Vintage Travel Pennants and Memories of Magic-Glo'

I remember these old-school travel pennants on the walls of Gen Xers while I was growing up. I don't remember kids my own age having these (second wave Xers) but I have vague memories of seeing these on the bedroom walls of their older brothers or sisters (first wave Gen Xers).    

Hanging these up on the wall could really impress your friends - you would have visual proof of how well-traveled you were and these could also lead to conversations where you could brag about all the cool places you went the previous summer...like maybe Skagway?

I saw these at a quirky Portland store that sells all kinds of very random things (notice the bowl of candy in the background and also the bowl of scissors).

This time of year my mind is illuminated with cartoon characters and vintage fonts and the Magic-Glo of the costumes of the late Octobers of my early childhood. These images can be hard to explain to someone who doesn't know what I'm talking about. It is sort of Hanna Barbara-ish. It is sort of Ben Cooper-ish.... 

Halloween is considered the most important holiday to Generation X. It would be hard to have a Gen X blog and not write about Halloween....while other holidays can be full of family conflict, Halloween is simple - there aren't expectations of you and by putting on a costume you can escape reality even if for just one night. 

Happy Halloween, Xers. 


 

The Party Kitchen!

Remember the Party Kitchen?  

If you are a first wave Gen Xer (those now most likely in their 40s) you might remember your younger sibling having one of these, and if you are a second wave Xer like myself (those most likely in their 30s) you may remember playing with one. Nothing was better than going to play at a friend's house and discovering they owned one of these...this toy made for a very fun afternoon.

 

A friend of mine has this in her kids' play room and she let me take some photos....

Watch out!! These burners look like they're ready to cook anything! The stove top dials can be turned to three different settings in popular early 1980s colors. 

The smoky glass (or maybe just plastic) oven front and cutting edge digital timer - so very 80s.  

A phone that you can talk on while you cook helps with multitasking - 

you can fry eggs while you rotary dial a friend!  

 

The folding side table is waiting for you  to come have a seat - there s a delicious chicken leg ready 

to be eaten with a spork. Appetizing? No?  

Maybe you'd like some waffles instead? They've been on this plate waiting for you since 1983.

Bon Appetit!

 

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(For KB - my wonderful Gen X friend who appreciates rotary phones and plastic waffles a much as I do!!) 




Pumpkin Patch...Photo Set by Chloe

At Lakeview Farm Pumkin Patch in North Plains, Oregon...

 

Morning dew evaporates from a pumpkin in the sunshine and I am reminded of one of my best memories of the earliest part of my Gen X childhood - the first time I carved a pumpkin with my family in the late 1970s. The top came off, the jack-o-lantern's face was carved, 

the smell of fresh pumpkin wafted into the air, and the seeds were roasted in the oven.

That moment held within it everything that was good about autumn.