Not Another Cent For Stockings!

“Mums” is such a mean old thing – look at her, jabbing her index finger at her daughter, insisting that she go and mend the runs in her stockings. How’s she’s going to do that in the dark I don’t know – Mums seems to have put the kibosh on the electric lights, too.

And then things get even worse – the daughter turns into a cartoon character, “embarrassed by mended stockings.” There she is, grumping about her “cruel mother” to her friend. The friend has had this problem too. It’s not just about stockings, though, is it?  Ah, it never is. Mothers are just – so, so infuriating ! They just don’t understand about horrid stockings – or anything else, really.

But this is the Ladies’ Home Journal - read mostly by, well, mothers.  So we had better not have the ad say it is their fault. I mean, they are probably already pretty crabby, if the first photo’s any indication.

So the  cartoon friend is made to say: it’s really our fault, for not using Lux on those pesky stockings. Cake soap caused those runs! Who knew that  cake soap was so darned sharp?

By that night, the cruel sit-in-the-dark Mums is just a disembodied voice – and she’s turned the lights back on, too.  She’s all sweet and nice, calling the kid “honey,” shelling out for Lux. Everything’s copacetic! There’s no stocking money, but there is Lux money, honey.

Turns out the cartoon heroine is restored to regular life in the last part of the ad – that’s what happens when you use Lux! It really is magic! 

And the heroine turns out to be an actress named Dorothy Dennis. The IMDB says that she was in a movie called All In Fun in 1940, in which she did a bridal routine entitled “Slowly I Turn.”  Tell me this isn’t “Slowly I Turn” as in the routine Lucy Ricardo does in the I Love Lucy episode “The Ballet,” because if it is – she is going to ruin her stockings all right. And (here comes the pun, I couldn’t resist it) – she’ll be out of Lux then!

Marshmallow Favors How-To, Part 3: Fifi the Poodle and Harry the Hippo

A poodle is the perfect critter to recreate in marshmallows – I love the mini marshmallows on her legs and tail, just like the pouffy bits on a real poodle. And Harry is one of my favorites, he has such a winning smile!

FIFI THE POODLE

1. With wooden pick, join two large marshmallows (flat ends together) for the body.
2. Slide mini marshmallows onto each of 4 wooden picks; insert wooden picks into underside of body, for legs; insert into inverted paper plate, for support.
3. Glue one mini marshmallow in center of one end of one large marshmallow; surround with two rows of mini marshmallows.
4. Glue another mini marshmallow to center of face, for nose; glue pieces of licorice candy to nose, for tip.
5. Add pieces of licorice string to face, for eyes. Add mini marshmallow on wooden pick for tail.

HARRY THE HIPPO

1. Make head: With wet knife, split large marshmallows almost in half. Pull apart slightly; don’t break hinge. For teeth, insert small pieces of licorice string inside mouth.
2. Run wooden pick through 2 large marshmallows (flat ends together0 for body.
3. For legs, place 2 mini marshmallows on each of 4 wooden picks. Insert legs into underside of body; then insert into inverted paper plate, for support.
4. Glue head to body; glue two small gumdrops to head for eyes.

Just to remind you -

GLUE FOR MARSHMALLOW FAVORS

1 1/2 cups unsifted confectioner’s sugar
1 egg white, unbeaten

In small bowl of electric mixer on medium, beat sugar with egg white until mixture is thick enough to hold a definite shape. Keep glue covered with damp cloth until ready to use. Makes about half a cup. When using on favors, let glue dry completely on each part before going on to next part.

For the earlier parts of the Marshmallow Follies, you can go here:

The whole kit and caboodle: group photo!

Part 1: Lamb and Piglet

Part 2: Snowman and Turtle

Coming soon: Jumbo the Elephant and Leo the Lion…