In Penny Loafers & Bobby Pins, the four Sanvidge sisters, whose birthdates span the Baby Boomer period, present a lively chronicle of growing up in the 1950s and 1960s in a small midwestern town. Each sister writes about the facets of her childhood she remembers best, and their lighthearted stories are illustrated with period photos. Sprinkled with mentions of pedal pushers, home permanents, and “two-tone” cars; early TV shows and the first rock and roll; hula hoops, Tiny Tears, and Mr. Potato Head (played with a real potato); and memories of their grandparents who lived nearby, Penny Loafers & Bobby Pins also features “how-tos” for re-creating the fads, foods, crafts, and games the Sanvidge sisters recall in their stories.

"Cruise down a Memory Lane lined with nostalgia, humor, and how-to's in this irreverent memoir of growing up Baby Boomer in the heart of the Midwest. From a first peek at television as a child to weekend trips in a converted city bus, first communions, and homecoming parade floats, the Sanvidge sisters deliver it all again with the same flair as their incredibly popular cookbook memoir, Apple Betty and Sloppy Joe. Honest, clean good humor from a more innocent time in life and in America is fun reading for everyone—this is a book you'll want to share with all of your best-friends-forever, sisters, and especially your long-suffering mother (bless her soul!). Reading the Sanvidge sisters’ stories is sure to spark many memories of your own. Laugh until the tears come and relive a piece of childhood: try one of the craft how-to's, hairdos, or another scrumptious homemade recipe from Grandma Noffke!" (Candy Pearson, Apple Blossom Books, Oshkosh)

"There's much talk about baby boomers these days, with the first wave of this huge population hitting 65 this year. This fun-filled memoir by four sisters who grew up in Oshkosh, Wis., will trigger lots of memories for women who came of age in the post-World War II years. There's a little bit of everything in this book—memories of the girls' time at the lake, how-to tips on making pin curls correctly (not something we'd want to relive) and Kool-Aid 'in the battered old aluminum pitcher,' as well as poodle skirts and petticoats, girdles (shudder) that held up stockings before the invention of pantyhose and weekly doses of 'goiter pills' handed out at school. Mingled with the memories are such recipes as make-it-yourself chocolate syrup and Aunt Millie's Southern Fried Chicken. This book is lots of fun. It's not surprising it was a Midwest Booksellers Association Midwest Connections pick, meaning it is being recommended by staff of independent bookstores." (Mary Ann Grossmann, The Pioneer Press)