Signs of the Times: Mexicali Mexican Food

If you've read this blog for any length of time, you are probably aware of my abiding affinity for the desert...and also dessert (lots and lots of dessert, just to be clear).  There are few things as inspiring to my heart and as rejuvenating to my soul as a long drive through the sweeping, Joshua Tree-studded sand-scapes afforded by the desert...but also cookies and cake (do not forget the snacks).

Perhaps, I love the desert because the suburbs of Southern California seem to bleed together, offering very little visual relief from the great expanses of passionless stucco homes and shopping centers.  Perhaps, I love the desert because the air is clear and I can listen to the sound of silence.  Perhaps, and most probably, I love the desert because of the cacti.  I'll never forget my first long-distance drive through the American Southwest, feeling like the many arms of the great saguaros were waving to me as we zoomed down the lonely highway in our overstuffed minivan.  The cactus is such a symbol of the desert's solitude that even when it is transplanted smack dab into the middle of a city, I am sustained by a sense of peace...peace and the possibility that Mexicali Mexican Food's sign also means that desserts are available (preferably churros). 

Mexicali Mexican Food - Bakersfield, CA

Fans of vintage signage, including myself, often get hung up on the epic wonders of neon signs.  It is easy to eschew signs less ornate, less fantastic, less prone to the comforting hum and glow of neon.  Mexicali's sign, however, offers definitive proof that "fluorescent" need not be considered a dirty word where signs are concerned.  Signs, more "light-box" in nature, are worthy of our esteem, particularly when they are as dynamic to the landscape as this captivating cactus - by day and by night.

Should there be any purists present, be of good cheer; one needn't look too
far to find the glimmer of neon on the grounds of Mexicali Mexican Food.

Mexicali Mexican Food's sign might be shaped like a giant cactus, but it is definitely the heirloom rose in the well-tended garden that we call "Signs of the Times."

"Mexicali Rose" - Gene Autry 

Mexicali Mexican Food Restaurant
631 18th St
Bakersfield, CA
(661)327-3861

mexicalifood.com


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Sew What?! Mexicali Folk Couture

For no significant reason whatsoever - besides the life-spice that is variety - I am always reticent to put two posts of the same category one immediately after the other.  In this instance, however, an anxiousness to share the beautiful fruits of a successful group effort has me abandoning my stance and bringing you a very special "Sew What?!" 

My mentailty in design is best diagnosed as schizophrenic; one day I'll be appliquéing an angel fish silhouette to a beach ensemble and the next day I'll be hemming a bias-cut evening gown or sewing pom-pom trim to the hem of high-waisted capri pants.  Were I ever to create a cohesive collection, I know that the inspirational through-line would be found at the intersection of ethnic and bohemian fashions - a little corner that I like to call "Folk Couture."

Transcending time and place, the richness, simplicity, and

femininity of folk couture are the true heart of my favorite looks.

Just to prove that we aren't afraid of trying something new, we decided to collaborate with our good pal, Fabian Fioto (remember that name), to see if we could elevate my humble stitchery to something a little more refined.  With no particular destination in mind, we loaded up Fabian's '55 Buick and started scouting locations for a day of photography, featuring the latest from Mr. Tiny's workshop.

With Mary as model, Fabian behind the lens, and Mr. Tiny as stylist and PA (I'm a whiz at holding a reflector), we found the perfect setting at Los Rios Historic District in the shadow of the Mission San Juan Capistrano.

I'm still in the beginning stages of learning to be flexible when it comes to a rigid adherence to my original color story; after so many vain searches for something that only exists in my mind, I am getting more limber - creatively speaking - with every project.  Failing to find the perfect buttercup yellow for the skirt, I settled on a green taffeta that I found for four dollars per yard (a definite splurge by wacky tacky standards).  For many, four dollars per yard is not a price too dear; in fact it might seem downright cheap; it has always been my feeling though that a guaranteed way to make inexpensive fabric look luxurious is simply to use lots and lots of it!  The peasant blouse is made from an ivory lace remnant that was a hand-me-down from my grandma, with ruffles finished in a tatted trim found at my favorite hole-in-the-wall, Mexican fabric store.

I once passed up a lot of vintage millinery flowers at a local swap meet and I kick
myself  to this day.  With my genuine distaste for most of what passes as silk florals
these days, those bygone, vintage flowers haunted me as the only things that I could
imagine affixing to the neckline.  I was surprised to find a bunch of passable, red
poppies at the craft store and cut down the stems to make my own little bouquet.

I don't know if the experience is unique to me, but I am genuinely excited about everything I sew...until the project is finished.  Once a garment has been completed, the momentum is gone.  It is then that I begin to pick apart all of the imperfections and acknowledge the astounding lack of technique.  This ensemble, however, is one of my favorite things that I've ever sewn for Mary; it probably has as much to do with the feeling that I've embraced my favorite design sensibility as it does with finally seeing a finished project fully realized in beautiful photographs.

Would you believe that the combined length of this skirt includes no less than 45 yards of fabric?!?!!
Counting the length of each tier, I figure that I gathered 135 feet of green taffeta!!!

Do you believe me now?

Well, what do you think?  Are you a fan of folk couture?  How do you think we handled our first attempt at a proper photo shoot?  I knew that good lighting, solid camera equipment, and a skilled technician would make a substantive difference from our usual last-minute, front-yard snapshots but I was not prepared for just how significant that difference would be.  I am so impressed with Mary's modeling (she apparently reserves her effort for professionals) and Fabian's camera work (a great director and visionary).

How very quickly it went from this...

...to this.

A huge thanks to my wacky tacky compatriots for making this lone wolf feel like a real collaborator!!!

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny