June 30, 2010

Find Your Monster Buddy

Today I'd like to share with you a new blog that I was turned on to by my brother (a.k.a Brother Dear). It's called Tabonga Art. You'll be shocked, you'll be amazed, perhaps even made a bit dizzy, and you'll be in awe of the spectacle held in store for the brave viewer.

This super cool blog belongs to this super cool artist who's work is a garish mixture reminiscent of "Big Daddy" Ed Roth, tiki/totems, and old monster magazines. He offers everything on site for sale, and at reasonable prices too! How much cooler can you get than that???

It Came. I Saw. I'm Conquered.


They say good things happen in bunches. Finally. The mail truck stopped at the curb, the doorbell rang, and the postman cheerfully handed me a big cardboard box. Hooray! Today's Sputnik Light Day! Thankfully the light arrived all in one piece - no bent or broken arms or any unmentioned problems (unlike most of the vintage Sputniks I've seen on eBay in the recent past). Even the gold finish looks good like it appeared in the dealer photos. The wiring looks to be in good condition too, but as with any out-dated cloth wrapped wiring it ideally should be replaced by a licensed electrician.


Overall I think I got lucky, considering things with the dealer didn't work out so well. I can finally breath again. And I'm pinching myself. A longtime Sputnik light dream has become a reality!



Did you know, that the famous atomic (space age, Eames-era) Sputnik light (ceiling, pendant, lightolier) was originally designed by Paul de Haan in the late 50's, taking it's inspiration from the Brussles "Automium" and the world's first satellite "Sputnik?"

On October 4, 1957, the Russians launched the world's first space satellite. The satellite, named "Sputnik 1" was a metal sphere with a diameter of 58 cm, a weight of 83.6 kg and 4 protruding antennae. The news broke all around the world like a bombshell. It was "the beginning of the space age".

And also on April 17, 1958, the World Exhibition opened in Brussels with the "Atomium", an enormous 102m high structure, as its central feature. The 9 metal spheres, each with a diameter of 18m, were linked by means of connecting tunnels 23m in length. The "Atomiun" represents a metal crystal 165 billion times its normal size. Once inside this gigantic model, visitors can use the connecting tunnels to move from one sphere to another.

Thanks to Lamplust.com for the light's historical background.

June 29, 2010

Looky What I Found Today

Today was a good day. Then I went shopping. And Today got even better.

My eyes must have popped-out when they caught this atomic boomerang record album rack at my favorite hangout for the mid century style-concious. It has the hand-crafted look like it was made in shop class or someone's garage workshop, but it's all high-end styling! And look at the cool stringwork on the back rest...


Bandito the marionette wasn't spotted until I was being rung through at the checkout counter of another shop. He's now happily adding a bit of PeeWee bewilderment to Junior's abode.

Confessions of a Pop Bottle Top Popper


So you wanna talk about pop, huh? Well you've come to the original soda pop bottle top popper kid himself :P It's practically 1 in the blessed a.m. and I can't sleep yet because our Atomic Ranch Lady got me started, so now I hafta go finish it.

Over here, in the center of the country where we lived in peace and harmony we called it pop, not soda. I try to correct Junior on this constantly because his Mother, who hails from Florida calls it soda, which is just all wrong when you're living here in the peacefully harmonious Midwest, dadgummit (if you'll please pardon my French, merci beau coup).

Now for all you POP aficionados out there who used to drink it straight down from the glass pop bottle (either clear or green-tinted) like I did (which incidentally is much more refreshing than a metallic tasting aluminum can) there's still opportunities for you to reclaim one of the original pleasures of your hopefully misspent youth.

For instance, in my local grocery stores here they sell real bottled pop (besides the "designer soda" or whatever it is that they call it to sell to people more sophisticated than I ever hope to be!). There's several flavors of Frostie available (yum!), and Sioux City Cream Soda, and in the ethnic isle there's the Mex version of Coke and Taqueria... it's very sweet! Another bonus of the Mex pops is that they are sold in the larger 12 oz. size bottle, just like the ones we drank from as kids.

I've got my ever diminishing collection of vintage pop bottles recovered from my Grandma's crawlspace basement. Why they were down there, I don't know. Except I did happen to find a few empty beer bottles of my Grampa's down there too (as well as up in the attic!) so I assume that my Grampa was umm, storing the evidence from Grandma ;D Anyhoos, I used to keep the better pop bottles in the fridge filled w/ appropriately colored water. That is until one night when the fridge got too cold and froze the bottles, which in turn made them busted bottles... Live and Learn *sigh*

Now remember, it's pronounced p-o-p, not s-o-d-a unless you happen to live in a different part of the country. But if youre gonna speak the same American language as I do then you have to use the term "pop" sans the "soda." Pop's also easier and faster to say than "that other multisyllable word" anyway, which means it'll give your mouth increased time to say more profound, thought-provoking stuff, just like I do.

So what was my favorite pop when I was a kid, you ask? My fave pop as a kid was Tru Treat, which was a lot like Squirt w/ some Mt. Dew influence. But I wasn't against experiencing the wonders of all the flavors that our super market had to offer: Dr. Pepper, Apple Beer, 7 Up, Nesbitt's, Shasta, any Root Beer, SunKist, Teem, Bubble Up, never too crazy about RC or Pepsi... But through it all, my family were diehard Coka Cola people... And I collected every pop bottle cap I laid my hands on.... And my Mom, who never really understood why kids see the real true value of such things, simply threw my pop bottle cap horde away!... And to this day I still feel the brutal pangs of a treasured horde's untimely loss.... and... I'm running off with my happy little fingers again, aren't I???

The end :D

ps. Pop bottles are the only proper launching method to use with your pop bottle rockets this Fourth of July... accept no substitutes!

Serving Up a Hot Dish of Envy


Eames Bikini Chairs, originally uploaded by my.65.comet.

Sometimes a peek of another's accomplishment can fill you with inspiration, motivation and maybe a touch of awe.

Others can just make you feel like throwing in the towel, kicking the bucket, shooting yourself and say "stop kidding yourself, you ain't ever gonna even sit in the stands of the same ballpark where the big leagues play."

This dining room, for example, does a bit of both.

June 27, 2010

The Atomic Powered Bedroom Dresser


this is my dream desk, originally uploaded by presidentadow.

Judging from the high voltage power cord, this thing runs on more than a couple of penlight batteries *smirk*

Tiled Objets D'art


Kitchen Tile Back Splash 01, originally uploaded by MidModSTL.

This is it. This is what I would strive for if I had the option to do the kitchen back splash in any fashion I could choose. I don't even know if this example is actually vintage, but it sure looks right to me. The white flecked tile are classic mid century.

Tiles and mosaics were a very popular design element in the mid century. They moved beyond the walls of the bathroom and kitchen and became common on every day items, table tops and objets d'art (pssst... that's French for "objects of art", by the way).

According to what I've read, the 1/2-inch square ceramic tile size was seen in homes around about the early Sixties. It's use here in the photo with the 1-inch and other sizes make a mosaic eye candy pattern that's not too repetitive. The pale colors also help it to stay in the background without fighting for too much attention.

Brother Dear had made a tiled trivet in shop class back in those days. It's been in use in the kitchen every day since. I look at it, a little piece of MCM design history, and dream about having more of where these came from... it's light blue and white 1/2-inch ceramic tiles with gold flecks glittering off their surface. What I could do with a couple crate loads of those!

Happy Birthday Captain Kangaroo

This world can use a bit of Bob Keeshan right now.

June 26, 2010

The Inter-Planetary Monetary Currency of the F-U-T-U-R-E

Through the miracle of modern technology, I bring you Space Money - able to withstand the extreme stresses of space travel: high speeds, cosmic rays, zero gravity and the scorching temperatures of reentry. Good for the inter-planetary traveller on all the solar planets including Pluto (which incidentally is no longer classed as a planet)!

space money

Photobucket
Images courtesy of usahousewares

Note:

Space Commander can not be held responsible for any illegal activities pertaining to this post, including the illicit downloading, photo-manipulation, counterfeit printing and trading of the a fore mentioned
Space Ranger inter-planetary monetary currency items illustrated above. Remember, the forgery of play money is all good fun until someone gets hurt. Thank you, and have a nice day :)

What I'm Watching: "The Great American Pastime"


The Great American Pastime (1956)
Starring Tom Ewell, Anne Francis , Ann Miller.

*Swoooon!*... Anne Francis is in this comedy, paired up with the humorously self-deprecating Tom Ewell (from Seven Year Itch).

The Great American Pastime - (Original Trailer) @TCM

Husband and father Tom Ewell is volunteered to coach a beleaguered peewee little league baseball team, the Panthers. Unfortunately the new coach soon learns that in teaching his players the honorable art of good sportsmanship, that no one is happy with him; not the players, not the parents, and not even his wife (Anne Francis). As if this wasn't enough trouble, the lead pitcher's single mother (Ann Miller) leaves the luckless coach with the notion that she's got more than just baseball on her mind, with hilarious consequences to follow! It's a laugh-a-minute riot when you play The Great American Pastime!

(Wow... I oughtta write movie synopsis's for a living...) ;D

Coolness Alert! Don't miss out on Miss Miller's swanky-sophisticated single-mom pad. Not too shabby ;)

More about Anne Francis at:

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