Waffle Fest: A New Year's Tradition

We have a new New Year's Day Tradition - WAFFLE FEST!!!  It was another instance of us attending, but not technically being "invited" - if your understanding of the word is its most literal definition - to a party.  Invited or not, for the last two years on New Year's Day, we have found ourselves at a private event held at the wackiest tackiest (if ever there was one) lighting store.

This saxophone lamp sets the tone for the whole store.
Kona Lighting is an amazing resource for vintage fittings, antique
shades, and in-house creations of the most fascinating variety.

A sputnik-style lamp with Christmas bulbs

Waffle Fest is the annual celebration held by the family at Kona Lighting in Stanton, CA.  Kona Lighting is the perfect place for interesting, antique/vintage, hard-to-find, or custom lighting fixtures any day of the year; New Year's Day, however, it is a wonderland of waffles.  Waffles are the order of the day and there is absolutely no questioning that fact with just a brief glimpse through the store.

An intergalactic, waffle starburst!

We've only been in attendance for two years and already it appears that there is an effort by the WF masterminds to outdo themselves with every new year - especially when it comes to the unbelievable waffle-themed party favors (last year we were treated to WF gliders with rubber band launchers).

This year, the party favor was a waffle bolo tie
with hand-whittled sausage finials.
Each piece is hand made and painted!

Cast resin Waffle Fest nightlights pay homage to the Von Dutch flying eyeball.
I am prone to hyperbole, but this is absolute GENIUS!!!

Besides the waffles and custom omelette bar and lighting and party favors, there is more - a band!!! The Riff Raff Swing Band is the WF house band and plays the finest in gypsy jazz and swing.

This year the band saw us dancing and singing along and ended up having us sing a few tunes.  I guess they didn't realize that once they gave up the microphone, they would never get it back (waffles with a large side order of HAM)!  We sang and sang (even when the words weren't exactly right) and sang some more and eventually got the whole crowd to join in on Gershwin's "Summertime."

Mary and Paul (who rectified our crimes against harmony) showing off their
 waffle bolo ties.
Mary is also wearing the mini-waffle earrings she picked up at last year's WF.
Everybody was astonished to see them because they were made out of
real, edible, mini waffles but somehow her pair managed to survive!

At one point during the waffle making merriment, our friend Kevin (our access point into WF) was heard saying, "I'm saving room for a pancake."  A PANCAKE?!?!?!!!  As you can imagine, the music screeched to a halt and several women fainted dead away right where they stood.  Instead of being escorted off of the premises by Waffle Fest security, Kevin was whisked away for a brief waffle indoctrination session and set on the straight-and-narrow path to waffle glory.

I don't know if it is possible for me to love this tabletop tableau any more than I already do - miniatures, a poodle with a waffle beret, Bob's Big Boy.  Love is Waffle Fest!

Our new year's wish is that the jig will most definitely not be up (stay down?) any time soon; if we can stave off the knowledge that we are Waffle Fest infidels* who somehow managed to horn our way in on the fun, we will definitely have a "Happy New Year" for many years to come.



Kona Lighting
8372 Katella Ave
Stanton, CA
(714)828-0910

*I'm including Kona Lighting's information for your lighting/decorating interests.  Please keep in mind that Waffle Fest is, as far as I know, not really open to the general public.  If I could invite you all, I would.

However, you ARE INVITED to our unofficial, wacky tacky Huell Howser memorial to be held on Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 2:00pm at Philippe's in downtown Los Angeles.  We'll meet there for food, fun, prizes, and sharing our best memories of our pal, Huell.  This is an informal gathering of wacky tacky and Huell Howser fans and is a totally unsponsored event.

Philippe the Original
1001 Alameda Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Collecting: "Tie-ing" One On

Collecting is an interesting subject.  It is tough to collect things because the focus and the act of collecting are very personal.  In displaying, or even discussing collections with others, one opens the door to receiving bottle caps, stamps, or pig figurines for every birthday and holiday for the rest of one's natural life - dangerous territory, to say the least.

I think humans are genetically predisposed with the collecting or the purging gene.  I have to fight myself tooth and nail to limit the amount of collecting I do because I am a breath away from being discovered mummified among the avalanche of my "things."  I have oft discussed the topic of hoarding on this blog.  Perhaps it is because I feel that admitting my problem is enough of a purge.  All I can say is that it is a good thing that I am highly allergic to animals.

It is strange for me to think that I collect ties as they are apparel; I own plenty of socks too but I would never consider them a collection.  It never occurred to me until I was sorting through stuff for a yard sale.  My sister challenged me to count the number of ties I had and when it appeared I had well over 100, I decided that indeed, it was a collection of sorts.  It got me to thinking about what makes a collection a collection.  Is the number of things important?  Does a group of three similar items a collection make?  Does inherent value have something to do with a group of things becoming a collection?  When does a collection become a museum?  Most importantly, and the thing I desperately need to learn, when is it time to sift through and edit a collection?

In all this talk about collecting, I thought I'd share some of the strange collections I have amassed over the years - starting with my ties.  My intention is not to "show off;" I have seen far bigger and far better collections.  I have seen ties that would actually knock your socks off and none of them are in my neck of the neckwear woods.  Furthermore, it must be noted that I am not a snob (at least not about ties).  The ties pictured below are examples of vintage and contemporary ties that have been received as gifts and purchased at swap meets, thrift stores, vintage stores and even the 99cents Store!

Bow Ties

A very special bow tie brought to me from the
Liberace Museum in Las Vegas, NV.

String Ties

A hand-painted & bedazzled string tie
"Clip-On Clolonel"

Bolo Ties

Green, carnival glass snake with rhinestone eye

Horse/Cowboy Ties

Western Kerchief Ties

Ascots & Scarves

Skinny Ties

Ties with dots

Ties with stripes

Plaid Ties

Knit Ties

Hawaiian Ties

Christmas Ties

Printed & Painted Ties

More Printed & Painted Ties

Even more Printed & Painted Ties

The silly part of this collection is that I don't wear ties all that regularly.  I'm not a suit & tie type of guy.  My job does not require business attire.  I don't "dress for dinner."  I only have one neck (multiple chins but only one neck).  So what's with all the ties?  The easy answer is that I like to have options.  Also, I like the artistry and design.  Mens' clothing can be rather dull and it seems so funny and appealing to me in this modern world that we think nothing of taking a length of colorful silk and tying it in a knot around our necks.  Ties are at once utilitarian and completely decorative.  They are definitely a link to our sartorial history and when I see one for a dollar or two, I can't resist the urge to "collect."

What kinds of things do you collect?  Why do you collect?  What got your collection started?  For what length of time have you been collecting?  If you'd like your collection to be featured in a "Collecting" edition of wacky tacky, be sure to let me know.


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny