I WAS admiring Rummage's plastic peonie on Friday and, wham, a parcel arrives Monday and inside there's a brown paper package with said plastic peonie attached. Thank you Nanette. I'd have been pleased with a piece of brown paper, a couple of strips of cute tape and the peonie, but no, Nanette is the most generous blogger ever who can spot a covetable item at 10 paces. She can. Indeed she can.

Inside the paper packaging was a Girl Scouts of America handbook, dated 1953. Boo yah. Not only am I a Girl Guide leader, I collect the Movement's ever-so-brilliantly-daggy vintage handbooks. Given the Movement is 101 years old this year, each one is a snapshot of not only a fabulous organisation that supports young women to become leaders in their communities but also of the women's movement.

This one in particular lists a number of badges one would expect from 1953, like Homemaker, Dressmaker and Good Grooming but it also lists badges like Journalist, Aviation and Metalwork. In fact, the introduction gives a nod to great women like scientist Marie Curie, African American poet Phyllis Wheatley and aviator Amelia Earhart.

"...as a Girl Scout you can explore new fields of knowledge," the introduction says.

Remember, it's 1953. Have you seen Mad Men?

"You can make your contribution today as a citizen of your troop, school and community. You can prepare to make your contribution in the future as a homemaker, a business woman or a professional woman."

Joan Holloway, eat ya heart out.