by Jennifer | Jun 8, 2012 | Nostalgia | 12 comments
Grandma’s House Throwback Thursday
Grandma's House
Things Gen-Xers might find at Grandma’s House
Who Is Generation X?
A trip down memory lane to Grandma’s House
A long time ago, when my family lived in California, my grandparents were the caretakers of a beautiful “ranch” in a place everyone referred to as “the valley.” I only visited there twice, but my memories of those times are sweet and perfect. I remember chasing lizards in the shade with my brother and watching him ride horses in a corral. It was the kind of place you never wanted to leave. The kind of place I wish I could raise my own children.
When I think of this place, I remember the bottles of Avon products and Jean Naté that my grandmother kept on a tray on the back of the toilet. This brings me to Flashback Friday. I’ve curated a rather sophisticated collection (ha!) of stuff from Grandma’s Bathroom to entertain you! What among these things do you remember?
A long time ago, when my family lived in California, my grandparents were the caretakers of a beautiful “ranch” in a place everyone referred to as “the valley.” I only visited there twice, but my memories of those times are sweet and perfect. I remember chasing lizards in the shade with my brother and watching him ride horses in a corral. It was the kind of place you never wanted to leave. The kind of place I wish I could raise my own children.
When I think of this place, I remember the bottles of Avon products and Jean Naté that my grandmother kept on a tray on the back of the toilet. This brings me to Flashback Friday. I’ve curated a rather sophisticated collection (ha!) of stuff from Grandma’s Bathroom to entertain you! What among these things do you remember?
Crocheted Doll Toilet Paper Covers
These toilet paper dolls could be quite disconcerting to a little kid. I remember taking one apart only to discover the doll had no legs or that her legs were fused together. LOL.
Pink and White Crocheted Doll Toilet Paper Cover. There was one on the back of the toilet at my Grandma’s house.
Tan and White Crocheted Toilet Paper Doll Cover
I guess it was intended to look like she was wearing a dress. Never to be outdone, however, by the birthday cake doll.
These cakes were pretty cool. I like this one in green complete with matching veil.
Mod Bathroom Scale in Yellow, Orange, Brown
Yellow Fur Covered Bathroom Scale (Not to be outdone by the fur-covered toilet seat, possibly the worst invention of the 20th Century.)
Retro Pink Scale. Now, shabby-chic.
Vintage Cannon Bath Towels
You know your mother had a set of these, too. Everyone had a set a these! There are some great vintage towels like this available on Etsy.
Vintage Bathroom Towels by Cannon. These were at my Grandma’s house, too!
Vintage Collection of Avon Bottles
If your grandma’s bathroom didn’t have a bunch of Avon bottles you were missing out big time! During visits, these migrated into the living room and doubled as pets and friends for Barbie.
Colored Toilet Paper; Quilted Northern Toilet Paper Girls
Does anyone remember when Northern offered posters of the Northern girls? My mom ordered me a set.
Vintage Hampers and Chalkware Bathroom Fish
Pink Vintage Hamper with Flowers
Turquoise Vintage Hamper: Good for hide-and-seek. lol
Bathroom Fish
Bathroom Fish
Chalkware Bathroom Fish. I loved these things. It was like the bathroom was an ocean!
Plastic Doll Head Faces for doilies, potholders, etc.
Black Doll Face Pot Holder
Native American Doll Face Potholder
Plastic Doll Head Faces for Doilies. Aways aw them at Ben Franklin.
When I was a kid I thought they were related to the secret elves who showed up to clean the kitchen while we slept.
Vintage Christmas Toilet Seat Covers
Something Santa always showed up in the bathroom at Christmastime, like this toilet seat cover.
Holiday Bathroom Decor:Here is Santa being polite and covering his eyes while you do your business.
Santa Claus Toilet Seat Cover
So what do you remember about Grandma’s House?
Annon December 5, 2020 at 10:05 am
Love this post so much! You really nailed it, and I love while you only visited twice it had such a big impact on you. We never got colored toilet paper as a kid, but I always wanted to when we saw it at the grocery store. I have only seen colored toilet paper once as an adult in a store, and guess where it was? In the heart of Paris. And yes, I brought back both blue and pink as souvenirs.
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Hildaon November 28, 2018 at 7:28 pm
I wanted to make the crocheted paper toilet holder doll
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Jenniferon November 28, 2018 at 8:32 pm
Me, too, Hilda. They were so much fun. I wanted to play with her, too, and add her to my Barbies.
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Andion June 10, 2012 at 6:50 pm
All these things were in my Grandma’s house. She made the crocheted-doll-toilet paper covers by the dozens!
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Joyce Floreson March 27, 2020 at 5:58 am
who invented the crochet tolet paper holder
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granbeeon June 9, 2012 at 3:45 pm
Jen, and I remember when you could purchase a lot of these knick-knacks at gift shops near the entrances to state and national parks and at early Eisenhower-era interstate welcome centers and truck stops! My grandmothers had lots of this stuff. I had forgotten completely about colored Northern bath tissue and those Northern poster girls. Lovely walk down memory lane with you!
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Jennifer Jameson June 9, 2012 at 3:50 am
@THE HAPPY HOMEMAKER – I miss them, too. The secret elf in our house was my dad. =(
@TERRITORY MOM – I LOVED those little lipsticks. Man, I miss those things and those days. And, the first Avon lady I ever remember seeing had that blue and turquoise case and her hair was bright red!
@YOGI – Please tell Heather SHE ROCKS!!!
@HEY RAY – Great memories. I loved those giant puff balls. I remember getting poofed with powder after baths as a kid. As the years went by, the puffs got smaller and they didn’t poof as big. Probably made in China! I remember those bathrooms, too. ALL ONE COLOR. They were sooo cool.
@KAT – haha! That’s funny. The cat didn’t like the competition.
@VGSMOM – Wow. You guys could post some of that stuff on ETSY and make a killing.
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Kat Mortensenon June 8, 2012 at 8:09 pm
My aunt used to have those toilet roll covers ( made of Phentex ), and every time they went away and left the cat alone, they would come home to find the cat had beaten them up!
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HeyRayon June 8, 2012 at 4:00 pm
Those crocheted TP covers remind of the church bazaar! Those were the kind of crafts the ladies club made and sold at it!
My one grandmother only had one brand of soap in her bathrooms…Tone. I haven’t smelled it in years–not sure it’s still made–and I don’t think I knew anybody else who used that brand, so it is clearly my grandmother’s bathroom.I once had a friend visit my house with her 3-year-old son, and he was actually afraid of the fuzzy toilet lid cover, had never seen one before.
My other grandmother had a box of dusting powder (the kind with the big puff ball) that may have been Jean Nate or Avon, I can picture the box but not the name. It was ALWAYS on that shelf, for all I know it was the same box for 25 years.
I remember friends’ grandmothers having the monochromatic bathrooms…one was all blue (blue tub, blue tile, blue toilet, blue toilet paper, blue towels), one was all yellow, one was all pink.
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Yogi♪♪♪on June 8, 2012 at 3:27 pm
Saddest day of my life is when I came home to discover that Heather had discarded my fur covered toilet seat.
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Territory Momon June 8, 2012 at 3:19 pm
Oh, I forgot. Remember those little tiny lipstick samples? So cute.
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Territory Momon June 8, 2012 at 3:19 pm
I can actually smell Camey soap now. My grandma sold Avon. She carried a blue and turquoise floral case of goodies. My favorite was Sweet Honesty perfume.
FYI – I was able to post videos to my blog, thanks for your help.Reply
