Columbia Minerva Awesomeness (Part 3) Ponchos, Shawls, and Tops, Oh my!

We're back with more crazy DIY crochet fashions from Columbia Minerva.  One thing you can say about them is that they liked to have fun!  Ponchos, shawls, and flip tops, Oh My!

First up are ponchos...

Cool!  And Kathy in a wig no less.  The guy is really having to force a smile. I'm sure he's thinking "Does this make me look less than a man?"  Yes, yes it does.

And now shawls....

So here we have some shawls, which look exactly like the ponchos without the Western theme.

And lastly some tops....

Oh my!!  Hmmm, none of the models look too excited. Perhaps they're hoping that this doesn't adversely impact their career.

Let's run through them again.....

Ponchos....

I'm still not getting the difference between the ponchos and the shawls.  But here they're starting them off young, maybe it's some sort of cult indoctrination.

Shawls....

These are almost classy by Columbia Minerva standards.

And tops.....

Oh my!!

One MORE time!

Ponchos....

What really separates these ponchos from the ordinary are the sunglasses strategically positioned on Kathy's head!

Shawls....

The cult is growing!!

And tops....

Oh my!!

One more bonus pic of the tops (because I'm sure I don't have a place to use it in any other post.)

Yeah, you can just feel the models' excitement in how this is going to boost their career.  I'm sure this pic was front and center in their portfolio books!

Christmas Time is Couples Time - Part 10!!

Sure the kiddos of the 70s tore through those Christmas catalogs with gusto lining up all the toys that they wanted form "Santa."  But what about the adults?  Were they left out of the festive holiday fun? No, no, no.  Those Wishbook catalogs had something for them too - his 'n her coordinated fashions!!

If there is one word for timeless Christmas fashions it's "sweaters."  And here not only do we have the classic V neck style, but with mod pointy collar shirts to boot!  Hmmmm, the guy in the lower left seems a bit lonely. maybe it is because that sweater style just doesn't get the girl (even back in the 70s.)

Yep sweaters with hoodies and matching plaid shirts - that will turn heads this holiday season!

Okay, okay I get it.  Not only is  Christmas Time is Couples Time must mean it's Sweater Time as well!!

A closeup of Kathy sans guy.  Yeah I cut him out of the closeup.

Can anything break the sweater death grip of Christmas time on his 'n her coordinates?

Well this is a start.  We have a mix of the classic pullovers.  And Colleen livens things up with turtle accented jean bell bottoms.  Hmmm, looks like the guy's jeans are a wee bit on the short side if you ask me!

The sweaters finally give way to the Plushy pile velour (complete with sip up front) and velvet corduroy shirts.  maybe that's just a little TOO much 70s!!

Yes Christmas time is where couples dress up alike and share ...........Uh, wait a minute here!  Looks like our gal is getting more than a little jealous over the attention that "her" man is giving to his new, ahem, friend.  And if I were her, I'd be worried too with fashions named "The Hot Firefighter" and "The Unique Longhorn"

We can't end on that note!!

Back to Kathy and the His 'n Her Christmas Sweaters.  Unfortunately, it is in black and white.  Why, oh why did Aldens have to ruin such a great pic like that?!?!?

Still I'm not going to let that dampen MY Christmas spirit.  In fact I'm inspired to pull out some of my sweaters from Christmases Past (on second thought, maybe not.)

Merry Christmas to all my readers!

The Twelve Days of (a Wishbook) Christmas!

From the title, you probably have already figured out where this post is going.  So let's just skip to the twelfth day and be done with it already!

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me.......

Twelve drummers drumming.....

Eleven pipers piping......

Ten lords a sleeping.....

Nine ladies dancing....

(A close up of some the ladies!)

Eight candle kits for making....

Seven Rockets a blasting.....

Six barbies skiing.......

Five golden rings!!

Four sewing machines.....

Three toy forts.....

Two turtledoves......

And a game of pong by an artificial tree!!!!!!!

Yep, all of these fine pics of Americana were taken exclusively from the Christmas catalogs of the 70s!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!

Christmas Time is Lounging Time! - Part 3

Forget the hassle of the holidays, the hustle and bustle of shopping at the mall, the putting up of decorations inside and outside the home, the worries about Christmas dinner.  No, kick back, relax, and LOUNGE baby - you've earned it!!

And lounge wear was the perfect gift for "Just Plain Prettiness!"  No arguments from me.  Kathy and friends are stepping in some groovy 70s lounge wear here!  (1)

Speaking of prettiness....Say that's Christie Brinkley in some coordinated lounge wear from Sears!

More coordinated lounge wear, complete with coordinated sleeping bags - perfect for sleepovers and camping trips!

Okay, okay this is getting ridiculous.  Was all 70s Christmas lounge wear coordinated?!?

Nope, now we have quilts which on can get very cozy in.  Kathy and Kay look great, but I can't help but wonder just how smothering and hot those things were!

These quilts look even more suffocating!!

Let's lighten things up.  Kathy, Jayne, and friends lounge around in some one piece loungers complete with footies!  All they need are are hoods and you'd have some Snuggies!!

Lounge wear was always shown as being luxurious as Kay shows us here.

Hmmm, "Barefoot Beauties" such as Colleen and friend can certainly warm up any Christmas evening!!

Yeah the guys got into the action as well.  How many times did Dad get something like this on Christmas morning?  And he was like "Oh, gee, that's great.  Just what I need" and then it goes into the back of the closet never to be seen again.  That is unless you're a Hugh Hefner wanna be like the guy in the upper left.

And here not only do we have a Hugh Hefner aspirant, we have Magnum PI also!!

Ahh, and this was the dream.  After all the work, expense, and stress of the holiday season, to see your loving wife lounging peaceably with the children made it all worthwhile!!

footnotes:

(1)  An anonymous reader identified the Mystery Model on Kathy's left as Laura Jones.  Thanks!!

Random Weirdness: Bodysuits! Part 8

And what does every bodysuit need?  Well, some bodies.  And not just any bodies, THESE bodies...

Gulp!  Not much more needs to be said here.  Karen and Kathy show us that they are not just any bodies, they are the some bodies that these bodysuits were made for!  (1) (2)

Having barely recovered from the first pic, I'm not sure I'm ready for this "Jungle-Printed Daything." I've never heard of a "Daything,"  Is that a "some" thing that goes with "any" thing or "no" thing? Seriously, Randee Hagee is definitely some body, not just a no body, and certainly her body suits that bodysuit fabulously (Groan.) 

Okay, instead of bodysuits, now we have bodyshirts and from the Aldens Bodyshirt Boutique no less. So I'll have to cool it with the whole play on words deal.  I mean what could I do with the word "shirt?"  By the way, Dottie is certainly no redshirt freshman when it comes to this bodysuit thing!

Aldens may have had the bodyshirt boutique, but Sears had the Body Suit Shop.  And here we have our favorite Mystery Model who is somebody, does anybody out there know her name?!?

Not to be outdone, Jane Cullen, Pam Anderson, and Pam Erickson (Pam squared?) show how its done, certainly well done, but not over done - also from the Sears Body Suit Shop!!

Attention everybody out there.  We didn't start this post with just anybody.  No we began with Kathy and Karen, and that's how we'll end it (along with our other favorite Mystery Model.)  These some bodies are showing us the Top Fashion for Every Body.  Which , of course, are bodysuits!! (3)

footnotes:

(1) Pic courtesy of Blue Senshi.  Thanks!

(2) This pic is from a sales circular.  There were some real gems in those things!

(3) Two five star pics of Kathy in bodysuits in one post!  You're welcome.

Crazy Catalog Stuff - Part 5: Wishbook Wonderland!

So now that Thanksgiving is upon us, the Christmas shopping season officially kicks off.  Today it's crazy with Black Friday, Cyber Monday and all that.  But back in the good ole 70s, there was one unmistakable sign of the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.

The arrival of those Christmas catalogs from the big mail order retailers.

At the time, all I cared about much was the toys, but looking back they had some classic 70s craziness as well.

Nothing says "That's So 70s" like this pad!!  We have the turntable, fake animal skin rugs, and of course, a groovy place to store your favorite records (1) (2). Kathy certainly feels right at home!

"Mod-Style" record cubes no less!

Naturally you're going to need some black lights, lava lamps, and glitter ball in that special 70s pad while you're jammin' to your favorite 45s!

"Lights of the Future", uhh, I think not.  Now these are the "Lights of Christmases Past."

More ways to set up that perfect 70s hideaway.

Nothing said 70s elegance quite like the bean bag chairs!

Nope, nothing!

Tired to passively listening to records?  Well then, you can start your own music group - all right out of the Christmas catalogs.  I wonder how many neighborhood garage bands got their start on December 25th back then?

Even in Germany, they could outfit their home in that special 70s grooviness.  However, I can't recall anyone who had those white cabinets.

After all the Christmas gifts were unwrapped, mom and dad needed their place to unwind from the hectic holiday season (and escape the newly formed garage rock bands).  Note the extra deep, goldenrod shag carpeting!

We started this post with Kathy and a storage box and that's how we'll end it.  Those clever 70s engineers even thought of making those storage boxes double as game boards!

footnotes:

(1) For all of you younger readers of this blog, records where large, flat circular sound storage devices.  One needed something called a "turntable" to activate the sounds.  It was the main way recorded music was bought and sold.  Barbaric, I know, almost stone age technology compared to today.

(2) A number of these pics are from VoicesOfEastAnglia blog.  Thanks!