J for...

JUMPERS: 

When reading the book Confessions of a Shopaholic, I was confused when the main character said "jumpers." It wasn't until a subsequent reference in the same paragraph to cardigans that I realized "jumpers" is British for sweaters. (The author is British.) Upon seeing the word "jumper," I was immediately reminded of this article of clothing:

Kind of a dress and overalls combination. These were common in my days but have long since disappeared. I don't know if I ever wore these. It was so long ago--one of the reasons I was confused by the reference to jumpers in the book. I can't imagine these making a comeback. Or have they? Seems doubtful, but I don't always keep up with things like this.

The word "jumper" is a bit of a misnomer as far as both the dresses and sweaters go, but even more so in the case of sweaters.

JUKEBOXES:

 

When it comes to jukeboxes of my day, these are the images that often come to mind:  

But the ones below were those typically found in bars, restaurants and clubs, and the small ones placed on tables. These were back when 45 RPM records were used. 

These were back when 45 RPM records (singles) were the medium used in the devices. Eventually they transitioned to CDs and are now digital music-based. They were so fun to play when the discs were the medium utilized. I've never tried to play music a digital-music one, nor did I ever play one  when they used CDs. I've only seen one digital one, and it's been awhile since I've been out to bars and other places that would have one.

JEWELRY:

It was common to see jewelry such as this (though I was never big on this stuff myself):

🔍

Note how Kim Holderness imitates the jewelry made famous by Madonna in this parody video:

 

JUMP ROPE:

Jumping rope at school during recess was always fun. It was common for the two people turning the rope to recite a rhyme while a third person jumped. One rhyme that sticks in my mind is this:

Ice cream soda, Hawaiian punch
Who's the name of your honey bunch? 
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 
(The letter you mess up with is the letter you use.)

I didn't see this one very often in my neck of the woods, but this was another popular jump rope game:

JUDY BLUME BOOKS:

Among my favorite authors as a child was Judy Blume. She, of course, wrote Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret, and I read that one many times, even re-reading its as an adult. I'm now looking forward to the movie. The Fudge books series were also favorites of mine, with Superfudge being the one I liked the most.

It's a shame Margaret has been banned many times. It's something every girl should read at least once.

JEM:

Had I been younger and still into toys and cartoons when this line came out, I no doubt would have wanted to have the toys in this line. Even though I felt I was past watching cartoons, by then, I did glance at a few episodes on USA Network in 1989, just out of curiosity. The line's catchphrase was "Truly outrageous!"

And in 1987, I remember seeing this doll advertised, thinking I'd have wanted it if I had been younger then. It seemingly was an attempt by Mattel to compete with Jem, though Mattel had already jumped on the Jem bandwagon with its Barbie and the Rockers line. Sadly, this line did not sell well, and was discontinued within a year.

These designs so scream the 1980s!

I could not resist the temptation to see the Jem movie in 2015. I would have liked to seen it take place in the 1980s like the original. 

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JUMPING off for today. KINDLY visit again tomorrow.