What do 1950s Housewives Do?

Well they do the dishes and they drink!

My mom, sister and a few friends of our ours hosted a 1950s housewife themed wedding shower last weekend.  It was a lot of fun decorating and dressing up.  And there were a host of characters at the shower. 

I would like to introduce Miss Amy, a somewhat modern housewife who still loves her pearls but doesn't get out enough so she likes to pose for people at random times.

Then there is Leslie, she is our kind but nerdy friend who loves her books and applied to college instead of getting married, oh my!  She was the first to be submitted to her class and we are so proud even though we still find it a little strange........ 

Sarah is the innocent housewife who sips her Coca-Cola quietly in her classic, simplistic outfits and doesn't gossip at all over a game of cards.......right?

And then there is me.  I will admit that I do love my pearls and polka dots and and my mink, Nelson & Co., who was given to me by my great aunt.  I am the bartender of the group when we get together for cards and for gossip. 

Jello salads, deviled eggs, saltines, a veggie tray, bologna sandwiches and hot chicken salad were a hit. Don't forget, you must always have a rooster in your kitchen for good luck!

We had water for those that didn't want to partake in the cocktails and Tang!  

(For the record, they still make it.....we didn't find it in the pantry from 1995.)

Collectibles and antiques are a staple in our home and my mother collects old cookbooks.  This one in particular is quite fascinating.....and disgusting if you ask me.  A Jello beef mold.......and yes those are olives on top.  We didn't dare make this but just opened it up for viewing pleasure.  

Another classic Betty Crocker Cookbook as a centerpiece with more polka dots!

There was a candy bar with class candies....fizzles, some O'Honey and hot tamales.

Here are a few more decorations at the shower.  See the books in the middle?  Those were yellow stamps you received at the grocery store and you collected them in that book.  Then you could redeem them for all sorts of things from the catalog.  

One woman at the shower said, "I remember those!  My grandparents collected enough stamps to buy all the grand kids roller skates!"  

Memories..........

The bride (on the right) and one of her guests matched and it wasn't planned.  

Great minds think alike though....more polka dots!

The rooster really did bring us good luck....lots of food, friends, fun and fancy outfits.

Women love to give advice, so we made them grab a cocktail before writing down their best marriage advice for the bride.  

My favorite from a little girl, "Boys pick their boogers, yuck."  Yep....and so do men....

The bride with her hostesses!  The Baughn women on the left and the Thomas women on the right.  

My mother, on the far right, played another great character.  She was the farmer's wife who never gets off the farm except to go to the State Fair and enter the baking contest.  And she is super intense about it.......

So after we baked our food and prepared for the shower, it was time......

for a cocktail!  Champagne cocktails with orange juice or Tang! or with a little St. Germain and mint.  

And the farmer housewife was extremely busy in the kitchen....

I mean look at those pies!  

So it was a day for celebrating being a housewife and for realizing how far we have come as women.  It was a day to know that in the end as long as you have your girlfriends to have fun with it's okay to go home and make dinner for him, as long as you have your cocktails and polka dots!