The Social Club

Modern Furniture

Lost Soul — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 23:19:50 GMT

Does nowhere do solid wood furniture anymore?!

All we want are a pair of 600mm wide, 2mtr tall, solid wood (not pine) bookselves but can we find anything? No chance. Habitat advertise the perfect shelves in 'natural oak' so we go to the shop where, on inspection, they turn out to be chipboard! For �250 each!

I will never begrudge paying high prices for vintage furniture again.

Retro Halloween Parties

lindydiva — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:55:24 GMT

I'm pretty sure we're going to have one this year.

It's been an age since we've had a party of any kind, so I am really looking forward to doing this.

I'm thinking hand-printed invitations, with vintage graphics. Vintage inspired costumes (or black tie...we'll provide masks for those who don't want to wear a costume).

I have one good Halloween CD, but need to find lots more music. I could dig 'em up & download one-by-one and burn some discs, but I'd love to find out where I can get ...

What Have You Bought Today?

Lost Soul — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 17:46:36 GMT

I can't believe that such rampant consumers as ourselves haven't set this old chestnut up yet! I recall this was quite a popular topic on the old PH board.

Anyway; today I bought a load of stripey T-shirts from Marks and Spencers. Two sizes; smaller for a more early sixties garage thing and bigger for a more fifties juvie thing. You wouldn't believe how difficult they are to get hold of hence my splurge today (10 shirts I think). They usually have some pathetic and meaningless graphic emplazoned ...

New subject!

Lost Soul — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:05:13 GMT

A new section for all your interiors as they all seem to be a bit scattered about at the moment.

A Possible Project: Leslie Brooks

Kittenwithawhip — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 04:09:47 GMT

Just to dip my toe in the water, how many here know Leslie Brooks, the actress from the 40's? Show of hands.

Is that a new banner I see?

Lesleyann66 — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:24:31 GMT

I just realized we have a new banner for The Social Club-I quite like it!

She looks very "social"! She also looks like she has some good gossip!

Hello there!

Mimi — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 21:45:10 GMT

Since it's looking like PH is no more, or at least, on hold indefinitely, I wanted us to have a place to meet up and keep in touch.

Welcome to the Social Club!

Most of you know me as Mimi, from Port Halcyon and everywhere else!

Please stop in and post a quick Intro here for the new folks, and then let's pick up where we left off!

Projects!

BygoneKnits — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 20:46:41 GMT

What's everyone working on? Or recently (or not-so-recently) finished? What's up next?

A few things I recently finished up:

1964 pullover by Pauline Denham (needs to be properly blocked, obviously -- it's looking a tad rumpled at the moment)...the collar opens in the back.

1936 diagonally ribbed scarf by Minerva (with monogramme)...um...yeah...had a wee bit of trouble removing all of the stray kitty fur.... I also made another, but altered the pattern a bit to be ...

A Few Housekeeping Items

Mimi — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:05:36 GMT

1. We had a couple of members who'd been given Moderator status, but have since been AWOL. I understand how Life creeps in and keeps people away, but I've reverted them back to basic User status for now. If I hear from them and they become active again, I'm happy to reinstate them as Mods.

2. I am faced with the prospect of finding a Full Time real live J-O-B. Once that happens, I'll need one other person who'd be willing to take on some basic Admin duties. Mostly consisting of Activating ...

Boy am I ever WAY behind!

Mimi — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:44:19 GMT

The weekend my kids left, I did a serious last-minute scramble! For some reason, denial I expect, I thought I had another whole week...So.

I did about 15 loads of laundry. No kidding. I've still not put it all away! I cleaned, I sorted, and I packed up the girl's suitcases. (yes, plural.)

Since then, I've been desperately trying to gain back that week I lost, and to not much avail. The Old Man took off two days last week, as we'd planned to do some work around the house. Guess what? ...

The Next Great Depression?

SusieQT — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:53:17 GMT

I hate to even think about it, but certain things are coming together now in a way that makes me think we might be headed for a repeat- a credit crisis, runs on banks, plunging stock market- or am I just being a Nervous Nelly?

Victory Gardens

Kittenwithawhip — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 23:21:12 GMT

After many years of wishing I could do it, I've finally convinced my neighbor to let me commandeer her back yard. She has an enormous sunny yard with nothing in it. It's been fallow so long that the soil has become one giant slab of brick. Even weeds have trouble rooting up in it. On the other hand, I have a great little garden but almost no sunshine, certainly not enough to have any food crops. So, we got together and she got her chocolate on my peanut butter, so to speak, and we decided ...

What Are You Wearing?

Mimi — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:14:18 GMT

This is always such a popular one, so tell us:

What are you wearing today?

I am still in flannel jammies because it is FREEZING in Maryland this morning. I am doing my housework in pajamas, and while I should be ashamed to admit to it, I am not.

At last check, with the "wind chill factor" the temp is hovering around 17F.

House Renovation...back to the 30s.

lindydiva — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:18:47 GMT

Don't hold your breath or anything, but it looks like we might be buying a house.

Incredibly, my husband found one in the area that's almost reasonable (here, a doghouse would go for $200,000 +).

It's even within walking distance of our current apartment. And it was built in 1930.

However (you knew there'd be at least one, right?)....it's a foreclosure. It's bank owned, and the process can be slippery. The last owner decided to get back at the bank by ripping out the entire kitchen. ...

What Movie Did You Just Watch? Rank 1-10

Marlowe — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:03:19 GMT

Time to bring this thread back!

Manhattan Melodrama (1934) 7/10 I finally watched this from the Loy-Powell DVD set and this is typical wonderful MGM entertainment. Gable gets the flashier part, but Powell matches him every step of the way.

What's everybody reading?

BygoneKnits — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 20:20:50 GMT

I always have a ton of volumes going at once, but at the moment, I'm on huge kicks of Agatha Christie and Wodehouse (such security blankets for me). But last night I started The Red House, by A.A. Milne (yes, he of Winnie-the-Pooh fame). So far, it's of the typical 1920s/30s English Country House Murder genre, but there's something of the same delightful, lighthearted, bedtime story tone of the WTP books about it. Plus, I'm listening to it on audiobook, and there's something comforting about ...

Do you blog?

lindydiva — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:53:05 GMT

I've dived back in again (click on my www link to go there).

I'd love some feedback about it.

Format is meh, I'm not techincally inclined. If anyone could give me advice on that as well, I'd be grateful.

--Eileen

Vintage stoves

lindydiva — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:58:49 GMT

Recommendations?

Reviews?

We're hoping to get one, and I've been looking at 30s models. Or 20s. The house we might buy was built in 1930, and I want a mostly period kitchen.

decorating styles?

RetroKitten — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:52:33 GMT

I'm not really sure if this is the right forum, but I couldn't find a better one. (psst.... home decorating forum )

Anyway, my question to all of you is about how you decorate. Do you try to stick to one era or do you mix and match? My goal has always been to have my home look like someone has lived there from about the 1930's to the 1950's and unlike having a house that looks like a magazine spread from one era, have a mix of things. This is primarily because I haven't been able to ...

Eek a mouse!

Lost Soul — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:06:38 GMT

God knows how, but we have a little visitor in our first-floor, concrete flat. I saw the little terror legging it across the kitchen floor after I heard an unfamiliar skritchy skratchy sound.

He's somewhere behind the cooker/ cupboards chuckling at us.

Anyway, I get paranoid about rodents nibbling through wires (I had a succession of rats as pets and know what vandals they are) so he/she needs to be caught. Alive of course; we are nice people.

So far I have cut the top off a baited plastic ...

Hardly 'classics' but...

Lost Soul — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:42:54 GMT

I'm going to break a habit and watch 2 new films this year!

Iron Man looks like ridiculously good fun as does the new Indiana Jones film (I'm sure there are some throbbing genitals on a certain other message board).

Vintage revival underway ?

MoonMoth — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 06:20:15 GMT

Definitely not a gentleman's-only discussion but I couldn't find a better place for it.

There's a vibe in the air that vintage is cool again. Folks in here have known that all along but I keep picking up signals, a lot of it from younger folks, that it's actually ok to look back and appreciate things from yesterday. I hear kids talking Cab Calloway-speak, bands are listening to 78rpms on Victrola's while traveling on the highway, thrift stores are hip again, the ukulele is back, and growing ...

Hey, all you British folks...

Mimi — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:21:17 GMT

...who wants to run to their nearest Tesco and get me some of those Cath Kidston shopping bags???

July TCM Spotlight: Big Bands in the Movies

Fancy That — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:02:08 GMT

I did a search and did not find any thread that looked like it was for such a heads-up. So:

Someone on the SwingEra Yahoogroup just posted this:

"Beginning at 8 PM (Eastern) on Wednesdays in July, and going all night until 6 AM Thursdays, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will be offering a variety of big band movies and shorts."

TCM Spotlight Schedule for July

Exciting! I've been wanting to see [url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=3691]Reveillie with Beverly[/url]for ...

What Have You Learned Today?

Lost Soul — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 22:20:22 GMT

I learned about a mid-century musical genre that I had never even heard of- highlife.

The following is from the National Geographic website:

Highlife, dance music played mostly in Ghana and Nigeria, represents one of the century's first fusions of African roots and Western music, and before 1970 it ruled dance floors across much of West Africa. Trumpeter and bandleader E.T. Mensah, born in 1919 in Accra, Ghana, formed his first band in 1930s and went on to be crowned the ...

Washday Pudding

Ali — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:53:37 GMT

I ran across this while looking for something else (which I didn't find but hey....). This sounds delicious and I'm looking forward to making it.

Wash Day Pudding

Bottom Layer

2 Cups Brown Sugar

1 Cup Water

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Melt and blend in pot on low temperature. �Do Not Boil�. Once melted pour into (lightly greased) 9x9 baking dish.

Preheat oven to 375 F

Cake

� Cup Butter

� Cup White Sugar

Cream butter & sugar add 1 Egg. Beat until well ...

Long lost full length Metropolis found in Argentina.

Fancy That — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 05:12:03 GMT

From Argentines find lost 'Metropolis' scenes

Quote:

By NICHOLAS KUSNETZ �

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) � Lost scenes from the sci-fi classic "Metropolis," recently discovered in the archives of a Buenos Aires museum, were shown to journalists for the first time in decades on Thursday.

A long-lost original cut of the 1927 silent film sat for 80 years in a private collection and then in the Museum of Cinema in Buenos Aires, where it was discovered in April with scratched images ...

Barbecue

Jumpin' Jim — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:41:29 GMT

Maybe this belongs in the Cookbook section, but I see Barbecuing as one of the Manly Arts.

I'm trying to hone my barbecue skills this summer. Not grilling, but real, slow-cooked barbecue. I almost bought a smoker this week, but decided that my grill (with the addition of a smoker box) would be better than any of the smokers I could afford right now. Are there any other pit masters out there? I'm up for any tips you can offer.

I'll start with a tip of my own. When making barbecue ...

FAO Mimi

Ali — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:56:55 GMT

I meant to post earlier, I absolutely LOVE your new short hairstyle! That photo on Charm City is great!

Right now on TCM!

Mimi — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 16:02:11 GMT

Richard Dix, as the Whistler!

I love this radio program, never miss it, but I've not seen any of the films, and TCM is showing two of them starting now!!!

Summer Picnic Fare

lindydiva — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:10:04 GMT

The big 4th of July bash we go to was cancelled...but the same folks have just sent out an invite to just a few people for a smaller gathering.

I usually make my Booze Fruit kabobs (melon, strawberries, blueberries & such marinated in Cointreau or rum) and put onto skewers. Don't know if I'll bother this year. I think I'll bake a cake instead. The last cake went over very well. I even decorated it in red and blue "fireworks" on white frosting. Just a yellow cake with a cream ...

Shaving

Lost Soul — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:32:24 GMT

For anyone that is interested, The Sophisticate's Diary now has full instructions on the care of your straight razor.

Do any of you use straight razors? I know there's less than a handful of chaps on here but maybe some of the more 'dangerous dames' are adept at wielding a cut-throat when seeking silky-smooth legs? I can't say I'd take a straight razor into the shower with me though as life-changing catastrophe would only be a slip away.

Finger Waves

SusieQT — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:52:40 GMT

I recently got my hair bobbed again and I'd love to do it in finger waves. Problem is, my hair is really thick and doesn't take curls or waves very well. Any suggestions for products/techniques?

OTR

lindydiva — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:57:39 GMT

Old Time Radio.

Favorite shows?

My tip-top favorite is Lux Radio Theater. Love it.

After that, any charming comedy, really. And I am a sucker for Christmas shows of any kind.

Here's mud in your eye!

lindydiva — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 23:01:25 GMT

'cause fellas and dames, do I need a cocktail! Some "Friday" we had here today.

I think it's shaken-in-foxtrot time for me!

What's for dinner?

lindydiva — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 01:45:03 GMT

Tonight was simple:

Pan-broiled steak; carrots with butter, salt & pepper; broccoli with lemon, olive oil & pepper; rice with bell pepper, carrots.

Tomorrow:

pan-sauteed pork chops with red cabbage

oven roasted veg (parsnips/carrots/potatoes/onion/garlic)

FAO Fancy That

Ali — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:40:31 GMT

I love your Halloween site! Where did you find the photos?

What have you done today?

SusieQT — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 22:24:28 GMT

I had high hopes for today- after the gym, the bank and the supermarket I hit my favorite thrift store. Actually it's three thrift stores in one shopping center- furniture, variety and clothing. I have had some really great luck there in the past, but not today. I came out with a couple new maternity outfits (blech) and a new pair of boots for my son. Nothing fun, and I had money to spend for once!

Oh well, tomorrow I'll hit the Goodwill- I'm looking for some sheer curtain material.

Happy Birthday, Madame President! (Mimi)

lindydiva — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:50:10 GMT

Good morning and Happy Birthday!

How was the symphony?

And what's the story about the dress? Nosy people want to know.

What the heck is witch hazel? It sounds like a relative...

the_librarian — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 17:17:08 GMT

Ok gals, help me out. I keep stumbling across witch hazel....supposedly it's good to clean the face and is mentioned in lots of vintage articles. Is that something a guy could use or is that girl stuff?

Sincerely,

a perplexed male

Screwball Comedy

lindydiva — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:30:39 GMT

A favorite of mine.

Here are some good ones:

Midnight

Holiday

My Man Godfrey

The Joy of Living

Theodora Goes Wild

Favorite actors & actresses:

Don Ameche; Katharine Hepburn; Francis Lederer; Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.; Irene Dunne; William Powell; James Cagney; Joan Blondell.

I also like:

The Bride Came C.O.D.

Blonde Crazy

...and many, many more!

The historical "House" series...

Kittenwithawhip — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 09:03:46 GMT

No not the one where the fake American doctor browbeats his staff and snatches patients from the brink of death. The series of relatively unrelated shows that transport people back in time a la Finney and films their experiences for the BBC/PBS. I've seen them all, and I fancy the 1940s house the most, but tonight I'm re-watching the Regency House party because I'm on a Regency kick this week.

While most people think of Jane Austen, I'm more of a Byron groupie, so while everybody on ...

Vintage recipes and vintage techniques

SusieQT — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:19:48 GMT

You guys got me digging through some of my cookbooks in the other thread, and I had an inspiration. I thought I'd try one of the recipes using as many vintage tools & appliances as possible.

I thought I'd share the recipe, the process and the results with you.

First the book, then the recipe:

Yes, that's right- I baked a cake in my electric frying pan!

Here's my helper getting ready to mix the cake with my 1946 Sunbeam Mixmaster. You could use a from-scratch recipe, of ...

Period Pieces.

Mimi — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 16:10:57 GMT

I'm not sure if Hollywood is really doing anything these days that will become a 'classic' but I wanted to separate the new from the old.

Specifically, here, I want to talk about some of the period pieces that have been getting a lot of talk.

*******************************************************************************

I'm heading out to see 'Atonement' today and wondered if anyone else had seen it? It looks absolutely beautiful, so even if the story is crap, it should be a gorgeous ...

Best Sellers of the Eras

the_librarian — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 17:36:11 GMT

Hi all,

Even though I don't get to read as much as I would like, what with kids and the dog and all of the other daily zillion things of everyday life, when I do get to, it is a treat. One of the ways I try to learn about the past is reading best sellers from bygone eras. I thought this would be a good topic to post so that we can learn what fiction you have read that everyone else might enjoy.

I'll lead off with one of my all time favority books: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Coming of ...

Trick of the Trade

Ali — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:18:10 GMT

I haven't tried this yet but will;

Instant Hair Nourishment

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of honey

Double or tripe measures as needed for longer hair. Mix together and apply to hair. Wrap your head in plastic wrap and leave it for 15 minutes. Rinse and viola, the result is supposed to be shiny locks.

Meatless?

lindydiva — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:21:55 GMT

It is Lent, after all. (And I'm trying to save money and also to stop eating a lot of red meat.)

What are some of your recipes?

Here's one of mine:

Oven-Roasted Vegetables

carrots

onions

parsnips or turnips

potatoes

garlic

very thin slices of lemon

Smash and peel the garlic cloves, peel the vegetables, and chop into fairly uniform pieces. Toss in good olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt & freshly ground pepper.

Roast in a single layer in a heavy pan at about 350F for ...

Word Bird

MoonMoth — Sat, 03 May 2008 04:26:26 GMT

Ever notice that some words from the past have practically disappeared from our vocabulary, like "sundry", and others have entirely different meanings ("gay")?

If you encounter such a word, post it here along with its definition. You may discover that your word is still active, perhaps in a different English-speaking country.

Here's a word that I think has vanished: "gadabout"

Defined: a person who moves about restlessly or aimlessly, esp. from one social ...

"It's all about me!"

Kittenwithawhip — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 04:23:42 GMT

Tell me about your specialties and your passions. Have you got a museum quality collection of anique dresses? Or a tiny collection of vintage teacups that make you happy evey time you see them? What's your currect holy grail of vintageware? Marilyn's makeup case? Howard Hughes' fedora? Jean Harlow's glasses? A Faberge egg? What got you started down this trail? Do you have any special skills? Can you recreate a wartime Christmas meal under rationing? Maybe you spent hours watching that ...

The Best Big Band In The Land

the_librarian — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 06:02:05 GMT

Let'sface it kids, today's bands can't hold a candle to the classic swing arrangements of the forties because, I think, they couldn't afford 'em today. With that in mind, who's your favorite big band? Don't like 'em....shout it out and let the fun begin.

(with apologies to the Harry James thread...didn't mean to steal the idea...too much )