Melmac Dinnerware Memories and Plastic Candy Molds

Hey, that's me and the old Texasware Bowl my mom and I used when cooking and baking. I still use it today.

Since the inception of this blog, I have received all kinds of wonderful letters and emails about fond memories of melmac dishes, melamine dinnerware, or plastic items used that produce memories. Lots of kind emails thanking me for my blog. Unfortunately for me,  December 15th will mark two years without my mother. I'm okay now, I still have the memories, and I still have the melmac bowls. You see, I come from an Italian family and most of our quality time was spent in our kitchen, cooking.

I had several kind letters from Joan Luntz's daugther. In case you don't know, she was the designer of Brookpark and married to the President of International Molding.  After that I heard from her granddaughter. They were actually looking to buy some of the dinnerware that Joan designed.  I'm glad I could help preserve some of the wonderful memories of Joan's creations under the Brookpark sections.  Famous parents or not, we all have moms and grandmoms and we all have our memories.

Here's a few ways Melmac has made memories:

These rainboware dishes are the Canadian version of Meladur. They are for sale at Artmyth.etsy.com

"Rainbow Ware Melmac was made in Buckingham Quebec, Canada - Ironically this is where I was born, my father told me stories about the factory, and knew people who worked there. "  - Kerry, Owner of ArtMyth on Etsy. 

This Brookpark turkey melamine platter is HUGE. Buy it at PeacenLuv72.etsy.com

"I still use my Grandma's and it gets used for EVERY Thanksgiving!!!"  Talking about her Brookpark Turkey Platter- Joanie Hinds-Wagner of Vintage Variables on Etsy

Set of 10 of these olive green cups available at AuburnArtisan.etsy.com

"Dear Cindy,
My grandmother had the ugliest olive dishes by TexasWare or Allied Chemical, I wasn't sure, but  I remember eating off them as a kid. I always hated those dishes. I read your blog all the time. Can you believe I went out and assembled a set of those ugly dishes. My kids and I eat lunch on them, and I smile because they remind me of her.   - Theresa Powers , California "

Maplex Melmac available at LarchTradingCompany.etsy.com

"To be honest I hated working in the factory when I was younger. I took it over to help my Father later in life. It stank and the workers had to take salt pills because it was so hot in there. The smell, (of the chemicals in) the melmac dishes you could never quite duplicate. " - Paul Rothstein, Last Owner of Maple Leaf Plastics, Inc

Mom's Bowl: In case you want a bowl like the one Mom and I used, check out this great item from Zenhetty at Etsy (above) for $30. Melmac bowls are functional, useful, and great for cooking. This post is dedicated to my Mom.  She loved to cook, make Italian Meatballs (her meatball recipe here) and believe it or not, was a plastic junkie in her own right.

I never really thought about it, but she had tons and tons of plastic n the form of chocolate and candy molds! Mom would make her own candy.  Sinful Chocolates (a parody of her name Cynthia) was found in the local stores in Danforth, Maine. Do you find it ironic that the love for plastic continues on with me?

Memory Sign, to use at weddings by LimitedLane.etsy.com

What is your favorite melmac dinnerware or plastic memory? Do you remember your grandfather tinkering with his old Plaskon radio? Did your grandmom wear the gaudiest bakelite jewelry?  Please share your memories with me and I may post them!  Submit your Melmac Memories to me via Etsy or TikTok or Instagram.  Oh, and go hug your mom, NOW.

A Life Without Plastic Gadgets and Decor

Wee plastic deer for your shadowbox by ModsLuvRockers on Etsy.

I know there are a lot of people who hate plastic. Maybe not the plastic itself, but perhaps the way in which it's made. Industrialism hasn't always been a clean and eco friendly process. In fact I have heard the horror stories of many years ago people working in big plastics factories. I've heard the whispers of lawsuits -- some of all the women becoming infertile. Some of the workers having lung cancer from the asbestos. Some from the side effects of the formaldehyde.

Wait little kitty, is that melamine you are drinking?  From TheIdConnection on Etsy.

I want to say I know those whispers are true, because if you pick up an old Plastics Encyclopedia, say from 1941, your eyes will bug out as you watch workers handling balls of asbestos with their bare hands, no gloves and no masks. Other workers manually stirring large vats of hot steamy chemicals without a face mask.

PostCardsfromtheEdge on Etsy offers this chemical post card. Old chemical plant.

What were they thinking? I would think that back then gloves and masks of some sort (even if they did look a bit big and rubbery) were available! Were the factories just not giving them or workers just not wearing them?  I don't know.

Chemicals dumped in nearby lakes or streams, polluting the water and giving people within a radius the ill side effects of them. Whole towns in fact, perhaps some without knowing.  Factory smoke not filtered, smog, hurting our ozone. Is this to blame for the hot weather of today?

Today of course there are so many more precautions companies take TODAY as they have learned from the mistakes of YESTERDAY but sadly at our relative's expense. New laws and safety precautions and awareness of what can happen have forced higher standards and safety measures.  Today, they have found a way to make factories. I can't imagine a world without plastics.

Plastic is everywhere. These letters are plastic. Look at your decor!  These at VintageJane on Etsy.

I am looking around just one room of my house as I type this. Maybe I'm a clutterbug but I've counted some things that are plastic or plastic type products just here in my living room!

Plastic lampshade on my lamp.
Plastic curtain rod on my window.
Plastic decorations on another lamp.
Plastic cup I'm drinking out of.
Plastic gadgets on the table.
Plastic Tube on some cream for my dog.
Plastic bookmark for my book.
Plastic cellphone cover and case.
Plastic keys on my keyboard, and case cover on my laptop.
Plastic all over my window air conditioning unit.
Plastic for the tv, ac, and cable remote.
Plastic casing on my tv.
Plastic housing for my cable box.
Plastic dog toys strewn about.
Plastic train car someone gave me. (decoration).
Plastic - Fiberglass Nystrom mannequin decoration.
Plastic picture frames.
Plastic clock on the wall.
Plastic pet steps.
Plastic light cover.
Plastic light switch.
Plastic cords on everything.
Plastic plug covers.
Wait, that's plastic on the bottom of my slipper!
Oh no, my bra has plastic hoojie-mabobs on the straps!
Ack! It's everywhere!
Okay, enough, plastic, plastic, plastic!

If I look hard enough maybe I'll find some more.  Imagine, a world without plastic? What would we do?   Look around you, count the plastic you can see, how much is there?