living the green

I don't seem to have a St Patrick's day card, so instead I'm offering you this postcard for my St Patrick's Day Greetings.

This postcard has not turned or faded that I can tell. This was a choice that this lady, Betty Roux, seems to have made. She was a professional design and color consultant for Fuller Paint Co in Santa Rosa.

This is a postcard to advertise her services and the impressive room in their Santa Rosa office.

Being a fan of green and yellow, I can imagine that this room looked really great in person - in natual light. But, the florescent lights are not a good choice and the photo is just doomed.

Also, it seems like this would be the last room you would want to choose wallpaper or paint color's in. Everything would have a green cast to it.

Anyway, I admire her moxy and her commitment to the green theme.

Happy St Patricks Day! I think I might dye some food item green in Betty's honor.

lunch or dinner in old Portland

Trader Vic's is a chain of tiki style restaurants that was really popular in the 50's and 60's. They still exist, but there aren't nearly as many locations. I recently heard that someone is trying to open a franchise here in Portland again. This restaurant was in the Benson Hotel.

This Newberry's "Columbia Room" restaurant was located on the mall level of the Lloyd Center in Portland. The back of the postcard says it one of the "Lloyd Center's finest eating establishments". The Lloyd Center Mall used to be a really big deal. At one time it was the largest mall in the Pacific Northwest.

best hat ever

This is a postcard from the Food Stuffs International Visitors Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Happy Valentines Day

I hope you have a nice Valentines day tomorrow. Here are a couple vintage Valentines to get you in the mood.

This valentine above proves that no valentine pun can be too ordinary. This little valentine is only about 3" by 3" and on the back, written in pencil, it says to Bobby from Harry.

This is a pretty little card with a cute sentiment. I like the elegance to it. The illustration is elaborate, but because of the smallness of it the overall effect is very simple looking. Here's a close up of the illustration.

There are more vintage Valentines to see on my Flickr site, of course. Happy Valentines Day to you all! I hope you get a sweet small surprise.

a winter afternoon visit

Sometimes it is just so very nice to be asked over to a new friend's house to look at some old vintage cards on a January afternoon.

Between sips of hot tea and lots of talking, we look through greeting cards that were saved by her Grandmother and I learn about her family and her sweet Grandmother that she misses.

So many beautiful cards all so lovingly saved. It was a very nice day.

Valentine Party

I'm so pleased with this old photo that I got at the last Postcard Club meeting. It's of what looks like to be a Valentine's Day Party.

It's a group of woman, a table set with tea and snacks and homemade paper valentine decorations all around. I love that the photographer was more interested in getting a good shot of the table than the people.

I was so charmed by all the red paper hearts, I wanted to tint them all. This is a photo I really wish I could see in color.

Valentines Day is coming up. Maybe you're gonna have a little party. You can get some ideas from this photo and there's lots of great ideas in this old 1935 Children's Holiday Book I posted about previously. The illustrations in that book are gorgeous.

I posted a few new things in the shop yesterday:

Etsy thecedarchest

Quiz Kids

The first thing I thought of when I saw this postcard is the Glass kids in Franny and Zooey. Is that the first thing you think of?

"I don't know what good it is to know so much and be smart as whips and all if it doesn't make you happy."

— J.D. Salinger (Franny and Zooey)