201 Reasons for a GIVEAWAY!

Well another milestone has been reached here at wacky tacky and true to our word we are having a giveaway!  We are now in the 200+ followers club and it is our pleasure to show our appreciation by offering our third, and may we say, most exciting giveaway to date!

You might remember that for our first giveaway, we offered a handmade basket purse of Mr. Tiny's own design plus our entire selection of wacky tacky collectible pinbacks.

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Our second giveaway saw the debut of our wacky tacky signature tee and the set-of-four wacky tacky collectible pinbacks.

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For our third giveaway, we are upping the ante and giving away our wacky tacky signature tee, our set-of-four wacky tacky collectible pins, AND a handmade basket purse by Mr. Tiny!!!

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A-tisket, A-tasket, a green and yellow basket!
A yellow, rectangular basket in a traditional basket weave is topped by a lined,
green, burlap upper, and trimmed with vintage brocade ribbon and three yellow roses.
This weird yet wonderful basket purse is the must have accessory for spring and summer.
According to our sources, "Goes with nothing" is the new "Goes with everything." 

This giveaway has something for everyone!  The t-shirt is unisex.  The purse is ideal for a woman, a gift, or an adventurous gentleman.  And the pins can just as easily be applied to the lapel of a fine suit as they can be to a denim, biker vest.  To win all of these great prizes, all you have to do is enter!

RULES OF ENTRY:

1.  All entrants must be an official follower of wacky tacky, meaning your face must appear in the followers section over here ------------------------------------------> somewhere.  If you are not yet a follower, don't be ashamed; quickly become a follower and you too will be eligible for the prize.
2.  All entrants must leave a comment in the comments section of this post indicating your desire to be part of the giveaway (worth one entry).
3.  Entrants may share the giveaway on another social media outlet (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, etc.) to earn additional entries (each share is worth one additional entry; you must leave a link in another comment on this post).
4.  All entrants must have a valid mailing address that is deliverable via the USPS (foreign or domestic).

5.  All entries must be made by 12am (PST) Sunday, May 26, 2013.

6.  All entrants must be able to play the tuba.  This point is negotiable pending a valid argument in the comments section of this post and/or the ability to play the kazoo.

On a serious note, I would love to broaden our base (figuratively speaking, of course); if you know of someone who would enjoy our type of fun, please spread the wacky tacky word.  Also we are always looking to feature cool houses, cool collections, cool shops, and cool people; if you have any or all of these things and would like to be featured on wacky tacky, please email us: wackytackytiny {at} gmail {dot} com.

Stay tuned; one winner will be chosen at random and announced here after all entries have been collected.  Thank you for your support and participation; I've got plenty to be thankful for!

"I've Got Plenty to be Thankful for" - Bing Crosby

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Donna Loren Dreaming

Do you ever have a moment about which you wish you had dreamt your entire life so that when it happens you can honestly say, "It's like a dream come true?"  A few weeks ago I had such a moment when I heard that sweet siren of 60's, surfside song, Donna Loren.

Donna Loren
(Source)

Donna Loren is probably not a household name unless you and your family are total nerds about 60's television programming and the brilliant movies produced by American International Pictures.  A featured player in many of AIP's best, Donna Loren gave voice to the lovelorn, beach-bound "teens" of such cinematic wonders as Bikini Beach, Pajama Party, and Beach Blanket Bingo.

"Love's A Secret Weapon" - Donna Loren in Bikini Beach

"Among the Young" - Donna Loren in Pajama Party

"It Only Hurts When I Cry" - Donna Loren in Beach Blanket Bingo

To be perfectly honest, I did not have a lifelong dream of meeting Donna Loren.  Then again, I never dreamt that I would get the chance to meet her.  Those bashful doe eyes, that pert little nose, the plaintive voice - Donna Loren is a living dream.  As boring as I think my life can be, I only have to review a month's worth of photographs to realize how very fortunate I am.  One moment we're on a wacky whirlwind road trip and the next we're meeting a contemporary of Frankie & Annette!

I have said it before but for the sake of this photo, it bears repeating; I have never gone through
 a "goth" phase; I'm just too goofy.  For Donna, I could definitely change my ways...if'n there was
 a horror hootenanny!  Dig that crazy spider!
(Source)

Saturday, April 13, 2013, marked the Los Angeles benefit for Norton Records (another victim of Hurricane Sandy).  Organized by three Los Angeles-based music aficionados, DJ Howie Pyro, The Real Boss Hoss, and Deke Dickerson, the benefit show featured many incredible bands - The Phantom Surfers, The Go-Nuts, Untamed Youth, and Thee Cormans (ahem).  As awesome as all of the acts were, the real highlight of the day-long concert was hearing Donna Loren.  Never having had the chance to meet my dancing idol (and Loren's fellow AIP star) Candy Johnson, and coming on the heels of the inimitable Annette Funicello's passing, it was a real moment for me to see and to meet Donna.

May I say that she looks INCREDIBLE!!!
Unfortunately, my pictures didn't turn out well, but she was an absolute
stunner in a gold mini skirt that she made for herself in the 60's.

"Muscle Bustle" - Donna Loren backed by Deke Dickerson

Of course, the sound quality on my camera is weak

 but I still had to share her performance with you.

"Muscle Bustle" - Donna Loren in Muscle Beach Party

Ms. Loren's acting credits extend far beyond the beach party movies.  With regular and guest-starring roles on The Monkees, The Milton Berle Show, Batman, Dr. Kildare, Gomer Pyle: USMC, and others, she was a fixture of the 60's small screen as well.  And now she is a fixture of our wacky tacky scrapbook!!!

Our pal, Teresia, of The Mentalettes, Donna Loren, Mary, and Mr. Tiny
Donna was gorgeous, gracious, and extremely generous for the .003 seconds that we
had to meet her and snap a quick photo.  Understandably, there was a major line
 forming to behind us to do the very same.  

You know it is a pretty wonderful life when dreams you didn't even have are coming true!  Thanks to the fellas for putting on a great show!  And thanks to Donna for an incredible performance and some great memories!

Do you have a star encounter that would be a dream come true?  Let us know; until then, we'll be doing the "Muscle Bustle."

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

The PASSWORD Is: "Mother"

You know you really must be some kind of monster when people look through your family photos and with genuine, thoughtless sincerity exclaim, "That's your mom?!?!?!" - as if they could never fathom that something so hideous (me) was born of something so fair (she).  What can I say, not every project you work on, even one on which you've spent nine months, turns out the way you expected.  Fortunately, I was born just past the days when people would've immediately tossed me in a sack with a couple of bricks and flung me in the river like so many unwanted kittens.  I think my parents still question their own judgment until I remind them of my alternatives.  Would they have me swinging from the bell tower of a famed, Medieval cathedral or haunting the singers of a Parisian opera house OR would they prefer to have me under their constant supervision, thus minimizing the trauma wreaked upon an unsuspecting public?

This is my mom...
channeling the spirit of Tammy Wynette

My mom will hate me for saying any of this because I have brought this very scenario to her attention and she does not approve the theory; she doesn't think I'm ugly (the phrase "A face only a mother could love," comes to mind).  Yet, the only reason I mention it is to wish my Mom and all of the mothers out there a very Happy Mother's Day!

Looking at these photos makes me truly sorry for all the terrible things I've put my mom through.  It makes me realize that she was once inexperienced and idealistic and could never have imagined all the torment that five weird children and thirty eight years of marriage can bring.  It makes me see her as a real human being who never considered the seemingly-insurmountable obstacles that would be placed before her, who never realized that in the face of these obstacles she could summon the strength to laugh through her tears and persevere.  My mom had a life before I did.

Would you be able to tell this face
 how hard life was going to be?

In looking for proof of my Mom's pre-child life, I finally uncovered something for which I have been searching years and years - evidence!!!  In 1972, three years prior to her marriage with my father, my Mom appeared as a contestant on Password.  Password is the game show famous for bringing Betty White together with the love of her life, host, Allen Ludden.  My mother was lucky enough to play with White, but as much as I have combed over the Game Show Network archives and Password clips on YouTube, I have never seen any kind of documentation of her appearance.  I thought I had sorted through all of the family's slides but I found a few small boxes that I had never seen before.  Surprised and ecstatic when I held these up to the light, I knew I had hit the jackpot.

Unfortunately, I broke the one slide projector that we had and I haven't the faintest idea how to scan these into the computer.  In my desperation to share the slides, I was reduced to holding them over a lightbulb and snapping a photo.
On the left you can see my mom's competitor and Betty White.  The host, Allen Ludden, is in the center with my Mom on the far right.  I'm still trying to figure out who her celebrity partner was during this round.

*Update: My Mom informed me that her partner was Ross Martin from The Wild, Wild West.

Wearing a pink dress of her own make and design, my Mom was a big winner, earning enough money for a trip to Europe.  There are so many things that I wish after viewing these slides.  I wish that I could see the show (I would love to see how she acted, how she spoke, and how she behaved on her TV debut).  I wish that she had won enough money to set us all up for life (Haha!).  More than anything, I wish that she had kept that dress!

I can't wait to get these transferred into a more easily viewable medium.
Yet, I'm really glad to have these slides that my grandparents took of
the television while they were watching their daughter win big money!

"Spellbound"
I wish I knew whose hand scrawled the message, "Real cute?"
on the back of the slide mount...perhaps one of her five brothers?

She reminds me so much of Hayley Mills in these photos.
I really enjoy how all of the slides were placed into the card-
board mounts upside down (and sometimes backwards). 

"Trinket"
I said she won "big money," but I think she ended up with a
total of about $2,000.  I guess that's not too shabby for 1972.

It is funny, people (particularly Mary, who regularly accuses us of "Like, being the same person" ) tell me how similar my Mom and I are - in personality, in temperament, in orneriness.  For as alike as we might be, I am constantly learning something from her.  I have discussed in some length my Dad and his particular brand of challenges, but the fact is that none of that would have been a story if not for my Mom.  It is my firm belief that my Dad pulled through because she gave him something to live for.  This is evidenced by anyone who stands in a crowded room and sees that, for my Dad, the room is completely empty except for my Mother.  Every time she walks past his gaze, he sighs like a lovesick schoolboy; he brightens at her every movement.  This is no accident.  She has been a steadfast wife, a tireless worker, and the type of partner for which most people would kill.

From her I learned what it means to work.  From her I learned the meaning of unconditional love.  From her I learned how to tie my shoes, butter toast, sew on a button, crack an egg, and a million and one other things that I take for granted every day.  From her I learned that life really isn't fair. From her I learned that even when life isn't treating you fairly, it is important to rely on faith, family, and one's own fortitude to carry on.  It may seem corny but my favorite song about mothers comes from a cartoon; in a few simple phrases. "Your Mother and Mine" expresses all that "mother" means.

"Your Mother & Mine" - Walt Disney's Peter Pan

To all the moms out there, I hope your children are providing you at least one day that makes you glad that you didn't throw them in the river.  To my own Mom, I love you.  I am proud of you.  I am in awe of your bravery.  I respect your commitment and admire your consistency.  I hope to find over my lifetime half of the determination and love that you exhibit daily.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Collecting: Vintage Tablecloths

As our wacky tacky signature t-shirt states, "We dig old stuff" - particularly old stuff that is attractive and has a history of use.  It only makes sense then that I have an affinity for vintage tablecloths.  I love the colors, the prints, and even the spots/stains that chronicle the life of each piece.

We are one of those weird families that views a bare table as an abomination - a missed opportunity if ever there was one; our dining room table is perpetually set for a dinner party that has yet to happen.  We grew up entertaining often but rarely sat down to a formal dinner around the dining table.  That tradition carried with me wherever I moved, including my first, tiny, studio apartment (on the second floor of an 1879 farmhouse).

Not too thrilling or too wacky tacky, but proof that
even when you live alone, it's still a party of four.

As the tablescape changes often, it is nice to have a stock of supplies to give the table a quick wacky tacky makeover.  The quickest way to a brand new table comes from my modest collection of vintage tablecloths.  I am always reticent to post my collections because I lack an expert's knowledge on any subject; I become all kinds of self-conscious knowing that there are people out there with real collections that could easily put mine to shame.  Anxiety aside, here are my tablecloths.

PATRIOTIC

Although they don't subscribe to traditional themes like flags, eagles, and fireworks, the generally-patriotic color scheme of these cloths makes them ideal for use during the Memorial Day, 4th of July, Veteran's Day and pretty much any day in between.

MEXICAN

These border prints probably border on the politically incorrect but I love them.  Living so close to the gateway between our two countries, I'm surprised I haven't found more of these out in the wild.

Orange, brown, and green - a wacky tacky

color combo if ever there was one.

FLORAL

These two are printed on crisp, Irish linen.

Among the floral bouquets, the cloth on the right has a little nest full of robin's eggs.

Can you spot it?

TROPICAL/EXOTIC

These cloths get a lot of use during the summer months.  While it is hard to choose a favorite, this blue and orange, tropical tablecloth that I picked at a shop not too far from the Cabazon Dinosaurs, really makes me happy.  I think my next hypothetical business will be textile design and printing based on vintage examples.

The cactus print on the right has definitely seen better days but I really

 love the washed-out overprinting and brushstroke cactus flowers.

If you've been following us for a while, you
might recognize this one (another favorite).

We used it to set a tiki-style table for our
 Pineapple Upside Down Meatloaf. 

HOLIDAY

It seems Christmas cloths are the hardest to find because they are so collectible (read: expensive).  If you don't know by now, I only buy things on the CHEAP, so it seems my options are limited to the occasional swap meet score or hand-me-down.

The floral number might not be a "Christmas" print but the red and 

green (set off by chartreuse) certainly puts me in the holiday mood.

MISCELLANEOUS

Oh sure, the printed cloths are my favorite but I won't shy away from a hand-embroidered or cross-stitched example of tabletop finery.  It seems weird but I like seeing the blue lines of the iron-transfer pattern behind the stitching; it makes me think of the person threading the embroidery floss through her needle and the hours and hours of work she had ahead of her.  Oh, and how I would never have the patience or attention span to accomplish so time-consuming and labor-intensive.

So how do you dress your table?  Do you collect vintage tablecloths, place settings, or dinnerware?  Are you focused on a certain style?  I am not at all persnickety when it comes to focused collecting or caring too much about certain styles, values, etc.  I just buy what is inexpensive because to borrow a phrase from our pals at My Baby Jo, "A table's gotta have options."

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Sew What?! A Birthday Barn Dance Dress

Tiny & Mary
(not necessarily in that order)

Mary recently celebrated her birthday and to mark the occasion, I gave her the last thing in the world that she could possibly need - another Mr. Tiny original.  Always hankering to create something new and because our latest musical endeavor, Tiny & Mary, has a decidedly western/cowboy bent, I thought I'd make something thematically appropriate.  Too lazy to perform any actual research, I found emotional design inspiration in Town Hall Party (filmed in that well-known, country music capitol of the world, Compton, CA). 

"Loved and Lost Again" - Patsy Cline on Town Hall Party

I LOVE western wear but it doesn't always have to be all welted smiley pockets, rhinestones, and fringe, right?!  Sometimes (maybe most of the time) I just love those kooky, folky, farm-girl dresses that many of the women wore on Town Hall Party.

On the set of Town Hall Party (1955)
I think Mary could sneak right into this photo totally undetected.
(Source)

I try to convince myself that someday I would like to learn proper sewing technique, but who am I kidding?  You probably could teach this old dog new tricks but it would take a veritable mountain of food rewards to get me to roll over.  Nevertheless, I should mention that the strapless, fully-lined, bodice is boned using the unproven, Mr. Tiny method (read: complete disregard for any and all of the package's instructions).  Combined, the prairie-style skirt has about sixteen yards of length; I thought that cleverly reversing the direction of the stripe in the second tier was an inspiration but if I had it to do over again (and an unlimited amount of material), I would probably make the entire dress one-directional.

Jacquard? Brocade?  I am not a textile expert but I am coming to terms

with my predilection for yellow.  Lucky enough to live near many discount
 fabric outlets, I found something for my usual spending cap of $2 per yard
 that was reminiscent of that flocked, damask wallpaper (oh, shoot maybe
 it's damask?) used on saloon walls.  It is probably rude to post the cost of
 the material where Mary can see it, but she knows I am frugal...plus she
 got a new dress!  Gee whiz, Mary, quit complaining!!!

Mary hasn't quite cottoned on to the idea, but how awesome is it for her to
know that in the event of a downed airplane, a Titanic-style disaster, or a trip
 to the kiddy pool, she has her own flotation devices attached to her arms?

Seriously, let's address the giant water wings in the room.  How do we feel about the detached, puff sleeves?  I tried to convince Mary that sleeves like this are a real thing but every internet search returned photos of questionable, Halloween costumes in various themes.  In my mind, the reference point is that episode of I Love Lucy when Ricky and Lucy are handcuffed together; Ricky is appearing as a guest star on a television show and Lucy has to act as one of his hands until the handcuffs are removed.  It seems to me that the program's Mistress of Ceremonies had a dress with similar sleeves.

Okay, so I just found this.
I can neither confirm nor deny that her sleeves are
indeed independent articles of clothing, but this is
exactly the dress about which I was thinking.
(Source)  

Mary decided to inaugurate the dress by wearing it to a show that we played last week in San Diego.  Honored to be opening for Canada's finest, Petunia & The Vipers, we were given the opportunity to enact a little bit of my Town Hall Party fantasy.

Dig that fancy marquee!
See how casually, but with such clear intention, she covers my name...mm hmm...

"Cricket Song" - Petunia & The Vipers

These guys are awesome!  If they ever play in your neck of the woods, the word is "GO!"

My real heart's desire is to fulfill the notion of creating the most-perfect, old-timey barn dance that ever was or ever will be.  BR5-49 came pretty close with a short scene in their video for "Cherokee Boogie."

"Cherokee Boogie" - BR5-49

See 1:11-1:31

And if Town Hall Party was a stylistic nail, then Big Sandy hit it right on top of it's little, square head with "My Sinful Days are Over" - but I wasn't invited to that party.

"My Sinful Days are Over" - Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys

I guess I'll just be building my mid-century, western-themed utopia one dress at a time.  If and when that happens, "Y'all come!"

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

p.s. (it's becoming a habit) If you're so inclined, please feel free to visit our Tiny & Mary Facebook page and "LIKE" us.  Thanks!!!