request of Here-Be-Tatters' Diane, a doily from the Star Book #66, published in 1949. Instructions for four sizes are on my Flickr account.

An Inconvenient Truth

People who own German Shepherds should know better than to buy microfiber bedspreads.

Vintage Images - Bookplates

Copyright-free, from Dover.

Cat-erpillar

A Tale Of Two Sundays - February

From 52 Sunday Dinners, on the first Sunday in February, 1927, the following menu was suggested: Cream of Pea Soup with Toasted Crackers, Cold Roast Leg of Lamb with Heated Gravy, Mashed Potatoes and Mashed Yellow Turnips, Tomato Sauce, Celery, Cucumber Pickles and Apple Tapioca Pudding with Whipped Cream.

Cream of Pea Soup

“Rinse a can of peas with cold water and keep out ¼ cup. Simmer the remainder of the can with a slice of onion, small bay leaf, a little parsley, teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon white pepper, 2 cups boiling water for 20 minutes, then put through strainer, mashing through as much of the pulp as possible. Bring a pint of milk to scald in double boiler, thicken with tablespoon butter blended with 1 ½ tablespoons flour, and when the milk is creamy add the peas, etc. Stir well, and just before serving add the whole peas.”

Apple Tapioca Pudding with Whipped Cream

“Pare, core and quarter 3 or 4 tart apples and put in a deep dish to bake. To a pint of milk allow 2 tablespoons tapioca that does not need soaking, and cook in double boiler until tapioca looks clear. Break 2 eggs into a bowl, add ½ cup sugar, a pinch of salt, and beat until foamy, then add a teaspoon of lemon extract, and stir into the cooked tapioca. When the apples are tender turn over them the tapioca mixture, and return to the oven for 20 minutes. Serve cold with the whipped cream, which may be slightly sweetened and flavored with ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.”

Mrs Berolzheimer's recommended menu for Sunday the 1st of February 1953 offers a Lincoln’s Birthday Dinner consisting of a Grapefruit, Pomegranate and Blueberry Appetizer Salad, Fried Chicken, Buttered Steamed Barley, Harvard Beets, Pumpkin Pie, Coffee and Milk. I think the appetizer was the closest thing to a red-white-and-blue salad she and her myrmidons could devise. They offer no recipe with that title in the accompanying 500 Salads book; perhaps the hostess was supposed to sprinkle this grapefruit salad with blueberries and pomegranate seeds?

Grapefruit Appetizer Salad

“Remove seeds from halves of grapefruit. Cut around inside edge as close to shell as possible. Separate grapefruit segments from membrane, cut out remaining membrane and arrange romaine, escarole or chicory around inside of shell. Cut grapefruit segments into pieces and heap up in shell. Serve with French dressing.”

Note: French dressing, at this time in American culinary history, referred not to the red ketchup-like stuff we know today, but rather a plain oil and vinegar dressing.

Of the two menus, I think I’d go with 1927 again, although my leg of lamb would be served hot and without the tomato sauce.

Caturday!

Quote of the Day

Liberty doesn't work as well in practice as it does in speeches. ~Will Rogers

The Online Bookshelf - The Cock and the Mouse and the Little Red Hen

Evil is punished, virtue triumphs, and some poor baby foxes face a bleak and hungry future, at Project Gutenberg.

I'm Shocked

At the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing today on the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) expressed his concern that repealing the rule would pave the way for allowing "alcohol use, adultery, fraternization, and body art" in the military.

Because as we all know, never, at any time in American history, has there ever been any alcohol use, adultery, fraternization and body art in the military.

Patterns of the Past - Flowers to Embroider and Cross-stitch

A McCall's pattern from 1963. The envelope includes half a dozen cutwork designs, as well.

Crochet - Vintage Toys From Purple Kitty

Real life is interfering with blogging this week (and next week, and probably the week after).


I have not had time to dig something out of my stash, so I am going to link to some vintage patterns for crocheted toys from the wonderful ladies at Purple Kitty. Enjoy!


(Scroll about half-way down the page).

Vintage Images - Bird Prints

(By John James Audubon, and copyright-free from Dover).