Woman Alive: More Crafts For Fun

It must've been a weird time for crafting back in the early-'70s. Women were trying to shed the stereotypical role of housewifery, and lumped in with that were those crafts — womanly arts — that were closely associated with being a woman, like knitting and sewing. But at the same time, a D.I.Y. movement was burgeoning. So what was a feminist to do? According to this volume of Woman Alive, the answer was to engage in alternative crafts that didn't have the "stigma" of femininity attached. So a host of different crafts became popular in the '70s…and they pretty much stayed there. Do you know anyone weaves baskets or creates "natural collages" out of beans and seeds just for shits and giggles? After the jump, we look at some crafts that time forgot (because they were too ugly to remember). More »

Woman Alive: Talking With Your Child

For this week's installment of Woman Alive, we take a look at the volume Talking with Your Child. It's actually not so much about talking to your child, or to anyone for that matter. It's really just about looking at pictures of babies and kids, with the occasional explanation that they will destroy your life in one way or another, but parenthood be the best thing you've ever accomplished…unless the kids turn into pot-smoking hippies. Then you're just screwed. Anyway, let's open up that dialogue. More »

Woman Alive: How To Decorate Without Going Broke

So far, the Woman Alive library — a series of early 1970s books for women — haven't been as service-y as they've promised, since they're a little closer to the For Dummies titles. However, I figured that How to Decorate Without Going Broke just had to have some useful info, and failing that, at least some photos of retro inspiration. So get ready, because we're about to go deep into the trenches of the shag carpeting that is '70s decor. More »

Woman Alive: The American Family In Trouble

I'm starting to believe that these Woman Alive books weren't written for women at all, but for aliens who want to familiarize themselves with the human race. Seriously, it's like "People 101." The latest volume we're looking at is Family in Trouble, which features a lot of staged photos of people looking uncomfortable, and lots and lots of info about drug and alcohol abuse. So unbutton your high-wasted bell bottoms, because you're about to be stuffed with some '70s dramz. More »

Woman Alive: Food For Life, Love, And Looks

To continue with our series on the Woman Alive library, we're taking a look at Food For Live, Love, and Looks. I don't know if it's the quality of photography, the lack of Photoshop, or the lack of global influence on cuisine, but food from the '70s looks totally disgusting. I was born in 1979, so I wouldn't really know, but if this book, published in 1974, is at all accurate, there were just way too many canned hams and casseroles made with condensed soup. No wonder people had a lower life expectancy: Their sodium and fat intake was through the roof. I'm by no means a foodie (my favorite food is Doritos), but the pages of this particular Woman Alive are not exactly appetizing. More »

Woman Alive: Discover A Lovelier You

I recently made one of the best thrift scores in my life when I happened upon a small library of hardcover books from the late '60s/early '70s called Woman Alive. The books are essentially a series of texts for grown women on how to be…grown women. The topics of each book range from personal appearance, crafting, cooking, understanding your body, and how to cope with the unfortunate state of being single. The photos and text within the books is a goldmine of inaccurate information and awesome hair. Each week, I'll share one with you all. First up, "Discover a Lovelier You," the description of which reads verbatim: More »