Vintage Thingies Thursday - Birthday Memorabilia

Happy Vintage Thingies Thursday to all! I'm a little late in posting, but I have a good reason. It's because I am old! Older than dirt, a half century old, and just old. Today is my fiftieth birthday. It seems like I have been celebrating all month. Oh, yeah! I have been celebrating all month. If you missed my post about my birthday surprise, you can see it here. Make sure you check out the video link on that page.

Last year for my birthday, my mom sent me some things relating to my birth. I would like to share those with you today since I am technically vintage now.

This is the cover of my baby book.

On the inside cover, Mom taped the invitation to the baby shower held in our honor.

The hem of the maternity top lifted up to see the details of the shower.

This is a napkin Mom saved from the shower. A bit wrinkled, but then so am I.

This is the inside of my birth announcement.

I love the sweet art work on the inside pages of my baby book. According to things mom wrote in my baby book, television was popular with Dick Clark's American Bandstand being the top daytime show. The top song on my birthday was Paul Anka's "Lonely Boy" with the Bop being the hot dance. President Dwight Eisenhower, who also grew up in Kansas, was in office.

The tiny little beaded bracelet I wore in the hospital bears my last name. It is safely tucked inside an envelope along with a couple locks of my hair.

Included in the package with my baby book was this little porcelain bassinet. My mom's aunt, Annette Jackson, brought this to her in the hospital with a small flower tucked inside. Growing up, I remember this sitting on a small shelf of Mom's shadow box.

Also tucked inside my baby book is my first professionally done portrait. I was about fourteen months old. The little dress I had on was mint green and white gingham trimmed in white lace. Mom had it tucked away for many years. I'm not sure if she still has it or not.

I also have this little ballerina that sat atop my sixth birthday cake along with five other dancers. The other dancers were pink, blue and lavender and I'm not sure why they were not saved. I'm also wondering if this dancer knows that her "girls" are bare???

Doing a search on today's date, I found that other people sharing my birthday Barbara Stanwyck, Orville Rendenbacher, Bess Myerson, Ginger Rogers and Shoeless Joe Jackson.

In 1945, the Atomic Age began when the US successfully detonates a plutonium based test nuclear weapon near Alamogordo, New Mexico. This is known as the Manhattan Project.

In 1969, I remember watching the launch of Apollo 11 from Cape Kennedy, FL. Apollo 11 was the first manned space mission to land on the moon. Four days later, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin would make their moonwalk.

In 1959 -
Average income - $5016
Gas - .20 per gallon
Milk - $1.01 per gallon
Bread - .20 a loaf
Nestle Quick - .39 for a one pound can
T-Bone steak - $1.09 per pound
Postage stamp - .04

Remember these from a couple of weeks ago? I want to thank Cass at "That Old House" for identifying them as French egg poachers. If you missed it, you can see the entire post here.

If you have not been to see Suzanne this week, make sure you stop by to see the vintage, antique and retro things others have shared this week.