From Battleships to Apron Strings

I've been really busy with work and various other projects lately but last month I set aside some time to visit the "From Battleships to Apron Strings: How WWII created Napa’s Swingin’ Fifties" exhibit at the Napa Historical Society. The exhibit was small but really informative, especially for someone like myself who is new to the area and interested in the city's history. They had some great old photographs on display as well as historical clothing, newspapers, posters, etc. There were also lots of texts available to read so you could learn about the history of Napa and how it developed during and after WW2. I was able to snap a few photos of the exhibit so I thought I'd share them.

Vintage photo of The Napa Historical Society

Milo Baughman

At the end of last year we picked up some great vintage pieces for our home including this incredible Milo Baughman chair for just $25 (produced by James Inc. probably between 1960-65). We swore that we wouldn't purchase any more furniture that needed to be reupholstered after buying our sofa but we just couldn't pass this chair up. The previous owners allowed their cat to use it as a scratching post so it got really damaged but the frame is in great shape and we loved the look of the chair. It's also really comfortable. It may have ended up in a garbage dump if we didn't take it home with us and we couldn't bare to see that happen. The chair just needs a good cleaning and some fresh upholstery and it will be good as new.

Milo Baughman (1925-2003) was one of America's greatest and most influential furniture designers. His work has been exhibited in museums throughout the United States including the Whitney Museum of Art in New York and the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, NC. Baughman was also inducted into the American Society of Furniture Designers Hall of Fame in 1987. If you'd like to learn more about him and see more of his designs follow the links I've posted below:
- Milo Baughman @ Wikipedia
- Milo Baughman @ Decopedia
- Milo Baughman @ Apartment Therapy
- Milo Baughman @ the CIRCA and the WHO

After the Party's Over...

Happy New Year! 2010 was an amazing year for me. I hate to be a braggart but I have a lot to celebrate. It was the best year I've had in a decade filled with bitter disappointments that included the deaths of many family members, serious illness, job losses and other woes. In 2010 my husband and I managed to put the past behind us and take a substantial step forward by relocating to a new area and purchasing our first home. It's been an incredible experience so far and it's changing the way I feel about home, community and family. I'm also enjoying writing for Turner Classic Movies and you can keep track of my film chat over at Cinebeats.com.

Like a lot of people I've got a list of New Years Resolutions or "plans" that I hope to see come to fruition this year. I'm sure that I won't get everything accomplished but I like to dream big so here's my list of New Years Resolutions. I thought I might be able to guilt myself into accomplishing them all if I made them public.

2011 PLANS

1. Organize My Office & Finish Unpacking
My office has been painted but the closet still needs to be organized and I need to unpack. I'm still living out of boxes and it's driving me nuts.

2. Finish Patching & Painting the Living/Dining Areas
We've made a lot of progress in this area recently and I hope we can get it finished up in the next month or two. The previous home owners apparently liked to shoot a BB Gun in the house and patching all the holes seems to be taking forever.

3. Refurbish & Update Our Fireplace
Our current fireplace has an awful stove in it that completely destroys the look of the room. The fireplace also has a crack in it that needs to be repaired. We want to remove the old stove and restore the look of our fireplace but we also want to make it environmentally friendly by installing a new fixture that uses clean-burning fuel instead of wood.

4. Landscape the Front & Backyard.
In the spring we plan to spend a lot of time on the exterior of our home. We want to add lots of rocks as well as plants that don't need much care or water. We'd also like to paint the house, add a new fence and a privacy wall but I don't think we'll be able to accomplish all of that due to our limited budget and time constraints.

5. Create A Small Vegetable & Herb Garden.
I've been eager to start my own garden in the backyard and I've found the perfect place for it. Hopefully I can get it started in the spring or summer.

6. Research My Family's History
One of my biggest challenges while I was moving was taking on the task of emptying out a storage unit that held my family's belongings. When my mother and grandmother passed away I wasn't prepared to deal with the aftermath so everything they left me went into storage and has sat there for many years. My father died when I was a child so his belongings were in there as well. Now that I'm older and have had a lot of time to mourn it's a bit easier to sort through family photos and other precious items like my parents wedding china and my father's tobacco pipes, but it's also extremely frustrating. Besides my younger brother, a few distant cousins and an uncle that I had a falling out with many years ago, I'm the last living member of my family. I have hundreds of questions about my family history that can't easily be answered and the contents of the storage unit complicate the discovery process as much as they enrich it. I plan on spending a lot of time researching my family's history this year and I'll be sharing many of my discoveries as well as family photos and mementos.

7. Learn to Cook Better
I'm a terrible cook but a decent baker. I really want to try to improve my cooking skills this year. My kitchen isn't ideal but we made it much more functional last month so there's no reason I can't start cooking more. At the moment my guy does all the cooking and he's a great chef but I'd like to be able to pitch in more and it's nearly impossible to live in Napa without being inspired to try your hand at cooking.

8. Take Part in More Physical Activities: Bowling, Hiking, Wii, etc.
I really want to start doing more physical activities. I'm in great health according to my doctor but I want to lose some weight. My guy bought us a Wii for Christmas so I plan to use it and I want to start bowling again and doing some hiking in the Napa hills as soon as the weather improves.

9. Open an Etsy Shop
I've been selling and buying stuff on eBay for the last 10 years but I'd like to open up my own shop on Etsy this year. Sooner or later I'd like to sell my own photography prints and artwork but I'll probably start by selling vintage goods. I have a LOT of old comic books as well as toys, knickknacks and other things that I'd like to find new homes for.

10. Take more photos & write more fiction
And last but not least... I absolutely love photography and writing but most of the photos I've taken lately have been tourist-like shots snapped on home tours and all my writing has revolved around reviewing and researching films. I plan to make more time for photo excursions this year and I might take some kind of fiction writing workshop just to get me motivated to write more. I have lots of partially started stories and ideas sketched out but I have a lot of trouble completing anything. I never lack ideas but I sure lack discipline.

To do all of these things I'm going to try and cut back on the time I spend online. Especially at social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook since they can be real time wasters. But I do want to blog more and I really enjoy updating Mid-Century Living whenever I can so you may even see more of me around here this year.

"The dream was always running ahead of me. To catch up, to live for a moment in unison with it, that was the miracle." - Anais Nin

Happy Holidays!

Finally did some unpacking and got our tiny aluminum tree decorated. We plan to have a much bigger tree next year but the living room is an absolute wreck right now because we're in the middle of painting it & patching holes, etc. I wanted to make one spot nice for Xmas Eve so I managed to make room in our dining area. In a week or two the dining area will be painted (it's currently the same ugly gray/blue color that the previous owners left it) and I hope we can afford to get a rug soon.

The vintage Danish modern dining set was a recent local find. We were told that it was made in the '60s by Dyrlund and it came with 2 leaves so we can expand it if we need to. Best of all? The whole set (4 chairs & table) only cost us $150!!! The clock on the wall was my Xmas gift to my husband this year and the painting was done in the '60s by a Latvian artist named Jurjans who was a friend of the family.

Happy Holidays!!!

The Aluminum Christmas Tree

Recommended Links:
- Season's Gleamings: The Art of the Aluminum Christmas Tree
- A History of the Aluminum Tree @ Go Retro
- AluminumChristmasTrees.net
- How to Make a Miniature Aluminum Tree
- The Aluminum Tree Museum

A Trim-The-Tree Supper

I recently came across a recipe for a "Trim-The-Tree Supper" in a 1966 issue of Woman's Day that I thought I'd share. It's designed to feed a large group of 10-12 people and the ideas should be easy to recreate today.  I'm not sure how appetizing the "Hearty Seafood Chowder" or "Coconut-Grenadine Trifle" is but if anyone decides to try reproducing any of these recipes I'd love to hear how the results turned out.

Napa's 2010 Holiday Candlelight Tour

Over the weekend my husband and I made some time for Napa's 2010 Holiday Candlelight Tour. This year the tour showcased some beautiful mid-century homes in Napa's Monticello Park area. Here's some information about the area borrowed from the tour brochure:

"... The population explosion led to a post-war building boom, and the area in and around the City of Napa saw the construction of seventy-one subdivisions between 1946 and 1951. Though Monticello Park was part of this post-war expansion, these houses were much larger and more substantial than the nearly identical tract houses intended for working-class families. After its subdivision in 1950, the houses in Monticello Park were developed individually over the next 15 years. The ranch-style architecture that dominated the neighborhood was inspired by architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, and popularized in the California Bay Area by famous builder Joseph Eichler. The rambling one-story homes of the Monticello Park area epitomized the rise of the suburbia in post-WW2 America. Wide streets accommodated the large cars of the era and huge lawns were perfect for families at play. Design features developed in California, such as large expanses of windows oriented to the back yard, were associated with the desire to bring the outdoors inside, and gave rise to the term "California Modern." The size, quality, and innovative features found throughout the neighborhood quickly made Monticello Park a desirable neighborhood for Napa's professionals and business leaders, especially those with growing families."

And here's some more photos I snapped.









As locals, we really enjoyed the tour because it gave us the opportunity to learn more about our home town. Small details like finding out what kind of locally quarried stones were used on home exteriors and interiors helped us familiarize ourselves with aspects of Napa's architectural history that we didn't know anything about. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and helpful, which we really appreciated.

The tour organizers must have gotten a few ideas from the Sacramento Mid-Century Home Tour because they also had vintage cars parked outside each of the homes on the tour. This was a great idea that made it much easier for us to spot all the houses on the tour. The only disappointing aspect about the tour was the home interiors. Only one of the homes on the tour (an incredible and extremely unusual modern house designed by Grant Perkins in 1965) contained period furnishings and interior details that I really appreciated. The rest were more conservatively furnished. But many of the homes still maintained original features such as floors, etc. In a way this helped us focus more on the houses themselves instead of getting distracted by lots of designer eye-candy. We also didn't have the opportunity to really meet or chat with anyone besides the generous tour guides because we were trying to hurry a little so we could see the homes before it got too dark.

Overall we were just really happy that we got to see some more mid-century homes in Napa and learn about the history of the area. In conjunction with the Holiday Candlelight Tour, the Napa County Historical Society and Napa County Landmarks have organized an exhibit called "From Battleships to Apron Strings: How WW2 created Napa's Swingin' Fifties" on display downtown at the Goodman Library; 1219 First Street Napa, CA 94559 starting Dec. 14 and ending Feb 28, 2011.

I'm really excited about the exhibit and I hope it will give me the opportunity to learn more about my own neighborhood, which blossomed in the '50s. I've been trying to find more information about my home such as the builders name, house plans, etc. but the city hasn't been able to offer me much help. After I visit the exhibit I'll be sure to report back with my findings.

LINKS:
- My Flickr Gallery with more images from Napa's 2010 Holiday Candlelight Tour
- Local newspaper article about the event: Holiday Candlelight Tour visits Napa’s mid-century modern neighborhood

Xmas Tree Decorating Ideas From 1969

Here's some great examples of late '60s holiday decorating. All of these Christmas trees are from a 1969 issue of Better Homes & Gardens. I'm particularly fond of the white flocked trees. If you're looking for inspiration or ideas on how to give your own Christmas tree some swinging sixties flair these images might come in handy.

Happy Holidays!

I've been so busy with work, holiday plans and home renovations lately that I've been neglecting to blog but I thought I'd quickly share a 1951 recipe for Wesson Oil's "Famous Fruitcake." I'm not all that fond of fruitcake myself but I'd like to try making this one someday. If anyone gives it a try I'd love to know how it turns out. Just click on the image to see it full size.

I plan to share a lot more holiday ideas soon. I recently got my hands on some old magazines with great decorating ideas and a lot more recipes. I just need to find some free time to scan them. Happy holidays!

A Napa Mid-Century Architecture Tour

I was surprised and extremely excited to learn that the theme for this year's 22nd Annual Holiday CandleLight Tour presented by Napa County Landmarks & the Napa County Historical Society will be "Mad Men Meets The Valley." This self-led tour will highlight Monticello Park, a mid-century modern neighborhood in Napa. Accoding to the organizers Napa's Monticello Park contains "large and lovingly maintained mid-century homes" that "demonstrate the beautiful and innovative design features of post-war architecture and landscape design."

I've only lived in Napa 7 months so I'm still getting to know the area but I've been surprised by the number of beautiful mid-century buildings, houses and neighborhoods I've come across so far. One of the many reason's we moved here was because we loved the area but we continue to be surprised by Napa's diverse neighborhoods. From the lovingly preserved Victorians, to the California modern ranch homes, Napa is easily one of the state's most beautiful small cities and it contains some of of the most wonderful examples of California architecture that I've ever seen.

I'm currently researching my own neighborhood in Napa, which was called "Napa Rancho" at one time. It contains many cute and modest ranch homes and more modern houses as well that I plan to share photos of soon. Our own home seems to be a sort of hybird between the two types of houses we're surrounded by. Needless to say, I was thrilled to discover that there are other mid-century neighborhoods in Napa that I hadn't heard of yet as well as other mid-century enthusiasts who are obviously interested in preserving and maintaining their period homes. I had a great time at The Sacramento Mid-Century Home Tour back in June and although the Napa event seems to be much smaller in scale, I hope it will generate a lot of interest in Napa's mid-century architecture.

The Napa Mid-Century Holiday CandleLight Tour takes place on Saturday, December 11th from 3pm-6pm and starts at the Hay Barn Gallery at Gordon Huether Studio, 1821 Monticello Road. For more information please visit the Napa County Landmarks site or the Napa County Historical Society site where you can purchase tickets online.

Early Holiday Shopping

Took some time out this weekend to enjoy the 60th Annual Thrift Shop Christmas Bazaar in Napa and picked up some cute vintage Christmas decorations for our home. We found some more elves to add to our growing collection, including a very large one that's animated and plays music. He still works pretty good but could use a good cleaning. We also picked up a cute gold deer and some really pretty tear drop style ornaments. The money generated at the Thrift Shop Christmas Bazaar goes to non-profit organizations including the local chapters of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. You can find more information about this yearly event in a recent story published in our local paper online: Shoppers flock to Christmas Bazaar


Last week we also picked up this amazing solid walnut Kent-Coffey cabinet/dresser for just $85 at a local Goodwill store. It was part of the companies "Town House" line that I believe was originally created sometime between 1962-1966. Kent-Coffey was an American furniture company based in North Carolina and they were competitive with Broyhill. A lot of the companies furniture lines shared a similar style. I absolutely love it and I've seen similar pieces selling on Craigslist for as much as $550 so I think we got a great deal on it. It's in wonderful shape with just some minor scuffing and signs of age but overall it's still a really nice piece. We're not sure what we're going to do with it. We've talked about trying to put together an entire Kent-Coffey bedroom or just using it as a cabinet in the living room for now and maybe even a media stand. It's really beautiful and has incredible lines, the original handles, a beautiful tone and dovetail joints. The picture below doesn't flatter the piece very well. It needs to be really cleaned and but we're still deep in the middle of renovations. You'll also notice that our cat Maximilian decided to run past just as I was taking the picture.