You know, growing up in the seventies, tucking into home baked snacks in front of the telly I liked watching shows about smart, savvy, funny girls who could do good stuff. I preferred Leela to Sarah Jane on Dr Who, because she did not hurt herself all the time and she was good at solving problems. Laverne was my favourite, way more than Shirley because she was so funny and never took herself seriously. And she worked at a brewery. I liked a bit of brunette glamour, hence my Marlo Thomas fixation and my conviction that Jaclyn Smith was the better Charlie's Angels role model. But you know, it was not all about laughs or glamour or saving the world. My crafty foundations were firmly laid too! Here's where ::
The Useful Box on Playschool.
I loved the Useful Box. It was a magical place full of paper plates and balloons and egg cartons and masking tape of the exact right thickness and stickyness to make any project. The things in The Useful Box always behaved in the way that they should. Things stapled together nicely. Anything could be glued with a dob of Clag. The textas squeaked happily. The paperclips, well, they clipped. Oh. Yes. I loved The Useful Box. I think, in fact, that I have based my home decor on The Useful Box. If you came over, you would see. It's full of useful things.
Olsen's Store on Little House on the Prairie
Gee. The bolts of fabric in Olsen's store were stacked in cheery piles of aceness. Laura Ingalls always got the daggy beige stuff for her dresses. Mary got lovely blue to match her lovely blue eyes. I secretly preferred the frocks of nasty Nellie Olsen. They made her look like a miniature saloon girl, all gaudy and bright and shiny with peeking petticoats and pantaloons. Bright and shiny are very good things when you are a little girl. I fancied having a bit of a snip at the Olsen's bolts, I can tell you.
Most things on Swiss Family Robinson
On Swiss Family Robinson, the Mum and Dad and big brother could make most things out of most things. A teepee out of some frangipane petals. A sofa from an unlucky crocodile. A dress from some pirate's underpants. They were the DIY family of my dreams. I wanted to live in their tree-house and sleep in a hammock that my Mum had fashioned from some reeds and sea-shells. Probably a panther would be trying to gobble me up unsuccessfully. I would foil it with a poison dart made from a hummingbird feather and pebbles. Oh that would be the life for me.
Alice on The Brady Bunch
Personally, I can see nothing more fabulous than standing on the retro-chic table in the Brady Kitchen, smelling the devilling meatloaf and getting my hem pinned crazily short by Alice. I wanted one of those A-Line frocks with the matching bloomers and cute pocket in the front. Hopefully it would have cute little heart shaped buttons adorning each shoulder. I would also be hoping that Alice would talk about Sam while she had pins in her mouth and a kookily set brow. That would be bliss.
How about you? Have you any crafty screen moments that make you all weak with nostalgia and make-ing-ness?! Do share!
xx Pip
