Midway Village Museum

Amos W. Woodward Millhouse

The first thing you will notice as you drive towards the museum is the beautiful pond surrounded with weeping willows and wildflowers. It's a great start and setting to one of my favorite places to visit and spend the day.

The Midway village museum began in 1972 by the donation of land by the Severin Family and the union of other organizations in order to preserve the history of Rockford. In 1986, The Exhibition building was built to link two existing buildings together to make room for more displays. Later in 1988, the museum added The Aviation Gallery, The Carlson Education Gallery and The Doll museum that sits across the parking lot.
The museum will show you how Rockford has evolved throughout the years and how it has contributed to history. They have displays that include, The Greater Rockford airplane, Rockford Peaches, Queen city of the prairies & Sock Monkey. A new exhibit is about immigration to Rockford and how that changed the city. This display is still in the works, but in one area they have a vintage phone booth that allows you to hear the interesting stories from the immigrants.

The outdoor Midway village has 26 buildings that include a Barber shop, Schoolhouse, Rockford Hospital, Firehouse, Bank and many other interesting buildings. Many of the buildings are open to public for viewing with a guided tour and are all decorated as accurately as possible.

The village is my favorite part of the museum to visit with my kids. I love that they can walk around the buildings to appreciate the architecture, see the beautifully decorated homes, and in some buildings given the opportunity to have a hands on learning Rockford history. There are so many details in each of the buildings that I am still surprised each time I go on a tour.

Rockford Hospital

The museum hosts many interesting & as accurate as possible events that are interactive for the visitors. They have a Titanic Dinner, Victorian Tea, All Hallows Eve, the very popular WWII days and more. They have summer day camps for children, volunteering for gardening, sewing, hosting, preparing for large events, etc.. Some buildings can be rented for special occasions and would make a great setting for photos. Photos are another reason why I love this place, so many pretty things to photograph. I enjoy taking photos of anything that catches my eye. I took all of the photos in this post.

As would any place you will visit, it has its good and its bad.

Bad- Tours are a hit & miss. It depends on the knowledge of the guide. I've had one that was too short with a shy guide and we saw only 4 buildings, one guide told us all about her family and nothing else. I wish they would split it up the town in two halves. You can tour the first part and then the second or just decide for yourself which part of the town you would like to tour. My other problem is that they didn't make room to accommodate the growing attendance to one of their popular events. I was told to put my name on a list & wait....Finally, Mosquitoes! The pond = bugs. Bring spray

Good- Learning the history of Rockford in the tours or at the special events is made to be fun for families. The beautiful scenery is everywhere you look. The people that work at the museum are very friendly & helpful. The price is reasonable and it nice to bring a basket for the picnic area. They have a small gift shop with books, postcards, treats and reproductions of vintage toys for kids. A must for anyone who loves the vintage world.

General Admission

Adults: $7
Children 3 to 17: $5
Museum Members are always free.

Hours and Admission
Museum Center, Mill House, Old Dolls’ House and Museum Store
January – April
September – December
Tuesday – Friday 10 am – 4 pm
Saturday 10:30 am – 4 pm
Closed Sunday and Monday
May – August
Tuesday – Friday 10 am – 4 pm
Saturday and Sunday 10:30 am – 4 pm
Closed Monday                                                                                                                                            

Village Hours
Thursday – Sunday
11 am – 4 pm (May)
Tuesday – Sunday
11 am – 4 pm (June thru August)
Closed Monday
Village open by appointment only September through April.
The last tour of the day begins at 3 pm.

Hot Stuff

Hot Stuff

I enjoy and follow many Vintage blogs and some of them  happen to be written by younger gals. Their posts about clothes, furnishings and cooking tips are things I can relate to despite our age difference. Even when they post about their husbands and young children I understand where they are coming from, still there is a difference. When I see them posing in the sunlight dressed in layers of petticoats or a wool suit, I think "How are they not fainting in all those layers"? Bingo! There's the difference. I have been dealing with Hot Flashes for over a year and it's become a bit of an obstacle in my vintage life. It's taken the joy out of wearing a complete outfit and taking my photos. OK, truth be told, I've never felt comfortable in front of the camera, but this added pressure isn't helping.

My personal goal is to be as authentic as I can be in my choice of vintage clothing. I like wearing the girdles, stockings, gloves, all of it. Unfortunately, in doing so those extra layers mixed with bits of hell have me clawing at my pearls, yanking off my slip and using my hat to fan myself completely ruining my look. I hate feeling weighed down by my vintage clothes and feeling the dread of a warm day as it narrows down my choices in outfits. All I want is to lay in front of the air conditioner and not move a muscle.

As any vintage gal knows it can take awhile to get the look just right or at least it does me, but it's fun. I enjoy listening to music from the era that goes with the outfit I've chosen for the day. I love the sound of a side zip, a spritz of perfume then topping it of with a gorgeous hat before walking out the door. It's the most fun..correction ..It was fun.

I am an older gal of 41, 43, 45? I never remember, but it's up there. It doesn't bother me to be a Vintage-vintage gal, I wear my badge proudly. Yet, you'd think that after years of heavy periods, cramps, bloating, childbirth(yes, it's a beautiful thing & you do get a baby prize, but there's still pain) it would be an easy road ahead. Not with my hormones still feeling the need to wage battle on me.
At first your fine with a little heat, annoyance comes next when it catches you at the wrong time, then anger as you start feeling chained to the air conditioner. The last emotion is exactly where I am at this very moment-acceptance mixed with bits of crazed laughter! You learn to just deal with it and try to find something funny about it or  it will beat you into a wilted pile of very fashionable vintage clothing.

My day to day - I start with a cold shower and a quick application of makeup base while wearing my slip. I then apply my setting lotion, curl, pin, spritz & then..here it comes. I begin to feel warmth on my upper arms and chest, my cheeks begin to blush, perspiration collects on anything that's touching me. My heart starts racing and I now have the strength to push anything out of the way to get to cold air. My forehead has an army of sweat beads ready to attack my makeup. Damn there goes the curl as I let go of it to stand over the air conditioner that's on high, but feels like child's paper fan. The hot flash is now on full power, my face is red, the top of my head is on fire, hair clinging to my face, sweat trickling down my back, and no matter how I try I cannot sweat in a lady like manner. Somehow I have gone from feeling like a vintage seductress in my slinky slip to sweaty clown with drippy makeup.

I grab a washcloth, remove my makeup and jump in the shower again. I stand over the air conditioner and begin again freshening my pin curls. Wait! here comes another hot flash and I begin wondering if it will be a small one that lasts a couple of seconds affecting only my arms, cheeks, or forehead. Will it be a large one that lasts more than ten minutes affecting my entire upper half.  A happy sigh of relief, it's only my cheeks... Here we go!

Proceed dressing-

Undergarments..still feeling cool, no H.F.

Stockings..Wait! check weather channel..high in the 80's...Screw the stockings!!

Dress in a light cotton dress. Is it see thru? No! I fling the slip on the bed. Adios silky softness.

Makeup..light base, eyebrows, eye..shadow. Damn! I'm in the tropics. I grab anything I can to fan myself, No, not my collectors edition record album, ah yes, my latest issue of Flea Market magazine. H.F over.
Onward-

Eyeshadow, eyeliner, blush(seriously?) and lips. Done. If I could I'd spritz setting lotion to my face.

Pull out pins, fix curls into a style that's off my neck.

Grab purse, shoes, gloves(no too hot, thank goodness I did my nails). Pearls? No, brooch would be better. Final spritz, lip touch up...Yes! Ladies, I have done it. I head towards my car and hope that wherever I am going it will have the largest and most amazing air conditioner.

Hot Flash Survival tips

• Wear light breathable dresses. I like 100% cotton or Silk
• If you can't find summer vintage, sew a dress in modern airy fabric using a vintage pattern
• Add underarm pads that are easily removed.
• Wear a wide brimmed hat, use an ornate hand fan or use a cute parasol to block sun.
• Wear hair up or use a snood
• Light makeup coverage
• Switch vintage eras just for the summer:
• 1930's long hemlines = 1950's summer dress
• 1940's dress suit = 1920's flapper dress with rolled stockings 
• 1960's polyester dress = 1970's flowing bohemian dress
• Try anything that makes you comfortable, 1950's Romper, 1940's wide leg pants or even a 1800's Empire waist dress. 
• Skip crinolines, stockings, girdles, gloves, anything you might need to feel comfortable. Don't worry the vintage police won't come around and ticket you.                                                                          

The look for less

When I was finally able to quit my job I was able to wear my vintage anytime I wanted, because I was no longer on call. I had a few items, but I wanted to add so much more to my look without spending a lot of money. One of my goals for my blog is to help anyone that wants to achieve their vintage look know that it doesn't need to cost a lot of money. I have used all of these products for more than a year, on occasion switching if they are no longer available or to try something new.

Makeup

I have very sensitive skin. It's so sensitive, that when I was dating my husband he owned a cat and I would get a rash if he touched the cat. He would have to change clothes before I could even hold his hand. That means I have to be careful what I wear in case it may have something that would cause a bad reaction.

L.A. Colors eye shadows- I wear Wine & Roses for a soft eye to go with a strong red lip color. They have many other options in a tray of 5 colors. They will stay on all day with no creasing. All for a $1.

Bad-Cheap brush and the top of the case breaks off every time.

Wet N 'Wild-Cherry frost silk finish lipstick is my favorite. I have gone through many tones to find a lipstick to compliment my skin tone. I also wear their Mega volume mascara to help out my puny lashes & soft brown brow pencils for a 40's brow. The liquid liner in black is perfect for my 1960's look.

Bad- It's a reasonably priced & a popular brand, so it may be difficult to find.  Stock up.

The foundation, I will switch from time to time due to my constant skin changes. I'll stop switching once they make a foundation that doesn't melt off due to hot flashes. To apply I prefer to use sponge wedge applicator and brushes to apply my foundation or any other makeup. You can find both at a discount store for a decent price, just make sure you tug at the bristles to see if they are secure. If you can, buy a vintage powder puff they are great for blending and are a much better quality.

Nails

My entire childhood I'd bite nails & my mom tried everything to get me to stop, as I got older I finally I realized how nice they would look grown out. I no longer bite them & I love to polish them with a beautiful red that goes well with my skin tone. Sinful colors in Ruby Ruby. I have washed the dishes, scrubbed the floor and other chores, it'll stay on with very little chipping.

Bad- It's thin & will take at least 3 coats to get the right shade. If you don't allow to dry between coats you will get bubbles.

Facial care

If there was a support group for lotion dependency, I would have to join it. I have large bottles, small bottles, thick coverage, light coverage, shimmer or non-shimmer, etc.. I have dark skin that will show any little dry patches I may have, so I must be ready to patch attack with lotion. The Ponds wrinkle and dark spot corrector do help my skin and I like how light they are. No heavy perfumes and the trial sizes are more than enough to last for awhile.

Bad- I have to choose one or the other. Why not combine them, ponds? The wrinkle lotion will get a little sticky, so I will apply then after awhile I'll wash my face. Still worked.  Caution: do follow the directions for wrinkle lotion, it does contain Alpha Hydroxy, so avoid direct sunlight. I forgot and broke out in a little rash, but it did fade the next day.

Hair

My hair is so frizzy that without a drop of product in it, I look like one of those crazy haired pencil toppers.

Suave mousse is light on the hair and not sticky on the hands. It also has a light scent and you can choose the max control you want.

Bad- If you forget to shake before each use it will come out watery & you'll lose more product.

Aqua net is a product I remember my grandmother using on her hair every morning. She would spray so much of it that you wouldn't dare light a match around her. I only use when it's extremely humid out.

Bad- If you over spray it will weigh your hair down & make it hard.
White Rain conditioner saved my hair after over bleaching it. I tried a jar that was recommend by a salon, it cost $16, on sale for $8 and it did nothing to my hair. I was broke so I bought White rain for a $1. I was surprised how quickly my hair turned around for the better. 

Bad- I think others have discovered it as well, because it's sometimes out of stock. I can only find it in one certain store, luckily there are two within my area to buy and stock up on.

Well, now you know some of the products I currently use and love. I hope this helps you out and maybe give you a little more options when choosing products. I know that there are really nice products that cost more money and are worth every penny spent on them, but I personally would like to save as many of my pennies as possible. 

Chiles Rellenos

Chile Rellenos Y Agua Fresca

Being a vintage gal I enjoy cooking retro recipes, but I am also a Latina vintage gal, so I enjoy cooking the food that I grew up on as well, Mexican food. Growing up, any family celebration meant a big get together and lots of good food. I couldn't wait to get in the kitchen to help out the women in my family slice, dice, and chop the ingredients for an incredible dinner. Watching everyone's excitement as the plates full of delicious food being placed on the dinner table was my favorite part as a kid, still is. My grandmother Mima, would always say to me "Cocinando comida deliciosa es solo un modo de dar amor a' la familia" translation "Cooking delicious meals for you family is one of many ways to show your love".

This was the first Mexican recipe that I cooked for my husband when we first started dating. He had never really eaten much Mexican food and I wanted him to enjoy one of my favorites. I was a little nervous that he would not care for a bit of spice, but he loved them! He even learned to cook them himself, so that he could enjoy them just in case I might be on a vintage run.

This recipe may sound extremely spicy to some, but there really not. It all depends on what type of chile & how you cook them. Here is my family's recipe, I hope you like it. Buen Provecho!

Ingredients-

6- Poblano chiles

4-Eggs

Monterey or Pepper jack cheese

Flour

Oil

Toothpicks(optional)

Ingredients

Place whole chiles on top of burner to make the skin blister. This will make it easier to peel some of the skin to make chiles tender.

Keep turning over and make sure they don't burn completely or they will become too soft and fall apart.

Don't worry if you don't get the dents in the chile. Place the chiles in the sink filled with cold water to cool off & loosen skin.

Gently wash off the skin. Then cut a little slit to remove all or some of the seeds. The more seeds you remove, the less spicy they'll be. Be careful not to yank on the stringy membrane or your chile will fall apart.

Place the chiles in a colander to drain. Removing the water will help to keep cheese from getting soggy & when you fry them it'll prevent your hot oil from splattering.

Slice cheese and stuff inside the chiles. You can use either cheese or mix both inside. Don't over stuff or it will pop chile open.

Secure with toothpick. If this makes you nervous, just make the slit for the cheese as small as possible. I don't use the toothpick when serving dish to guests. I use it for my husbands to be able to stuff with as much cheese as possible for him. Sometimes I wonder if I should just fry him the block of cheese!

Cover with flour. Set aside.

Separate egg white from yolks. Set yolk aside.

Mix egg white on high speed.

Mix till egg white forms peaks and holds it's shape

Add yolk and mix on medium speed. If you don't care for the yolks, then don't add to mixed egg whites.

Heat oil in a large frying pan and once it's hot, dip the chiles in the mixture one at a time.

Place three chiles and be careful, if the chiles have even a little water still in them, it will make the oil splatter.

Fry till light brown and then turn over. Try not turn over too many times or egg mixture will fall off. As each one browns place on a plate with paper towels to soak up oil excess. Set aside once all chiles are cooked to make sauce.

                                                                                            The Sauce

Ingredients

Ingredients-

Oregano

2 small cans of tomato sauce

small onion

3 garlic cloves

oil

Dice onions, garlic & crush 1/2 a teaspoon of Oregano into a frying pan with enough oil to cover bottom of the pan. About 4 tablespoons. Lightly brown the onion & garlic, but not too dark or garlic will become bitter.

Add tomato sauce and stir till mix bubbles. Remove from heat, place in blender and mix. If you prefer you can leave it chunky. Place chiles on dish and pour the sauce on top. You can garnish with a bit of Cilantro & serve.

I thought I would mention a couple of things;

Make sure your mixing bowl doesn't have an oily residue or egg whites may not mix properly.

You can substitute with Anaheim chile, but they will be spicier with not much space for filling.

If you try to use shredded cheese it will come out when turning over.

You might need to make extra egg mix,due to size of chiles.

You may want to open windows, vary rarely, but the seeds in the chiles may 'spice' up the room.

Wear gloves in case you forget and touch your eyes.

DON'T forget to remove toothpick, if you use them!!!

Pec Thing

Home of the Pec Thing

When I moved to Illinois many years ago, I was happy that I had ended up in a small town that I had longed for as a child. It had a small grocery store, gas station, a very small library and a couple of antique stores. I enjoyed spending the day walking from shop to shop chatting with the local dealers that would gather for coffee & ciggies at Big D's antiques. When I mentioned that there were some items that I could use that they didn't carry, they directed me to the Pec Thing. They gathered around me & told me the tale of this awesome antique/flea market that was a vintage lovers dream. They told of the sights to be seen, the incredible deals to be made, all the treasures to be had...I was getting light headed.

Surely, I would have go on a perilous journey to get to this amazing place?  Nah they said, just get on the highway and drive here and then there, after that there you go. I got chills just thinking about how close I was, but they did mention that I should visit soon for it was only open two weekends in the year, one in the summer and one in the fall. No matter, as long as I could go just once and see for myself this amazing retro wonderland.....

That was over 15 years ago and have been happily antiquing ever since. When I worked I would request the same two weekends off every year for 12 years straight. My supervisor would just automatically write it down. My family will plan something of there own knowing this is mom's weekend. On occasion my husband & my little guy will join us, but it can be overwhelming for my little guy. My youngest daughter will go with me the first day(she has a good eye for antiques-I'm a proud mama) and the next day I will go alone. I make lists, take measurements, photos of ideas,  I even take color swatches. I take my usual mini backpack with the following- water & snack (fuel for walking), hairpins & lipstick (a vintage gals must), umbrella (for rain/sun), change of clothing ( too cold or inferno like hot flash) and well, money of course.

The Pecatonica antique and flea market is known as The Pec Thing. It has been around for 33 years and it's held at the Winnebago fairgrounds with 100,000 square feet and over 40 acres. It runs rain or shine, kids are free under 12, free parking & it's only $3 to shop from 8am to 5pm. You can come and go to your car to drop off your purchases with a hand stamp or they will pick up large items for you and place at pick up area. The vendors are kind, most will bargain and they all have everything you could possibly think of. I have never had a problem of any sort with any vendor or fellow shoppers. The town of Pecatonica is small,but they have just the right amount of shops with a little of this and that. 

I will go to other flea markets and antique stores to fill in time while I wait for The Pec. They are all fun, have kind dealers, plenty to pick from and one is my main source of vintage clothing. Yet, The Pec Thing is still on the top, not because I can deal to the dollar, the size of it, the options and so on. It's the simple fact that it takes me back to the memory of Big D, Moe, Mary & Stu a group of sweet, funny, antique loving older ladies & gentlemen that took me in with no questions asked. What a welcome wagon they were and how lucky was I to have known them. They gave me advice, stories, laughter, friendship and of course The Pec.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Essentials for the vintage gal

10 for a dollar!

Colorful & Creative

Picking at The Pec

Fancy Poster Tutorial

The Scream

I bought The Scream by Edvard Munch poster for two reasons, 1-It's one of my favorite paintings & 2-The colors matched my living room. When I bought the poster it was on a cardboard, so I bought those cheap poster frames and it didn't do it any justice. Yes, I know it's only a poster, but even a poster can look awesome if placed in a really cool frame. I had an old torn cardboard picture in a tacky colored frame that was given to me at a flea market. Nancy knew that I like to repurpose things, so she said to take it & make something out of it. The poster was larger than the frame, so I knew I would have to cut it down to fit. Trying to match the poster to an old frame would prove to be difficult.

The Scream was painted by Edvard Munch in 1893. He wrote in his diary that he was inspired by the colors in the sky he saw as he was walking one day. He wrote that the sun was setting, the clouds looked blood red and that he sensed a scream was passing through nature. Edvard Munch painted many more beautiful paintings, so you may wish to use another of his or another poster all together. We all interpret art in our own unique way, my interpretation on this is too long and may make You scream, so let's begin with the tutorial.

Items needed-

Old painting with a cool frame

Poster of your choice

Cheap plastic poster frame the same size of poster

X-Acto Knife

Needle nose pliers

Spray paint

Sandpaper 

Yellow or Orange markers

Goggles

Scissors

Tape

1- Remove old art from frame.

2-Remove all staples with pliers. Discard staples.
3-Sand lightly & clean off dust with dry clean cloth.

4-Paint the front & sides. No need to paint the back, no one will see it & you save paint for other projects.

The poster frame will come with plastic sheet cover, poster sample, cardboard & plastic frame sides. Separate each piece. Toss the sides.

Place the old art work on top of plastic(place something under plastic so it won't scratch).
Mark with light colored marker, yellow or orange will do. Place on a surface that cannot be damaged with knife. Score the plastic two or three times on all sides.

Goggles on, carefully separate a little at a time.Then place plastic on your poster & sample poster to mark where you want to cut with scissors. Cut cardboard with X-Acto knife after its been marked.

You will need all the pieces to use as filler for frame.

1-Frame
2-Plastic sheet
3-Poster
4-Sample poster
5-Cardboard

Once you have all the pieces in that order inside the frame, tape the back to hold in place. Make sure you push securely into the frame, so the plastic will not be loose. If the frames has a sawtooth hook on the wrong side for hanging, you can either leave it and buy a new one or remove to reposition it.

Well here it is! I know the picture is crooked and it's a little difficult to see the nice detail in the frame, but I didn't want my reflection in it. I will post a better picture soon on blog or my Facebook page. I hope this inspires you to go out to your local flea market or secondhand store and save beautiful frames from some not so nice "art".

Blogging anxiety

 Yeah, she's smiling now.

The idea hits! My mind starts putting together the layout, photos, little jokes, I run to the computer and then I write, delete, write, delete, again and again. This is exactly what I go through every time I write a blog post. I know what I want to write about and how, but I start to panic about how it will read. Will people get the joke I wrote, because it's totally funny in my head. Will my advice be helpful if someone tries it or did I just ruin their priceless bullet bra.

Screw it I say, just write it and I do. My finger quivering over the delete button, but I finally get it done. In the end, I realize that I should write my blog the way I would speak to someone I know. So I thought why not write a couple of things about myself that may help you get to know me a little better.

Strange, but true..

 

1- I can't measure. No matter what I sew, I get 6 yards. I know I can get a nice full dress and use leftover for other things. Home projects, I place little marks on a ruler and guess the rest. I've built a dog run, tiled my floor and a garden fence. It may not be perfect, but what is? 

2- I practically grew up in a hospital. Asthma, Allergies, Kidneys, they had me in & out of the hospital so many times that I actually love hospital food. I once suggested dinner at the hospital for date night with the hubs.Yeah, that look you probably just made, is the look my hubs gave me.

3- Growing up I was called a tomboy for doing "boy things". I love comic books, fixing things, chopping wood, batting cages, etc. Now I'm not a tomboy,  just a girl with more interests.

4- I may be a 'tomboy', but I don't like wearing jeans. My first jeans were polyester hand-painted seams from Avon(grandma loved Avon), others were just as bad. Since then I have found much better looking jeans, but I only wear them on rare occasion. 

5- I hate washing dishes! I like cleaning every little nook & cranny till it shines. I enjoy waxing the floor, organizing closets, cleaning the garage and so on. I do the dishes like a whiny kid, then half way through I start enjoy myself and then... I repeat the process next day.

6- I could do without electronics. When my husband, back then just a friend, came to help me move to a new place he was a bit shocked. I was renting one of three tiny shacks, my landlord built himself. No washer, dryer, microwave, phone, heater or even hot water for shower. I did have a stove & fridge in the house, but they didn't work. I lived little house on the prairie style and it was pretty cool.

7- On Saturdays I would have lessons from my mother on etiquette, dance lessons, cooking, sewing, cleaning and on Sunday, lessons with my father art, basic mechanics, archery, boxing. Well you get the picture. My mother was raising a lady, my father was raising a lady with a little more moxie.

8- Besides groceries, the rest of my shopping is done at Antique shops, secondhand stores, garage sales & trash picking. If I can't find what I need, I'll make it.

9- For more than 10 years I worked in a well known department store. I would read about designers and all the latest trends. I love my vintage, but there's one modern item I've always wanted... Christian Louboutin red sole shoes.

10- My hubs is 10 years younger than me. We have been together for more than eleven years, married for only two and don't have much in common. Yet, we make it work in our 1940's home, living with our two younger kids, the dog and visits from my/our older 3 kids.

Well there you go, just a couple of things about me that I hope helps you get to know me just a little more. There's still more to me, but why scare you off. Every now & then I'll sneak in some info(I love putting a teaspoon of peanut butter in my coffee)..BAM! See what I just did, sneaky. Well, I'm going to stop here, it's 3am and I'm on my 9th day of trying to write this, but you understand, right?