Happy Holidays With Frances Bliss

Some days, I wish I could live the life of a 1950s housewife and be like Frances Bliss.

I didn't know Frances, but after attending her estate sale, she seemed to me to be the quintessential 1950s housewife.

 Frances loved to bake as evidenced by the hundreds of cookbooks and the dozens of Wilton cake pans shoved into the bedroom closet.

She also liked to sew and to knit, and there were dozens of patterns, lots of yarn and gobs of sewing books that she left behind.

There were also aprons and hats, which, as we all know, went out of style in the 1960s.

 And I think that Frances clearly loved the holidays, especially Christmas, which was the reason I went to her estate sale.

Some of my finds:

Two boxes of Jewel Brite plastic ornaments with small spun head Santas, angels and elves inside.

A “traditional” candolier in “modern” plastic.

And lots and lots of Gurley candles. You might call this new collection of mine a regular Gurleypalooza.

Most will hop on over to my Etsy shop once I do a quick inventory of what I already have. I might be keeping a few of the Thanksgiving candles that I had never seen before, including a praying woman and the Mayflower, as well as those always elusive (at least to me) Indian candles.

One more thing: On the bottom of every candle, Frances wrote her last name several times, ensuring that no one ever mistakenly walked away with her Gurleys.

 

 

Comments

[Shara]

I love it that people wrote their names on things - sheet music, casserole dishes, record albums, pottery and even Gurley Candles. They liked their stuff and wanted it back! I would concur. Do you think Frances let her precious candles be used at Church or something?

[Melissa]

Great finds! I have so many of my great aunt's old baking dishes, pans, and tupperware. They all still have remnants of where she wrote her name on them in permanent marker. You know back in the days of weekly church potlucks and whatnot. Those really were the good ol' days.

[laurie magpie ethel]

The name on the bottom is just the best. That mayflower candle is wonderful!

[mary scott]

Thanks for these photos! Pinned. I love Frances Bliss too. I was born 20 years too late to be a 1950's homemaker.