Christmas from Outerspace

Trying to recapture just a smidge of the holiday spirit that we felt as children, we have been doing a lot of driving around looking at Christmas lights.  My favorite part of residential displays is that everyone gets to embrace wacky tacky, if just for a season.  With few exceptions, there really is no such thing as a "tasteful" use of life-size reindeer and Santa legs sticking out of the chimney top.  Our street, a cul-de-sac with absolutely nothing to prove to passing motorists, has always been a bit lackluster when it comes to ostentatious light displays.  Nary an inflatable Grinch nor blow-mold snowman bedecks a single yard on our street (our house included).  Fortunately, there are plenty of neighborhoods around that aren't so resolutely "Bah, humbug!"

Even in neighborhoods resplendent with holiday cheer, there is always that one guy.  The one who takes things to a new level of fantastic, electricity-sucking light pollution that is so spectacular I'm almost positive that his contribution to yuletide excess can be seen from outer space!  

(Source)

Recently we went with our pals Emily and Jesse (Emily of The Silver Screen Affair fame) to check out a house in Hesperia, CA that has become such a tourist attraction that it makes the local news every year and even has its own website. 

Welcome to the winter wonderland;
this is only the beginning.

With at least an acre of land, this property boasts more light bulbs per square foot than Disneyland (according to my rough calculations).  What it might lack in Disney's finesse, it makes up for in colloquial charm...

When was the last time you saw Santa peeking from
behind the outhouse door looking for more toilet paper?

I don't know if they still do it, but my elementary school always had Santa
arrive in a helicopter the day before we left for vacation.  This light fixture
left me feeling a little nostalgic.

One of the tunnels of lights

Pink flamingoes, palm trees, and a ribbon.

The Peanuts Gang

Despite the popular verse, I was indeed able to catch
The Gingerbread Man!

I hope so!
A bit of patriotism amid the Christmas splendor

A winter fountain

I like this part of the decor best not only due to its large scale (Mary is 6' tall to give you some perspective), moreso
because in a world plagued by hatred, war, and natural disaster, the simple message of "Peace on Earth" is one that I hope more people (myself included) will embrace through their words, behavior, and treatment of their fellow men.

Action shot!  ACE ON EAR indeed!

Every building on the property was used in show.
Straight from the North Pole, was that dynamic duo, Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus

The real deal!

Mary & Emily on Santa's lap.
It looks like everyone's Christmas wish is coming true!

I love that, much like well-maintained yards and houses, a similar sense of homeowner pride is exhibited in the neighborhoods that adopt these over-the-top displays.  This was definitely the house with most extensive, elaborate display that we visited, but our encounters with extreme holiday showmanship were both frequent and far flung!

This maison of yuletide merriment had a working ski lift that carried elves and snowmen
to the top of the roof/slope and flailing legs of a skier stuck in a snowbank. 

I have a particular fondness for this house because it tried to appeal to EVERYONE.
Of course they hit the traditional marks with Santa's workshop and the Nativity. but do you also see
The Teletubbies, Woody, Winnie the Pooh, Bananas in Pajamas, and the stars of the Twilight Saga?

This house had a light spectacular that synchronized the lights with its own radio broadcast!

Have you seen any outrageous displays this season?
Are you "that guy/gal" with the out-of-this-word holiday lights?
(Source)

Here is one more wish that all of you wacky tacky turkey necks have a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful and Happy New Year!


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Crazy Crafty: One More Holiday Craft for a Special Birthday

I love handmade gifts - both given and received.  When contemplating gift options for the "person who has everything," a homemade present is really the only way to ensure that the gift will be unique.  I have been the recipient of some truly spectacular handmade gifts from beautiful paintings to printed t-shirts to one-of-a-kind ceramics.  These are gifts that I truly treasure both for their aesthetic and sentimental value.

Last night we attended the birthday party of our pal, Charles - here is a guy for whom it is impossible to shop (not because he isn't incredibly gracious).  I had a few ideas rolling around in the vast wasteland that is my brain but I was intimidated because my skills can be so easily outclassed.

One dare not bake anything for Charles because he is a gourmand and somehow
manages to elevate the art of mile-high cakes to even new heights!  Here he is with
his (I forgot to take notes on the name) peppermint, mint-chip, junior mint, 5-layer cake!

Obviously a bespoke jacket of woven, brightly-colored, South American fabric would
have been a wardrobe redundancy - so that was out. 

Cookies are clearly out of the question because he, of course, has a friend
who bakes/designs/decorates incredible portrait cookies. 

A pinata seemed ideally wacky tacky and fun, but we were beat to the punch on that one too.

I finally realized that this "King of Kodachrome" needed something related to vintage slides that didn't involve a projector, carousel, or advance button.

A Kodachrome Kabin

The love-child resulting from of the clandestine affair between a shimmering putz house (who could resist her glittering charms?) and a cozy gingerbread house - the kind we made in elementary school out of empty milk cartons and graham crackers - was the best I could do.

I'm not sure if it qualifies as a wacky tacky craft unless tinsel
or glitter is involved, preferably both - obviously. 

I'm sure people who have birthdays close to or, heaven forbid, on Christmas must eventually resign themselves to receiving the dreaded "combo gift" or, at the very least, holiday themed presents for their birthdays; I say that there are certainly worse things in life but I for one am glad I have a little distance between my big day and the big day!

I included a couple of electric tealights that illuminate the slide house from within.
The slides I used were of changing leaves and poinsettias - apropos but not too
precious.

Nevertheless, Charles seemed to like his little Kodachrome Kabin set in the winter woods.  I had a lot of fun making it and we had a blast at his birthday bash.  As socially awkward as I am prone to be, I met a lot of amazing, interesting, talented people and I don't think I embarrassed myself too much.

Mary & Charles
Find it in your heart to forgive her for the dress repeat.
There are so few opportunities to wear a Christmas-
themed squaw dress throughout the year, that I
 made her wear it again!

Well, tell me, are you ready for the big day?  Are you making any homemade gifts this year?  If you are on the "nice list" what would be your ideal present under the tree?  Ponder these things as you enjoy the true meaning of the holiday - COOKIES!  It is cookies, right?!  Merry Christmas!!!

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Sew What?! Christmas on the Patio: A Holiday Squaw Dress

(Source)

Living in Southern California leaves us fairly immune to "weather" (boasting? why, yes, I am).  Here we must rely on the traditional colors of Christmas as the only major indicators that the season is upon us.  You know, the classic palette of gold, orange, brown, and yellow...GOLD, ORANGE, BROWN, and YELLOW?!?!?!  Okay, question my orthodoxy if you must, but wouldn't you take a second look if whilst browsing the second-hand store you came across 9.5 yards of this crazy, Christmas-themed trim?

There are times in life when even $1.91 is too dear to waste on something frivolous - good thing I don't consider 9.5 yards of woven, lamé, Christmas trim a frivolity.  I'm sure people much smarter and more clever than I could have figured out myriad ways to employ the trim.  To me, however, there was only one option - a Christmas squaw/patio dress.  What better way to celebrate both the holiday and our temperate winter weather than Christmas on the patio?

Even a tree going up in blaze isn't enough to faze Mary.  What a trouper.
p.s. My camera stinks.  Any suggestions on a good, moderately priced replacement?

If you have never made a squaw dress, I recommend against it.  It takes an unholy amount of ric rac to achieve the desired look which translates to hours spent in front of the trusty, old Bernina (which actually gave out halfway through) applying the dang blasted stuff!  And then there are the gathers!  $1.91 for the trim may not have been too dear but $100 for a proper gathering foot for the sewing machine was.

I'm still having PTSD-induced nightmares about miles of gathers and ric rac!

And then there is the fully-lined bodice in which one must sew a total of twenty darts - twelve of them at the elbows!  The ELBOWS!  Never able to leave well enough alone, I also made a matching belt with covered buckle.

It was a good excuse to use this vintage Jiffy Buckle.
Warning: 50+ year-old adhesive from an iron-on
 "Magic Pattern" is best left "un-ironed-on."

Again, I leave it to much smarter/more clever people to just go out and buy ready-made clothing - especially when said clothing is for your crummy kid sister!!!

The living room of our pals, Bobby and Amber, was the perfect backdrop for a photo of Mary in the new dress.

It may not be red, green, and white -  or even blue and silver - but it was fun to turn the traditional, tri-color, Christmas color story on its elfin ear.  I honestly thought that Mary would receive a bit of good-natured ribbing at the unexpected color combination but everyone seemed to really like it!  Did you make or assemble a cool holiday outfit?

I only left myself enough time to clip on my vintage "Merry
Xmas" colonel tie.  Fortunately, I was in great company with
 our pal, Dave, and his "Season's Greetings" neckwear.

Boy, oh boy, I have a lot of holiday themed posts that I wanted to do but I'm running out of time.  Christmas is very much just around the corner.  Here's wishing you and yours a very joy-filled holiday!


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny