My life is to make everything around me beautiful.

Friday, March 30, 2012

Sugary Eye Candy and A Newlywed Story for Pink Saturday 3/31/2012

Just to let you know that if you're seeing two different fonts on here today, so am I. No clue what is happening but I'll figure it out later. If it ain't one thing, it's another, as they say.
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Welcome once again to Pink Saturday brought to you by Beverly's blog. Just click and go to her blog to see all the pink participants.
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Back in the 1960s we lived in Oceanside, California. We were newlyweds and quite poor. It would be a magnificent day if I received a letter from my mom with two dollars—that would be about fifteen dollars in today's money—in it. But I truly look back on those days with fond memories. Another blogger evoked those memories on her blog not too long ago. I hadn't thought of those days for many years. And that brings to mind a story.

We first lived in a trailer, which was on blocks in a very neat and orderly "neighborhood" of trailers on the USMC Military Base of Camp Pendleton. It was one bedroom, if you could call it a bedroom and actually quite nice. It was small—about the size of a small camper— but immaculately clean. When I had our first child we then moved up to a two bedroom trailer and felt like we were in heaven with all the extra room. After our son was born, we moved into base housing—called Sterling Homes— in the town of Oceanside. We had a 2 bedroom, first floor apartment. It was furnished as we had nothing but a crib, clothing and dishes. We had two children, only one car and were fortunate when it ran. I have no pity at all for people who complain they have only one car. My hubby drove the car to work; I did the shopping with two kids in a stroller and walked about a mile to the local Vons grocery store. But if I was real lucky I could take a bus or hubby would drive and shop with me sometimes after he got off work. I said "No pity" and I meant it. Try doing that today.

In those days there was a truck that came around; actually, there were two trucks that came around as I just this moment remembered the second one. The first was a bakery truck from a LA-based bakery called Helms Bakery. This is a photo of that coach, as they were called. I loved that truck. As I recall, you could just step up into the coach and get your items and put them in a paper bag. It also sold cigarettes and at that time hubs smoked; however, I've never smoked and am glad of that now. (He hasn't smoked for 30 years now and I'm glad.) But they sold all the items on that coach on credit. You just signed a receipt, no credit cards in those days as I recall, and paid when payday came around. It saved us from starvation many times. Not only bread was sold, but pastries, my favorite sweet.

The second truck was a big ole lumbering truck with fresh vegetables, fruits, candy and other things that actually eludes my mind now. It had fold-up sides and he even carried a hanging scale to weigh the produce. And it also took just a signature to buy something and pay it off on our paydays. The man who owned that business was Mexican and he had a service that few people had in those days, but he was valued in our neighborhood, let me tell you. That truck also kept us from starving a few times. Okay, so we weren't truly going to starve, but it sounded good in the telling of this story. We've been incredibly blessed in this life. Always enough food and always enough money to survive. That's a great blessing
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This is a very brave color to use and I love it. That living room is about the size of mine. Small. Actually, mine is probably smaller than this room.





Can you really believe a polka dot Aga stove?!

Isn't this lovely in blue? Just a sweet setting.

Organized perfectly in my opinion.


When I saw this pink door I started thinking about painting my front door pink. It's red now and I am wanting to repaint it a vibrant red, but I just may opt for pink instead. We'll see.

I'm not fond of carnivals or amusement parks but this merry-go-round is stupendous.

I like pink and white stripes but I can't even begin to imagine the amount of thought and measuring that went into this bathroom wall decor.

Definitely my kind of setting.

Oooooh, yesssss, white fluffy clouds in a pink sky.

Love this studio also. Awesome workspace.

Can you imagine these colors in a cottage by the seashore?

Another awesome blue vignette.

I have a hook that is very similar to this piece of jewelry.

I'd never thought of painting my hutch pink but this one inspires me! I think I'll do it this summer.

Weathered doors are always great eye candy. Just a certain patina to them that draws us.

My embroidery thread never came on tiny palettes so beautiful.

While some people may like this look, I think I want a more polished look in my bathroom furnishings.


Another stroke of genius in the color department. Gorgeous!
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Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents or parents had a different word for burger flipping: They called it opportunity. Both of my kids did it as teenagers, besides working at a drive-in theater, and they are both huge successes today. It gave them character.
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Photos courtesy of tumblr and pinterest.

12 comments:

  1. i remember those days, Connie...
    we had the Valley Pride Bakery truck and one day a week my grandmother would get me cinnamon buns...the Bupps Dairy truck carried milk, eggs,and butter. if the fridge was empty that day you could count on a good breakfast. so much wonderful eye candy...love the pinks and blues :D my daughter flipped @ McD's, now she has a job running a robot welder and forms handlebars for Harley Davidson motorcycles!
    have a wonderful weekend...i'll be watching General Conference.
    ~victoria~

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  2. Hi Connie! I just want you to know that ever since I've discovered your blog that your photos make my day! No kidding now! I don't know where you get them but they make me happy! Sometimes, I look at a room that somebody else created and I think that it's been in me to do that but somehow those people have been able to let go and just do it, you know, just abandon themselves to the creative muse. And the result is always mind blowing. Go ahead, Connie, and paint your door pink! I once lived in a neighbourhood with a house with white siding and pink trim and the front door was pink. Every time I walked by that house, I had to stop and look at it. It was sheer eye candy!

    For instance, those white and pink stripes in the bathroom, the pink door, those beautiful craft rooms. As for the shabby chic treatment, I don't like it to be exaggerated. For instance, I could not live with a piece of furniture like the one in that bathroom. I loved that photo of the tent you had yesterday. So romantic!

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  3. Hi Connie, as always your whimsy photos have made me smile. I had forgotten about all the good things pink saturday brings.
    Michelle

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  4. Hi Connie!
    Ahh yes... the days when honor and integrity were more visible...
    I think the modern day(and sadder) version of buying food with just your signature is using those awful credit cards.
    You pretty pictures make everything brighter- We love to read your stories.

    Happy Pink Saturday to you.
    Sparkly Hugs,
    Tobi and the Pixies!

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  5. Great tale and morals to the stories.

    Awesome weathered door - practically writes a story in my head. Amazing pink stripes that SOMEBODY else did. Can't imagine them either. I'd be lost in the organization of so organized. Funny, I was very organized at work. Very pretty thread thingies (spools?) and that jewelry is quite exquisite. Too unpolished in that weathered bathroom - though I love weathered things. Maybe it was the tub enclosure that over did it for me? Enjoyed your post . . . Happy Pink Saturday!

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  6. Oi Connie,estou passeando em seu blog,tudo tão lindo,belas fotos,amei conhecer esse local.
    Love,Fernanda from Brasil.

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  7. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and for your lovely comment:) These are some wonderful inspiration photo's! How awesome that you've had so many years of marriage, your grandchildren are adorable too:)

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  8. Love your story Connie. We had a milkman that sold baked breakfast treats. We also paid once a week or every two weeks. That kind of service is a thing of the past. There is a home delivery service that is called Schwan's. They sell groceries and frozen food products by order. Kind of expensive.

    Love your inspiring photos as always. This is what makes it fun to visit you. However, I like your stories best. You are right about your blessings. We have been blessed as well.
    Happy days to you and yours.
    Jeanne xo

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  9. I loved your space!
    How many wonderful inspirations!
    Congratulations!
    Elaine
    Brazil

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  10. If you allow me I'm already following!
    Elaine
    Brazil

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  11. Hi Connie,
    I thoroughly enjoyed hearing your stories. It took me back to the days when times were incredibly tough going and living paycheck to paycheck and not being able to afford basics for the kids. We had one vehicle and I walked everywhere with my two children. I still shop at thrift stores...that hasn't changed but life is much more better. I love all your photo's! Thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful weekend.

    Blessings,
    Lisa

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  12. Loved your post today..I can relate to the way you started out in married life. I married in 1955We were Navy people and I moved to San Francisco with a nearly four month old baby at the age of nineteen as this was where my husband 's ship was stationed...at Treasure Island...he would be out five weeks and in one week, so I grew up fast!!!
    I remember the bread and pastries trucks and the ice cream truck coming around the housing project!!
    The apartment was also furnished and paper drapes had just come out so I saved up to buy two pairs, at $1.oo a pair, to cover my living room windows..they just had window shades!!
    In the 1960's we lived in a small Louisiana town (we were out of the Navy by then) where you could go to the Piggly-Wiggly grocery store
    to shop and then just sign a ticket and at the end of the month you paid it....there was a lot more trust then than nowadays!!
    Loved all of your pictures, as usual. If you want your front door to be PINK, DO IT!!!! If you don't like it, all it takes is another color painted over it. Our front door is a bright PINK with the rest of the house white and the shutters a pretty shade of green..
    we love it and so many people have
    commented on it!!
    Thanks for sharing with us today.
    Hope you have a great week...
    Francy (Yasmin)

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Comments are so nice and I thank all of you that leave one for me.