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

Putt-Putterin' Around: Golf N' Stuff

I guess if I could have the ultimate backyard of my cheesy, childhood dreams, it would look just like the one from "Out of Scale," one of my all-time favorite Donald Duck cartoons.

 

 "Out of Scale"

While not nearly as persnickety as Donald when it comes to exact scale, I just can't help but love miniatures.  The mountains and meadows, the landscapes and houses, the chipmunks setting up housekeeping in the little houses - I want it all.  All of it plus water features - don't forget the water features; water features are essential in creating the ideal the atmosphere of my dream backyard.  And topiaries.  A snack shack couldn't hurt either.  I guess what I really want is to live in a miniature golf course.  A miniature golf course with a train running through it.

For too long at wacky tacky, we have become so obsessed with finding and sharing beautiful bowling alleys, that we neglected all of the joy and wonder that can be found in and around their sisters-in-20th Century-novelty and leisure, miniature golf courses!  A few months back we decided to resolve the issue by venturing into a pretty spectacular local course, Golf N' Stuff, in Norwalk, CA.
 

I can't think of any other place on earth, aside from Las Vegas perhaps, where one could encounter an Arabian palace, a tiki hut, a bathing elephant, a castle, and a haunted house all within steps of each other.  Alright, alright, Disneyland has a bunch of that stuff too.  Aren't we lucky to live in a world of such wacky tacky abundance?!

Born in the 1910's, mini golf really reached the peak of its first wave of popularity in the madcap 1920's.  An era of unprecedented prosperity and abundant leisure time, golf became one of the decade's most popular sports.  At a time when people were finding novelty in everything and creating novelty where there was none before (flagpole sitting, marathon dancing, goldfish swallowing), miniature golf just seemed like a natural progression.

Early mini golfers at a fairly primitive course.
Dig that loop-the-loop!
(Source)

As evidenced by the above photo, early mini golf courses weren't nearly as fantastic as the courses that were yet to come.  I'm so glad a tradition of excess emerged and subsequently became the norm because my favorite part of the sport is less about the sport itself and more about the marvelous, themed structures that create a fantasy world of diminutive proportion.  Looking at all of these structures made me wonder which one I would choose to live in given the opportunity.  Which one would do you favor?

With its cascading waterfalls, towers, turrets, bridges, and fairy tale cachet,
 I have a feeling many would go for the castle...but not Mr. Tiny.

Many of you spooky, gothic types might opt for The Haunted Mansion...
Mr. Tiny is far too big a scaredy cat!

I have no idea what kind of "sole" would want to live in a shoe -
probably some heel.  Yep, stolen straight from I Love Lucy.

The lure of tropical romance and a simple South Seas
 lifestyle had me leaning towards the tiki hut.

And then I saw Santa's Workshop!
Who wouldn't want to live in a world of toys and all-you-can-eat gingerbread?
  Mr. Tiny, that's who!
  I can't even stand the bitter cold of Southern California winters.

Maybe it is because I never had a treehouse/fort of my own,

but given my druthers, I think I would choose the this 

jim-dandy of a lookout/hideaway.  Give me the simple life! 

Along with the lofty perspective, I'd get a "Bad Boy" dunce
of a dog and a two-way tin can telephone.

It's not just the buildings though, it is the horticulture as well.  

The play of scale just makes me happy.  It's like a giant's croquet course
with nary a sticky wicket in sight.

It's all about the water features!
There is something so calming and reassuring about moving water.

Sometimes golf course security doesn't realize that a blog is a valid
reason for climbing over barriers to get the perfect photo.
In my backyard, splashing will definitely be allowed!!!

I almost missed this incredible snake mosaic slithering around the landscape.

I know it wasn't presented as an option, but I think I could even make the
Brady Bunch-era snack bar my home.  Even though the 70's are in the
 hinterlands of wacky tacky-dom, it really makes us happy when things
 don't change - a snack bar time capsule!

I love getting unsolicited appreciation for existing lifestyle choices.
Since I couldn't find additional signage that read
"Thank you for snacking between meals," this one had to suffice.

King Putt, the reigning king of Golf N' Stuff...for now.
He looks like he would be easy to depose; I feel a coup coming on.

Golf N' Stuff Family Fun Center
10555 E Firestone Blvd
Norwalk, CA
(562)868-9956

www.golfnstuff.com

Do you have a particularly neat miniature golf course that you frequent?  What was your first mini golf experience?  Let us know!


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny