Thursday, October 01, 2009

granny chic

kitchen timer from the 60's?

granny chic (or, as i prefer to call it, memere chic) is the new buzz word on many blogs of late, tho I believe the actual verbage goes back to 2006 on the today show

"a renewal of all things old"
"a reminder that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree"

clothespin bag

my french memere was chic way before her time!!!
she had a timer very similar to the one here.
she hung her clothes out on the line as long as weather permitted, and used a clothespin bag.

bartered cuckoo maran hen

she had a flock of chickens and would sell the eggs down at the bishop bend's club down the road a piece...
no women allowed, unless selling eggs!


prayer shawl in progress

she knit and sewed, for sewing at the fabric mills was part of her life

crocheted cozy afghan

and i am sure i remember similar afghans strewn across her sofa, in a fashion quite similar to mine


granny chic may be the newest "buzz" word,
but it has been around since adam and eve

traditions, ways of life, an atmosphere...
passed down from generation to generation

how has "granny chic" affected your home?
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20 comments:

savvycityfarmer said...

weeeellllllll, since you asked ....

I spin my lazy susan every day
I, too use the vintage timer
clothespins are a staple here
snail mail is a house hold word here
the floor gets mopped on hands and knees
aprons don every hook in my pantry
and speaking of pantries, my gram filled hers so she could hunker down in the winter ...mine is ALMOST full


I could go on and on, like today, I "put up" 22 qts of applesause and baked a pie from scratch ...

thank you for such a fun walk down memory lane

Maria said...

Well ... let's see...
Love hangin' clothes on the line...
I sometimes "light" the oven and "open" the lights...
I bake like by Nonna (g'ma in Italian)
She rarely used real measuring cups or spoons...
more like saucers and teacups.
Must be why I don't measure much~
fun post, makin' me go down memory lane ~
happy weekend wanderings to you!
Maria

Aggie said...

I love Granny Chic! :) I would love to get my hands on a cute timer like that! The clothes pin bag reminds me of my grandmother...my mom actually crochetted one for her and my Nonna (I'm Italian too Maria!)

By the way...you are the WINNER of my beef giveaway! Congrats! Email me your mailing address when you get a chance...aggiedgoodman@gmail.com

Congrats!!

Unknown said...

Amen!

Melodie said...

I did not have the blessing of a granny chick in my life,but I plan on being one to my son and grandchildren!

Anonymous said...

My gran was a quilter, Sadly,I do not have the gift she had. I have made small quilts for my children, colorful blocks and tiny, cut from clothing I made for them as babies then sewn by hand into child size quilts...so many years ago. Now they are just soft bits that they still have and love.
Embroidered pillow cases and crocheted doilies, old cast iron pans that I love, glassware and a few old beautiful bits of depression glass and aprons galore,
A few butter molds and recipes that sound like so much work!
If anything I am very aware of how easy my life is compared to Gran's and even my Mom's.
Still the ebb and flow of the everyday was as dependable as my own modern day life. We ate on time, slept well and warm, enjoyed sweet clear water from the well and ate the most satisfying and nutritious foods...we were taught to love the Father and lead good lives...and if I can offer a bit of that in the lives of my family I will feel like mine has been well spent.

Donna said...

I have a confessed weakness for lace doilies! Ah, and old embroidered pillowcases (did many as a child, LOL) and hankies with tatted lace edges! Oh, a fondness of buttons too! Lots and lots of buttons!

Laura said...

What a wonderful post. Maybe when we are all searching for treasures from the past, we are really looking for our grandmothers.
Wow.

I am now a follower!

Laura

Sit A Spell said...

Loved this post. It reminded me of my life in days gone by. I grew up a Southern country girl and all you mentioned was normal. I didn't know I was Chic! ; )

I have enjoyed my first visit here today...thanks for sharing!

Faith said...

A prayer shawl! I have making one of those on my list of things to do. :)

My mom had a timer just like that and, of course, one of those clothspin bags.

Great memories! Thanks. :)

~Faith

Thistle Cove Farm said...

Ahem.

I've got everything but the chicken.

My timer is still working only it's white and not yellow. Shawl is on the knitting needles, afghans are on beds and hanging on the banister, I still hang clothes on the line and use a clothes pin bag.

My cook stove is a 1914 Acorn, my newest sewing machine was bought in 1971, my iron frame bed was bought in 1926...the only thing new in this house is our wood heat stove and that's 14 years old. Oh, and the computers and digi camera.

The rest of us are as old as dirt and just as useful.

-smile-

Molly Betsy @ Star Cottage said...

Great post ;)

Sandra said...

I hang my laundry out too, and I have a clothespin bag, some chickens running around the yard and I have several timers, although not as cute as the one you are showing. How adorable. I love old time stuff and the old time ways.

Debbie said...

I don't think it is a new thing, but with media portraying urban goals and urban lifestyles a lot of us feel as though we've 'discovered' these things for the first time, since I am sure a lot of us spent our youth divesting ourselves of old fashioned things and traditions.

I think the reason why 'granny chic' resonates with a lot of people us that it really does remind us of Granny! My mothers generation went for the modern lifestyle and I think we have definitely turned our backs on that since we have realised the price it comes at.

Great post.
x

Pam said...

I think Granny Chic is great - love the timer.

I must say, that is the sweetest picture down below of you & your grandson. Love it!

KathyB. said...

I agree with Debbie on the reason "Granny Chic" is so special. How many of these items did our mothers throw out?

I have my Grandmother's sewing machine, it is very sturdy and used frequently ( 1954 Kenmore), and many small momentos that were everyday items to my Grandmother. Most precious to me is her love of animals and having them around. I seem to be the only one of her many grandchildren who got that, and it is a big part of my life...I have Cuckoo Marans too.

Pomona said...

Not only have I inherited things from my dear grandmothers, but I also live a life not far removed from their youth. We grown our own vegetables and fruit, keep chickens and pigs in the orchard, I knit and sew, I don't have a washing machine or microwave, and don't even watch TV, just listen to the radio. We heat our house with wood and hang out washing as we have done for years. So suddenly I am quite chic - which is quite amusing!

Pomona x

Rachel said...

I only had the honor of knowing one grandmother and she died when I was 12. I do recall the clothespin bags, but we never used one. I do have afghans that I've made over the years. I do have quilts that my Mom made, and some of her dishes.

Ahh, great memories! We always had chickens and I loved gathering the eggs!

50s Housewife said...

Love the timer! It's so cute! I have plenty of granny chic in my house from aprons to knitting. :)

Anonymous said...

Oh such a nice post-I have a clothespin bag just like this one!
A prayer shawl sounds wonderful.
vickie