GIRLZ DAY - APRIL 5TH - VIDLER'S

Last Friday was a GIRLZ DAY for my friends and I. Reason: no school – spring break – everyone’s in Myrtle Beach. One girlfriend is a school bus monitor and she had the whole week off. Other friend has only Fridays off. Hence, our GIRLZ DAY was scheduled for Friday, April 5^th.

It was a beautiful, sunny day to take a drive through the countryside. Our plan was to drive west from Rochester to the little town of East Aurora. That town boasts an old fashioned 5 and 10 cent store. I would say they carry just about everything. Kitchen goods, craft items, floral shop, tchotzkes galore. And  one  floor up:  tons of  toys, make-up, old fashioned candy (all candies you used to buy for a penny on your way to school in the dark ages). They have garden stuff, books, paper and stationary, pet things, wall art, candles and décor items, purses, jackets, jewelry, greeting cards. I’m sure that’s just a partial list which I recall in my mental walk through the store.

http://www.vidlers5and10.com/

Before we ever made landfall at Vidler’s, we drove through beautiful countryside. Hills, valleys, farms, windmills. It’s a 90 minute drive from Rochester. I understand it’s also a 90 minute drive from Toronto, so if you live there, it’s worth the trip.

Of course, when we arrived in East Aurora, we were starving. So the first stop was at Charlie’s Diner for a lovely lunch.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g47619-d835154-Reviews-Charlie_s_Diner-East_Aurora_New_York.html

Now we are armed up with nutritional fortitude for our foray into Vidler’s. Oh, I tell you, it’s no end of fun. I bought a small ladle (which I needed), crochet thread, a figurine, old fashioned candy, hand cream packets to use as thank you gifts in my etsy orders, sink strainer, microwave plastic food cover, and calendars. I trust I didn’t forget anything that was in my bag.  I could’ve bought so much more if $$$$$ was no object. I saw a purse I loved and didn’t buy because I already have one like it (but I would’ve liked to have that one too)

Here’s some pictures of what Vidler’s looks like inside. Don’t be surprised that it looks so messy. Don’t you remember how Kresge’s and Woolworth’s looked in the old days? With tons of cheap make-up just laying flat in huge heaps on the counters, and glass separators between the types of items.  Wide wooden board floors, stairs (no elevators or escalators). Aisles squished close together. The 5 and 10 was BASIC.

All in all, it was a lovely day. The kind beautiful memories are made of.

Girlz Day Out

Girlz Day Out is something that a couple friends and myself do every so often. Sometimes it's just a lunch date. Other times it's a long distance adventure. We don't have a set time to do this like once a month or every other month. Just whenever we're in the mood. This past Saturday was the day. We had planned a visit to a thrift shop in a YWCA in a town about 30 miles west of here. This shop is a fund raiser for the local domestic violence ministry. My friends and I all found items we couldn't live without. Of course it helped that the black and red plaid wool jacket I bought was $2.50 and the voile pink and black floral big shirt I liked was $3.00. My friends also bought jackets and blouses. It happened also to be a beautiful, sunshiny day. Our next stop was the Jello-o museum. Though this is relatively close to us (30 miles) but none of us had ever been there. The museum is a small unassuming building but the history of Jell-o is magnificent. We had a guided tour by a Jell-o expert who led us into the museum, bid us to sit down on a bench, like school children, while he regaled us with Jell-o history.

The product had a very difficult birth. The first couple owners could not make it a commercial success. The company was sold a couple times for very small amounts - like 35.00 one time and 450.00 another time. Finally it became the property of a gentleman with VISION. The year was 1899 and most American housewives had never heard of a jelled dessert. Also - just add water - was a totally new concept to them. Many did not have refrigeration but did have methods for cooling (like ice) and Ice Boxes, springhouses, etc. A MARKETING STRATEGY was initiated. The Jell-o executive hired and trained a sales crew, dressed them in business attire, provided transportaion for them to go on the road with samples. His directions to his salesmen: give the product away for free. Visit every home. At one, give a packet of Jell-o. At the next, give away a recipe book.

He paid sales calls to the grocers and encouraged them to stock Jell-O on their shelves. Then it went viral. And the rest is history. The museum had advertising campaigns to show us. Large original oil paintings which were reproduced in newspapers and magazines. By the time radio and television arrived on the scene, all the biggest celebrities got in on the Jell-O buzz. Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Kate Smith, Lucille Ball plugged Jell-O on their programs. Bill Cosby was Jell-O spokesman for thirty years.

The early packaging was designed by the the Kewpie Doll founder. Therefore, it was very Kewpie Doll-ish. See picture above. Jell-O has a long and industrious history with many, many products following the original jelled dessert. Next came Jell-O pudding, then both instant Jell-O and pudding, then sugarless, pudding pops, jigglers and, the latest - Jell-O shots (made like a jiggler but with vodka instead of water) (for adults only). We thoroughly enjoyed our jaunt to Jell-O Land but we were only at the half-way mark on our Girlz Day Out. The Town's Historical Museum was our next stop. That will be the subject of next weeks blog.