I’m Not Falling For Faux Fall
I’m not ready for sweater weather! And I’m not putting away my white shoes any time soon. With Labor Day looming, my longing for a never-ending summer grows fiercer, becoming protective of the...
View ArticleHow to Beat The Summer Heat
Unbearable summer heat is nothing new though each year we seem to think we’ve never had it this bad. While many are googling tips on how to survive this wretched heat wave, I turned to my trusty 1954...
View ArticleBeat the Summer Heat Automatically
How to beat the summer heat- automatically. Vintage ad Vendo Vending machines 1958 Hydrate, hydrate, and re-hydrate. That is the mantra for this summer’s scorching heat. During this oppressive heat...
View ArticleA Birthday Tribute to my Beach Loving Mother Betty
I got my deep love of the water and the beach from my beloved mother Betty. Born in Brooklyn on Bastille Day, her lifelong enthusiasm for the sand and surf was deeply infectious and I caught the beach...
View ArticleMum’s the Word When it Comes to Fall
I hate Mums. There, I’ve said it. Yet I just returned from the local nursery loaded down with a dozen or so pots of this despised plant. As summer annual flowers begin to fade, the vacancy in my terra...
View ArticleSummer Season’s End
Bidding the Beach Club Goodbye Labor Day signaled the last call at my Grandmother’s Long Island beach club. Just as white shoes would make their final appearance of the season, so it was time to bid...
View ArticleA Healthy Tan?
Once upon a time, a deep dark tan was the gold standard of a successful summer run. When it came to getting a gold medal for the best bronze I was always a winner. In full disclosure, I am still one...
View ArticleKen’s Hair Raising Story
Ken’s Man Bun – Hair Today Gone Tomorrow Oh Ken, say it ain’t so! Whose hair brain idea was it to give poor Ken Carson a man bun? I’m not sure even curvy Barbie would be happy with this new do. And...
View ArticleJFK and the Summer of High Hopes
JFK in the swim. Photo by Bill Beebe/Los Angeles Times Archives?UCLA A Favorite From the Vault The sizzling summer of 1960 was dominated by the equally hot Presidential race between John F. Kennedy and...
View ArticleCooling Down the Automatic Way
How to beat the summer heat- automatically. Vintage ad Vendo Vending machines 1958 During this oppressive heat wave, summer’s must have accessory is the ubiquitous water bottle. Whether Aquafina or...
View ArticleTips to Beat Summers Heat
Beat the Summer Heat – World Book Encyclopedia 1955 As we suffer through an oppressive heat wave, an offering of mid century tips for a very contemporary problem.
View ArticleSay it Ain’t So….So Long Summer
Vintage ad Kodak Brownie Movie Camera 1957 Bidding the Beach Club Goodbye Labor Day signaled the last call at my Grandmothers Long Island beach club. Just as white shoes would make their final...
View ArticleThe Scents, Sounds and Flies of Summer
The scents and sounds of my 1960s childhood summers at my grandmothers beach club would sizzle together creating the perfect summer cocktail. Along with the rhythmic sounds of the ocean waves...
View ArticleBeach Club Preening
L) Vintage Ray Ban Sunglasses Ad 1960 (R) Vintage Jantzen Swimsuit Ad 1950s, illustration by Pete Hawley How To Enjoy The Sun In Style In the summer of 1960 the glitter and glamor of my Grandmothers...
View ArticleSummer Vacation With a Vintage View
Vintage Ad 1951 TWA The summer vacation has long been an American tradition, but not all destinations are created equal. While the 1% are off on their luxurious destination vacations, for many...
View ArticleOn Vacation
How I Spent My Summer Vacation- Relaxing at home by the poolPhoto by Peter D Brown Photography How I spent My Summer vacation I will be on summer vacation the next few weeks. Please enjoy some favorite...
View ArticleRosie the Riveter Rocks a Swimsuit
Rosie the Riveter enjoys a rare day off to enjoy the beach in her Jantzen swim suit. Vintage ad 1943 1944 was a different kind of summer. It was a sweltering July and along with most war-weary...
View ArticleSaying So Long to Summer
Vintage ad Kodak Brownie Movie Camera 1957 Bidding the Beach Club Goodbye Labor Day signaled the last call at my Grandmothers Long Island beach club. Just as white shoes would make their final...
View ArticleWhen Good Humor Ruled the Suburbs
You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream For Ice Cream! Growing up in mid-century Long Island, no sound was more welcome than the suburban siren call of summer – the seductive jingling bells of the Good...
View ArticleA Wash & Wear Summer
Life was a colorful, carefree wash n’ wear world Summertime and the living was easy especially in the post war world of wash n’ wear clothing. Summer and synthetics was a match made in chemical lab...
View Article