Author Archives: Dame Toadstool

About Dame Toadstool

From her humble Midwestern beginnings, Dame Toadstool has developed into a lady of fine taste (as long as you are flexible with the definition of "fine"). She enjoys sarcasm, knitting, subversive cross-stitching, and will never stop using the Oxford comma.

Vintage Postcard: Halloween Greetings!

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Dame Toadstool

Halloween Greetings, vintage postcard style! In the olden days, Halloween was celebrated by cherubic Christmas elves who danced around cauldrons. This vintage postcard, along with dozens others, is part of a collection that belonged to Liz‘s husband’s grandmother. Some have no … Continue reading →

Posted in Holiday Hullabaloo | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Fear Saves Life!

Posted on October 29, 2011 by Dame Toadstool

As you go off to Halloween parties this weekend, remember this handy tip: FEAR… saves life! Bearded guy in a loincloth, take note. Vintage newspaper ad published in the local Springville Herald in 1936. I spotted it while doing painstaking page-by-page newspaper … Continue reading →

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Oh My Heck! Sunday Shopping at Joann Fabric in Orem!

Posted on October 22, 2011 by Dame Toadstool

I went to JoAnn Fabric in Orem last night to take advantage of my 50% off coupon as part of their “moonlight madness” sale. As I was waiting in a looooong line at the fabric cutting counter as 9pm approached, … Continue reading →

Posted in Oh My Heck | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Try Roasting a Rib This Way

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Dame Toadstool

Let’s play a game: find 5 bizarre things in this vintage newspaper cooking tip! My notes are below once you’ve picked some out or if you’re feeling lazy. Let’s start with the photo, then dig into the meat of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Vintage Happy Valley | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Vintage Happy Valley: Feminine Hygiene in 1934

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Dame Toadstool

Last year, as part of my research for a course at Utah Valley University, I started digging through archives of my city’s local newspaper, The Springville Herald.* A local weekly paper has been around since 1891, but nothing is available … Continue reading →

Posted in Vintage Happy Valley | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments