Just Because I, Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi Like You Very Much

I love birthday presents.  I love Christmas presents.  It is a fact that I love presents of all varieties, but usually I protest the opportunity to be a recipient because I was raised with the notion that a gracious decline (see "no gifts please") was good manners.  No matter how much I protest, which I usually doth too much, there is no denying the joy of fiendishly tearing into the aluminum foil (What?  Everyone doesn't ensconce gifts of the heart in food-grade wrapping?) to uncover something that is meant just for me; growing up in a family of five children, there were very few things that I could claim as mine alone.  The only thing better than a birthday gift or Christmas gift, is that gift that comes totally unexpectedly at a time when a little pick me up is needed but no such expectation can be justified because the major gift-giving holidays have just very recently passed - the "just because" gift.  When that rarest species of gifts just happens to be old-timey AND wacky tacky, then you know you have hit the "just because" jackpot!

Many people will say that they were "born in the wrong decade," but I am convinced that the same people would be reticent to abandon the luxuries and basic comforts provided by the modern world.  I see it as an episode of The Twilight Zone - an unwitting protagonist wishes to go back in time but fails to read the fine print and promptly contracts polio and lives in an iron lung for the rest of his life.  Despite the obvious pitfalls of time travel, I will admit that I too have been guilty of spending an inordinate amount of time planning the clever and productive use of a time machine should such a device ever become available.  Few things make the desire to explore the flexibility of the space-time continuum more profound than a "just because" gift I recently received from my pals Jesse & Emily.  Just four words....

Don't you want to live in a time when a South American songstress was popular enough with the whole family to warrant a coloring book?  Even if you didn't want to live in 1942, wouldn't be a nice place to visit?

Carmen Miranda, having been featured previously on our blog, is a true icon of wacky tacky.  Our credo of "More is more," is a natural extension of her outlandish hats, beautiful costumes, and mile-high platform shoes.  Owning this nearly-untouched coloring book is a bit intimidating because the large pages are just begging to be colored (a favorite wacky tacky pastime) but the nagging feeling that it is somehow wrong to color a vintage coloring book can't be denied.  What do you think?

There are a few colored pages but it is obvious that the artist, Mary Ann, applied a gentle and loving hand.

All I want is a trip to Copacabana Beach - circa 1939

It is amazing to me how with just a few simple lines, the spirit of Carmen is captured in the pages of this book.

Thrown in for good measure?

The details are all there, right down to
 those famous platform shoes!

This generous gift is even more meaningful because Emily is a huge, classic movie buff; she has a beautiful blog called The Silver Screen Affair.  For her to have a little piece of movie-related history in her hands and be magnanimous enough to give it to me was a truly kind gesture.  The greatest part about a "just because" gift is the opportunity to pay it forward and make somebody else's day.

"I, Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi Like You Very Much" - Carmen Miranda

Thanks Emily & Jesse!!! I, yi, yi, yi, yi, yi like you too!!!

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

NYE Under the Sea

I will be the first to admit it; after all of that holiday merry making, I have lost a bit of steam.  So many parties, so many treats, so many lights and presents and music and fireworks - I'M POOPED!  In actual fact, it is a great state to find oneself; the pure exhaustion that comes from an abundance of good friends and happy times reminds me just how fortunate I am.

For the majority of my years on this planet, I have spent New Year's Eve snuggled deep under the covers of my bed, either watching a classic movie or, more likely, fast asleep.  Counting sheep rather than counting down always seemed a satisfactory way to ring in the new year and invariably I awoke refreshed and ready to watch that spectacle of floral fantasy, The Rose Parade.  The last few years have broken me of my hibernation habit; instead of sleeping, I have, like the rest of the world, actually participated in parties.  As it turns out, I have so thoroughly enjoyed greeting the dawn of a new year with friends, that now I can't imagine doing it any other way.

Our most recent December 31 celebration found us at the charming home of our friends, Damien and Allison, for their annual New Year's Eve festivities.  This year the merriment had an official theme, "King Neptune's Under the Sea Ball."  Most people know better than to give me a theme because once I'm committed, I'm like a dog with a bone.

A lobster Jell-O mold.
It was brought to my attention that it could be interpreted as something
other than a lobster but I assure you, a lobster it most certainly is.
As much as I LOVE Jell-O, I had never made an actual Jell-O mold;
There is plenty of room for improvement, but I was thrilled
 that it actually worked!

Release the Kraken!
I also made a dip that incorporated an idea I had seen online - a bell
pepper (capsicum for you non-Yankee types) octopus.

The evening's entertainment included the musical stylings of that siren of song, and one of our most favorite people, the inimitable Janet Klein.

If you've never had the opportunity to hear Janet sing, do yourself a favor
and look her up, tout suite!  She was accompanied on piano by the amazing
 musician, and regular Parlor Boy, the uber-talented Randy Woltz.

As if Janet wasn't enough, we even got to hear from another of our favorite songstresses, Amber Foxx!   And just because we are the biggest hams who won't let an opportunity to sing go unsung, Mary and I joined the music making with a few tunes as well.  There was a gift exchange where an original Little Orphan Annie decoder pin, a 1920's Niagara Falls scrapbook, and 1930's beauty products were among the coveted, and oft-stolen, items.  There was even a best-dressed contest and while Mary won, I will happily take full credit for her ensemble.

The under-the-sea theme allowed Mary a second chance
 to wear the mermaid costume I made for her sideshow freak
 birthday party.  After making many, many outfits that get
but a single use, I have become satisfied when every item
 finds at least a second chance to make its way out of
 the abyss that is her closet.

Music, gifts, and costumes may have been the highlights but, as per usual, pure hijinks filled the bulk of our party time. 

Party in the powder room!

Janell & Emily won the gold medal in the bathtub bobsled.

Amber makes like Tippi Hedren in The Birds.

Emily got in on the act too.
I think this is Amber's homage to Hitchcock's cameo in every film???

Right before we broke out into Cole Porter's "Friendship."

When graced with an invitation, I always do my best to live up to the part of worthy and worthwhile guest - if only to counterbalance my juvenile shenanigans.  For the countdown, I came prepared with a celebratory arsenal (toys, silly string, party poppers, etc.) that included:

Glow-in-the-dark tridents ( I told you I always try to team with the theme)

Horns as beautifully modeled by the
devastatingly-deco Katherine.

and noisemakers.
Benny & Jenn demonstrating the sound
of one hand clapping.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Thanks to our hosts, we learned firsthand that it is indeed quite lovely "bobbing along on the bottom of the beautiful, briny sea."  We hope your New Year's Eve went just as swimmingly as ours!

"The Beautiful Briny Sea" from Disney's Bedknobs & Broomsticks

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Tiki Time: Bahooka

Summertime is prime season for tropical excursions and it just wouldn't feel like we had participated fully in the summer season unless we made our way back to that mecca of tropical splendor, Bahooka in Rosemead, CA.

(Source)

Bahooka (est. 1967) is the world-famous tiki restaurant that has been celebrated in many books, on many websites and "best of" lists, and in the hearts of tiki-philes everywhere.  It truly is a mecca for enthusiasts of Polynesian pop and although it may seem so well-known that it wouldn't need to be featured here, we just couldn't live with ourselves if we didn't shine one more light on this wicky-wacky tacky landmark.

(Source)

On our most recent visit, we were joined by our newlywed pals, Jesse and Emily (be sure to visit her film blog, thesilverscreenaffair.blogspot.com).

Mary, Mr. Tiny, Emily & Jesse

Bahooka is a tiki restaurant, so it straddles the line for us between a Tiki Time and Chow Time post.

  

Decisions, decisions....

It wasn't difficult to choose the heading under which Bahooka would fall; let's just say that they are not as well known for their food (not the best we've ever tasted) as they are for their huge assortment of (very strong, so we're told) tropical, tiki cocktails.

I've mentioned it before, but we are confirmed teetotalers so we left the rum
to the rummies in our group.  The newlyweds sharing a flaming "Scarlet Sails"
which according to the menu is actually a gin-based drink.  Do you call
someone drinking gin a ginny?  Or maybe a gin rummy?

Scarlet Sails in the sunset.

We definitely brought down the cool factor at our table
by several points by just drinking water.  At least it came
 in bamboo-shaped glasses!

Our real motivation in visiting Bahooka is the atmosphere - a combination south seas shipwreck, tiki bar, and marine aquarium.  I love that there isn't a blank space in Bahooka; everywhere one looks, there is an overabundance of visual stimulation.

Our dining table, a true feat of nautical craftsmanship -
anchored to the wall and suspended from the
ceiling by marine-grade chains.

As ever, my love for amazing light fixtures never wanes.
My favorite was this meteor lamp in a fish net.

The Big Kahuna

The best!
A tiki head illuminated inside a vintage,
 flower-bedecked gas pump

The most amazing thing about Bahooka is the amount of upkeep required to maintain the hundreds of fish tanks that fill the restaurant and surround each table.  The most famous fish in the aquarium that is Bahooka, is Ruffus.

Emily thought it was going to be like those old-timey lobster tanks
where you could choose your dinner.  She was inconsolable when
she realized she couldn't have Ruffus as her main course.

My favorite fish was this guys - dig those crazy fish lips!

To some it might seem ridiculous for the last remaining member of the Temperance Movement (not really) to drive forty minutes for a mediocre meal at a place famous for alcoholic drinks, but it is always a huge treat to visit Bahooka.  Such is the life of wacky tacky, searching out the delightful places that aren't so much frozen in time as they are a sweet respite from the worries and hurries of time.  

Bahooka
4501 N Rosemead Blvd
Rosemead, CA
(626)285-1241

www.bahooka.com


Cheers & Aloha!

Mr. Tiny

Queen Mary: A Royal Wedding

On Saturday, June 23, we were fortunate enough to be guests at the wedding of our good friends Jesse and Emily.  

The happy couple, Emily and Jesse
Don't they look like the perfect cake toppers?

You probably already know Emily as she and her love letter to old Hollywood, The Silver Screen Affair, have been mentioned numerous times in the annals of wacky tacky.  If you're a lover of classic films and Hollywood glamour, then be sure to check out her blog.  Although, it may be kind of quiet around there for a couple of weeks as they are enjoying a tropical honeymoon.

Emily looked picture perfect in a vintage, 50's,
lace wedding gown and handmade veil.
I love this photo of her, pre-nuptials.

The ceremony was held at a beautiful, historic Catholic church and the reception was in The Queen's Salon on the Queen Mary, a stunning steamliner and one of the premier examples of well-preserved Art Deco in Southern California.

Dappled in the light of the afternoon sun, St. John's
was a beautiful setting for a wedding ceremony.

The getaway car complete with tin cans and "Just Married" banner!

The Queen's Salon aboard the Queen Mary - pretty majestic if you ask me.
You can just barely make out Holly, of The Temperamental Broad, on the right.
I should have been taking a lot more pictures, but I was too busy making a fool
of myself on the dance floor.

Why do I always have to sit at the kids' table?

Mary, Amber, Paul, Jordan, Memo, Ben, and Nicole

I didn't really want to do a feature exclusively on the wedding itself because Emily is a pretty private person and their wedding wasn't so much wacky tacky as it was traditional, elegant, and gracious.  For the record, I like both but I have a hard time behaving like a grown up at either!  So, here are a few snaps of our hijinks aboard the R.M.S. Queen Mary featuring the suit that I made Mary for the occasion.

I really have no idea where the inspiration came from on this one except that I love this kooky color combination and sometimes I like to try and challenge myself a little - two days, three pieces, and a  marginal skill set (I have never sewn a proper collar of any kind before).

Apparently I have developed such a reputation for turning
placemats into hats, that everyone immediately assumed
that was the case for this verdant topper.  This was actually a
 vintage hat that I got from a friend a few years ago.

Mr. Tiny & Mary gettin' groovy.
Once I start, I just can't stop.
(photo by Amber U.)

I am the worst kind of shopper.  I have a very specific idea of what I am looking for before I go out shopping and expect whatever it is to be in the store, happily waiting for me to buy it, at a discounted price.  Needless to say, I spend a lot of time disappointed.  Imagine my surprise when my first attempt to find a chartreuse-y colored fabric, with enough weight to be suitable for a suit and enough drape  to make it feminine, was peeking out of a row of totally dissimilar fabric just waiting for me.  It was the right color, the right price, and there was just enough left on the bolt for my project!!!  That NEVER happens.

The green gloves were bought on a road trip to
Hearst Castle and the red baubles were on loan
from a friend.  Here's Mary wishing that she
didn't have to give them back.

There's room for a dumbbell joke in there somewhere.

I have to stick with the dumbbell jokes; after seeing some
 of the pictures of Mary (including this one with the bride),
she has already been referred to as the Jolly Green Giant!

The free bonus of the evening came when were about to leave the party and ran into a group of friends who just happened to be touring the ship that night.  We ended up joining their tour and I'm almost positive from the looks we were receiving, that guests of the hotel were starting to believe that the Queen Mary was indeed haunted!

Congratulations Emily and Jesse!  It was a particularly beautiful wedding and we really appreciate you allowing us to participate in your special day.  We don't even have to wish it for you, we already know that you'll live happily ever after!  

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny