Cuba Libre

1 measure rum (Bacardi)
Juice of half a lime
Lots of ice
Coca Cola




Fill a tall glass with ice, add the lime juice and rum, pour over the coke. Serve with a slice of lime and a straw.

This is VERY sweet without the lime juice, in fact this is the only way I can drink
coke, VERY cold and the more lime juice the better. As with most early cocktails there is some dispute as to its origins, but is thought to originate around 1900.

Ideal Home vs My Home 1949

Before I dive into the 1950s Ideal Home Magazine adverts I thought i would share this corner of my home. I have a large collection of 40s Ideal Home magazines and discovered that my 1949 CC41 Bureau-bookcase was thought worthy of a mention in the magazine.


Ideal Home magazine April 1949.

Mine is in (the cheaper) oak which I prefer to walnut. Tax-free? a polite way of covering up the fact it is a Utility piece, by 1949 Utility was a bad word.


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Bureau-bookcase in a new tax-free design in oak £12.50 local charity shop. Desk stool: Finmar (customised) £2 local charity shop. Readicut Rug ebay £??. Standard Lamp: base Newark International Antiques Fair £25. Shade Local Tip 80p. Photograph by Studio Boudoir.

Ideal Home Magazines

Last weekend I was immersed in a boxfull of Ideal Home, Homes and Gardens & House Beautiful magazines that I bought for re-sale at Wickedlady Collectables so posts have been thin on the ground.


Anyway, the first batch are now listed here and there is a list of forthcoming issues. So feel free to email me if you see one you are interested in.

I will be sharing some of the adverts and articles over the coming weeks, but here is my favourite advert out of the whole batch. It clearly proves the theory that the 50s were the golden age of the (m)ad men.


Kelvinator Fridge 1955

Giveaway Winner

The winner is AMANDA, chosen the old fashioned way (paper in a hat).

Please send me your details through my Wickedlady Collectables Shop Website.
Click the link on the right and then the contact link in the lefthand column.

Looking forward to hearing from you. xx

Don't forget the giveaway (baby, baby)

Ends tomorrow at 7pm English time



Leave a comment here

Wedding Make-up 1946

Advice by colour-type Everywoman May 1946


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Little Giveaway

Those of you who have visited my Wickedlady Collectables website (see link in right hand column) will know that I sell a lot of antique tins as well as vintage clothes.
Sometimes I buy tins that are full of stuff, usually its odd and uninteresting buttons. But sometimes there are a few gems.

So for all you vintage hairdo gals here is a little gift, just leave a comment below if you would like to be entered in the draw. Closes Saturday 19th February.


Cute, No?

Not Witches

Sometime last year, somewhere in Blogland I read an article about women in pointy hats. There had been much speculation in the internet as to whether they were witches, the costume blog I read, naturally, decided not and I left a comment that they were almswomen.

Of course I can't find any of the above blogs now but here is a photo from the original article in Picture Post magazine.



The original photo probably escaped from the Getty archive.

Deborah Kerr Wears Utility Clothes March 1942

These clothes photographed for Picture Post magazine are among the first to be designed specifically for the CC41 label. At this point the austerity rules on number of pleats, buttons etc had not been introduced. Utility, in March 1942, meant good quality cloth and price controls.


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Article by Anne Scott-James

The Utility scheme had been introduced in summer 1941, early CC41 clothes by low and middle market manufacturers did not look much different to those already available, only the cloth was specified.

Cocktail Hour: New Stock at Wickedlady Collectables

Just arrived


Silver cocktail dress and black wiggle dress


Champagne saucers and cocktail glasses


Wedding dress patterns


Cocktail shaker and brandy dispenser


Coming soon


Laura Ashley ballgowns


1930s shoes and 1950s bolero


1980s peplum jacket, Miss Selfridge waistcoat

Hats for Spring 1938 Ordinary & Fantastic

From Homes and Gardens Magazine April 1938. Click for big.


From Homes and Gardens Magazine April 1938. Click for big.