Stone Washed & Stripes

Polaroid found in large lot of ephemera purchased from an estate sale last weekend, 1991.

DIARY OF A GIRL

Feb 1

The reason why I had to go is because I was spending the night with Mary. It was fun. Last night we went to Westbury Square & I saw a fire going so we went over to see what it was & the house was burned all the way down - awful.

Yesterday morning we went to the Plaza & bought some red sailcloth & real cute pattern with short sleeves I last night & I hope Mary doesn't goof up any of my sewing - or any of her darts. We are ordering "Winnie-The-Pooh" - Monday.

Chants Event

Found in a stack of ephemera purchased at a estate sale this weekend.

DIARY OF A GIRL

Marialice

I first meet Marialice in Mr. Macey's English & we got to know each other. Then she was in Math with me - then I got to know her. Her parents are seperated. Her father is in the navy - general or something. Her mother was a cheerleader all the way through school - great. She now works as a secretary - in the Galleria. Real posh building right across from Neiman's. Mary here - Bye! Anyway Marialice has 1 cat & 2? brothers. She lives over near Walgreens in a fairly nice house. The end.

Paint the Town Yellow

Found photo from my collection, New Orleans 1977.

A Swapatorium reader, Jessica Helfand, was kind enough to send me a copy of her book, REINVENTING THE WHEEL. If you enjoy this blog, you will love this book. The graphics are amazing! Read more about it on AMAZON where you can also order a copy. You won't be disappointed!

DIARY OF A GIRL

Oma & Ival are coming Sun. afternoon. I was talking to Marialice & some how Pam ____ was brought up. Marialice goes - she acts like a hood! I agree. Then Sherri almost heard us - & she & Pam are friends. Though Sherri is pretty nice. That is the 2nd person who doesn't like her - Hallelujah! - Mary too!

Granny Does Dallas

Estate sale find, 1983.

DIARY OF A GIRL

Great news. We got back our Iowa test scores & I am in the top 5% out of all the kids in the 8th grade in US. In fact on one part I made the top 1% - on Abstract Reasoning - logicness. The only person who score higher than me was Marialice.

Sherri sits behind me in Math - she is a bigwig - she is "in." I asked her what she made, she said she wouldn't tell me. So later I found out & she was in the top 25% - Yea! She is supposed to be smart & I made better than she.

Miss Takes

This is an unusual full body shot, from my mugshot collection, dated 1937-42. Was the police department trying to save money on film by photographing the women together? One has A and the other B written in ink above their heads. I'm not sure which one is LUCILLE, but I think it could be the shorter of the two. The verso gives her age as 23, height 5-3, and 185 pounds.

DIARY OF A GIRL

Jan. 30, 1970

Spending the night with Mary tonight. Doug - the guy Lou Ann liked is going steady with another girl. Lou Ann is heartbroken. Mrs______ got real mad at me in gym today. I wasn't throwing the ball when I was supposed to be. She always is watching whenever I do anything wrong it seems. It has gotten cold & crisp now - for a while I was thinking about getting out my bathing suit.

One Bad Jump

I have 2 of these photos, exactly the same image, different captions. From my collection, 1945.

DIARY OF A GIRL

CATHY

Cathy's mother & father are always in & out of jail & court. Cathy was in the middle off it. They lived on the new airport - on the wrong side of town. They had a big family which always was divorcing husbands & wives. Anyway so when Cathy's mother would slap her around, Cathy would slap back. So they decided to send her to a physchaitrist, & she said it wouldn't do any good. So until now her Aunt June hadn't said anything. So June said she would take her in. So Cathy has lived with her Aunt for 12 months. Her Uncle is minister for ______ Methodist Church. Anyway - Cathy's Aunt is real nice. Cathy has her own room & everything. Her grandmother lives in the Heights. Which is an old part of town - which used to be posh. The negros are taking over & it is slum now. Thats why Cathy is nervous. Tomorrow - Marialice. Mary's program was today - she did alright in it.

Fly Boy

Found note and photo from large lot of ephemera purchased at an estate sale, 1958-59.

DIARY OF A GIRL

Jan. 29

Each day I'll try to tell a bit about my friends.

"Boop Chart"

Me AA+
Marialice AA-
Mary A-
Cathy B

Ok. I'll now tell you about Cathy - fair grade at school sews well. Kind of fat. Loud mouthed & nervous.

Veg Out

What do you think it should say under the picture?

Real photo postcard from my collection, 1912.

DIARY OF A GIRL

Jan. 27

New word - balling off - feeling of a girl's lower parts.

Anyway there is something called a quasi-stellar something. Isn't a star is 5 light years in diameter & puts out so much light energy & radio waves - we can't explain it. This is bigger than our whole galaxy. It's unbeleivable! All the stars we can stay with a telescope = all the grains of sand in every beach in the whole world. & so something on all those heavenly bodys has to be alive - maybe the quasar-stellar! Bye! it's 10:00 & real hot. Whew!

Spaced Out

Source: Ad from Better Homes & Gardens, circa 1950s/60s.

DIARY OF A GIRL

Jan. 26

Ann's horse had a colt. Mary & I played tennis. Didn't go to dancing. Have a hard history test tomorrow. The colt is carmel with white spots. Try to write more tomorrow. Its 10:00.

Busted

I picked up this interesting cabinet card for 25 cents at an antique shop on Saturday. I've never seen one like it, but perhaps it's a memorial card. I have several where the person is collaged inside a wreath of flowers or on decorative papers, but this is the first bust. Or perhaps it was just meant to be artsy?

DIARY OF A GIRL

I am making an orange dress with a big pocket right in the middle of it. In the pocket I am going to put a little Winnie-The-Pooh. They have a dress like it in the Sears catologe for little girls. I am not telling anyone about. Then someday I'll wear it to school - what a scream.

We have to memorize all the amendments - 25 for Tuesday. I have to start tomorrow. It's almost 11:00. I have to go to sleep. Good night! See ya tomorrow! Bye!

Flight of Imagination

These drawings came out of a boy's scrapbook, circa 1960's, purchased at an estate sale for a couple of bucks. The cover was handcrafted and made of wood, but it was in terrible shape so I threw it away along with damaged magazine clippings of space, rockets, and airplanes. However, there were 10 drawings that were salvageable. Here are five examples.

DIARY OF A GIRL

Sat. Jan 24

This morning we were going on a picnic to Goliad, but decided to go tomorrow. So today Daddy smashed his thumb real bad. The thumbnail is gone. So, we aren't going on the picnic.

Today Mary called me & wanted to know if I wanted to play tennis with her & Lou Ann. I agreed, not having anything else to do. When we got to the tennis courts - Rick & Gray came up & that was 5 people on a court. Too many I got at the end and got the balls that were left over. Mary is awful at the game even though she has a great racket. Lou Ann didn't even try to hit the balls & all they (did) the whole time is giggle. Mary would clown around with Rick. I didn't learn a single thing about tennis that morning. So later in the afternoon - 5:00. I invited Cathy over to play she's not good but, not bad. Then I got a little practice. Oh well.

Peek-A-Boo

I got lucky this weekend while antique shopping to score two wonderful tintypes. I collect studio photos where someone or something is in the frame that is not supposed to be there. Usually it's a mom with a child like in these two images. They are not easy to find so I was happy to get them. One was $5 and the other was $12.50 which is way more than I usually pay. I don't know which one I like better. I love the polka dot dress and big eyeball of the one mom, but the scratched face of the other mother gives it a surreal quality.

DIARY OF A GIRL

One more reason besides that whole story of why I won't study science any more with her is that:

1. If we study over here she only goofs around with Gray.
2. She doesn't study over at her house all she does is talk.
3. Half of the time she can't study because she's going to Sara's, she is having Lou Ann over to go play tennis, she has to get her allergy shots, etc.

p.s. I am maybe going on a picnic tomorrow. Right now, Lou Ann is over at Mary's - Ugh!

CONTEST - Bad Thrift Store Painting

Time for another Swapatorium contest! I am looking for the worst thrift store painting that you can find (or that you already own). So get out your cameras and scour your local junk stores. The lucky winner will receive a $15 Amazon gift certificate AND a fabulous MOLESKIN so you can record your own adventures in junkland. Deadline is Monday, January 30, 2006. Here are the rules:


You must provide your name and a valid email address for me to contact you should you win. (The last contest winner, southernladymaggie, still hasn't contacted me so if you are reading this, send me an email!)

Email me a high resolution JPEG of your entry to swapatorium@yahoo.com. Be sure to tell me where you shot the art and its location (city/state/country) .

Title your piece. Even if the art isn't the greatest, your witty/funny title might win me over.

The art must come from your personal collection OR from a thrift store, junk shop, antique shop, flea market, garage or estate sale. Please don't send me something from a book, the internet or the Museum of Bad Art! Be original.

One entry per person, please.

Have fun and good luck!

DIARY OF A GIRL

Next night, Mary Felicia, & Vicki come over(.) Mary gives me a present. They say goodbye(.) Gray lets us go on walk - I say I can't go - Mary & Gray stay outside - Gray tells her he doent like her & Mary comes inside & I not knowing what Gray said - told her she was dum making out with all these boys! I said your phone No. fits you - NO RIVAL. Mary walks home. Felica & Vicki think I am imature & prude & have a lot of nerve. Mary is real upset tells her parents. & her father said well if the *Jones do that to you don't go over there anymore. Mary writes Sara. Sara gives her advice on what to (do) "When someone puts you down real hard." I saw the letter. We make Mary's orange skirt. Then finally today in homec Mary said - you remember when we traded dresses. I said yes. The plaid jumper which was mine for a new spring dress of hers. She wanted it back. So she & Lou Ann came over with mine wich needs dry cleaning - she didn't even return it clean. I now have to undo the hem in her dress & put it back the way it was. I didn't even wear it once! Then I have to dry clean mine. I am so mad I could spit! She & Lou Ann are in this tap dance thing & after it - we came home & again - I was not let in to the conversation at all. Then the next day Mary goes oh, I am having Lou Ann over to spend the night. Where's my dress?

The End!

p.s was adopted at 3 months in San Antonio & so was her brother.

*Name change

Is that really the end of Mary? What goofy things will Mallory say next? Come back on Monday to find out!

Perspective

Photos from my collection with newspaper article, 1960.

DIARY OF A GIRL

That weekend I made my orange skirt. Next Fri. I called Mary, asked what she did at Sara's house - Sara is going steady with Jay. One night she goes to basketball game. David is there. After game - David says - your new here - let me show you the school(.) Go outside & David unbuttons Marys shirt feels her off & makes out. Next day she goes to school with Sara meets Mike - Mike loves her & when she leaves the next day Mike makes out.

My Two Front Teeth

Found note from my collection, 1958

DIARY OF A GIRL

Next couple days - I spend night at Mary's & her parents are gone - Rick & Gray come over - stay till 11:00. Rick feels Mary off. Next I tell Mama what happened(.) She says Blah-Blah. I talk to Gray & he says he'll quit. The other night Mary says - Why didn't you come outside with Rick, Gray & I & I said I was being polite - & she said what do you mean, I gave her the look & that shut her up. Ellen has surprize party. We go to Muddie on bicycles - I keep on getting mad at Mary - I'm sick of her. School starts. I am sick next week - real sick, sore throat, vomiting, fever, the works.

Color Harmony

I was cleaning out a box of ephemera from an estate sale and found this nifty piece. It's called the MOHAWK COLOR HARMONY KIT. It has three room transparencies with various tri-color backgrounds and carpet samples. You pick your colors, lay the transparent room on top, and voila, instant room. It also has several blanks so you can create your own color combinations. It sure beats those paint sample strips you get today!

Diary of a Girl

Christmas Holidays & Up Until Now

Mary came over one day to give me my Christmas present. We had not gone to Satillio as planned. The weather was awful. Dru was over here & we were making long red skirts for N. Years Eve - we had thought we were going to Sargents. Mary made a skirt too. The(n) about 3 day(s) later, Mary asked if I could spend night & go to Braeburn for dinner(.) We finished Mary's long skirt & we both wore them - day after Christmas. Next week Mary comes over. Stays 'till dark & I say I'll come - we walk Mary home(.) Come inside house & Mary & Gray sit down on bed & proceed to pet. I leave & Gray follows. *That night tell Mama what happened.

*crossed out

You Are Getting Sleepy

I have hundreds of promotional photos for various variety acts. I wonder, will these acts, like freak shows, slowly disappear over time? Have the numbers dropped of people who train poodles in tutus to jump through hoops? How about the ventriloquist? Does anyone today really want to watch some poor lonely dope with his hand up a dummy's back? Look at the magic style of David Blaine and Criss Angel. They have to push it to the limit in order to get interested viewers. Sawing a lady in half just doesn't cut it anymore, no pun intended. Maybe variety acts will make a comeback after people get bored with being entertained by their electronic devices, although I don't see that happening anytime soon.

"America's Hip-Young-Hypnotists"

DIARY OF A GIRL

I have Mary over to do Mec Dwg., Mama & Dad are gone that night. Gray starts to feel Mary off - I couldn't stand it! I left room. Went in & tried to read book, came back to back of house pretending to use bathroom - on the way there see Mary & Gray lying on bed. Gray had hands down Marys pants & had unbuttoned Mary's shirt. Mary wasn't wearing a bra - nipples in full view the TV was going & they were kissing each other. Mary's arms were entwined around Grays body - all he had on was his swim trunks & Mary had on a flimsy little nightie - with nothing on underneath as I later discovered. There were lying down on the bed together - legs a tangled - just kiss, kiss, kiss, feel me off - heavy, heavy petting. I nearly threw up - its a good thing I was in the bathroom. I locked the door turned on the water & preeded to make getting ready for bed noises. Mary & Gray finally finished - I had gone to bed. It's an awful good thing Mary didn't get pregnant. The next day I was sick luckily - fever 102. Mary went home early I was absent 1 week - Thank God! I needed to recover. I didn't play with Mary much for a while. We then took a bicycle ride to Muddie's one time - uneventful, but one thing noticed about Gray & Mary - Mary always managed to stay til dark & Gray walked her home I went along, but was left completely out of the conversation. Next day - Mary said - Mama - Gray said "my skin was soft."

Golden Glance

Picked up the shown items at an estate sale this morning. They came from the home of an eighty year old lady whose house was decorated in that white and gold frilly Italian style that was popular in the 1950s-60s. She had been moved to a smaller place, so her family had to downsize her estate. The place was loaded with clothes and accessories from all eras. There were several packets of 14kt gold eyelashes. We were told that the lady still wears them today. Now there's a sight I would have loved to see! Based on that information and on the two books I purchased, The Girls of Mel Ramos (pop artist who paints pin-up type nudes) and Pauline's, Memoirs of the Madam on Clay Street, I imagine that the octogenarian is quite a spunky little thing!

Diary of a Girl

Part 4* (*there is no part 3 so either she took it out, or she made a numbering error)
It gets Worse - Summer

During June Mary went on a trip with Sara & toured the West Coast. Ok. July - that was bad! Mary came over more often. She came over & after dinner we watched TV Gray started to feel Mary off. Next time Mary invites Gray & I to Braebrun Country Club. We go swimming - nothing really happens. I have Mary over - & Gray feels her off again while I am in room. Next time we go over to the Campells to take care of dog. Gray feels off. Camp comes thank God. I had needed the break - it was fun - I like John Hill - Mary liked Jim Moroney. Uneventful. We come back from camp. Deciding to take Mec. DWG instead off Homec - mistake. Oh well!

The next section gets a tad bit graphic. Nothing obscene in my opinion, but it does involve sex. If you are easily offended, don't tune in on Monday. For the rest of you curious folk, see you then! Have a fab weekend.

War Paint

Picked up these five amateur paintings at an estate sale, all done by "Vince" between the 1970s-1980. $5-8 each. They will probably be hung in our garage.

Diary of a Girl

Part Io Gray* Enters 7th Grade (*Gray appears to be the author's older brother)

Every time Mary came over that May before camp - during school she seemed to notice Gray more often. I wondered why. So one day it happened. School had gone just fine. It was in between 1st & 2nd per Mary had gym 2nd & on that particular day our class had health. Mary was on an errand for the Vice-Principal - & while Mrs Stubblefield - gym teacher was gone she ran into the classroom & handed me a note. She was in love with Gray. She had dreamed the night before that she was Juliet & Gray was Romeo. Every time she came over she spent more & more time talking with Gray.

Buster Brown

Homemade postcard from my collection, 1906.

DIARY OF A GIRL

Mary I

When I was at camp - 2nd year, Humming Bird. I met Sara Stewart. We weren't buddies, but we weren't enemies. Sara was making conversation & asked where I lived in Houston - Meyerland it turns out one of her good friends, Mary lived about a block & 1/2 away. So one day in the fall, Sara came over with Mary & said how de do. Mary was in choir so we talked a little & next year she went to camp by then I really knew her. All was fine now to bring you up to date. Sara came that year - Bluebird then her big sister got married, she couldn't come the next year, next year - Perg. She got a sail boat instead of camp. Ok. *Now to begin.* We were best friends.

*crossed out

Diary of a Girl

I can't get enough of biographies or documentaries. I am fascinated with the lives of others. I have several diaries in my collection dating anywhere from the turn of the century to the 1980's. It's easy to get involved reading some of them. After I am done, I feel like I know the person. To me, they are historically important. They provide a glimpse into the lives of everyday people. The same themes are carried out in each like love, hate, fear, desire, etc. I guess blogs are the diaries of our day. I wonder if some sociologist out there is collecting personal blogs off the net? At least with a handwritten diary, it has a chance of surviving, but on the computer, it can all go kaput in a matter of seconds. If you keep a blog, you might want to consider saving it to disc. Maybe the junk hunters of the year 2050 will be buying diary discs at estate sales. Like mine for instance!


But for now, here is the old fashioned paper kind. I found this small notebook in a box of ephemera at an estate sale. It's a diary kept by a girl named Mallory. She writes about the emotional highs and lows of being a teenager. The three girls pictured are either her friends or enemies, depending on her mood. Mary is the wild one, Mari-Alice is the smart one, and Cathy, poor Cathy is just a mess. You'll just have to tune in to see. Here is her first entry. I'll post a little of her drama everyday along with my regular entries.



Jan 23

Today is Friday. We had a Sc. test on Astronomy. It was pretty easy. I had a doctors appointment so I didn't study with Mary. I wouldn't have anyway. I would make up some excuse - anything. So now I'll tell you the whole story - even how I met Mary, bicycle rides, Rick, camp, Ellen, Mike, everthing. As mama would say - "You got the money, honey, - I got the time." But first I'll have to find a better place to write my bed is awful let me think. I am sitting upstairs in Gray's corner at his little desk. It's warm up here but I don't mind I have - peace & quiet, good light, privicy, I am relativly comfortable. I will begin story. now.