vintage postcards
In America, the first flip flops started to appear after World War II as soldiers brought Japanese zori back from the war as souvenirs.
The Nihon fuuzokushi jiten (Encyclopedia of the History of Japanese Manners and Customs) reports the wide use of zori in Japan from at least the Heian period (794-1185). Japanese children have traditionally worn them when learning to walk. (This is understandable because I always trip in mine... what a learning curve)
vintage postcards
For some reason Queen Elizabeth took against blue ruffs. It was her majesty's pleasure that no blue starch be used or worn by any of her subjects. Ruffs actually came in many colors.
They were tinted with vegetable dyes at the starching stage. Colored ruffs are rarely visible in portraits because of later restorers' conviction that all ruffs were ivory. They 'cleaned' the neckwear until the offending color was gone.
There are no vintage postcards in this post but it is definately quirky:)
vintage postcards
This vintage postcard is dedicated to an angel of a friend who has recently lost her beloved husband. Bibi.... all of my thoughts are with you. I hope that this sweet little angel can bring a faint smile to your face during this tragic time.
vintage postcards
Cheetos are cheddar cheesy and savoury chips in America... 
In Japan they are strawberry flavored! The Japanese market is trying to capture woman who seem to prefer sweeter munchies! Which way do you swing?
For more strawberry posts see:
Women who Bathe in Strawberry Juice
Strawberry Beer and the Beatles 
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vintage postcards
'Ce n'est pas la mer à boire' is quite the beaut when it comes to French expressions. 
It's means (loosely translated) Chin up! At least you don't have to drink the ocean:) Drinking just mug of saltwater would be horrific enough...
I'd much rather splish and splash in my salty water like in this vintage postcard.Enjoy this quirky post? Get future vintage postcard updates sent to you for free! Join by email or RSS.
vintage postcards
Napoleon I , Emperor of France, had this Scarab beetle ring made for his mistress Marie Walewska. 
The material used was cannonball shrapnel that had killed his horse right from under him in a battle in 1813. (Pure romance) Napoleon was quite superstitious and carried a Scarab beetle himself as a good luck charm!
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vintage postcards
There are 1665 steps to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Put on your converse and lets go!
vintage postcards
You're busted! The jig is up! This is the end of the line for you! Your carrots are cooked? What??
In French 'les carrottes sont cuites' means that it's all over rover. This expression always has me rolling:)
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vintage postcards
Yuck! ... Pepsi has launched a cucumber flavored soda in Japan!
You can quench your thirst with a gourdy carbonated beverage! What could be better? 'Pepsi's rivals should retaliate with Spinach Sprite and Dr Bell Pepper!'
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vintage postcards
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The porcupine is the third largest rodent after the capybara and beaver. King Solomon kept 300 of them as pets!
This antique postcard is especially spikey when enlarged. I am a sucker for old zoo cards. Don't touch! You might prick your finger:)
I found a video of a baby porcupine eating a banana. The little critter has the hiccups too!Enjoy this quirky post? Get future vintage postcard updates sent to you for free! Join by email or RSS.
vintage postcards
In the 5th century BC the Greek scholar Herodotus observed that the owners of a cat shaved their eyebrows in mourning when it died.
My rabbit Matschpampe (that means muddy mess in German..... he was brown) died recently. Where's my razor?Enjoy this quirky post? Get future vintage postcard updates sent to you for free! Join by email or RSS.
vintage postcards
French aristocratic ladies in 1695 were passionate for peas. It was a typical midnight snack!
(I'll stick to cookies myself) From the court of French King Louis XIV, Madame de Maintenoy wrote to Cardinal de Noailles: ". . . There are some ladies who, having supped, and supped well, take peas at home before going to bed. It's a fashion, a craze!" 
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vintage postcards
Ming at Spok-Spok headquarters asked about the history of dental floss.
Levi Spear Parmly (what a name) sang the virtues of silk floss in 1815. He was a dentist from New Orleans and is credited with the invention. He must have always had crayfish or red beans and rice stuck in his chompers:)
Yikes! According to the American Dental Association only about 12 percent of Americans floss daily, 39 percent floss less than daily, and 49 percent do not floss at all. 
Confession: I neeeever floss. Don't tell my Mom!Enjoy this quirky post? Get future vintage postcard updates sent to you for free! Join by email or RSS.
These caps would be vintage postcard perfect!
I think that these should be made the Olympic swimming cap standard for men and women. i'm sure that swimmers would happily give up their speedy records in the name of fashion.
I wouldn't feel goofy wearing one. Now where did I put my cat-eye glasses?.....Enjoy this quirky post? Get future vintage postcard updates sent to you for free! Join by email or RSS.
My jaw dropped when MK (that groovy wonderful girl) posted this on her blog... 
This is for my friend, Marie, our resident antique postcard expert! This is a leather postcard, copyrighted 1907 and sent from Chicago with a penny stamp. It belonged to Adam's great-grandmother.
Novelty leather postcards were printed between 1904 - 1908. The leather was branded and then tinted. Yee-haw cowboy! The US postal service banned them in 1909 because they kept on jamming newly designed sorting machines:)
That cowhide sure is flexible! Thank you so much MK! You're the cow's moo!Enjoy this quirky post? Get future vintage postcard updates sent to you for free! Join by email or RSS.
Help!!! Where are the grammar police when I need them!
I made a nifty new blog for my Mom. lizzylindquist.blogspot.com
All of these html courses are finally starting to pay off! I might even start a side business designing blogs:)
But.... is it Elisabeth with an 'S' or Elisabeth with a 'S'. You would think that since 'S' is not a vowel you wouldn't say an. But say it out loud, 'Elisabeth with a S.' Something sounds off kilter! What is the grammar rule?Enjoy this quirky post? Get future vintage postcard updates sent to you for free! Join by email or RSS.
Boar bristle toothbrushes were used until around 1938. 
Nylon bristles were first introduced by Dupont de Nemours (He's French. Yeah for the frogs!)
The first nylon toothbrush was called Doctor West's Miracle ! That is a nifty fancypants name:)Enjoy this quirky post? Get future vintage postcard updates sent to you for free! Join by email or RSS.
The name for the famous British tea Typhoo is a bit too close to typhoid in my opinion.
That's a bit frightening! Abigail Adams, Wilbur Wright, and Ellen O'Hara all died of typhoid fever.
Editor: Ellen O'Hara is a fictional character from Gone with the Wind. She's not a real person.
Marie: You're such a stickler! 
As a fact, the name Typhoo came from the Chinese word for "doctor" (traditional Chinese: 大夫, hanyu pinyin : dai fu). Go figure.
Here are some wonderfully British Typhoo Tea adverts:)Enjoy this quirky post? Get future vintage postcard updates sent to you for free! Join by email or RSS.
