Friday, April 06, 2007






Writer's Digest, October 1976

LOOK! Mommy Can Write!



I found this magazine in an antique store in Plainville, Mass last year. Isn't it great? I am fortunate to have a sleek glass desk and a computer instead of an ironing board.



Ironing boards make me break out in a cold sweat. Why? Not because I have an aversion to ironing. I like ironing! It's just that a few years back, my husband worked for a German company that makes ironing boards and I was drafting to demo the product on QVC. Yes, I played Carol Merrill at 7:03 am deftly showing off the marvelous attributes of an ironing board. You'll note that 1976 Mommy uses Easy-On. I am a Niagara spray starch girl. As was my Mother.









Daddy's All Right!

How's that for a guilt trip? This is only 31 years ago folks. My husband has supported my writing from day one. And signing with an agent made the process seem that much more realistic to him. He's really excited for me and I love that.

This magazine reminds me of the old Enjoli perfume ad. "I can bring home the bacon! Fry it up in a pan. And never let you forget you're a man! 'Cause I'm a woman! And I wear Enjoli."


I usually wear whatever my kids smear on me. If you have a nut allergy don't get too close.

12 comments:

AshleyLeo said...

Hey Kim - excellent posting and discussion regarding oprah btw!

Quick question - do you mind if I ask you what is the best "one stop shopping" vaccine link to give to a new parent friend of mine that just had a baby boy? Any help would be greatly appreciated...Ashley at busterfoofoo@gmail.com

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

Believe it or not, I don't own an ironing board.

thewriterslife said...

I love it! What a find! I almost hate to admit this, but back in the day, an ironing board made the perfect desk! Thanks for sending this to the chick lit group, Kim!

Anonymous said...

What your Doctor Might Not Tell You about Childhood Vaccinations by Dr. Stephanie Cave. It is not anti-vaccine - but talks about some healthier, safer ways to administer vaccines like spreading them out over a longer period of time, breaking some of them up and such. You know Moms say "Johnny got three shots today" when if Johnny got DTaP, MMR and polio in one visit that's SEVEN vaccinations, it's just THREE jabs though.

Anonymous said...

The mother of a friend of mine used to throw a tablecloth over her ironingborad during holdidays and use it as a buffet!

Laura said...

I don't like ironing now, but used to love it in high school! I went to a Catholic school for a whole semester, and would carefully iron my uniform, use my sweater shaver to depill the lovely sweater vests... Jeez, I was a dork! Now I don't ever wear anything that needs ironing. I've embraced laziness.

I'm imagining trying to put on laptop and a cup of coffee on that ironing board, which would be what I would need to "work." I think that would be a recipe for disaster.

Anonymous said...

Oh My! This is great. When I say that I don't have a job, my son quickly reminds me that I do - writing books! Too bad none of them are published yet!

Hey MM - I have an ironing board, but I don't think I've used it more than 2 times!

JR's Thumbprints said...

Maybe I should use an ironing board for my writing, perhaps then I'll be more successfull.

AshleyLeo said...

Thanks Kim for the recommendation of Stephanie Cave's book. That's a good one. Unfortunately, I don't think my friend will read a whole book. Thanks though! I'll have to add it to my links page. I'd forgotten about that one.

Kim Rossi Stagliano said...

jr. = I think the virile male equivalent is the saw horse table with the plywood top. In your garage surrounded by shotgun shells and sawdust! And no one has to ask if your wife is "ALL RIGHT!" Of course she is, right there in the kitchen making your lunch. It's really a great article about persevering and keeping at it and making time to write - of course, given the time frame when women were just entering the work force as a choice it does have that 70's feel.

Michelle O'Neil said...

Oh Dear. ; )

What women of previous generations went through?

Especially autism moms.


(My ironing board is called a dryer).

Kim Rossi Stagliano said...

Touche, Michelle! LOL!