A young man waves the Texas sate flag while posing at his mid-century modern desk. An American flag hangs on the wall. He is allegiant to both state and country. Beside the flag hangs a primitive snow scene painting. A corner radio keeps him informed and entertained. Army barracks style bunk beds with chenille bedspreads keep him warm and rested. On his desk sits a globe and a model of a P-80 Shooting Star jest fighter – just like the ones involved in the massive air raid that never ceases on his wallpaper. He is being psychologically predisposed to participate in warfare. His bedroom is his command center. He practices his aim by shooting darts into the trashcan in front of him. It’s his patriotic duty.

Here’s to Jet fighter wallpaper, our patriotic duty and YOU!

A moody blue sky through leafless trees provides cool contrast to the glorious floral display that frames pose-perfect sisters on threes sides. Their matching flying saucer hats and proper white gloves are the perfect finishing touches to their classic car coats worn unbuttoned over blouses buttoned-all-the-way-up. Is that a clutch bag she’s clutching? Are they wearing lipstick? These little lady-like fashionistas are dressed for success no matter what path they’re on. Hire their stylist!

Their sassy short bangs, mismatched expressions and dark eyes staring right in the camera are enough to make me think that the Daddy that took these was clearly channeling the portrait taking talents of legendary “real people” photographer Diane Arbus. Is this a perfect case of accidental amateur art direction at its best. Do these sisters know a thing or two about striking a pose? Clearly for them there is nothing to it.

A more perfect posey pose place I can’t imagine. How about you and your sister strike a pose with some posies in a hot house.

Here’s to perfect young ladies, their stylist, lighting designer, photographer and YOU!

One man, two women and two little boys gather ‘round to enjoy the defining moment of our most patriotic holiday. Yes, collectively as a society we Americans just love to gather ‘n gawk at flying sparks provided by festive explosives mass produced in the place where they were invented more than one thousand years ago, China. It’s our way of saying Happy Birthday USA!

The women both have handy sparkler lighters, aka cigarettes. And between those lovely splarkler-lightnin’ ladies is a mystery guest. She wears dark sunglasses at night and sports a color-combo-appropriate red, white and blue ribbon in her hair as she observes the traditional forth of July finale. Never mind who is she, what is she? I have no idea! She looks like a multi-media butter sculpture to me. But everybody knows that even after the sun goes down on the 4th of July in El Monte, CA, its still to hot to display your latest work of butter art. Who do you think she is? What do you think she could be!

Here’s to flying sparks, the Chinese that invented them, 232 years of Americana and YOU!

THIS WEEKEND!
In Orange County, CA: CHARLES PHOENIX’S RETRO VACATION TOUR OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Tourists bask in the glorious glow of yellow, pink and aqua neon as they stroll the spectacular central plaza of Old Chinatown. The highly stylized, 1938-vintage themed environment of extreme exotica is one of my absolute favorite places in all of Los Angelesland and an Americana landmark of the highest order. A better virtual sweet-and-sour-pupu-platter of authentic 1930s Chinese modern architecture you will not find anywhere. The legendary Chinese Theater in Hollywood is its closest cousin. Sometimes I like to imagine them living next door to each other.

I can’t think of a more colorful place than Old Chinatown. Can you? The paint scheme is straight out of a comic book. And if you love neon like I do its a treasure trove. This weekend a great place is about to get even greater. After decades of not being there anymore the neon highlighting those spellbinding pagoda rooflines has been replaced. Miracles do happen! I weep! The relighting ceremony is part of Chinatown’s 70th anniversary party, Saturday evening June 28, 2008. The neon light switch will be flipped on at 8:30.

If you love timeless Chinese modern style like I do, I seriously recommend while experiencing Old Chinatown that you see two of the best vintage Chinese restaurant interiors in country. The upstairs dining room at Hop Louie (formerly the Golden Pagoda) is still serving sweet and sour pork, while Realm, a gift shop housed in the long-gone Hong Kong Low Restaurant, serves up the most spectacular retail space in the city! Oh, and speaking of Chinese modern time-warps, the old lawyers office upstairs in the Hong Building (seen here on the left,) was recently revealed after decades of being moth balled. Don’t miss that either. Ask to do so inside of Realm and make sure to tell them I sent you!

Here’s to Chinatown, Chinese modern, those that restored the neon and YOU!

I hate when this happens! Don’t you? Getting a flat speeding down the highway in a 1958 Oldsmobile hauling a trailer in the blazing heat of the noontime sun is not exactly the sort of thing one might want to remember. It could’ve been worse. He could’ve lost control but he didn’t. He managed to pull his stylish, space age rig safely over to the side of the road.

The trunk is open, door is open and the windows are down. The car is saying ahhhh!
The spare is out and ready for duty. Notice how it ever so fashionably matches the metallic sky blue roof, which goes so well with the lighter, non-metallic blue body and heavily padded front seat. Even the wraparound rear window is tinted blue. Not only is the entire car color coordinated with the sky so is his shirt. Khaki pants, sunglasses and a straw hat with a medium brim complete the warm weather look of a man who strikes a confident pose before jacking up his car and trailer to change a flat tire.

Here’s to 1958 Oldsmobiles, color coordinated spare tires and YOU!

Click the image above to view the fabulous comic by Mimi Pond featuring the Moonlight Rollerway Jubilee!

Breeze-blown pennants mark the entrance of a children’s nursery rhyme theme park. Be careful the bridge that you must cross is dangerous. A little one could easily fall through the rails right into the make-believe mote. Like Disneyland, the granddaddy of all theme parks, guests entered Storyland though a fairy tale castle.

A green garden hose snakes across front lawn of a most charming mismatched collection of giant, side-by-side gingerbread houses. I’d sure love to have a chat with the creative design genius that came up with that ever so inspired paint scheme. I want to know who decided to pair a very velveeta-like shade of orangey-yellow with navy blue on every third row of shingles together with Chinese red trimmed windows. And how about the little pink house in the middle with a perfectly matched pink roof? I know!

By today’s children’s story standards, Rub-a-dub-dub Three Men in a Tub, The Old Lady That Lived in a Shoe, Jack and the Beanstock, Humpty Dumpty and the other classics that were represented here, if you really think about them, seem just plain weird.

I’m in Florida this week and happened to drive by the very location on Federal Hwy where Storyland stood between the mid-fifties and mid-sixties. It’s gone without a trace for sure. Few classic nursery rhyme theme parks still stand today. I have had the privilege of visiting two of them that do, The Enchanted Forrest in Old Forge, New York and Children’s Fairyland in Oakland, California. Do you know of any others? Certainly there can’t be just two left.

Here’s to Storyland, weird nursery rhymes and you!

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