Billy the Kid discovers California in 1935.

After traveling from Chicago, across country to California, and finally seeing, Sunshine, Palm Trees and Tom Lyle's Villa Valentino, there was no turning back.

Preston and Bill,

                                               Preston and Evelyn.

A dream come true for Billy the Kid, a real horse and space to ride at his aunt and uncle's ranch in California.

All this was a first for my dad, but nothing was more life changing then seeing the California coastline and swimming in the deep blue ocean, in San Clemente, with his cousins Bill and Arvis Stroh.

Stay tuned, more to come tomorrow.

 Also, I will be making Mabel, and Eva's. old fashioned deserts tomorrow, on Arizona TV, and posting the show on the blog this week with the recipes.

Maybelline Story will be in Laguna Beach Nov 5th.

Sharrie's article in the Laguna Beach Magazine, fits perfectly with it's feature on Old Hollywood movies, filmed in the tiny beach community throughout the years.

Sharrie will be at Laguna Beach Books for a presentation for The AAUW, Nov 5th , not 10th, as the article indicates.

Sharrie's upcoming events in October.

Sharrie discusses her father, Bill Williams, love for beautiful automobiles, (below,) and will  be in the Kitchen next week, making her auntie Mabel and auntie Eva's rich, delicious  deserts.

http://vimeo.com/29981530 Click here, to see Sharrie's  interview, discussing her father Bill Williams,  and his uncle Tom Lyle Williams, at the Villa Valentino.

Bill Williams 1977, Series 1, Clenet, will be shown at The Santa Barbara Concours D' Elegance Oct 28 - 30.  

Be sure to check back next for Sharrie's

 cooking segment on AZTV next week.  She will be making, Maybelline's namesake, Mabel's, Date Dainty Bars,and  Mabel's sister, Eva's, Old Fashioned, Peach Cobbler. Both to die for comfort foods, from the Great Depression. 

               Recipes will be available as well.              

Thank You for following the Maybelline Blog!

 

Maybelline Roots, in Morganfield Kentucky.

Growing up loving Gunsmoke, my first glimmer of romantic thoughts, came in the form of Marshal Dillon an Miss Kitty.

In all the research I did for The Maybelline Story, I found our family had it's own romantic past, in the late 1800,  including a country Sheriff and his pretty lady.

Both being my great-grandparents. Sheriff Thomas Jefferson Williams and his wife, Susan Anna Alvey of Morganfield Kentucky were the real deal.

Susan Anna Alvey, in 1877 only 16 years of age was considered a great beauty for the times.

Sheriff TJ, as he was called, was also the local tax collector, and fearless when it came to doing the right thing.  He lost his right eye in a fight, and often teased his grandchildren by pulling it out and handing it them.  He'd laugh as the kids screamed and ran to their mothers, but never stopped getting a big kick out out the joke.

Susan Anna Alvey Williams had 6 children with Sheriff TJ, the most famous being Tom Lyle Williams, owner of the Maybelline Company.  She died of the great flu in 1919 leaving Sheriff TJ to help with the books in the early years of Lash -Brow-Ine, and Maybelline. 

On the farm as children, my grandfather Preston and his little sister Eva, 1909. 

The 500 acre family farm and homestead was over 100 years old, by the time the Williams kids were born.  By 1916, the farm was being sold, and the family moved to Chicago, to assist Tom Lyle with his little Maybelline Company.

TJ and Anna's third grandchild, and their son, Noel James and Frances Williams second child, Annette Williams, plays with the chickens before the farm was finally sold.

The country story wore many hats in the early day's, including being the local post office, photography studio, soda fountain, and supply store. How knows it may have even acted as a saloon at one time, before Prohibition was passed in 1920.

Noel James, wife Frances, with their two girls, Helen and Annette, in Morganfield, visiting the homestead.  The family was now prospering in Chicago, as the Maybelline Company continued to grow.

Little Helen, with the chickens in Morganfield.

                   Little Annette in the chicken coop.

Sheriff TJ with my father William Preston Williams, in 1924.  Bill was his fourth grandchild.

And finally the Big Three, Sheriff Thomas Jefferson with his son, Tom Lyle Williams, and his first grandchild, Tom Lyle Williams Jr. in Chicago, 1934.

It may not have been the Old West, exactly, but I have to say I'm pretty proud of my roots in Morganfield Kentucky, and having a real-life, gun-toting Sheriff, with a pretty little wife, as my great grandparents. 

Gunsmoke, still lives on in my heart, with wonderful memories of my earliest romantic fantasies and Miss Kitty is still the prettiest lady in the Old West.

Read more about Morganfield and the early days of Maybelline in my book The Maybelline Story.

Cowboys, Indians, and the Old West, with the Maybelline family, in 1935.

Cowboy's visit an Indian Reservation, while traveling across the country in 1935.

 My grandparents, Evelyn and Preston Williams, dressed for their road trip, from Chicago to California.

 

 Cowboy Bill is finally going to see a real 

Indian Reservation.

 

Wow, after growing up in Chicago, Bill experienced what it was really like to live in a tent on the land.  (This picture was developed a year after their trip.)

 

 My dad and grandmother dressed for the part everyday, while sleeping in a tent.

 Nana, always a glamour girl, looked like a million bucks, even sitting on a dirty car.

Here she is posing as if she's going to be on the cover of Vogue Magazine.

Of Course my grandfather, did model for Lord and Taylor and knows all the right moves.

 Outside an old adobe building in either New Mexico, Colorado or Arizona.

Draped on the wheel of an old wagon, Evelyn Williams will go to any length for a good picture.

A little more relaxed with one of the women selling the turquoise jewelry she came home with.

You can't get more Old West than this.  I think this picture is actually reality-art.

Another amazing closeup, of life on a reservation in 1935.

Animal skins drying in the sun.  They were sold to travelers along with turquoise jewelry and hand woven baskets.  Nana loved it all and wore the jewelry her entire life.

A view of daily life on the Reservation, click the picture to get a bigger view.

If you have read The Maybelline Story, I'm sure you've enjoyed seeing these incredible pictures, that go along with the story.  If you haven't read my book, please purchase a signed copy of this most fascinating, stunning, piece of historical nostalgia. Books also available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon, and can be ordered from any bookstore around the world.

Stay tuned for Sheriff Thomas Jefferson Williams tomorrow and get ready next week for my over the top, depression era, deserts as I make them on AZTV, Arizona.

Prohibition - Hollywood - Cowboys!!!

As a Child, Preston Williams, craved the adventure and excitement he read about in Western, Dime Novels.  All he wanted, was to someday, be a real cowboy.

This picture of my grandfather, Preston Williams, was taken in 1922, during the Jazz age, of the Roaring 20's. Prohibition was in full force and Hollywood's heyday was just beginning.   

Preston was a born athlete, a boxer, swimmer and WW1 Vet, - perfect requirements for a stuntman in the movies.  His hero's were Tom Mix and Will Rogers who would eventually touch his life in the most unexpected way. 

Will Rogers 

click here.

Tom Mix.

click here.

                                                   Charlie Chase.
                                         click here.

Through comedian Charlie Chase, Preston did live out his dream, for a short time in Hollywood, but you'll have to read The Maybelline Story to see what happened. 

Buy a signed copy at www.maybellinestory.com.

Charley Chase in "APRIL FOOL" (1924) musical score by Ben Model. 

                  The Miracle Rider Trailer,Tom Mix ...

 
WESTERN COWBOY STAR - WILL ROGERS - BIOGRAPHY.  William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers (November 4, 1879 -- August 15, 1935) was an American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentato​

Maybelline cousins love Roy Rogers in the 1950s.

 Maybelline Cousins in the 1950's - like their parents in the 1930's - loved to dress up like Cowboy's and Cowgirls.

Roy Rogers, and Dale Evans were the King and Queen, of  Saturday morning TV, from 1951 - 1957, and most every girl and boy had their own cowboy costume.

Here I am at my 6th Birthday, sitting on my dad, Bill Williams lap - a little amped on sugar it looks like - with my little sister Donna, sitting quietly on our grandfather, Andy Mac Donald's lap, while my grandmother Elna - who never wore eye makeup - smiles for the camera.  Notice the Lucite coffee table, sofa and Hawaiian drapes.  They came from the Villa Valentino, after it was destroyed, when the Hollywood freeway took it in 1951.

 Trigger rides again, as Roy and Dale give a big Cowboy shout out, in the Old West.  In 1954, all I wanted was a baby sister and brother, while  Donna on the other hand,  wanted a horse, just like Trigger.

Sharrie and Donna, Cowgirls to the core.

My cousin's, Chuck, (aka, BB1,) and Nancy, were the little Roy and Dale, of the family, and like us, they were crazy about Saturday morning television, on those tiny TV sets in the early 1950's.

  During the early 1950's, Maybelline began showing Before and After, commercials, on network stations and it was a really big deal for our family when one came on.

The Baby Boomers grew up with television commercials, and Maybelline was a household word.  Unlike my grandmother's, generation, making up your eyes was a natural part of becoming a teenager.

Click on the above video, to see a trailer from the Roy Rogers, King of the Cowboy's television show.

Click on the above video to watch an early black and white Maybelline commercial.

Read more about the fabulous 1950's when Maybelline commercials first appeared on network TV, 
in The Maybelline Story. 

Signed copy's available at www.maybellinestory.com.

- Watch for Sharrie on AZTV, making rich, fattening, gooey, comfort food deserts, from the Depression Era, Next week.

- Bill Williams Classic Clenet will be shown at the Santa Barbara Concours D' Elegance, Oct 28 -30.

- Sharrie will be doing a presentation in Laguna Beach, Nov 5, at Laguna Books, - 6:00pm.