Hi there, guys and dolls! Is your life feeling weird these days. Take heart, it will get better. In the meantime, to help you pass the days, I’ve found a real treat for you. Why not take a gander at some old gems? On this week’s Raves n Faves, I’m featuring five issues of LIFE magazine, specializing from my era, the 1950’s. Just click on the date link or cover to be taken to the Google Books digital copies of the listed issues and you can scroll through the entire magazine! You can also click here and be taken to the main LIFE magazine listing where you can read any one of them from 1935 to 1972. That should keep you amusingly busy….

April 6, 1953 – Let’s see what’s going on in this issue. Look at Lucy and Desi with their beautiful children! A boy and a girl, how precious. And aren’t you just dying to know what Stalin’s Ghastly Secrets are? How ominous. There’s some great egg recipes for your next luncheon or bridge ‘do. Make sure you check out all the color photos of St. Ursula, too. And oh, the Easter bonnets!

March 29, 1954 – Hmm, time to check out the mid-century American Scene. Say, looks like California has a frisky new governor! That should make for a fun read. I always find the letters make an interesting read as well. And for all you crime buffs, there’s a great article on Chicago, too. Why not life the Hollywood life with Pat Crowley? Plus, all the ads make reading these magazine such fun!

April 2, 1956 – Oh, those tireless, talky teenagers, tying up the phone lines again! Some things never change, do they? Ooh, and a visit to exotic Antarctica! Bet you’d never thought you’d go there. Why not? I hear the penguins are nice. Be sure to check out the lovely flower arrangements, too. It’s just what you’ll need after all the April Showers grow your May Flowers. Loving those new necklines I spied. So pretty. Fabulous fashions. Some fun Easter ideas, too.

April 1, 1957 – Oh, to be discovered in Paris, sigh! A model girl’s dream. Maybe one day a trip for yours truly will be in the works. And such an international issue, with stories from the Philippines, Bermuda, the Tyrol, the mysteries of Arabia and other far off places. And let’s see what’s got California all shook up. You could say it’s nature’s fault and you’d be right. And my goodness! Miss Brooks and her naughty nighties are a must read. Don’t miss the secret life of teen dating pins, either.

March 30, 1959 – Would you just look at little Debbie Reynolds? She’s surely having a blast. Cute as a button, the fancy free busy bee, taking over all the hearts of Spain. What a glamour puss! And how about those Easter sculptures? Striking, aren’t they? Oh, and those crazy college campus kids. What will they think of next? And the article on that old guy skinflint makes me want to go on a spending spree. Be sure to have a good look at those amazing roses. Why, I can almost smell their heavenly aroma from here.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more posts. And don’t forget to give my Poppy Cove Mysteries a try if you haven’t already.

Toodles, Barbara Jean