A Listerine Ad from the 1930s-- My Workbasket

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Recently I got a new stack of old magazines from the 1930s, and one of the first things that jumped out at me was the full page Listerine Ads. Let me share some of them with you. The course of the year of these issues starts out quite mild, Listerine kills germs, and we all have germs! Then it progresses to things like killing colds, and (I did not know this) helps have shiny hair! One ad I did not photograph says that you should gargle Listerine after shopping to prevent getting sick. ALL Of these ads say that you should gargle Listerine every twoRead More →

1977 Issue of the Workbasket magazine, a vintage craft and homemaking magazine.

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Follow my blog with Bloglovin I cannot even believe it is 2018. My son is old enough now to realize how quickly time goes and is often commenting on it. 2017 was a good year all in all, but every year has its ups and downs. I was super sick last year for New Years, some weird virus, but other than that 2017 was one of the healthiest years of my life. How was your 2017? Are you excited for 2018? Any big events this year for you? Total truth here: I was so gearing up for 2018 that I almost forgot to actually getRead More →

An overview of a Pack-o-Fun Magazine from December 1968 -- My Workbasket

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I’ve mentioned my Pack-o-Fun stash here before. In fact, since I won an eBay auction in August for a decent stack I since got a great deal a thrift store for another stack just a few weeks ago. My collection is quickly growing! Even more exciting is two random stacks and not a single duplicate! Just for fun, I wanted to share a few highlights from this December  1968 issue. I’m hoping to even make a few of these crafts this month! I have to say, that nativity, that’s a lot of matches. The mobile is quite simple and cute. You could probably make oneRead More →

The cover and craft highlights from a December 1960 magazine issue-- My Workbasket

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December 1960! When this magazine cost 15 cents to pick up at a newsstand, and as the handwritten note says shows “knit cuffs!” Also in 1960, the US was the first to legalize the Birth Control Pill. Queen Elizabeth made it known her family would be known as the House of Windsor. The Beatles made their very first ever public performance. Perhaps you were reading Lady Catterly’s lover, this year it was unbanned in the England after 32 years, or maybe you were more of the To Kill a Mockingbird type.  If you could afford $219.95 for a 23″ tv then you could watch theRead More →

The magazine issue of the month, November 1964. I'll be making some projects and trying some recipes. Plus posting funny ads! My Workbasket

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I noticed this issue has no sign of an address label! Perhaps it was picked up at a newsstand for 15 cents. If you drove to the newsstand you may have paid 30 cents a gallon for gas. I have to say I’m very glad that magazines and gas have NOT followed a similar ratio over the years! Imagine how much our gas would be right now! Pretty much every year has important events, 1964 was no different. The Civil Rights Act of 1964. Beatlemania was sweeping the nation, and those boys from Liverpool had people singing about holding hands. People were listening to a LOTRead More →

Cover art for the October 1966 Workbasket magazine- My Workbasket

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Ronald Reagan was voted in as Governor of California. Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sounds of Silence” was number 1 earlier this year. Cigarette packages got warning labels. There were lots of Vietnam War protests. The Miranda Rights came into being. The US Department of Transportation was created. Ladies were rocking the Mini-Skirt, which took several years to become such a popular trend (the designer Mary Quant started making skirts shorter and shorter in the late 50s.) Adam West appeared as what some people will still claim is the best Batman of all time. Star Trek also debuted this year. My Dad’s personal favorite, How the GrinchRead More →

Highlights from the September 1967 Workbasket. I'll be making projects from this issue all month long!-- My Workbaskt

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September 1967, a time for Lonely Hearts Club (the Beatles released that famous album in June) but you won’t have  a lonely heart if you desire an interracial marriage. Thanks to Loving vs Virginia that was declared legal this year. 475,000 men were off in Vietnam, so you could have been lonely for them though. It was a year of protests and upheaval in many ways. Exciting things were happening and not just at war or protests against them. Evil Knievel jumped 16 cars on on his motorcycle. Elvis Presley married Priscilla. The musical “Hair” was showing off-Broadway. People were watching Doctor Who, The BeverlyRead More →

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August 1959! What a year! Bread cost about 20 cents a loaf. Hawaii and Alaska both were admitted to the union and became a state! The beautiful, blonde Barbie showed up! Ben-Hur was in theaters after breaking records on the amount spent in production (15.9 million) and you could get a ticket to see it for about $1. One of my favorite TV shows of all time debuted in October, featuring the gorgeous Rod Serling, on The Twilight Zone. (Seriously, I don’t know what it is about him, but I think Rod is just dreamy in those old episodes.) Bonanza also started airing, and TheRead More →

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If you picked up this issue on the News Stand (I assume it was sold there) you may also have just bought hamburger meat at 53 cents a pound, and dropped off your $80 rent check. There is a pretty good chance your family owned a car (3 out of 5 did,) as well as a telephone (2 out of 3) or even a television! (1 out of 3) It is sad to say though that on that TV you may have watched news of the Korean War, or Nelson Mandella’s arrest, or about the polio epidemic. There was some good news this year though.Read More →

A hot pad made from the vintage Palm Loom tool

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I love an old ad. And this 1967 issue had a great one! Palm Loom, “Make Prize-Winning Rugs.” It was right there in the February issue, tucked between 40 yards of lace for $1, and a “Female-Dri” belt. So, I tracked down the Palm Loom on ebay, and after some browsing, watching, rebrowsing, rewatching, and finally some bidding I got one! $6 from Colorado. Luckily, not only did I track it down, but it came with the original paperwork; a full color sheet, and a page of black and white instructions (with quite a few testimonials.) In a box so well fitted it almost hadRead More →

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When I saw the ad on the back of the January 1967 issue I became infatuated with the Snack Hound. The National Handcraft Society,  aka The Fad of the Month Club, was a long running craft club that has lots of advertisements in the Workbasket over the years. What I found interesting is that there were also membership pins! If you remained a member for one year you got a little gold pin. So cool. You can still find the kits on ebay, and other second hand sources like thrift stores and yard sales.  I decided to try to track down a Snack Hound, soRead More →

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I’m not a coffee drinker, I’m a coffee guzzler. It’s true. I can easily drink a pot, or more, a day. There is not a single time you could offer me coffee and I’d say “no.” I don’t get the jitters, I don’t get withdrawal headaches, I just get lots of lots of the liquid of heaven.  The October/November 1992 issue features this full cover ad on the back.  If there is two coffees I will sneer, jeer, and fear, it’s instant or decaf, but I’m dedicated to this blog, and said I’d take one for the team.  This is the smallest possible jar IRead More →