Friday, July 16, 2010

LIFE BEFORE BLOGGING.........Big Hair......Bad Suits.

As alot of you know who have been kind enough over the past two years
to read my ramblings....
My blog gets turned into a hardback book after I finish each year...
So every now and again
I post things more for myself so I can pass the books along to
Miss "B" someday...
She can learn a little about her crazy Grandmother....
This is one of those posts....
Do you ever wonder what some of your favorite Bloggers did before blogging.....
I thought Sophie might ask one day
"What did Grandma used to do.....?"
No....I was not a model for the
"Hair Club for Women"
although I could have been......have you ever seen such big hair....
And I wasn't even living in Jersey at the time...
And that was my favorite "Mob" suit...complete with lapel flower....

Here I am with my Posse' out of New Orleans...
I also oversaw a similar group of wonderful ladies here in Atlanta.....
I was the "Southeast Regional Training Manager for the Custom Decorating Studios"
That's a mouthful....
For a large retail chain....
Once known as the store where
"America Shops"....
Now....Not so much.

This was Earl who ran the New Orleans office...
He was such a wonderful man...
We lovingly called him
Uncle Miltie...
doesn't he look like Milton Berle.....

Here is a work in progress.....
part of my job was designing new store displays...
Boy did I look young here.....I was probably around 40
This was Maxine the decorator from New Orleans...
If you could pick a mother in life this is who I would have picked....
A Tap Dancer well into her 70's
she lost a daughter in childbirth who would have been the same age as me....
Her and Carroll her husband always treated me like family...

Have you ever seen two such goofy looking men in your life.....
the guy on the left was my Boss and in true "Sue fashion" where I think everybody
looks like somebody else....
I thought he looked like Bob Newhart...
The other guy was the Big Big shot out of Chicago....
Howdy Doody???
All was going well with those two guys until this picture surfaced....
Hey....I could teach a class just as well on the beach
as in a classroom...
This was taken on beautiful Destin Beach....
in a borrowed bikini....get a load of those thighs...
They run in the family....
My finished work....
I loved the black draperies on the left....I loved anything with fringe...

Ofcourse nobody ever sold it to customers once the homeowner found out
how much it cost to add it onto the window treatment....Labor by the yard!
This was taken at the Birmingham store....

Even back then I loved getting my picture taken...
I actually loved this pink linen suit..
This was taken infront of Delmar Blinds in California....
The other Trainers from around the country spent a week out in California
learning all about the construction of mini blinds and verticals....
We even got to make our own miniature vertical blind to take home...

The trip wasn't all work....
Here I am with Chuck the trainer from Miami...

We got to tour Hollywood in between classes....

We hit it off right away.....You know I would have to love anyone who
would lay down on the ground outside
Graumen's Chinese Theater....
My kind of guy!!


Ellen My training counterpart from Memphis....
She would sometimes wear a black velvet bow in her hair looking just like
Rose Marie from the Mary Tyler Moore Show...
She hated to speak infront of groups of people.....
So they would fly me in from Atlanta to give the class for her.....I would talk and she was my Vanna White...
I referred to the two of us as the "Boobs and the Brains"
Hey...what can I say I was smarter then her....

So that's it....That was me before blogging....
My job was eliminated back in 91' and I haven't worked a day since.....
and this lady isn't complaining about being bored....
What did you do before becoming a blogger???

And one last observation...
Doesn't Chuck look just like
Mitch Miller.....

24 comments:

Julie Harward said...

I think you were very beautiful...we wore our hair the same way back then! :D

Linda @ A La Carte said...

I remember that look and those suits! Funny how things can change. I never had that much hair!

Chatty Crone said...

You were beautiful and you look like Miss B! That is where her curls are from.

And you are still beautiful now!

What an interesting blog for her.

I really enjoyed seeing your pictures.

Where is your hubby?

You are so talented sewing and cooking. Impressive girl.

sandie

Deb said...

Interesting idea to leave the blog book for Miss B. I like it a lot.
I had hair like that in the 90's! Gah! So very chic we were. Since my job was eliminated in 2005, I haven't worked either. But these last few days, I am really beginning to want to do something construction.

Deb said...

sorry, that should have read...constructive...I never know what my fingers type after taking an ambien to sleep!

Jojo said...

What a wonderful post. That was fun seeing you in your career days and WOW the big hair!!! You looked as if you were "whistling while you worked." Beautiful pictures.

Peg said...

I love the post and Miss B will too. In my past life, I was a middle school computer teacher. My students are all grown up now; they wait on me at the bank and the paint store. I give them a hard time just like they gave me!

Joyce said...

Love the black socks! Big hair and shoulder pads in the suits were all the rage. Sophie is definitely your clone:-)
Joyce

Nouveau Stitch said...

I'm not as sure about Miss B as I am about the daughter. I don't see the resemblance now, but back then? Wow! She looks just like you!

I'm so glad you were the brains....I'd hate for Miss B to aspire to boobs...

I have no old pictures from my working past. B.o.r.i.n.g. I worked for the state agency that regulates the utility companies. Zzzzz.

Ellen

Cindy (Applestone Cottage) said...

Oh Sue, you were such a cutie!
I love the big hair and your cute outfits!
Heck, the bikini pic is great! You should be proud!
HAGD,
Cindy

Salmagundi said...

Why, I do declare; that's Miss B's hair!! Those are such great pictures. My life before blogging was just the same as now. When we got married in 1958, Bob told me that if I would work to put him through college, I would never have to work again. He finished his masters in 1964, and I haven't worked a day since. Show us more old pics any day. We're off to the city today for an antique auction - do I really need any more stuff? Have a great weekend. Sally

Cheri said...

I LOVE SEEING THESE WONDERFUL PICTURES AND YOU ARE AS BEAUTIFUL NOW AS YOU WERE THEN. I SEE WHERE HEATHER AND SOPHIE GET THEIR LOOKS AND ALL THE CURLY HAIR. NOW WE NEED TO SEE PICS OF THE BOSS.

I DON'T KNOW IF I DARE TO FIND AND POST PICS OF BEFORE BLOGGING DAYS BUT I MIGHT JUST FOR SOME FUN. STAY TUNED.

Rose said...

a great going into the younger years. Yes, alot of hair. Send some my way. thanks for the sweet comment on my blog re my husband, Eddie. I was fortunate to have him in my life. I'm fortunate to have Gerry, my 2nd husband. Have a good weekend

Debbie said...

I wish they would bring back big hair. When we get older and start losing our hair, at least we could rat the crap out of it to make it look like we had more!
I think you look great in the pics!
Debbie@houseatthelake

House and Garden Boutique said...

What a great post.....loved all the photos. I agree with Sandie, your granddaughter looks just like you. I remember the suits......I had some just like the ones you are wearing. And shoulder pads.....remember those too? I thought the Howdy Doody guy looked like David Letterman.

Anonymous said...

Well, HELLO, Minnie Driver!

Jennifer said...

How very lovely! Miss Bee looks just like you. How sweet!

Love the walk down memory lane.

Anonymous said...

Love your sense of humor! The hair, the suit... how fun were those at the time. Very fun!

Di

Kathleen Grace said...

Love learnng a little more about you and now I know where Miss B gets those curls! You were (and are) beautiful and I would kill to look that good in a bikini!
Where do you get your blog published? I have been wanting to do that too. I think it would be a shame for all our photos and rambings to disappear into nothing some day.
What did I do? I was a stay at home mom and before that a retail manager for Claire's boutiques.

Kathleen said...

You are a hoot. And yes, that one guy looks like David Letterman, or maybe it is just the teeth!
BTW, I got the cherry pitter at WS Outlet.

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Sue I can see how much Miss B looks like you! What beautiful hair you have ..in a scary way I still have almost the same hairstyle as you did back then as I can't do anything else with my wavy (frizzy) hair.

I was a RN before blogging. When the hospital I last worked in closed I retired, and never looked back. I'm enjoying life in the second half! :)

Unknown said...

Your pictures certainly bring back many memories for me as well.

I haven't worked only since December. Too much stress for me. We lost our son, Joshua, in November 2003 and without saying life is not ever the same.

I'm looking for some hobbies to keep myself busy. Maybe you can help me?

Linda Lou said...

Wow Sue you were a knockout in that bathing suit-my thighs were way bigger even back then when we were "young" - thanks for sharing those great pics-and your hair is adorable! Before blogging I worked in real estate for 6 years, before that at Restoration Hardware and other home decor stores part-time, before that office manager for a pysch office, before that P.R. at a Sheraton hotel...before that too many to name!

Susie Q said...

I loved this so much. Dang you were a knock out and still are! Miss B is definitely taking after her Grandma...same gorgeous hair for sure.
You led an amazing life. My Pre life was not in sich big hair. I tried! I swear I did! Could never get it big enough! : )
But I did do the shoulder pads..the bigger the better!
This will be a joy for Miss B to have. Heck, YOU are a joy for Miss B to have!
Love,
Sue