Crazy Crafty: Mrs. Santa's Got A Brand New Hat

At this point, failure should be no surprise to me.  Nevertheless, I am often shocked by my own missteps, feeling particularly disappointed when said failure results from a supposed area of personal expertise (e.g. crazy homemade hats).   Disappointment abounds in Mr. Tiny's Workshop...

Intent on showing off my wacky tacky Tree Toppers to the family, I paraded them through the living room before the hot glue was even dry.  So busy humming "Pomp and Circumstance," I completely misjudged the time it would take to finish the song before explaining my creations.  I had barely uttered the last "duh-dum" when Mary pounced.  Practically wrenching it from my hands, she perched the snow angel atop her head and covetously inquired if it was to be her Christmas hat.

Why hadn't I thought of that?!!  

Really, why?!!  I mean, I have long held the reputation for turning just about anything into a hat - candy containers, placemats, fruit baskets, paper plates, panty hose and whiffle balls, etc.  If I hadn't thought of transforming my dollar-store delights into headpieces then I was fairly certain that my imagination was broken.  I had failed the holiday.  I had failed myself.  The only way to rectify the situation was to make some holiday headware that would sustain Mary throughout a season's worth of parties.  This year, instead of a Christmas dress, Mary would get a Christmas head-dress - with one caveat; I told her that if I made the hat, she had to wear it to at least one holiday party.

It all began in very much the same way as the tree toppers; the usual suspects included glitter tulle, doll head/hands, graduated bells, pipe cleaner, and pompoms.  The red, white, and black tinsel trimmings came from a deconstructed penguin decoration found at the 99 Cents Store.

As I had used the baby doll head for the snow angel, all I had were the face and hands of a sweet, bespectacled old lady (but enough about me).  Using them, I carefully began transforming the flotsam and jetsam of the craft stash into the merriest of Christmas widows, Mrs. Santa.

I gave Mrs. Santa a full makeover (including a touch up of her eyes, lips, and hair).
She wears a mobcap and proffers a miniature Christmas tree from the cake supply store.
The two-tired skirt works as a veil; the white tinsel trim is wired so the veil can be shaped as needed.

As the hat grew in size and scope, it occurred to me that maybe this might be a bet that even I didn't have the nerve to enforce.  But Mary called my bluff.  Not only did she wear the Mrs. Santa hat to a party - she kind of rocked it.

In a bizarre, crazy Christmas way it works, right?
And when it is not in commission as a hat, it can
be employed as a super-festive toilet paper cozy! 

Mary also upped the ante of the bet; at the very last minute (as we were on our way out the door), she dared me to wear a crazy party hat.  With negative time on my hands and no hat, I grabbed a tinsel tree decoration from the side table, quickly wiring on some ornaments and a bit of elastic to make an "aluminum" christmas tree hat.

Leave it to these two weirdos to show up at a fancy, grown-up
holiday party wearing homemade garbage on their heads.

The strange part is that the hats were actually a hit!  As it turns out, having a Christmas tree sitting on your head is quite the ice-breaker; all evening long conversations began by acknowledging the celephant in the room...and the hat on his head.

"Um...my eyes are down here."

Even Sage, our host for the evening, approved of the ceiling-scraping millinery.
We're sending a plaster repairman next week. 

To balance the sky-high spectacle on her head, Mary wore all vintage - a black '40s dress in rayon crepe, costume jewelry, and a '40s fur jacket.  In spite of the ebullient holiday cheer inherent in Mrs. Santa, the outfit read as a wartime femme fatale in an unlikely and depressing yuletide movie (see: Christmas Holiday).  And so we say to you...

"Merry Christmas and A Happy Noir Year...'Always!'"

"Always" - Deanna Durbin in Christmas Holiday (1944)

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Havin' a Ball at the Las Floristas Headdress Ball!

I'll go ahead and say it.  I like funerals.

It is said that funerals (memorials, celebrations of life, et al.) are not for the dearly departed.  Instead, they are for the living.  It may sound bonkers but nothing makes me want to go on living like a funeral - not so much for a fear of death, rather because hearing about the way that a successful life is one lived in a spirit of service and adventure, can be a somber reminder that there is still much living and learning to do.

Last weekend we drove several hours to attend the memorial service of a family friend who left an incredible legacy of beauty, joy, and mischief.  While the better part of three decades had passed since I had any direct contact with this friend, attending her memorial service was a wonderful opportunity to have my vaguely-marvelous memories of this unerringly-chic woman substantiated by the fond remembrances of her loved ones.

Susie, 1958
Isn't she breathtaking?  I think of Susie every time I make a dress or skirt for Mary;
she was quoted as saying, "A proper skirt should never have less than 5 yards of fabric."
(A higher-resolution image can be see here)

A statuesque octogenarian who referred to herself as 5'12", Susie was adventurer, wife, philanthropist, teacher, mother, model, artist, and chef all rolled into one.  When the announcement of her passing came, we were both saddened and intrigued - saddened, of course, by the loss and intrigued by the stunning images her family shared of Susie's incredible life.  In one particular photograph, dated 1958, Susie is donning a couture creation (remarkable for its multi-colored, asymmetrical peplum-turned-train) and a dramatic, oversized headdress.  My thoughts turned immediately to I Love Lucy and the episode, "Lucy Gets in Pictures" (1955).

When Lucy buckles under the pressure of this towering headdress,
she gets downgraded from cinema star to simple supernumerary.

Built for laughs, Lucy's headdress had nothing on the height, breadth, and splendor of Susie's phenomenal headpiece (and let it be noted that there isn't even the slightest trace of strain on Susie's unblemished brow).  Perhaps it is bad form at a memorial to so enthusiastically inquire about the origins of a sixty-year-old photograph but included in a slideshow tribute were a few equally-intriguing images that left us feeling like this was more than an ordinary fashion show.  Our piqued interest reached its collective peak when "showgirl" was not mentioned among her may artistic exploits.  As it turns out, Susie was a long-time participant with Las Floristas, a Los Angeles-based charity benefitting the health and educational concerns of special-needs children at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center's children's clinic.  Since 1938, the Las Floristas Headdress Ball, has been the charity's largest annual fundraiser.  Each year, similar fantasies fashioned of feathers and flowers, designed and built by professional florists, seem to grow in complexity and size (as shown in the videos below).

Las Floristas Headdress Ball (1938-1967)

(Susie can be seen at least twice is this video at about 4:50 wearing 

the gown and headdress combo above and approximately 5:35)

Las Floristas Headdress Ball (1968-1990)

Have you ever?  I have never.  I mean, did you see Susie with the scale-model Ice Capades dancer on her head?  Did you see the lady doing the Charleston?  Not to mention Eve, the functioning ferris wheel, the pirate ship, the mermaid leading her seahorse chariot, the giant opening ball thing, and the LOBSTER!!!  Oh, the lobster!  As far as I'm concerned, the Rose Parade can go suck an egg.

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My newest research project is to see how these pieces are made; even with paper, aluminum, silk flowers, foam, and featherweight plastics, these works of wearable art have got to be heavy (some of the models are concealing cleverly-disguised braces/supports).  I saw somewhere that the staff of the Headdress Ball includes an orthopedic surgeon to consult on the maximum height and weight of the headdresses.  Of course, the next move would be to wrangle an invitation to the Headdress Ball - even behind the scenes.  If you have an in, please let me know; I've got to see this for myself!

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So now do you see why I like funerals?  People are fascinating and full of personal histories to which we may not always be privy; as heartbreaking as the occasion may be, it is a thrill to learn more about the person and a challenge to be more like him or her.  I am grateful to Susie and her family for being a wonderful example of inclusivity, generosity, and kindness.  How lucky we were to have our lives touched by such a force of light and love!  If a pretty girl is like a melody, then Susie was SYMPHONY!

To find out more about Las Floristas, the Headdress Ball, and to donate, please visit lasfloristas.org.
To find out more about the Las Floristas Children's Clinic at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, please visit rancho.org.


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Signs of the Times: Gunther's Ice Cream

If nothing else, Instagram has taught me that there are many people who spend the bulk of their free time documenting interesting, historic, and beautiful signs.  One need only search the hashtags #coolsign or #vintageneon to see that #signgeeks are alive and well.  Never has the activity occupied enough of my time for me to consider it even much of an avocation.  A passing interest?  Maybe.  A road trip diversion?  Sure.  A whimsy?  Why not?

Gunther's Ice Cream (est. 1940) - Sacramento, CA

I suppose the time has come for me to reevaluate my place in the world of sign hunting.  However unpopular my stance, I must admit that I go for the big game.  Fancying myself an expert tracker, I sniff the winds for whiffs of neon and follow the telltale tracks.  If I could, I would triumphantly hoist one foot on top of the very best signs I bag, posing for the camera with a self-satisfied grin.  Among my prize trophies would be Gunther's Ice Cream in Sacramento, CA.

Gunther is all aglow and ready for action!

It can be challenging for a lactose-intolerant to justify embarking on a 1,000-mile safari to the ice cream epicenter of California's capitol, but that is precisely how I know that my devotion borders on the fanatical; I need no justification.  On one trip, I made my family drive approximately 45 miles out of the way (retracing our steps twice) because I got a hunch that there was a good sign I missed (and indeed there was).  I approach this endeavor with all the devotion of a newly-minted Hindu monk.

But if I'm going to worship at the altar of any multiple-
limbed deity, it will be Lord Gunther ...sorry Vishnu. 

Oh, yes.  Gunther's does serve ice cream.  If they didn't, they would have a quite a difficult time explaining the endless line that encircles the building.  Generations of Sacramentians, Sacramentites, Sacra-men's toes (or whatever you call 'em) have made Gunther's Ice Cream a favorite, sun-down watering hole - a truly ideal setting for observing the sign in its natural habitat.

Cherries on top for everyone!

And while I couldn't indulge in the dairy-filled delights, I was more than sated by one of my favorite pastimes - THE HUNT (and thanks to the wacky tacky adventure team, not a single Cecil was injured)!

Sometimes the only way to fit all the sundae-
stuffed wacky tacky adventure team members into
a single photo is to stack 'em - TRIPLE SCOOP!!!

Gunther's Ice Cream
2801 Franklin Blvd
Sacramento, CA
(916)457-6646

gunthersicecream.com


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

The TEXAS STATE FAIR is a Great STATE FAIR!!!

Tiny & Mary take Texas (or at least the State Fair of Texas)!!!

I'm not sure if it is embarrassing to admit, but State Fair (1945) is one of my favorite movies.  Furthermore, it is far and away my favorite Rogers & Hammerstein musical.  Don't get me wrong; I think Dick and Oscar wrote some of the 20th Century's greatest love songs (see: "Something Good") but somehow their works, bogged down by far too many a dreary dream ballet for my liking, are overwrought and ultimately depressing.  State Fair, unique in its purely-cinematic origins, is a masterpiece of mid-'40s optimism.  The joyful whirl of dirndl dresses and "rousing, cornfed ditties," encourages my perennial delusion that this is what all fairs will be like.  Not so much.

State Fair (1945)

Remade in 1962 with an unlikely roster including Alice Faye, Ann-Margaret, Bobby Darin, and Pat Boone, State Fair's geography changed dramatically from the corn fields of Iowa to the wide, open prairies of Texas.  Filmed on location, State Fair (1962) made the most of the enormous fairgrounds.  

"Isn't It Kinda Fun?" - Ann-Margaret in State Fair (1962)

My birthday trip to Texas resulted in a self-guided tour of those very fairgrounds that was more than "kinda fun;" it was the highlight of our day in Dallas.  The only things "kinda fun" about the 1962 movie reboot are Ann-Maragret at the height of her powers and matching the fairgrounds captured in our photos to the images presented in the film.

State Fair of Texas, 1962

State Fair of Texas, 2015

Opened in 1936 for the centennial celebration of Texas statehood, Fair Park is a marvel of Art Deco architecture.  Open to the public year-round, the sprawling fair grounds define the phrase, "They just don't make them like they used to."  To ensure that we were able to see everything, we rented bikes that we thought would allow us to cover more ground.

It was our lucky day as there were only two functioning bicycles left in the bike rack!
Mine, of course, was cursed with gear issues and left me pedaling triple duty...

The main entrance into the State Fair of Texas was appropriately large but slightly unprepossessing, with only a solitary statue honoring the dedicated men and women who designed and built the fair.

"To perpetuate the memory of the builders of the State Fair of Texas."

Just past this garden, however, an entire world of stately beauty is revealed.  Flanked by a pair of pegasus (pegasi? pegasuses?), an almost endless reflecting pool becomes the centerpiece to a grand concourse of exhibition halls and pavilions.  In front of each porticoed hall towers a powerful statue representing Texas' famous six flags (Spain, Mexico, France, The Confederacy, The Republic of Texas, and The United States).

State Fair (1962)

2015
The fountains weren't operating but that didn't diminish the majesty of Fair Park's main esplanade.

Many of the exhibition halls are adorned with larger-than-life murals.

Mary said that this is how she pictures her romantic life - a blonde angel swooping
down to rescue some poor guy from the endless miseries of bachelorhood. 

State Fair (1962)

2015
It is our understanding that the fairgrounds suffered from some questionable "make-
unders" over the years.  Thankfully, everything has been restored to full, glorious color. 

State Fair (1962)

2015
This is not the same statue as the one pictured above, but you get the idea.

Mary wondered why this particular statue wasn't included in the final cut of State Fair.
I could only think of a couple reasons...

State Fair (1962)

2015
The Hall of State is not featured prominently in the film but you can clearly make out
the golden god in front of the building...and just past him you can see that Tejas warrior statue.

One of the pavilions was left open so we took the opportunity to do some exploring.

It was quite dark inside and nothing was going on but we did get the chance to marvel 

at the Art Deco motifs that continued on inside the buildings. 

State Fair (1962)

2015
As much as we loved the State Fair of Texas, it was certainly not without its disappointments.
A chairlift/gondola ride might be fun but it is no substitution for the long-gone '50s-era monorail!

State Fair (1962)

2015
And don't get me started on Big Tex!!!  I was more than a little miffed to learn that
Big Tex is only on site when the fair is running.  But I was quickly distracted by this
shiny, gold, skyscraper (the base of which can be seen next to Big Tex in the above
still from the film). 

State Fair (1962)

As the world's largest carnival barker, Big Tex beckons fairgoers into the midway.  I
had to settle for "Big Mare" or "Midway Mary" as she's known around the fairgrounds...
Even still, I was thrilled to see the same neon-clad midway arch that is featured in the movie! 

The original star of the midway was the Triple Racing 

Roller Coaster, seen in this footage from 1936.

Fair Park extends far beyond the grandeur of the exhibition halls and the thrills of the midway.  Home to museums, an aquarium, and a manmade lake, one could happily spend an entire day roaming the grounds - even without the promise of caveman-sized turkey legs, deep-fried Oreos, and milk-chocolate bacon on a stick.

In the forecourt of the aquarium sits an incredible seahorse water feature.
I'm not sure that I've ever mentioned it here, but I am fascinated by
seahorses and love seeing them represented in art and architecture.

This fella was loitering outside the Natural History Museum.

Creating a fairyland atmosphere, one section of the lagoon features a beautiful, interactive
sculpture garden, where serpentine footpaths meander through the water and around the trees.

The joke's on you, Texas.  This troll is on top of the bridge!!!

A fair full of people might have lent some vitality and atmosphere to our visit but Mary and I agreed that that we preferred having the entire park to ourselves.  It is a treat to experience the art and architecture without shoving past hordes of hungry fair folk (oddly enough, one of the few people that we did see was someone with whom Mary is acquainted from Southern California; we met him as we entered a warehouse sale that was being held on the fairgrounds - Mary has a friends in every airline hub).

A panoramic view of the wonderfully-desolate State Fair of Texas

The State Fair of Texas did much to restore my faith in the possibility of fairs.  If you ever find yourself deep in the heart of Texas, it is a most worthwhile use of your time.  And as everyone in Texas is a Texan, even a couple of no good city slickers, we feel perfectly comfortable declaring that "Our state fair is a great state fair!"  Don't miss it!  Don't even be late!

"Our State Fair is a Great State Fair" - State Fair (1962)

State Fair of Texas

3921 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd

Dallas, TX

(214)565-9331

bigtex.com

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny