I have a fancy picture of this group — Retro Renovation readers who got together between my talks at the Southern Spring Home & Garden Show in Charlotte last Friday. But I like this photo better. Because you all know how we feel kind of … *unique*? Like no one quite understands our excess of enthusiasm for renovating our mid-century modern and modest homes? Well, the tribe came together for real, here. That’s us all sitting around talking about cabinets and kitchens and landscaping and trials and tribulations. Oh my, we could have gone on forever. Heck yeah there is more →
HAPPINESS IS… a cozy house. What has made you happy about your home this summer, dear readers? Me: Outside, my perennials are getting well established and sending me lots of colorful blooms. Inside, we had the kitchen floor polished so it’s nice and shiny. Best of all, my brother and his kids came to visit, and we spent a lot of time at the nearby lake. How about you? Are you glad you chose the home you did? Is your home happy you chose it?
WE FIRST MET MARYANN ROY when we interviewed Pat Henry, publisher of Fashion Doll Quarterly magazine, in honor of Barbie’s 50th birthday. I so loved contributor Maryann Roy’s miniature retro interiors that I asked her for an interview, too. Read on…for details on what it’s like to create mid mod looks for Barbie’s dream house… and 8 photos in all, with plenty of ideas to consider for our own, fullsized homes.
The Lane County Home Show in Eugene, Oregon, was a terrific experience. Despite being jet-lagged and overdosed on a particularly luscious brownie sundae (my Saturday night excitement), it was absolutely exhilarating to talk about midcentury modest homes…the audiences at my talks were fantastic and clearly so considerate of doing nice things with their homes…and the staff of the show – Karen (center), Emily (left), Bijan (right), along with Helen, Jaye – everyone – made me feel so at home, and were topnotch professionals who ran a great show.
On Monday, I returned to Portland where I spent the day touring Rejuvenation (including Satellite Modern)’s factory and store. That’s Tim Wetzel, Industrial Designer – and a Retro Renovation regular (left), along with Bo Sullivan, Historian, who led me and Portland reader Elvis aka Jane on a TERRIFIC tour. Oh yes — I was joined by Elvis aka Jane! That evening I met with members of the Portland MidCentury Modern League for dinner and a talk at Country Bill’s restaurant on Woodstock. A wicked fun day all around!
I’ll have lots of coverage over the next several days about my visit to Eugene and Portland.
To start, here is a link to the Eugene Register-Guard story about my talks: “Cooking Up a Retro Revival.”
All photos: Copyright Mattel
Today – Judi, aka Sumac Sue, shares her memories of growing up with Barbie. Thank you so much for contributing this, Judi — you are a beautiful writer and story-teller!
My younger sister, Joni, and I probably got our first Barbies in 1963, when she was in kindergarten and I was in second grade. These were the Barbies with hair in a ponytail with a fringe of bangs in front, sultry eye makeup, and pert red mouth. These features, along with a rather long, slender body, made the Barbie mildly similar to Audrey Hepburn….
