Many, many years ago, I was teaching my education students about creating a . . . → Read More: Wise Words of the Day: Common Sense]]>

Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done.  ~ C.E. Stowe

Be wise, don't play with firecrackers, WPA poster, ca. 1937; Image courtesy of trialsanderrors on Flickr.com

Many, many years ago, I was teaching my education students about creating a learning environment that entices students to want to be on their best behavior (yes, it’s possible! not easy, but possible!).

As we were discussing the strategies, one of my students said rather loudly and a bit sarcastically, “But Dr. M., you’re not teaching us anything we don’t already know!  This is all just common sense.”

From the back of the class, her classmate quietly but firmly responded, “But common sense does not always mean common practice.”

In today’s modern world, it seems like the practice of common sense has flown out the window (especially when it comes to social networking sites).

We’re modern retro women.  Let’s remind everyone else what common sense put into common practice looks like through our own actions.

I wonder how many men bought Van Heusen shirts expecting their wives to do their bidding when they wore it?

Silly men to think it would happen in real life.

Like many people from large families, we draw names for Christmas gifts  and put a $20-25 limit on how much we can spend on the gift (either for the actual gift or the supplies for said gift).  This past Christmas, my youngest sister drew my name.

When I was spending a couple of . . . → Read More: Modern Retro Recipe: Pizza Rustica]]>

Dear Friends,

Like many people from large families, we draw names for Christmas gifts  and put a $20-25 limit on how much we can spend on the gift (either for the actual gift or the supplies for said gift).  This past Christmas, my youngest sister drew my name.

When I was spending a couple of days with my mother at her time share down by the beach in Orange County, we decided to go to this huge antique mall that is nearby.  And that is when I saw it:  The Gold Cookbook written in 1947 by Master Chef Louis P. De Gouy (with an introduction by Oscar of the Waldorf).  Think of The Gold Cookbook as a cross between The Joy of Cooking and Julia Child.

Money was a bit tight for us at that time so I couldn’t justify buying another vintage cookbook.  But my sister could…!  I called her up and asked her if she would like to give the cookbook to me for Christmas.  She liked the idea.  My mother took care of all of the arrangements.

When I opened it on Christmas Eve, I feigned surprise and delight that she would know exactly what I wanted for Christmas.

Anyway, I was browsing through my new cookbook for a new egg and cheese recipe to try and found this recipe for “Pizza Rustica or Italian Ham and Sausage Pie.”  When we lived in New Jersey, we got in the habit of calling a “pizza” a “pie.”  This pizza really is a pie.

Immaculate Baking Co. All Natural Ready-to-Bake Pie Crusts; I let it come to room temperature for 40 minutes in its package--twice as long as the box recommends--before attempting to unroll it.

The kind of crust you use really makes a difference.  I bought an “all natural” ready-to-bake pie crust made by Immaculate Baking Company at Whole Foods and was completely dissatisfied with it because the crust was dry and gritty.  I should have known I was going to be unhappy with it when I had trouble unrolling it and it broke apart (yes, I brought it to room temperature) but used it anyway.  I always tell clients to listen to their instincts!  I wish I had listened to mine!   I ended up scraping the leftover innards out of that pie crust and putting it into a homemade crust and re-baking the pie.

I was planning something different for dinner tonight but it is a rather windy and rainy day and I think I will make this pie, instead!  It is perfect for a Winnie-the-Pooh kind of blustery day.

The original recipe calls for one pound of Italian ham and 1 pound of Italian sausage.   Basically, you want a spicy ham and sausage.  The level of spiciness is up to you.  I found using Black Forest ham (slice 1/4″ thick at the deli) and mild Italian sausage (like they use on pizzas) to be perfect for us.  Play around with the ham and sausage until you get the combo right for you.

Pizza Rustica

Pizza Rustica

Ingredients:

2 – 9″ pie crusts (for top and bottom)

 Method:

Preheat the oven to 450F. Cut the ham into small pieces.

Brown the sausage if it isn't already cooked.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl with a whisk.

Add the ricotta cheese to the eggs and continue whipping/beating until smooth.

When smooth, stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Then stir in the cinnamon, and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste.

Fold the ham and sausage into the cheese mixture. (Ironically, the original recipe forgot to mention this step)

Dump the filling into a pastry lined 9" pie plate. It will be mounded up but it settles as it bakes.

Cover with other pie pastry, crimp edges, and make a few slashes in the top. Bake at 450F. for 10 minutes; Reduce temperature to 350F and bake for another hour, or until the crust is golden brown.

We enjoyed it for dinner with artichoke hearts and a green salad but it would be perfect served for brunch, too.

I’m going to say something that may be controversial: College students are not customers.

. . . → Read More: Wise Words of the Day: College]]>

Colleges and universities don’t educate the student.  The student educates himself.  All we do is set up the educational environment.  ~ Tracy Strevy

Home Economics Students, Iowa State, 1917, Image courtesy of Don O'Brien on Flickr.com

I’m going to say something that may be controversial: College students are not customers.

Somewhere along the line, a rumor started that students are the customers of the institution and that the “customer is always right.”  I’ve even heard that from my own students!

No.  Students are students. 

My job as the professor is to create a learning environment where the student can learn.  But it is up to the students to do the actual work of learning.

This student as customer mentality has led some students to believe that all they have to do is show up to class once in a while and do the bare minimum and they will get an “A” in the course.

This same mentality has taken the focus off of learning and has put the focus on diploma as a commodity that will be used to get a job.  As a result of this, approximately 50% of college students have admitted to cheating at some point in their college career.  Did you know that there are over 3000 videos on the topic of “how to cheat” on You Tube?  And that you can buy a “Why Students Cheat” paper from an online paper mill?  (Here are two videos I show during my “Academic Integrity in the Digital Age” seminar: How to Cheat Using a Coke Bottle on You Tube and The Digital Generation  from CBS News).

This trend toward viewing students as customers started about 30 years ago when policy makers started treating education as businesses.  If you notice, that’s also when universities started focusing on “the college experience” and building fancy-dancy dorms and student centers.  And, although not the primary source of increased tuition, educational funding was diverted away from the actual teaching and learning process.

I am making a plea to my fellow modern retro women: Let’s restore sanity to the educational process.  Let’s help young people understand that learning is not about the grade but rather learning is about how to think, evaluate, write, be creative, problem solve, and learning how to learn.  In a sense, the actual content is secondary to the learning process.

As you can tell, I am very passionate about this topic.  I have been in higher education for about 20 years, much of it spent teaching professors and graduate students how to teach college.  They are passionate about their subject matter.  Trust me, you don’t spend, on average, 10 years of your life working on a Ph.D. if you aren’t passionate about your subject.  Professors are eager to share that passion with their students.

But they can only do that when students view themselves as students and not customers.

*stepping off of my soapbox*

I know this is a theme I keep coming back to over and over again but it is an important one:  People judge us . . . → Read More: Wise Words of the Day: Clothes]]>

Always dress neatly, taking care to have good materials.  It is astonishing how much people judge by dress.  ~ John Lubbock

Source: myvintagevogue.com via Julie-Ann on Pinterest

I know this is a theme I keep coming back to over and over again but it is an important one:  People judge us by our clothes.

It may not be fair.  It may not be right.  But I’m just reporting the facts to you.  What we wear telegraphs to other people how we think about ourselves and how we expect to be treated by others.  That doesn’t mean we have to wear haute couture all of the time and spend a lot of money.  But we should look nice, even when we are being casual (for example, the two sweater dresses above are comfy, casual, warm, and perfect for running errands and meeting a friend for lunch…apparently lunch was a bit more than Blue Dress expected because she is checking out the change in her wallet).

When I started the “Only Own Beautiful Clothes in 2012 Challenge,” I had no idea that it would touch women so deeply.  I’ve already scheduled a second retreat for this month and third retreat for March to help women clarify their own personal style and create a wardrobe plan.

One of the things that differentiates modern retro women is that we believe in the importance of getting “dressed”–whether we wear retro/vintage inspired clothes or modern clothes.  Because we know that when we are dressed we have more confidence and are treated with more respect by others.

Spam advertisement courtesy of Jello Kitty on Flickr.com

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You’d think he’d rush down to breakfast knowing this is waiting for him!

Spam advertisement courtesy of Jello Kitty on Flickr.com

Image courtesy of . . . → Read More: Friday Photo Fun #3: Because Sometimes You Just Have to Wonder…. The Helmet]]>

This is our third affectionate look at “found photos.” Found photos are the ones that are either sold at garage sales or are found in an attic and no one knows anything about the people or what is happening. They also offer us a peek into mid-century everyday life.

Image courtesy of ATypicalArt on Flickr.com

Add a caption in the comments section related to the photo. There’s no prize for having the best caption except for the bragging rights in knowing you’ve made us all laugh!

I’ll admit that I’m a bit of . . . → Read More: 1950s Red Carpet Worthy Evening Gowns]]>

It is that time of year again: Red Carpet Season!  Back when I was a little girl, it was called Awards Season.  But in the past 10-15 years, or so, the actual awards seem to be less important than what the stars are wearing on the red carpet.

I’ll admit that I’m a bit of a snob.  I look at a lot of the modern clothes coming down the red carpet and wonder if the starlet even bothered to look in the mirror before she left the house.  But then, she’s usually getting a couture gown to wear for free, so mirrors aren’t needed.

Naturally, I prefer the “Old Hollywood” type of gowns.  In that spirit, here are five gowns I found while searching Pinterest and the Internet:

Prelude To Conquest, 1938 ad for the March of Time newsreels; Image courtesy of Paul Malon on Flickr.com

In 1897, The New York Times adopted the motto, “All The News That’s Fit to Print.”  It was a jab at . . . → Read More: Wise Words of the Day: Climbing Molehills]]>

One can get ulcers by climbing mountains that are molehills.  ~ Unknown

Prelude To Conquest, 1938 ad for the March of Time newsreels; Image courtesy of Paul Malon on Flickr.com

In 1897, The New York Times adopted the motto, “All The News That’s Fit to Print.”  It was a jab at other newspapers who traded in “yellow” or sensational journalism.  Yellow journalism is known for its lack of legitimately researched stories, fear or scandal mongering, and gross exaggerations of the truth.

Sound familiar?

The twenty-four hour news cycle is yellow journalism on steroids.

Network, cable, radio, and Internet outlets are competing for your advertising dollars.  Headlines and sound bites are designed to draw you in.  The more lurid and sensational (and accusatory) the story, the higher the ratings and the higher the profits.

Mountains are made out of molehills because air time must be filled.

I remember a “breaking story” about five years ago on all of the major news outlets about an airplane carrying several hundred passengers with stuck landing gear.  The plane was going to have to make a “belly landing.”  For 20 some minutes or so, the reporters whipped themselves into hysteria as the plane went through emergency landing precautions and the runway was sprayed with foam.  The plane was able to land without exploding or breaking apart.  The emergency chutes opened and passengers started sliding safely down them.  Within seconds of the (relatively) safe landing, the stations broke away and I could literally hear the disappointment in the reporters’ voices that a tragedy was averted.

In our modern times, we are suffering from information overload.  Just out of curiosity, I did a quick and dirty review of the headlines and stories on the three Internet news sources that I frequent.  According to my unscientific research, 98% of the stuff would be considered “molehills.”  Yet people were spewing toxic comments and calling each other horrible things about stuff that really shouldn’t matter (and half of the time, it was obvious that the person hadn’t even bothered reading the story).

And I think this mountain-out-of-molehill-making helps fuel divisive rhetoric that keeps people from coming to the table to actually solve our national problems.

Our mid-century role models weren’t inundated with news 24-hours a day.  They obtained most of their news via newspapers and news magazines that researched their stories.  They were encouraged to get their news from sources across the political and social spectrum so that they could be better informed on the issues.   Perhaps we, as modern retro women, should emulated them and leave sound bite journalism to others.

You can be the most . . . → Read More: 1950s Charm School: Model Posture]]>

This post is part of a series examining 1950s era charm, poise, and beauty using  Secrets of Poise, Personality, and Model Beauty written by modeling agency and schools icon John Robert Powers and published by Prentiss-Hall in 1960.

Posture can make or break a beauty ~ John Robert Powers

You can be the most beautiful woman on earth but poor posture can destroy your appearance.  Our mid-century beauty mentor, Mr. Powers, dedicates an entire chapter to the importance of good posture.  But before we examine his lessons, let’s take a few minutes to discuss the impact of poor posture on our health.  The truth of the matter is that our posture is indicative of our body’s core strength.

Without proper alignment and strength in our core, our diaphragm is unable to do its job and our lungs are unable to fully expand so that our bodies and brains get the oxygen they need to fully function.  If you’re feeling foggy-brained, your posture may be the culprit.

If our upper back isn’t strong to counteract the constant forward motion of our arms (we don’t type or chop food behind us, after all), our shoulders slump forward and our chin starts to jut out.  Our breasts sag and hang down by our waists instead of our chest where they belong.  Sometimes it isn’t the bra but rather the posture that needs adjusting…

A swayback (my own nemesis), encouraged by weak abdominal muscles, gives the illusion of a poochy stomach while also causing all sorts of low back problems.  “Lose” five pounds instantly by tilting the hips under where they belong.

My favorite description for proper posture and body alignment is to imagine that there is a string that is pulling through the top of your head.  There should be a straight line going from your ears through the shoulders, down to the center of the hips, through the center of your knees and ending at the center of your foot.  This gives us effortless posture…after all, we don’t want the exaggerated posture of a Marine who just finished Basic Training!  You know you have it right if your hips are “tucked under,” your chin is parallel to the floor, and you will be able to wiggle your toes around.

Many readers have joined me in the “Only Own Beautiful Clothes in 2012 Challenge” (see the calendar for the date of the next virtual retreat so that you can join in, too).  But owning clothes that reflect our own personal styles can only go “so far.”  If we have poor posture, we are going to look and be unhealthy.  Even a $10,000 dress can’t counteract that!