Not dearly departed: flocked wallpaper

Those crazy kids at Retro Renovation were praising mid-century wallpaper this week. (Just kidding about the "crazy kids" thing. I love them, even if I don't always share their tastes.)  Which got me to thinking about the truly hideous wallpaper in the 60s rambler I grew up in. I remember helping my parents pull off little tiny bits of a dark olive green flocked wallpaper on what would be my baby brother's bedroom. And by "flocked," I mean a raised felt-y pattern. I think it was only on one wall, an "accent wall, " if you will.

The wallpaper was awful. Just...awful. Even the LBHG doesn't like everything from the 70s.

Click here for more 70s wallpaper ideas. If you must.

Back-to-school bags: old skool backpacks

Every year around Labor Day, I was excited to get a new plasticy vinyl bag to start school. Below is one I managed to save. The little girl with the flowers in her hair is just too cute. Would this qualify as ephemera, even if it's not really paper? I can't imagine many of these survived 35 years--I couldn't find any on ebay or anywhere else on the 'net. Anyone find any?

Lesson: fail. But the book was great

You know how parents like to give you lessons disguised as things you actually like? I think that was the point of this book, which I read over and over and memorized. I can still recite some of the lines today.

Being neat and tidy has never been my thing (except for the canopy bed; see below for details.) This book didn't help.

How cool and 70s-esque are the colors and artwork?

And so goes the fusty dusty musty mess she made of her nice pink room.