Woo hoo, Shag has got new tiki mugs n' stuff coming in from far yonder... Japan. They will be available for purchase at Shagmart in January 2008.

Plus...
It's Shagmart's "Three Days After Christmas" Coupon. Enter the Coupon Code: DAXS07 in your shopping cart and 25% will be taken off your total. PLEASE NOTE: Offer is only good on new orders placed from now until December 28th and is only good on in-stock items. Coupon expires at 12/28/07 at 11:59 PM PST

Hi Retro Info readers. I hope you are all having a wonderful Holiday Season. Thanks for reading my blog this year. I hope to entertain you with more fun retro stuff next year.

Merry Christmas to all

And to all a good night

from Vanessa, Brian, Grayson and Casey (the dog too)

I don't know if I am going to be one of those moms who speaks "Goo goo, ga ga" baby talk to my kid. I am hoping to teach him the proper pronunciation of words. This Dwink Juice Box Holder is just too cute.

Dwink Juice Box Holder
by Dwink
$4.76 Babycenter.com

Looking for a hot pair of boots to warm you up this winter? Faux is the way to go. Check out cruelty-free fashions by Alternative Outfitters. All of their products are vegan. They only use man-made or plant derived materials in the production of these fashions. Good news for our furry friends.

Anne Brown Faux Suede Vegan Wedge Boot $56

I love this adorable Rocket Music Box. The rocket ship and astronaut spin around when the music plays. It is from a website called Funky Moose but they are in the UK and don't ship to the US. Does anyone know where I can find a cute rocket/space/robot themed music box in the USA?

funkymoose.co.uk 18.99

My photographer friend in Orlando, Iman Woods, has put together a fantastic calendar of her pin up art. This unique calendar benefits Women Playing for T.I.M.E. a breast cancer awareness foundation. The calendar features 15 beautiful and brave cancer survivors and 100% of the proceeds go to the foundation to further cancer awareness and research.

click here to order the calendar. It's only $20 and for a good cause.

Looky! It's an iPod for your pup! A fun iPup plush toy for your dog genius. It's from none other than Trixie + Peanut, a hipster pet palace in NYC. I can't wait to check out this store.

Set of Two: $25 (Save $5)
Each: $15 trixieandpeanut.com

Trixie + Peanut Pet Emporium!
Located in New York City
at 23 East 20th Street
(btwn B'way + Park Ave)
Store Hours:
Tues - Sat 11am - 8pm.
Sunday 12noon - 5pm.
Closed on Mondays.
212 358 0881.

This looks like something I need to get for my rockin' baby boy, Grayson Danger Cain.

M Is For Metal. An awesome kiddy book by Paul McNeil and Barry Divola. It is published by Love Police, an independent record label in Australia.

$27.95 AU shop.lovepolice.com.au

Grayson's got Star Power! He loves to sing and play Rock Band.

I love this London Table my MIDJ. It's the high end version of our vintage patio table we found at the thrift store. We sold it when we moved to NY. I thought I would never see one again, but here it is and much cooler with the tempered glass top and mod floral design.

London Table $1509 EuroFurniture.com

$15.99 Thrift store find Orlando Fl.

Want a modern look in your kitchen? I have a solid design solution for ya. Concrete countertops! This one is a poured monolithic slab with recycled glass chips. Gee-orgous!

J&M Lifestyles
Randolph, NJ

Wow, check out this ultra modern dollhouse at MoMA store. It comes with skylights, a moveable staircase and mod furniture. And a family too. Neato.

MoMAstore.org

Get up sleepyhead! There is no oversleeping with this clock. Clocky will run away from you with alarm sounding if you don't wake up.

$49.99 Elsewares.com

We are so thrilled to receive a surprise gift for our baby Grayson. This year, I have been corresponding with one of my Retro readers from Down Under. Her name is Michelle Glen, an amazing Aussie artist. She is Retroppo Design and creates incredible retro hand painted ceramic art.

She made a fabulous retro name plate for our son Grayson Danger Cain. It has retro boomerangs, amoeba, rockets, starburst satellites, etc. All the things we like. Wow!

Michelle was kind enough to answer a few questions for Retro Info.

Where do you go to school?

I do classes at "Kew Ceramics" in Melbourne. I originally completed a certificate of promotional display, which covered, some photography, finished art, graphic art, window dressing, ticketwriting & point of sale displays etc. I then was employed as a ticketwriter (signwriting) working for some major retail stores as, David Jones, Georges, Liberty Mews (Laura Ashley), Chocolate Box, Bunnings, Freedom, Harvey Norman & Ikea.
While at Ikea I also was given the opportunity to work o/s setting up a store in Mallorca, Spain, before we started OUR family.

more after the jump

Read more!

If you are smitten with the love bug this holiday season, why not propose to her with modern design?

This diamond engagement ring by Movado is oh so modern in design. A single diamond is suspended in the sleek, minimal setting. Wow!

Movado.com

And check this out, you can give it to her on a miniature Harry Bertoia Diamond Chair by Vitra. If she is into modern design, it will totally Wow her!

$255 nova68.com

I am so excited! We are going to see an exhibition by our fave Brit bad boy graffiti artist Banksy. Now this is why we moved to NY!

Banksy Does New York
Thru Dec. 21. Tues.-Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Vanina Holasek Gallery, 502 W. 27th St., at Tenth Ave. (212-367-9093).

Lookie what I found! Kitty will love this for Christmas. It's Shrimp Catnip toys! I love their bulging eyes. So cute! Your cat won't be able to resist playing with this!

$12.95 Wrapables.com

Looking for a unique and inexpensive stocking stuffer? Check out Paper Animations. They are self-operating paper models, machines or mechanisms that do a trick when turned. Paperanimations.com is a fun website for paper kits and models you can make. Cost around $10. Wow!

Saka Karakuri teeter totter robot

I love Paul Frank designs but I am not sure if this Santa Claus Sock Monkey is cute or if it scares me. What do you think?

$28 Karmaloop.com

Snow has fallen on my Brooklyn tiki garden. It's 28 degrees outside and boy are my tikis cold!

more frozen tikis after the jump

Read more!

My buddies Bret and Charissa have a fabulous 1950's home in Orlando Fl. It was featured in Atomic Ranch magazine. They are now selling their vintage sofa and chair set. It has that perfect retro look. Goes great with any 1940's, 1950's or tiki decor. Check it out!

ebay auction starts at $99

I don't know about you, but every week when my husband and I watch the ABC series Pushing Daisies, we have this craving for pie. I wonder what percentage the sales of pies have increased in America due to that show? It is one of my favorites this season. It is about a pie maker who has the amazing ability to raise the dead. The tv show has fantastic art direction and wardrobe. The characters are so quirky and the soft-toned narrator is like you are being read a bedtime story. Check it out on ABC Wednesday nights 8pm. And don't forget to have some pie too.

One of my favorite websites for cool handmade stuff is etsy.com. I found this adorable 21st century folk art Capacitor Necklace. It is a robot charm made of parts salvaged from discarded TVs and VCRs. Neato!

$15 obviousfront.com or etsy.com

In the early 20th century, companies actually made products out of radioactive materials. This new technology was all the rage and radioactive materials like uranium were used in products ranging from face cream, to spark plugs and even condoms.

via oobject.com

The Radium Nutex Condom, now that's taking birth control a little too far. Yowza!

Have you seen a modern home that is so cool you could eat it up? Well now is your chance. Check out this oh so yummy Mid Century Modern Gingerbread House. 100% edible and 100% fun.

$78 RedEnvelope.com

I love Robeez shoes for babies. They rock! Actually, they do have a new line of Robeez Rockz shoes with ultra cool devils, guitars, etc. The Holiday collection is quite sweet with Gingerbread and Snowmen on them. Their shoes are made of soft leather, they slip on babies feet and wont slip off so you don't have to worry about losing a pair of $30.00 baby shoes.

check out the Robeez website. They have over 70 amazing designs. Wow!

My husband found this fantastic photo on flickr of a giant Easter Island Moai tiki at the airport baggage claim. Is this photo for real? Retro readers, what do you think?

via flickr.com

I found a plethora of funky Christmas trees at Treetopia. How about a white Christmas? Or an 80's pink Christmas tree? If thats too girly for ya, they also have a black Christmas tree. They have colors for every style and taste. Wow!

tuxedo black tree $199-359 Treetopia.com

Happy Turkey Day to all!

Check out this cute onesise by Wrybaby featuring Liquified Turkey. Yum! They have a ton of hilarious onesies, outfits, bibs and other wacky accessories. Their motto is "Raise funny people".

$7.99 Wrybaby.com

My baby is 7 weeks old today and I am starting to discover his likes and dislikes. I tried to pick out all super cool mod stuff for him because I wanted Grayson to have a sense of design from the get go. He loves to stare at his Mobi Tyke Light. It is a night light with a mod, minimalist, pop art sculptural feel to it. It comes in a variety of candy colors. Grayson has the blue one. The soft blue light lulls him to sleep. Sweet dreams baby.

$19.99 Target.com

My buddy Rich emailed me a cornucopia of photos of his chalkware fruit. He has quite an amusing collection of them in his retro 50s kitchen. These have a shiny glaze, a little different from the chalkware fish I recently wrote about.

more photos after the jump

Read more!

I am just swimming over my friend Bret and Charissa's chalkware fish collection. They have the cutest retro 1950's pink bathroom decorated with fun fifties chalkware fish and Floridiana collectibles.

The Kane's home was featured in Atomic Ranch magazine

Bret says, "Chalkware were cheap souvenir type gifts from the 40's thru the 50's. A perfect thing to take home after a snowbirds trip to tropical Florida."

more after the jump

Read more!

I love this poster by graphic designer and illustrator Tim Fishlock. Your kid can learn the ABC's and Eames, Panton and Jacobsen at the same time. You know my kid is gonna know who designed the egg chair.

via Apartment Therapy

It's a soggy, gloomy day here in NY. Check out these fun wellies to allow you to tromp through puddles in style.

Piperlime.com

Ever since I got pregnant, I went mad for Method products. I got rid of all my regular household chemicals and bought Method products because they are all-natural and safe for my family and the environment. They are so mod in design too. I am a sucker for cool packaging.

comes in hollyberry, cinnamon bark and peppermint vanilla. yum!

This holiday season you can buy their holiday lineup and get a reusable give greener bag for free. Cool!

spend $20 or more on methodhome.com and get the bag for free

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is suing architect Frank Gehry. It appears he may have gone a little overboard with his unconventional designs. The architect designed the Stata Center, a building chock-full-of of funky angles and walls. The school claims the building is full of leaks and mold. Snow and ice has fallen off the unconventional angles causing damage and blocking emergency exits. Rut Roh!

photo via tbf.org

more on this story at Nytimes.com

My baby has been a rocker since he was inside my tummy. While I was pregnant, my husband and I rocked out to Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero II and Guitar Hero Rocks the 80's. I would rest the guitar on my big belly to play the game. Now that Grayson Danger Cain is born we had to get Guitar Hero III with the ultra cool wireless guitar. He likes to rest on my chest while we rock out! I guess the sounds of Heart's Barracuda are a lullaby to him. What a rocker Danger will be!

check out our youtube video here

Shag (Josh Agle) sure has been a busy boy lately!

He has two new prints which will go on sale Monday, Nov 12. They are called Minotaur and Rum. You can purchase them on Shagmart.com

If you live near Laguna Beach California, you must check out the Shag exhibit The Flesh is Willing at the Laguna Art Museum. It features nudes, sin and purgatory. Kinda dark for Shag. Wow! The exhibition was inspired by a recent trip to the Prado in Madrid, where Shag viewed the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel in person for the first time.

photo via Laguna Art Museum

If you live near Seattle, check out Motorino: New works by Shag opens Saturday, Dec. 15 at Roq La Rue Gallery in Seattle, WA.

My mom always said to remember Daylight Savings Time, it's "Spring forward, fall back." Fall back to the mod 1970's with this vintage clock. It's the Big Ben Repeater XL alarm clock made by Westclox. The Scottish clock company has been making clocks for over one hundred years. I love the Big Ben repeater for its sleek mod chrome look. The tulip base reminds me of the Tulip tables and chairs by Eero Saarinen.

I found my clock on ebay UK for around $50

My favorite Pin Up artist is Iman Woods. She has a photography/artists studio in Orlando Fl. She uses talented hair and makeup artists and has a whole wardrobe of vintage clothing to transform any 21st century girl into a glamorous 1940's pin up queen. She does a photo shoot and uses the pictures as a source to create a gorgeous painted portrait.

photo courtesy of Iman Woods

Iman is putting together a unique calendar to benefit Women Playing for T.I.M.E. a breast cancer awareness foundation. The calendar will feature 15 beautiful and brave cancer survivors and 100% of the proceeds will go to the foundation to further cancer awareness and research.

Iman says,"I hope that this calendar will be a beacon of hope to those who are newly diagnosed and their friends and family members."

The calendar is almost ready but she needs sponsors to help cover the cost of printing it. She also needs help with national distribution.

If you would like to help, please visit her website Imanphotography.com

Iman and the Art of the Pinup was recently on PBS in Orlando. She discusses her amazing pinup art and her calendar for a wonderful cause. Check out the show online.

If you are looking for good clean fun, why not start collecting soakies? The Soaky was first introduced in the 1950s by Colgate-Palmolive. The Soaky is a bubble bath for kids with a cute cartoon character bottle. It made bath time fun! Vintage Soakies include The Beatles, Bullwinkle, Flintstones, Casper, Mickey Mouse, Yogi Bear, Batman, Superman, Frankenstein and my favorite Felix the Cat. The Beatles soakies go for a couple hundred bucks on ebay. Wow!

I searched far and wide for this blue Felix the Cat soaky. I will fill it with baby bath soap and use it to bathe my baby Grayson.

photo via Gasoline Alley Antiques

I couldn't believe my eyes today! I was out walking in front of my Brooklyn brownstone and I heard a bird squawking above me in the tree. It didn't sound like any ordinary bird. I looked up and saw a bunch of green parrots feeding off berries in the tree. My neighbor Al said he has seen the Brooklyn parrots many times. He thinks they may have flown the coop from Prospect Park Zoo or may have escaped from the airport. Wow!

What yous guys lookin' at

My buddy Dan in Orlando, Fl. seems to have an obsession with all things Schlitz. Yes, as in Schlitz beer. He has a ton of Schlitz beer memorabilia in his home. I thought I would inquire about his fascination with this strange brew.

So Dan, what is is your deal with Schlitz beer?

After a long, hard day some people look forward to having a beer. For me, not any old beer is good enough. In fact, it has to be an ice cold Schlitz! There’s nothing that can compare to drinking the “kiss of the hops.”

more after the jump

Read more!

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you probably have discovered I am a huge Felix The Cat fan. One of my readers, Jessica emailed me this cute photo of her dressed in her Felix The Cat Halloween costume. She made the costume herself!

Jessica says, "I made the bag of tricks from a Dunkin Donuts Munchkin's box. The bow tie I bought and sewed on red felt and glued on the white pokadots."

Cute costume! Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! If you want to have a spooktacular Halloween, go see The Nightmare Before Christmas in Disney Digital 3-D. I saw it last year. It was a fun way to see one of my all time favorite movies and we got to wear those retro cool 3-D glasses. Wow!

I love this Scoop TV stand by Eurway. It has a retro mod pedestal base that reminds me of the Saarinen Tulip series. We bought this mod tv stand for the bedroom so Grayson and I can zone out watching Baby Einstein dvd's. My pal Susan gave us a bunch of them. I have seen the Baby Einstein Christmas dvd which was quite trippy. I have heard mixed reviews of the Baby Einstein dvds from my friends. Some say their baby loves them but others say not to let him watch, they will warp his little brain. What do you readers think? Baby Einstein, genius or mindless? What are some good dvds for the little guy to watch?

Scoop TV stand $139 Eurway.com

How about some creepy hand soap to freak out your guests at your Halloween party? What's so scary about hand soap? Well this soap is actually shaped like little hands. Weird!

Hand Soap Vitamin D(esign) $20.00

I can't wait to join the Maclaren Mama stroller brigade of Park Slope. Over the past 2 months I have been scoping out the strollers I see on the streets of Brooklyn. I have seen many Bugaboos, Quinnys, and Maclarens. The Maclaren Quest Mod Stroller seems to be the best choice for me because it is super lightweight and easy to tote up and down the subway steps. I love the mod geometric print too. It also is a good price compared to the pricier Bugaboo and Quinny. I found it for $199 at Babies R Us. Can't wait to take Grayson Danger Cain to Prospect Park in his new Maclaren.

Please don't eat the spaghetti poodles. These oh so cute vintage ceramic dog figurines were primarily made in Japan back in the 1950's. These collectible ceramics were all the rage and are called Spaghetti Art Ware because of the "spaghetti-like" texture of the ceramic fur. Poodles were very popular as well as cocker spaniels, other animals, and Holiday figures. Some of the manufacturers of these cute canines include Lefton, Napco, and Enesco.

A mom and her pups

check out the book Spaghetti Art Ware: Poodles and Other Collectible Ceramics
by Wanda Gessner on Amazon.com

These mod ABS plastic elephant banks were designed by in the 1970's by Luigi Colani for the German bank Dresdner Bank. They were given to customers as gifts for opening an account at the bank. They came in bold primary colors and three different sizes ranging from 8cm to 21cm. They are quite hard to find and go for approx. $100-200 USD for a set of three on Ebay Germany.

Does anyone know the story behind this retro thingamajig? I like to call it champagne kinetic art sculpture because it reminds me of the bubbles when you open a bottle of champagne. We actually have two of these. One we found at a thrift store and another a friend gave to us. I believe it is Danish modern, from the 1960's. I sure would like to know who the designer or manufacturer was. They are quite hard to find and fetch $100-200 on ebay. Jinkies!

We are on a Space Invaders kick at the Cain household. We recently purchased Blik Space Invaders Wall Decals and now I found this oh so retro 80's Space Invaders Gift Wrapping Paper. It is part of the Dude Wrapping Paper Collection from X-treme-geek.com.

$21.97, comes with 4 different designs. 8 sheets total with matching stickers

Buy a soft toy at IKEA between Nov. 4 - Dec 24 and $1 for each one purchased will be donated to UNICEF and Save the Children.

Join Design Within Reach and Knoll for the fight against breast cancer. Bid on one of 10 Knoll benches upholstered in pink leather. The proceeds will go to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation.

Whats this? A drive in movie in Manhattan? Why yes it is. It is DRV-IN, a retro style drive in cinema located at Grand Opening in the Lower East side of Manhattan. You and up to 5 other friends can watch classic films in a 1965 Ford Falcon convertible. They even have a full concession stand. Yum!

This month, to celebrate Halloween, they are featuring classic horror films of the 1960's - 2000.

photo via 139norfolk.com

GrandOpening
139 Norfolk Street
New York, NY 10002

phone: 646-478-7689
info@139norfolk.com

Oct. 11, Grayson is 8 days old and we took him for his first doctor visit. He had an excellent checkup. He now weighs 9 pounds 2 ounces. Wow! Doc says we are doing a great job!

Going past the pumpkin patch to the doctor

Huh? What's going on?

We are proud to announce the birth of our baby boy

Grayson Danger Cain
born Oct 3, 2007 at 109 am
8 pounds 12 oz
21 inches long and Ready to Rock!

watch his youtube video

Last weekend I had a huge pregnancy craving for my favorite food in the whole world- Macaroni and Cheese. Brian and I went to the East Village to check out this fun restaurant called S'MAC. They specialize in serving various mac n' cheese recipes. My meal was delicious! I had to thank the owners for such a wonderful treat.

all photos courtesy of Sarita Ekya

S'MAC is short for Sarita's Macaroni and Cheese. The restaurant is owned by husband and wife team Sarita & Caesar Ekya.

Sarita was kind enough to answer a few questions for Retro Info.

Please tell us about how you came up with the concept for S'Mac.

Eating out at niche restaurants with my husband, I casually mentioned that it would be great if there was a place solely dedicated to mac-n-cheese. We both laughed and thought it was a great idea. We couldn't shake the idea and decided we'd look into what it would take to open up a small restaurant. We figured we could do it and, voila, 9 months later S'MAC was opened.

more after the jump

Read more!

Get em' while the gettins good. If you have always wanted a modern mobile, now is the time to get one.

Julie Frith modern mobiles are on sale this weekend 20 percent off. Oh yeah!

This sexy retro apron is sure to heat things up in the kitchen. I think it is so cute, I would almost wear it as a dress!

Funky Dots Burgundy Apron $39.95 Wrapables.com

I just discovered this amazing artist named Andy Gersh from Burbank, CA. He creates gorgeous modern art pieces made from glass. His creations range from delicate jewelry designs to huge glass art sculptures!

Andy was kind enough to chat with Retro Info about his glass art.

Please tell us about the art you create.

It all starts with an idea. Some sort of image that I see in public, in
nature or in my mind, etc. From there, I decide what type of glass and
what colors I could use to convey the idea most clearly. Every now and
then, I'll follow a tangent that takes the glasswork in a direction that
I never anticipated, but I'm happy about it because it can turn a
routine piece into a real surprise for me.

more after the jump

Read more!

I love this house plan for this awesome mid century modern vacation home. It has a funky folded-plate roof, post and beam design, large glass walls and a deck that stretches across the back for indoor/outdoor living. Perhaps we will build a house like this someday....

plan taken from the book HOME PLANNERS VACATION HOMES A-FRAMES , CHALETS

We are getting down to the knitty gritty. Baby Grayson will be born within the next week or so and we are still decorating his room. We are doing a retro mod, rocket ship, robot, space theme. My friend Michelle from Australia emailed me this photo of retro rayguns. They are arranged on the wall like pieces of art sculpture. What do you readers think? Is it ok to put rayguns in a babies room? I will de-energize them of their cosmic death rays of course!

Today I am 38 weeks pregnant now and I have got a HUGE craving for my favorite food in the whole world. Macaroni and Cheese! I discovered this restaurant called S'MAC that claims to serve New York City's best macaroni and cheese. That's all they serve there, its a cheese lovers paradise! They don't serve plain old boxed Kraft mac n cheese either. This is a place for a mac n cheese connoisseur like me. I can't wait to try the brie or gruyere macaroni and cheese. Yum!

S'MAC
345 East 12th Street, NY, NY 10003
212-358-7912
212-358-7917
sarita@smacnyc.com
caesar@smacnyc.com

My buddy Bret emailed me a link to this cool chair but I think its got a bad name. Its the Placentero lounge chair by Argentinean designer Batti. The fiberglass Placentero chair got its name from combination of two words linked to the pregnancy period, "placenta" and "pleasure". I am 38 weeks pregnant now and even though its a really cool chair, I don't think I would buy it because of the name. Eek!

via Trendir.com

If you are a runner and an Elvis fan, join my friend Joe in the Las Vegas Marathon. He and a bunch of runners are going to dress as Elvis and run in the marathon to set a world record for the largest number of running Elvi. Start training now by eating those peanut butter and banana sandwiches, gotta' look good in that jumpsuit! The race is December 2 2007 on the Vegas Strip. Uh-huh!

photo via lvmarathon.com

There will be a Pop Art and Pin Up Girls show tonight Sept 20, 2007, 6-9 pm at The Gallery at Avalon Island in Orlando Fl. The show will feature art by one of my favorite O-Town artists Iman Woods. Check it out!

We still have a few more accents and whatnot to buy for the apartment. I am looking to buy some art to put above our platform bed. I came across this mod mirror by designer Karim Rashid. It is called the Links Mirror because you can hang them in multiples, either horizontally or vertically to get a "links" effect. I really like them but do you think putting mirrors above the bed is a little too "bow chicka wow wow"?

Links Mirror $199 Scanfurniture.com

One of my new favorite artists is Eleanor Grosch from Pushmepullyou Design. She is a talented, young artist from Philadelphia, PA. who's style has that animal magnetism! Her fresh designs are popping up at hip stores and brands like Keds, Urban Outfitters and dELias.

photos via Eleanor Grosch

Eleanor was kind enough to answer a few questions for Retro Info.

How did you get into art/design?

I started from the womb, basically! I drew all my life whenever I had free time. All that practice really helped out when I studied fine art in college. From there, I started teaching Photoshop and Illustrator and freelancing in my spare time.

more after the jump

Read more!

Baby will love to dine al fresco in this oh so mod Fresco High Chair by Bloom. The Fresco High Chair can be converted from a bassinet for 0-6 months to a high chair for 6-36 months and to a kids chair for 36 months and up. The $400 price tag isn't so bad when you know your little one will be using it for up to 4 years. Wow!

photo via bloombaby.com

Greetings from Prospect Park.

I am 37 weeks preggers now and we went to Prospect Park to take some cute photos. It is a huge park, 585 acres to be exact, located in the heart of Brooklyn. It is just a few blocks away from our apartment. We got some hero sandwiches at this authentic Italian deli on 7th ave. The guy next to me ordered Gabbagool so I knew I was in the right place. We walked up the slope to Prospect Park and had a nice picnic with our doggie.

The park is the masterpiece of famed landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, who also designed Central Park. There is a forest, meadow and a lake in the park. Other attractions include an Audubon Center, Zoo, 1912 antique carousel, several playgrounds, ball fields, trolley ride, outdoor concert area, biking, jogging and more. After I have the baby and have more energy I plan to check out everything the park has to offer. It will be a fun way to get back into shape.

Vanessa and Casey in the park

My pals from Orlando came to apartment hunt in Brooklyn. They plan on joining us up here in the big city. I showed them around Park Slope and Carroll Gardens. We popped into a few baby stores and I fell in love with the Quinny Buzz Stroller. I hear its all the rage in Europe. I love its sleek, modern design. Looks like a space pod with wheels. I wonder how well it performs in the city. Most of the families I see around here have Maclarens. I am always a sucker for mod design, even if it doesn't function well. When it comes to my baby, I want something that looks mod but is very functionable and safe. Any tips from my readers?

Quinny Buzz Stroller $499 Strollermama.com

I love these fun and whimsical animal clocks by Eleanor Grosch. There's 3 to choose from. Pengy the Penguin, Owley the Owl and Koala Clock. Only $28 each at Urban Outfitters. Cool!

Check out mod*mom for a free pass code to the Dwell on Design exhibition in San Francisco this Sunday Sept 16. If I lived in San Fran, I would go, especially if its free!

use promo code: expoexh
activate pass at dwellondesign.com
click on register + proceed to purchase exhibition ticket

If you have an Eichler or Streng home or want your home to look like one, check out the Eichler/Streng Homes Collection at Lumens.com. The fine folks at Lumens have picked out cool, hip lighting and home living accessories that will give any home that mid century, California modern feel. The selection ranges from the classic designs of George Nelson, to the contemporary Flos Glo-Ball light series and innovative LED doorbell buttons.

Ball Clock by Nelson $300

De-light Doorbell Button by Spore $35

Hey Eichler fanatics! Be sure to check out the Eichler Home Tour in Marin this weekend September 15-16.

photo via marinmodern.com

The tour will feature two dozen Eichlers in the Lucas Valley and Terra Linda neighborhoods of San Rafael, CA. This annual event will benefit the Hospice by the Bay and will include a self-guided walking (& driving) tour of many 1950s & 1960s ranch homes built by Eichler Homes, Inc. as well as an exotic car show.

Eichler Tour Dates: Saturday, September 15 & Sunday, September 16, 2007

Eichler Tour Times: 10am - 4pm

Ticket Prices for this Charity Event: $50.00 for one day or $80.00 for both days

you can buy tickets online.

for more info contact
Renee Adelmann, Realtor & Certified EcoBroker
#1 Agent for year-to-date Closed Eichler+Alliance Home Transactions in Marin County
Phone: 1-415-EICHLER (342-4537)
www.MarinModern.com
www.EichlerForSale.com

If you are a modernist, then I know you are a person who pays attention to the fine details. Check out these ultra mod Paragon House Numbers by Atlas Homewares. You can give your home a modern feel simply by updating your house numbers. You know its the first thing people see when they come over.

The Paragon House Numbers are made of brushed stainless steel and very easy to apply, just peel and stick. No mounting hardware needed. Wow!

$18.90 Atlashomewares.com

Thursday September 13, 2007 from 6-9pm, Sven Kirsten will be signing his new book Tiki Modern at the Taschen Bookstore in Hollywood, CA. There will be music, a tiki bar and food. Sven will bring along some pieces from his Witco collection too.

$39.99 Taschen Books

Tiki Modern is a follow-up book to his successful Book of Tiki, a celebration of tiki style. Tiki Modern has over 700 images. The book is a blending of tiki primitivism and mid century modernism. It surely will be a new source of inspiration for tiki enthusiasts.

September 13, 2007
6-9pm

TASCHEN Store Hollywood, Farmers Market
6333 W. 3rd street, CT-10, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Tel. 323.931.1168 & 323.931.1146
Fax: 323.931.1149
store-hollywood@taschen.com

If you ever wondered how the word Populuxe came to be, we have Thomas Hine to thank. He is the author Populuxe, of one of my favorite books of all time. This word he invented inspired our retro store in Orlando Fl. which turned into our ebay business and eventually our Populuxebooks website.

Populuxe 1st edition 1986

Thomas was kind enough to answer a few questions for Retro Info.

How did you come up with the word Populuxe?

The idea for a book about the look and life of America from the early fifties to the early sixties had been percolating for a long time—probably ever since I had a traveling fellowship in 1977 and 1978 that took me to Saudi Arabia where I saw houses being built that distilled and heightened everything that was bizarre about the houses that were being built when I was a child. But the catalyst came when I told my editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer my idea, and she replied, “What you need is a term—like art deco or camp—that will give people a handle on what you are talking about.” Within an hour I had seized upon one of the central paradoxes of the later postwar period—that it seemed to be about extravagance for everyone, popular luxury—and I had my word. Later, when Knopf bought the proposal, the word was one thing about it that they weren’t sure would work. So we went through twenty or thirty other possibilities before settling on Populuxe. One pretty good alternative, I thought, was Powerflite, the name of an automatic transmission offered by Chrysler. The word ended up on the cover of the original edition of the book—it’s on the car—but none of us noticed until the book was out.

more after the jump

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I love these Slick Cube occasional tables from Target. They are plastic with a glossy finish. Comes in a bunch of mod colors. Only $99.99. I love Target.

We sold our Murano. We have been living in Brooklyn for 3 weeks now and we only drove our car once. We either walk or take the subway to wherever we need to go. I had to move my car once a week so the sanitation dept. could clean the street. I am terrible at parallel parking. It is so embarassing to see me try. It just made sense to sell our car.

more after the jump

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So how much do you love your dog? I know you certainly do. How about hooking your pooch up with this oh so mod dog pod by Wowo. It will set you back around 600 bones, and I don't mean doggie bones either.

Wowo Dog Pod $629 Vitamin D(esign)

I would like to clear up a little confusion from my last posting. We got our IKEA shelves from the Park Slope Parents Classifieds List which is “the Craigs List for Park Slope and Kids’ Stuff.” If you live in Brooklyn or the surrounding areas, you should check it out. You can find some great deals like we did.

I am also learning to "dumpster dive" on the weekends. Its not what you think, I am not rummaging through dumpster juice. On the weekends, Park Slope residents put unwanted household items and clothing out on the curb. People like to hang their used shoes on the fence. It is quite odd to me but last weekend I found some cute baby clothes that were like brand new! I also found a bunch of clothes hangers which I was in desperate need of after moving.

On Sundays, there is also a fun Flea Market at PS321 school. We went there last Sunday but we are mainly interested in resale for our ebay business. Saw a cool vintage western shirt but it was $5.00. I am used to finding stuff in Florida for $1.00 and under at garage sales. I guess I just need to get used to the increase of the cost of living here in NY. Even at the flea markets.

I would love to hear about some of the cool treasures my fellow Park Slopers and Brooklynites have found.

Craig, you are my new best buddy! Since we moved to Brooklyn, my husband and I have discovered Craigslist. We got some amazing stuff for the apartment.

Check out my vintage mod electronics collection displayed on the IKEA Lack shelves we got for $7.00 each. The lady we bought them from lives just a block away. She is super nice and she also runs Park Slope Parents website. She also hooked me up with a great OB/Gyn. Thank you Susan!

more after the jump

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Trader Vic's is coming to Las Vegas baby! I am so excited. The legendary tiki bar Polynesian restaurant is to open on Las Vegas Boulevard this October! My baby is due Oct. 8 and I haven't had a mai tai or any alcoholic beverage whatsoever in over a year! I am there!

Trader Vic's was founded by Victor Jules “Trader Vic” Bergeron in Oakland California back in the 1930's. Since then, the Bergeron family has opened over 25 Trader Vic's worldwide.

The Vegas Vic's will have a 15,000 sq ft restaurant, lanai with 20 ft outdoor bar, and ultra lounge. They will serve 50 different themed drinks including their world famous mai tai. Trader Vic's is said to be the inventor of the mai tai so if you are gonna have one, you might as well have it there.

Happy Labor Day! I hope you enjoy your day off. We are gonna grill! Yesterday we went to Lowe's just to buy a cheapie charcoal grill for our little apartment backyard. My husband spotted this droidlike silver cutie that spoke to him. "Buy me, beep, beep!". No plain old charcoal grill will do for my hubby, he had to get the grill that looks like R2D2. Its called the Perfect Flame SSP-2010 but my husband named it RoboGrill 4000.

He lugged it out of the store, threw it in the back of the convertible and drove it up the slope to our Brooklyn apartment. He double parked and lugged his robot pal up the stairs, through our apartment and to the backyard. Good think it is tall and sleek in design and fit through our doors. It was easy to assemble and runs on propane. Just turn it on and it is ready to cook!

We have 10 people to grill for today. Even though it is as cute as R2D2, we hope it is tough like a Dalek.

"Hot Dogs, EXTERMINATE, EXTERMINATE!"

Coochicoos has a spotlight on artist Julie Frith.

She creates modern kinetic sculpture art mobiles inspired by the mid century designs of Alexander Calder. All of her designs can be custom colored and are handmade. Check out her website for fantastic hanging mobiles and tabletop stabiles.

If you want to try to make mobiles of your own, check out the following books.

HOW TO MAKE MOBILES BY JOHN LYNCH (1953)

MOBILE DESIGN BY JOHN LYNCH (1955)

Well the lazy days of summer are almost at an end. Imagine basking in the warm sunshine in the Dune Daybed from Barlow Tyrie. Its curvy, modern design is a creation of Vladimir Kagan. It is hand woven from natural looking resin and the cushions are Sunbrella fabric. The ultimate in outdoor luxury!

$3765 at Grounded

The IAC headquarters (InterActive Corp.) in New York City is an astounding superstructure of glass and light. It is located along the West Side Highway in Chelsea. It is designed by one of my favorite superheroes of architecture, Frank Gehry.

The building appears as if it is a ship with wavy sails of glass along the NY skyline. Its curvaceous form is so different from the rigid glass, brick or steel buildings you normally see. The glass panels were custom enginereed in Italy by Permasteelisa. Each panel is unique and consists of baked on ceramic dot patterns which reflect light to screen out the sun and give the building its etherial glow.

Check out a video of the inside the IAC HQ via Vimeo

I just moved to NYC and I am psyched about visiting the IAC in person.

A bunch of us Tri-State tiki fans are meeting at New York City's Marion's on the Bowery tonight. Every year Marion's transforms for the month of August into the Kahiki with tiki decor, eats and drinks.
Don't miss it!

6:30pm Wed. 8/29 at Marion's
354 Bowery between Great Jones and East 4th St.

Check out Tiki Central for more info.

This looks groovy! Its the Summer of Love man! The Whitney Museum in NYC has a far out exhibition featuring the Art of the Psychedelic Era. Includes 60s art, music, film, architecture, graphic design, and fashion. Designs by Richard Avedon, Jimi Hendrix, Andy Warhol, Verner Panton, Peter Sedgley, and others. On view May 24-September 16, 2007. Like Wow!

mod*mom is at it again, in full force! She's got a bunch of new giveaways on her blog. You can win fun stuff like a Pink Dyson Vaccuum for Breast Cancer research, a Kaboost mod chair booster, Botticelli bike storage rack, Whole Foods gift card, and my holy grail of strollers The Toro newborn transportation system. I really want one of these for my baby.

Enter in her contests today! Win valuable prizes! Wow!

The artist Shag has teamed up with the Ennis House Foundation to raise funds to restore the Ennis house. The "textile block" house was built in 1924 by world famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It was severely damaged by the Northridge earthquake, heavy rains, and deferred maintenance. Through a combination of structural and restoration work, this iconic marvel has come back from the brink.

photo via DREAM COME TRUE, GREAT HOUSES OF LOS ANGELES

You can help to restore the Ennis house by purchasing The Ennis House Foundation Shag Print. Each large 11 color serigraph print measures 18" x 42" is $250 and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Proceeds will go toward the restoration and reopening of the Ennis House.

Shag alert, Shag alert! There are new Shag items available at Shagmart. Get em while the gettins good.

Shag’s newest print, An Extraordinary Evening, goes on sale Monday 8/27 at 12 PM PST, if you sign up for their newsletter mailing list you can purchase it now.

$295

Check out the new Shag Tiki Salt and Pepper Shakers. Wow!

$15.95

Lookee what I found, a Twinkies Cookbook. I don't know how nutritious the recipes may be but those little golden goodies sure do have a long shelf life. The Wonderbread Cookbook and Marshmallow Fluff cookbook look interesting as well. With these fun retro cookbooks, you can make yummy recipes like Fluff-Coffee Shakes, Wonderful Apple Pie Squares, Twinkie Pancakes and more. $9.95-$12.95 at Urban Outfitters.

What's this, Twinkie sushi?

My friend who works for Walt Disney World scored big time at the Mousesurplus in Orlando Fl.

What is the Mousesurplus you might ask? It is a huge warehouse in Orlando that carries Disney memorabilia, phased out items and one of a kind treasures from the theme parks, cruise ships and resorts.

Robert found these amazing retro mod lamps and bedspread which came from Disney's Contemporary Resort.

more after the jump

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Last night I woke up around 4 am with swollen fingers due to pregnancy. I take such good care of myself, I drink lots of water, eat healthy, etc. and I thought it wouldn't happen to me, but it did. My fingers swelled up like fat sausages.

I tried everything to get my wedding and engagement rings off. I tried soap, baby oil, vitamin E, everything in the medicine cabinet but they wouldn't budge. I went online and read if I soak my hand in ice water for 10 minutes, the rings would come off. I did this but it was just as painful and they still wouldn't come off. I woke up my husband and asked him where his wire cutters were. He was half asleep but he said they were in his tool box. I got them out and cut my beautiful rings off my fat finger. I felt so much better but my poor rings have seen better days.

I guess I should have read Pregnancy for Dummies. Word to those who are pregnant, don't wait until you are 8 months pregnant to remove your wedding rings.

I found these nifty expandable rings at SuperFitOnline. The rings have a hinged shank with a push button opening to make it easy to slip off over the knuckle or swollen finger. Wow! I should have bought one of these.

I discovered this incredible designer named Andy Davis from Hollywood Florida. Her Fashion Tramp fashions were featured in the Sarong-o-Rama fashion show at Hukilau 2007. A particluar design of hers really caught my eye. It was a gorgeous black skirt with a tiki face handsewn on the front. I decided to investigate further.

Andy was so kind to answer a few questions for Retro Info.

Tell us a little about Fashion Tramp Clothing.

I could not satisfy my love of fashionable and stylish clothes in my size with what was available in the stores. I grabbed my trusty Singer out of the closet and starting making clothes for myself. Other ladies noticed how cute my clothes were and began to ask for clothes too. Every gal, regardless of size, has some part of her that does not fit into department store sizes.

And, I love the femininity and detail of vintage clothes, especially from the 1940's and 1950's. I use both vintage and new patterns and any fabric I can find, all with a nod to the past. I combat one of the the pitfalls every vintage fashion lover faces, every piece is made with new thread. No more 50 year old thread breaking when you hit the dance floor. And I pre-wash all the fabrics, so there are no funky smells.

more interview with Andy after the jump

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Join all the hipsters down in South Florida for Labor Day Weekend. It's the Jetsetfest IV at the oh so swank Jetsetter Lounge in beautiful Lake Worth Fl.

VERY LIMITED SPACE STILL AVAILABLE!

CALLING ALL ARTISTS, CRAFTS PERSONS, VINTAGE CLOTHING VENDORS, & OTHER FLEDGLINGS ENTREPENEURS!

SHOW & SELL YOUR WARES AT JETSETFEST - LABOR WEEKEND FESTIVAL OF ART, MUSIC FOOD & DRINK!

VENDOR SHOWCASE SATUDAY SEPT 1 & SUNDAY, SEPT 2 FROM 3 PM - SUNSET

NO CHARGE TO VENDORS!

YOU MUST BRING WHATEVER YOU'LL NEED TO DISLAY & SELL YOUR WARES!

SPACE IS LIMITED! CONTACT MIKE JONES ASAP IF INTERESTED!
mikejones@jetsetterlounge.com

I am lucky to have encountered John Campbell, not to be confused with John Campbell the science fiction author, or John Campbell the singer/songwriter, or John Campbell whom the cocktail lounge in Grand Central Terminal is named for. This is John Campbell, an extremely informative and amiable architect from California.

John was kind enough to answer a few questions for Retro Info

How long have you worked as an architect?
I've been licensed since 1979. Been working in the profession since 1963. I got my education at Community Colleges and USC.

What inspires your designs? What are you into?
Just about anything. Some of my interests and hobbies, when I have time, are mid century Architecture and design, Googie type Architecture and design, old black white movies i.e. Charlie Chan, Mr. Moto, The Thin Man, Film Noir and other "campy" type movies. Art Deco Architecture and Design.

How did you become interested in mid century modern architecture?
It was the style I grew up with in Southern Ca. It's always been there.
However I don't look at it as memorabilia. Some of it's good and some of its bad. No matter what style it is. It's either good or bad.

Please tell us about your work as an architect.
I used to work for an Architectural firm in Pasadena and later Newport Beach;
Ladd and Kelsey Architects. I was involved with private residences, department stores, museums, schools.

Two of the more well known buildings are the Norton Simon Museum and California Institute for the Arts. My boss, Thorton Ladd was very good friends with Walt Disney. I am of the age I got to meet some of the Architects that were instrumental and leaders in Mid Century Architecture and Design. All of them knew my bosses Ladd and Kelsey.

I'm originally from Riverside Ca. Again, I got to meet some of the Architects that were practicing in the Palm Springs area. They all knew the greats, Richard Neutra, Frank Lloyd Wright, John Lautner, etc.

Most, almost all, have passed on. I feel very blessed and fortunate to meet some of these people.

There was another draftsman at Ladd and Kelsey who worked with Walter Gropius. He was working on the University of Bagdad and defected to the US. He was originally from Poland. There was another gentlemen I met. He worked at William Blurock. He was a draftsman at Louis Sullivan when Frank Lloyd Wright was there. He worked up until his 91st birthday.

Any particular building or design that was memorable for you?
There are two. One was a residence in Malibu.

photo via architectureforsale

The other one was a private art museum for Mrs. Virginia Steele Scott. It was located in San Marino CA. It housed her private art collection.

more interview with John Campbell after the jump

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Mod Livin' is the place to go for retro and modern furniture and accessories.

The store is based in Denver CO. but they also have an online shop and blog. They specialize in mid century modern furnishings and new reissues. They carry BluDot, Aarnio Puppies, Vitra, Alessi, and more. Check them out for your home, office or design needs.

When you call in to place your order, tell them Retro Info at Populuxebooks.com sent ya and you will receive $25 off your order of $100 or more. Wow!

Mod Livin' Modern Furniture
5327 East Colfax Ave.
Denver Colorado 80220

phone 1.888.833.2884

Do you have a friend who is a Vespa nut? I am sure he or she is hungry after scooting about town. Why not make your scooter pal a Vespa shaped sandwich?

photo via jibjab

check out this link for Vespa Sandwich art and other edible fun

Hello Park Slope! We have made the move to the big city!
We moved to Park Slope, a lovely section of Brooklyn NY.

photo via Daily Slope

We fell in love with the area. It reminds me of Sesame Street. There are kids and dogs and mommies pushing Maclarens everywhere. We are a few blocks away from Prospect Park, a fun place for the family. We live in a pre-war brownstone. It is on a quiet, tree lined street. We parked the car on the street right in front of our place. Wow! We rent the first and second stories of the brownstone. It has a fenced in backyard garden for our pets and our tikis. The whole interior has been updated and modernized. Our landlord calls it his IKEA apartment. It goes great with our mod furniture. The egg chairs are right at home and so are we.

Here is a photo Brian took of me on our front steps. I am 33 weeks pregnant now. I have been loving all the yummy restaurants along 7th.

One of my favorite artists recently passed away. Charley Harper died Sunday, June 10th, of pneumonia, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was 84.

photo via Contemporary Arts Center

Harper was best known for the children's book The Golden Book of Biology. Harper had a unique sense of graphic design. His artwork focused on a minimalist, geometric depiction of nature. Other publications he designed for include Ford Times and the Betty Crocker's Dinner for Two Cookbook. He also created graphics for the Audubon Society and the National Park Service.

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I discovered this incredible artist named Chelsea Groves, aka. BirdNerd on Etsy.com, a wonderful website for handmade artistries.

I fell in love with her Fluke the Mutant Blue Cardinal Print and wondered, a blue cardinal, why?

Chelsea was kind enough to tell us the story of Fluke.

"Let's see . . . I'll try to remember what I was thinking when I made Fluke. Well, for me, making art revolves around color first and foremost. So, when I begin a piece, I start with a single color in mind. For "Fluke" it was the orange. I wanted to make a warm, summery background and I punctuated it with the fiery red leaves.

So then it came time for me to make the bird, and I couldn't think of any better color for him than icy blue, which I knew would make him pop and would really be dramatic. The more I fleshed him out, the more personality he seemed to have and I thought he needed a name. So, I came up with the story of an oddly colored, outcast cardinal who was always in pursuit of the color red, which is the color he so wanted to be. That is why he chose to perch in the tree with red leaves. Thus, "Fluke, the Mutant Blue Cardinal" was born."

more feathered friends after the jump

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Last weekend, we took our pup Casey to NYC. As we were taking our morning stroll, we walked by DDC - Domus Design Collection store and this sleek and curvy end table caught my eye. The store wasn't open yet, so I didn't get to go inside and check it out. I found it on the DDC website, it is the Tod end table by Todd Bracher Studio. Made of a polypropylene frame and has a glossy lacquer finish in different colors.

Tod is so Mod! $1080 ddc

Last June, tiki fans gathered at The Hukilau 2007 in beautiful Ft. Lauderdale Fl. One of the fun festivities included a Sarong-o-Rama fashion show. There were 11 models (including Sandra and Kern's sarong model). Monique Vincent and Kiki and David Lenoue submitted their photos and were chosen as the tiki community participants. They modeled their own creations (except Kiki modeled some of Bre-elle's clothes as well as her Tori Richard dress). Some of the individual designers included Ashley Dean Retro Swimwear, Fashion Tramp and The Diva Pinup.

Here are some fun photos from the fashion show. Courtesy of Adrian Sullivan and Sandra Carr.

Kiki Lenoue is wearing a late 1960s/early 1970s jumpsuit with culottes from the Tiki Bree collection (Bre-elle Ishtar--she was selling some of her clothes during the fashion show).

more photos after the jump

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Last June, tiki-philes from all over the country gathered in sunny Ft. Lauderdale Florida for The Hukilau 2007. It is a fun event for fans of tiki, tropical, Hawaiian, Polynesian culture. This year tiki fans had the pleasure of seeing Robert Drasnin perform live. Other artists included Trixie Little & the Evil Hate Monkey (an acrobatic burlesque duo), The Disasternauts (a simian surf band), a real live mermaid, the Mai-Kai performers and more.

Brian and I were unable to go this year because we were moving to New York. My pal Sandra (who helped out with the festivities) was kind enough to share some photos with us.

(l-r) Dan Carr, Sandra Carr and Bre-elle Ishtar

more fun photos after the jump

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Supergraphics are a super way to liven up the walls of any room without spending a lot of dough. Check out our example library for how to tips on painting mod supergraphic wall murals.

No its not what you are thinking, some kind of weapon or whatnot. Its the retro 1950s Bullet Planter and Design Within Reach has got them.

DWR Bullet Planter medium $165
DWR Bullet Planter short $155

The original Bullet Planter got its name from its conical shape, perched atop the steel tripod stand, it appears as if it is about to be blasted off like a rocket or a bullet from a gun. The planter is made of compression molded fiberglass and is truly space age in design.

They were first manufactured by several different companies in the 1950s, none of which were able to trademark the design and the designer has never been identified. One version of the story goes that a man in the San Francisco Bay Area worked for a company that made the conical, molded fiberglass shapes as satellite dishes. He brought one home, and when his wife saw it, she got the idea to turn it into a planter.

Yesterday, Virgin America began flight services in the USA. These planes are oh so mod, as Xeni Jardin of Boingboing put it, "The cabin interior feels like a big happy iPod. White round plastic edges, metal surfaces and black mesh stowaway dividers. Sleek without feeling cold."

I definitely want to fly Virgin America on my next trip.

There is mood lighting that changes from pink to purple during your trip. Color tinted windows act like sunglasses to reduce glare.

Comfy leather seats with 32" of leg stretching roominess. Seats have adjustable headrests.

Inseat handset with gaming controls and QWERTY keyboard.
110v power plugs at every seat.
You get your own 9" touch screen to watch In-Flight entertainment, movies, music videos, 3000 MP3s, google maps. You can chat with other guests, it has ethernet and WiFi too.

Check out more photos on Virgin America and Boing Boing

We have found the answer to Design Dilemma #1.

A few months back, Greg from Los Angeles, CA. wrote in with a design dilemma. He has a mid century modern home with a decorative concrete block wall. He wanted to make another wall with this kind of pattern. I asked my readers if they knew of a company that still makes this type of concrete block.

Thanks to John, one of my trusty readers, we have found a company. Orco Block Company carries this type of concrete screen block. It is called La Costa. It measures 11 5/8" x 11 5/8" x 3 5/8". They also carry many other mid century modern style patterns to choose from. They have several locations in California. Orco has been a family owned business since 1946. Wow!

ORCO BLOCK CO., INC.
HEADQUARTERS
ORANGE / LOS ANGELES:
11100 Beach Blvd.
Stanton, California 90680
phone: (714) 527-2239
fax: (714) 895-4021
email: info@orco.com

BRIAN DAVIDSON, Customer Service Manager

Calling all modern design enthusiasts! If you love Dwell magazine, why not go to the Dwell on Design Conference? It will be held in beautiful San Francisco. Date is September 14-16 2007.

The kind folks at Dwell have assigned Retro Info two individual promo codes – one for each package offered (see www.dwellondesign.com for package details)

Use the following codes to receive a discount when you register for the event
pbblogp
pbblogb

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If you are an Eichler fan, and I know you are, you will certainly dig this long lost footage of the Universal International News from the 1950's. It features Joseph Eichler's X-100 steel prototype home, a mid century marvel with all the modern bells and whistles from 1956.

To view the X-100 newsreel, visit EichlerNetwork.com

via totheweb.com

For more amazing interior photos of the Eichler X-100, check out the book
SECOND TREASURY OF CONTEMPORARY HOUSES ARCHITECTURAL RECORD 1959

Well I am headin' down the home stretch now. I am 31 weeks preggers and only 9 more weeks to go. My parents asked me if there is anything special we want for the baby. My husband came across this awesome digital video camera in the August 2007 issue of Wired magazine. It is the Sanyo Xacti E1. It can record up to a total of 10 hours of full motion video or over 4000 6-megapixel still images on a 8GB SDHC memory card. It also allows simultaneous shooting of both 6-megapixel still images and 640 x 480-pixel video clips with a simple press of the shutter button during the shooting of a movie clip. Best of all, its waterproof! It is very retro in design, love the mod colors, especially the blue one.

Sanyo Xacti E1 Waterproof SD Camcorder - Blue $499 Circuit City

By the way, March of Dimes is having a PSA video contest. Submit your own 60 second ad video for a chance to win $5000 and show off your work on national TV. Show off your video making skills for a good cause.

Last Friday, Mod Livin' in Denver CO. hosted a slient auction. "Best in Show" featured over 50 different Eero Aarnio puppies designed by local artists and business. Proceeds went to the Downtown Animal Care Foundation (DACF), an organization which helps low-income families pay their veterinary bills.

Jill Warner of Mod Livin' said, "The auction was HUGE we had over 500 people show up, and 6 restaurant brought food and drinks. We were able to raise about $10,000 for the fund which was great."

Check out the Flickr photos from Mod Livin' for more photos of the decorated doggies.

BEST IN SHOW

"Noodle" donated by Eclipse Sign Company
done by artist Derek Y. Barnes was the winner

Brian had to work in NYC this weekend so Campfire put us up in a swank hotel! We stayed at the Hotel Affinia Dumont, a hotel in midtown Manhattan that caters to Jet Set Pets. We took our dog Casey with us.

more after the jump

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Casey is one mod dog! Thanks to Pop Art Pet. Awhile back, I wrote about this fantastic website where you can take a picture of your pet, email it to Pop Art Pets and their talented artists will create a one of a kind piece of art of your pal.

Pop Art Pet read my blog and saw my Cocker Spaniel named Casey. They kindly offered to do a portrait of my pup. I took a photo of him and emailed it to Pop Art Pet. They created 4 proofs and I had my readers vote on which one they liked the best. The voters picked the art with the mod circles in the background which I thought was an excellent choice.

I got my Pop Art Pet portrait in the mail and it is oh so mod! Casey and I love it. The portrait really captures Casey's expression and personality. It is very hard to do a portrait of a black dog and this one has outstanding definition. Casey gives it 5 bones! Thank you Pop Art Pets. We will display it with pride in our new place.

Hi kids, the word of the day is Hyperboloid. A hyperboloid is a solid or surface having plane sections that are hyperbolas, ellipses or circles.

So, what is a hyperbola? A hyperbola is an open curve formed by the intersection of a cone with a plane at a smaller angle with its axis at the side of the cone.

Vanessa, why are you talking about all this geometry so early in the morning?

All this geometry, hyperbolas and mathematical stuff sure do make some amazing architecture.

Cathedral of Brasília by Oscar Niemeyer

more after the jump

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Wanna buy an Eichler home? Now is your chance!

Just listed, an Eichler home in Lower Lucas Valley California that is in MINT, ORIGINAL condition. One-owner Eichler that has been amazingly preserved both inside and out. 4 bedroom, 2 baths. 1,659 Sq Ft Home; 7,700 Sq Ft Lot. Has gorgeous views of the Lucas Valley Hills.

Asking price is $790K. You can see additional pictures and property details at Eichler for Sale.

This property is not on the MLS and can only be seen by appointment. If you, or anyone you know might be interested in this very special Eichler home, please contact RENEE@eichlerforsale.com

Renee Adelmann, Realtor & Eichler Owner
Marin Modern Real Estate / Keller Williams Realty, San Francisco Properties
Phone: 1-415-EICHLER (342-4537)
www.EichlerForSale.com
www.MarinModern.com

Last week my husband Brian and his boss Mike got to go to San Francisco on a business trip. They got to stay in Nob Hill and they heard about the Tonga Room in the historic Fairmont Hotel. They decided to see what it is all about. They said it was pretty upscale and the decor was awesome. The live band played music on a floating boat and there was a tropical rainstorm inside the place. Wow! The food was no great shakes but the drinks were tasty. I asked him if they had any Tonga Room tiki mugs to buy but he said they didn't. Maybe they should, I bet a bunch of tiki fans like us would want to buy them.

Brian and Mike's favorite tiki

more Tonga Room photos after the jump

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I flew back to Orlando this weekend for my Tiki Tropical Baby Shower. It was a blast! Mom decorated her house all tiki themed for me. Jenn my sis in law was in charge of the food. We had yummy fruit, veggies and seafood. The drinks were a flowin. Virgin Pina Coladas and Orange Smoothies. Yum! Everyone wore Hawaiian attire, floral dresses, tropical shirts. The girls all got leis and flower hair clips to wear.

Thank you to everyone! The party was so much fun. Baby Grayson is all set for when he is born in October. I have a feeling he will like tikis too.

Hi everyone, it's time to play Name That Chair! One of my readers has a design dilemma. He inherited these amazing pieces of deco / mid century modern style furniture and he would like to know who the designers are. I have no idea so please help! Put on those design thinking caps and Name That Chair!

more photos after the jump

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I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Walmart is carrying a baby crib bedding set that looks a lot like Dwellbaby. I am in love with the Dwell Robin Motif Crib Set but the price of $384 is a little out of my league. Walmart has the Orchard Park Crib Set for $79.97. Should I splurge on the Dwell set or take my chances with the Walmart set? What do you think?

Dwell set Walmart set

Preserve your entire record album collection with the Crosley CR248 Songwriter CD burner. It is a retro-looking turntable that you can record your record albums to CD in just minutes. Or you can record your old cassettes to CD. Neato!

Crosley Songwriter CD Recorder $399.95

My husband Brian and I are freaks for Thrift Store record albums. We have spent hours upon hours rummaging through thousands of records your grandma gave away. We have travelled all the way from Miami Florida to Seattle Washington looking for space age pop, tiki exotica, cheesecake, or anything that blows our little minds.

Here are my top 10 favorite thrift store album finds. I mainly collect them for the album art. I frame them and hang them on the wall.

Esquivel Other Worlds Other Sounds

more after the jump

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On Friday July 27th, from 6-11 pm Mod Livin' in Denver CO. will be hosting a slient auction. "Best in Show" will feature over 50 different Eero Aarnio puppies designed by local artists and business. Proceeds will to to the Downtown Animal Care Foundation (DACF), an organization which helps low-income families pay their veterinary bills.

You can get involved by sponsoring a puppy and designing it yourself. The decorated doggies will be on display until August 11th at Mod Livin'.

Mod Livin' modern furniture
5327 East Colfax Ave. Denver, Colorado 80220 1.888.833.2884

These have got to be some of the coolest mailboxes I have ever seen. They come all the way from New Zealand. You can order online and shipping is around $70 to USA. Not a bad price to pay for getting the coolest mailbox on the globe.

My favorite is the CADRONA round, flip top mailbox. Made from Galvanised steel (zincalume) and powdercoated
for complete rust protection. Marine plywood facia. Mailbox includes provisions for Padlock /lockable. comes in 10 different colors.

Cadrona mailbox from Letterboxes.co.nz $120.00 USD, plus $70 shipping

Summer is here and its time to get grillin' in style. Check out these hot new grills for 2007.

The Eva Solo Grill is oh so sleek and modern with its stainless steel barrel shaped design. It comes with collapsible legs and a flat grill lid you can put together to use as a table.

$560 Eva Denmark

The O-Grill is a truly portable gas grill. It has a cute clam shaped design, comes in a variety of mod primary colors and weighs less than 25 lbs.

$149.95 Pro-Iroda

Whoa nelly, this sucker is cool! Its the Matrix Otto hanging lamp designed by Yaacov Kaufmann. It has a nickel-plated aluminum base and 8 adjustable steel arms.

$724 Topdeq

For more outrageously mod lamps you can build yourself check out the book
LAMP AND LIGHTING BOOK (1976)

Did you know Charles and Ray Eames were rockers at heart? Yes they were. In 1956 Charles and Ray designed a stereo speaker for Stephens Trusonic Inc. They were only produced for a few years and are quite hard to come by. Made of aluminum, laminate, naugahyde and measure 22w x 16d x 29.5h. Estimated value of one of these babies is between $3000-5000. Imagine finding one of these in a thrift store. Wow!

photo via wright20.com

Tiki Farm Big Ol' Bash July 21, 2007. At the Tiki Farm warehouse and parking lot, San Clemente CA. They will have a gallery and art sale featuring the hottest tiki artists. Including: Tiki Farm, Crazy Al, Squid and more. Get your Tiki Farm exclusive mug or t-shirt for the event, only $10 each. Live music by Popuele, The Dynotones, Clouseaux, King Kukulele, and DJ Lee. Mai-Tai's and Hawaiian shaved ice, yum!

Saturday July 21, 2007
gallery open from 5-6:30 pm
party at 7 pm $10, 21 and up

1305 Calle Avanzado
San Clemente CA
Call (949) 940-1006 for more info

The C. Jeré studio has teamed up with Jonathan Adler to reissue their most iconic mid-century designs. They are gorgeous 3-D metal wall sculptures. 4 designs to choose from including Raindrops Mirror, Raindrops Sculpture, Sunburst Sculpture, and Urchin Sculpture. Each sculpture is made of antiqued bronze and is signed and dated. Prices range from $995 - $1500.

more after the jump

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Here is your chance to own a piece of Architectural History. The Neutra Offices are For Sale!

THE NEUTRA OFFICE BUILDING

2379 Glendale Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90039

A City of LA Landmark - on the National Register of Historic Places.
The only surviving example of Neutra commercial design that is still intact!
Own/protect a Trophy Property by one of the seminal architects of the Modernist movement in Los Angeles.

Approx. 4,875 sf (office + 2 Apts residential in rear)
Approx. 7,405 sf lot – 50’ street frontage - 2 car parking
Original Neutra-designed built-ins and interior detailing.
Open floor plan suitable for Creative Office/related uses.

Price: $3,500,000

For further information and interest in this offering, please contact Sandy Bleifer
Tel: 213-612-3756 or by email: s_bleifer@downtownLArealty.com

more photos and sales flyer after the jump

Read more!

I found a paperback copy of Survival Through Design by Richard Neutra.

It has a piece of duct tape across the front. I thought to myself, "So sad..". I then turned to the first page and to my surprise it read "To John Robbins, A kindred spirit! All best wishes Dion Neutra 10/01". Wow! Could it be the signature of Dion Neutra, the architect? The son of architect and author Richard Neutra?

I went online to Neutra.org and there i found Dion's email. I emailed him and attached a scan of the signature. He emailed me back right away and confirmed it was his signature.

He said, "This is indeed my signature on a copy of the book dedicated to John Robbins the heir of the Baskin-Robbins fortune, who eschewed that life style for a more sustainable one. As you can see, I was congratulating him on his efforts on behalf of the planet!"

I felt so honored he emailed me back, it was like meeting a rock star. I am proud to have this signed copy in my book collection. Dion, you made my day!

Since I am going to be a mod*mom pretty soon, I love to check out the original mod*mom blog for oh so cool stuff for my kid. She is the queen of giveaways, I recently won a Fatboy from her. She rocks!

Check out her current giveaway with notNeutral. You can win your choice of a 4x5' rug or toybox. All you have to do is tell mod*mom "what is your favorite notneutral product + why?" before midnight july 31. Yowza!

Back when Brian and I were dating, he took me to this Felix The Cat Chevrolet car dealership in L.A. He totally surprised me, I had no idea a Felix dealership existed. They had a huge Felix sign and Felix statues all over the place. It was one of the best surprises ever!

via boing boing

The Felix character was borrowed from the 1920s cartoon "Felix the Cat" by L.A. automobile dealer Winslow Felix, who opened Felix Chevrolet in 1922 at 12th Street and Grand Avenue. Felix was a friend of filmmaker Pat Sullivan, whose animation studio created the feline character.

The large Felix Chevrolet neon sign was erected at Figueroa and Jefferson Boulevard when new dealership owner Nick Shammas relocated the Chevrolet franchise there in 1958.

The Felix Chevrolet sign has become a Historic Landmark. I am so happy because that means I can someday surprise my son by taking him there to see it. I hope he loves Felix just as much as I do.

Brian bought me this Felix license plate at the dealership. I still have it on my car.

Brian and I ventured into New York City on Sunday to check out some some of the scene.

We went to DUMBO, yes it is called Dumbo. Stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. It seems like a pretty cool up and coming area. Lots of dogs, kids and families were there playing in the park which has incredible views of Manhattan. I thought it was nice if you could stand the sounds of the subway train going across the bridge. I guess if you live there, you get used to it.

Vanessa 7 months pregnant

more after the jump

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Ikea in Norway is now offering shoppers the chance to sleep over in one of its Oslo showrooms free of charge.

From July 23 to July 27, the public will be able to spend the night in special rooms set up in the store, with a choice of bridal suite, complete with hanging chandelier and a round bed, or a luxury suite that includes breakfast in bed.

Ikea fans have until July 18 to apply for their exclusive Ikea stay. They must fill in a form and answer the question "Why do you want to sleep at Ikea?"

photo via breitbart.com

Tickets for the 2007 Eichler Homes Tour are now available for purchase. The Eichler Home Tour in Marin County which will feature classic Joseph Eichler properties throughout San Rafael, California.

This annual event to benefit the Hospice by the Bay will feature a variety of Eichler homes & floorplans as well as an exotic car show.

Eichler Tour Dates: Saturday, September 15 & Sunday, September 16, 2007

Eichler Tour Times: 10am - 4pm

Ticket Prices for this Charity Event: $50.00 for one day or $80.00 for both days

for more info contact:
Renee Adelmann, Relator & Certified EcoBroker
Marin Modern Real Estate
Keller Williams Realty, SF Properties
Serving Marin & San Francisco
Phone: 1-415-EICHLER (342-4537)
www.EichlerForSale.com
www.MarinModern.com

Check out this video of Christopher Deam architect/designer (and husband of Dwell magazine founder Lara Hedburg Deam) discussing his modern take on the classic Airstream.

click here to watch video

He created the ultimate in Airstream design for DWR.
Chris will also be at the Dwell on Design 2007, September 14–15 in San Francisco.

Art of the T-Shirt
Friday, July 27, 6-9pm
The DWR Milwaukee Studio

"Art of the T-Shirt," the work of Holoubek Studios and Heavy Rotation. Holoubek Studios began in 1962 when Verne Holoubek began airbrushing custom designs on garments. Verne was one of the first to develop the heat transfer. Soon the t-shirt became the focus of American fashion. In 2002, Brian Holoubek began digging though his father's iron-on archives from over 40 years in the t-shirt business and selling the iron-ons. Brian's business evolved into Heavy Rotation, a t-shirt company producing silk-screened tees with graphics inspired by the vintage iron-ons as well as new, original artwork.

Original 70s T-shirt catalog/Verne at work 1964
photos via heavytees.com

Join DWR Milwaukee for a chance to view historic photos and iron-ons from Holoubek Studios, poster art and vintage and current T-shirt designs. Heavy Rotation will be there that night doing live T-shirt screen printing. Bring $10 to purchase your own one-of-a-kind Heavy Tee. Proceeds from the T-shirt sales will benefit a local children's charity. Beverages will be served as a courtesy of Lakefront Brewery.

Design Within Reach
167 N. Broadway
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Phone: 414.224.5353
Fax: 414.224.5395
Hours:
Monday-Saturday
10am-6pm
Sunday
12pm-5pm

Times Square billboard banned, no butts about it!

A judge has banned Toto's "Washlet" cleaning system billboard from a Times Square building. One of the building's tenants happens to be the Times Square Church, which sued to stop the billboard by claiming it was "certainly unsuited for public exposure to children, and antithetical to the values of our congregation and church.”

I thought it was a cute ad. I wanted to go into the city to see this billboard in person. Too late now.

My husband plans on posting photos of his butt at his work Campfiremedia in protest of the removal of the billboard.

Remember, "clean is happy!"

Pop Art Pet created these oh so mod art portraits of my dog Casey. They created 4 proofs for me to choose from. I love them all, but I can't decide which one I like the best. I thought I would leave it up to you to choose for me. Which one do you like the best? The proof with the highest votes will be made into a portrait and will be proudly displayed on the wall of our new house in NY.

I found this clever image of the logos of classic rock bands that have been replaced with the names of mid century modern architects.

It is in the latest July/Aug 2007 issue of Dwell magazine. The article goes on to say that famous architects don't always get the same recognition as rock stars but this issue of Dwell is to "turn up the volume on those heroes of design and architecture who pushed boundaries in their time"

read article after the jump

Read more!

Wow! Check out this space age mod Odyssey Dining Table I found at CB2. It is pretty darn close to the classic mid century modern Tulip Pedestal Table by Eero Saarinen.

Only $169, what a deal!

Live Earth is a monumental music event that will bring together more than 2 billion people on 7/7/07 to raise awareness about global warming. With 24 hours of music across 7 continents, and performances by more than 150 of the world's top musicians, Live Earth will engage, connect, and inspire individuals, corporations and governments to take action to solve the climate crisis.

The event is being promoted by Save Our Selves foundation, which was created by Kevin Wall and Al Gore. One of the main goals of the event is to get people involved in the fight against global warming.

Some of my favorite artists include Wolfmother, Lenny Kravitz, Sasha, Beastie Boys, Bloc Party, Duran Duran, Foo Fighers, Kasabian, Madonna, Snow Patrol, Spinal Tap, Smashing Pumpkins, The Police and many more.

Click here for more info, to watch the show, and for a complete line up of bands.

photo via inhabitat

Where do all the old pinball machines go to retire? Vegas baby!

The Pinball Hall of Fame is a 4500 sq. ft. museum which displays the world's largest pinball machine collection. The machines were collected by the Las Vegas Pinball Collectors Club. The games belong to one club member (Tim Arnold), and they date from the 1950s - 1990s. The museum has mostly older games from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, as this was the 'heyday' of pinball. It's all pure pinball (and a few arcade novelty games) from the past. And since it's a not-for-profit museum, excess revenues go to non-denominational charities.

All machines are restored to like new and are available for play. All older pinballs are set to 25 cents per play, and newer 1990s models are set to 50 cents per play.

Click here for an alphabetical listing of games at the PHoF

PHoF Location
3330 E. Tropicana, Las Vegas NV 89121
North West corner of Tropicana and Pecos.
About 30 blocks (3 miles) from the 'strip' straight down Tropicana, about a 20 dollar taxi ride.
Next to the Tropicana Cinema 2 dollar movie theatre. If you somehow miss the machines staring at you through the window, its just around the corner from the movie theater, between the comic shop and Putters bar.

Hours & Contact Info
Hours: 11am till 11pm, Sunday to Thursday.
11am till Midnight, Friday and Saturday.
Telephone: N/A
inballhalloffame@msn.com">pinballhalloffame@msn.com

A few days ago, I posted my dog Casey is going to be a Pop Art Pet. It is a wonderful website where you can have a photo of your pet transformed into a work of art.

Here is the process so far

I submitted this original photo of Casey by the pool

The artist then made an initial proof. The photo was cropped and put into a Warhol-style layout.

The artist removed the background and edited out Casey's dog tag and brightened his eyes and face. He looks so handsome! They gave me the choice of background colors. I chose mod primary colors to match our home. Orange, red and yellow. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

You can create a gorgeous retro inspired glass block bar in just a weekend. Pittsburgh Corning has several glass block bar projects to choose from. They tell you all the materials you need, guide you through the process step by step, and provide you with simple installation instructions you can download. You can build a L-shaped bar, Tridiron bar, Island bar and Serpentine Bar.

For more retro bar projects, check out these books

52 FIR PLYWOOD HOME STORAGE PLANS (1955)

ARCHITECTURAL DETAILING by Caleb Hornbostel (1958)

Happy 4th of July! To help celebrate our Independence Day, lets pay homage to the defunct tiki bar The Politiki from Washington D.C. The tiki bar sold tiki mugs with the images of former presidents on them. Tikis and presidents, what a combo!

Presidential mugs included Carter, Reagan, FDR, Nixon, and Lincoln.

photos via Ooga-Mooga!

The Politiki mugs are quite rare, fetching $200 on ebay. If you have a Nixon or Lincoln mug, please email me a photo. I sure would like to see what they looked like. If you have been to the Politiki, I would love to hear about your visit.

I was thumbing through my landlady's cookbooks looking for recipes to make for July the 4th. This retro cookbook struck my eye. It is for Junior's restaurant in Brooklyn.

Junior's holds a special place in Brooklyn from the very first day they opened their doors in 1950 on the corner of DeKalb and Flatbush Avenue Extension. Three generations of the Rosen family have worked to build their restaurant into one of the most popular eateries in Brooklyn today.

more after the jump

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We got an iPhone! Saturday night we went into NYC to meet my cousin for dinner. Afterwards we went to the Apple store on 5th Avenue to see if there were any iPhones left.

The store is absolutely beautiful. At street level it is a huge modern glass cube. Then you descend a clear lucite spiral staircase to an underground minimalist techno mecca. I was really impressed with the design of the store.

Brian and I got helped right away even though there were swarms of people in there at 11pm. The store is open 24 hours a day 365 days a year. They even have djs spinning music on Friday nights from 12-2am.

Me and the new iPhone on the train ride home

It took about 12 hours to get the phone activated through AT&T. Brian spent Sunday figuring out all of its bells and whistles. He loaded about 1500 songs and a bunch of photos on it. It is really easy to view the internet. The picture is clear and sharp, not a condensed version. The pages load quickly too. You can double tap the screen to enlarge it and you run your finger across the screen to read it like a book. Neato!

If there is a phone number or email in an article, you just double click it and it calls the number or emails the person. Wow!

We really like the new iPhone. Brian thinks it is the sexiest phone ever! I agree.

I got a wonderful surprise from Glenda from Pop Art Pet. She read my blog about them, a website where you can submit a photo of your pet and an artist will turn it into a Warhol-esque Pop Art style design, a kitsch Comic Style of Lichtenstein or Traditional Style art.

Cost varies by size and style, but starts as low as $60. Wow!

She saw my recent posts of my Cocker Spaniel Casey. She liked his mod style and offered to do a complimentary portrait of my little buddy for our new home.

Here is the photo I submitted. We can't wait to see how they transform it into a piece of modern art.

Casey is livin' it up poolside!

You probably know of designer Russel Wright from his American Modern Dinnerware produced from 1939-1959. It is probably one of the best selling dinnerware in the history of pottery sales.

Did you know at the height of his career, Wright left New York City and moved his operations to Garrison NY. He created a stunning home called Manitoga, meaning "Place of the Great Spirit" in Algonquin.

When he first bought the 75 acre property in 1942, it had been damaged by quarrying and lumbering. Over the next 3 decades he meticulously landscaped it with a careful design of native trees, rocks, ferns, mosses, and wild flowers. Manitoga has over four miles of paths that go through creeks, woods, boulders, ferns and mountain laurel.

It is the only 20th century modern homesite open to the public in New York. In 1996 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Wright considered it his most important creation.

I would like to visit Manitoga this Summer. Garrison NY is only 13 miles away from our home in Croton on Hudson NY.

If you would like to visit Manitoga:

Manitoga/The Russel Wright Design Center
584 Route 9D, PO Box 249
Garrison, NY 10524

845-424-3812 Phone
845-424-4043 Fax

E-mail: info@russelwrightcenter.org

I really want a new Apple iPhone. They just came out today. I am going to wait and see what the reviews are before I get one. Hope they are as good as they seem.

If you are lucky enough to get one, let me know how it is.

Introducing The Eero Saarinen 50th Anniversary Collection

In 1957, Knoll launched an innovative series of Tulip pedestal chairs and tables by Eero Saarinen that has become an icon of mid-century design.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of this iconic collection, Knoll is adding a Platinum base finish and reintroducing Rosewood and Teak table tops. All Saarinen Tulip pieces ordered between August 1, 2007 and August 1, 2008 will be affixed with a commemorative medallion on the underside of the top.

armchair is $1,093; side chair is $989. dining table with a 47-inch-round laminate top is $1,536, and a side table with 20-inch-round laminate top is $463. For locations call (866) 945-6655 or go to knoll.com.

Saarinen 50th Anniversary Collection Celebrated by The New York Times and Metropolitan Home

Headin' down to the shore for 4th of July? I found out they don't "go to the beach" here in NY and NJ, they go "to the shore". I discovered this amazing place called Wildwood NJ a kitschy fun town, the southernmost island off the Jersey coast, half an hour from Atlantic City and three hours from Manhattan. It is loaded with fifties "Doo Wop" architecture, hotels, restaurants, boardwalk and amusement parks.

After WWII the town became a major tourist attraction, but in the 1980's it fell into decline. About a decade ago Jack Morey (son of Will Morey of Morey's Piers) and other residents founded the Doo Wop Preservation League. They raised money to restore the town to its original glory. It is now a listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

The StarLux Hotel is where I want to stay with its soaring roofline and walls of glass. The feel is totally fifties "Doo Wop". The rooms are decorated retro style but have all the amenities of the 21st century. Or you can stay in a renovated Airstream trailer. The pool looks like it is heart shaped with a boomerang pattern. Wow!

If anyone has been to Wildwood or to the StarLux, please fill me in and let me know what it is like.

Are you feeling a little Googie today? The folks in Michigan definitely are! Check out Water Winter Wonderland, The Best of Michigan Past and Present. Loaded with photos of Michigan architecture- drive ins, theaters, racing, gas stations, restaurants, hotels, motels, shopping centers, amusement parks and more. The website is dedicated to preserving the architectural history of Michigan. Sadly, many of these buildings are gone, neglected or have plans to be demolished.

photos via waterwinterwonderland.com

Water Winter Wonderland is a phrase that was used as a slogan for the state of Michigan. "Water Wonderland" appeared on Michigan license plates beginning in 1954. It was changed to "Water-Winter Wonderland" in 1965 and it appeared on Michigan license plates through 1967.

For more Googie architecture, check out these books
SHOPPING TOWNS USA , THE PLANNING OF SHOPPING CENTERS. 1960

MOTELS, HOTELS, RESTAURANTS AND BARS, ARCHITECTURAL RECORD 1953

Like some watermelon in the Summertime?

Sweet!

Check out these fresh watermelon inspired speakers by U-vola. The name comes from the Italian phrase, " l'uovo che vola - the flying egg ". They feature an ellipsoid-shaped cabinet made of a special mix of KCF™ mineral aggregates. It is a single piece which is vibration-free. They can be suspended with a steel wire at the ceiling or can be used with U-vola stands available for floors and tables.

Colors are: white, aluminium, black (matt/glossy) red (matt/glossy), pearl, watermelon, globe. So mod!

Have you looked at an Eames or Saarinen chair and thought, "I could make that". Well now is your chance! You could design the next classic, the Dwell Lounge chair.

Dwell and Blu Dot are having a contest for you to design the ultimate lounge chair. They want something comfortable, sustainable, efficient, honest, and affordable.

Three finalists will be chosen by Dwell and Blu Dot and will be previewed in August at Dwell.com. Then we can cast our vote online for our favorite finalist entry. Finalists’ prototypes will be shown at Dwell on Design San Francisco on September 15, 2007 and the winning design will then be announced based on a three-part vote split equally among Dwell, Blu Dot, and online votes cast at dwell.com/thelounge.

The winner will receive $5,000 cash. Finalists will receive $1,000 cash in addition to $1,000 credit at bludot.com. The Dwell Lounge will then go into production and will be introduced by Blu Dot and Dwell at ICFF in 2008.

The deadline for entries is 6:00 p.m. on July 2, 2007.

Put on your thinking caps and get creative! For inspiration, please check out Populuxebooks huge inventory of mid century modern furniture design books.

Our stuff is here! Thanks to Exotic Car Transport for making sure Brian's girlfriend made it here safely.

The hotness is here.

Thanks to Allied for moving all of our mod stuff. The men who unloaded the truck were laughing at some of our wacky stuff including our blue hand chairs, egg chairs, giant Felix the Cat, and huge pterodactyl for Cryptozoologist Loren Coleman. Now our entire home is packed into a Westchester self storage unit until we find a house to buy.

Mike the mover makes sure Felix is unloaded safely

We finally got to move into our new house. It is in Croton on Hudson NY, a quaint little town in Westchester County along the Hudson River. We really lucked out when we found this multi-level mid century modern hillside house. It is owned by Brian's friend Anthony who also works in the advertising industry. He got a job in LA so he and his family agreed to rent us their house for a few months.

Brian's Mustang made it here safely thanks to the company my dad works for, Exotic Car Transport

The house is totally our style! It is fully furnished with mid century modern and IKEA furniture. Stainless steel countertops and appliances in the kitchen. Loaded with design books for me to read. Tons of video games and dvds for us to enjoy on their HD tv. A deck, gas grill and pool out back. The house is within walking distance of the train which is convenient for Brian to go to work. We love it here and are settling in just fine while we hunt for a MCM gem of our own.

A photo tour of our new digs after the jump

Read more!

My grandma and grandpa met in an orphanage in Pleasantville NY.

Brian and Casey at Pleasantville Station

We decided to go there to check out my family heritage. I also heard there are homes by Frank Lloyd Wright in the area so I kindof had an ulterior motive. We drove around and found the train station and downtown area. We drove past the cemetary where my great grandma and great grandpa are buried. We couldn't find the orphanage. We then made it up windy, twisty mountain roads where we finally hit the motherload of amazing Usonian architecture. I drooled as we drove down Usonia Rd. and Wright Way.

Usonia is a development of 47 homes on a 100-acre wooded site in Mount Pleasant NY. The community was designed after WWII by a group of architectural idealists headed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The term Usonian is a short for the United States of North America. They are houses that echo the natural forms of the surrounding land and use glass and stone to create indoor / outdoor living.

A photo tour of Usonian architecture after the jump

Read more!

We made it to NY only to find out our rental house isn't going to be ready for a few more days. Bummer! We ventured onward to find a decent hotel that allows pets. This is not very easy in Westchester county. We did end up staying at Holiday Inn in Mount Kisco NY which is quite nice. It is tucked in the mountains along the Hudson river. We stayed there for a few days and we killed some time exploring the area. There are many little villages all up and down the Hudson. Each town is very quaint with shops and cafes in the downtown areas. We enjoyed the 75-80 degree weather as we ate outside with our dog Casey. We visited Mt. Kisco, Croton on Hudson, Sleepy Hollow, Ossining, Peekskill, Pleasantville and more.

Vanessa 6 months pregnant and her dog Casey in Mt. Kisco

more photos after the jump

Read more!

Off we go to Croton on Hudson NY. The Murano is filled with a our favorite things. Our cat is zoned out on kitty traveling drugs. Our dog loves to ride in the car because every time we go somewhere with him, food is somehow involved. We have our Playstation, XBox, iMac and about 3 months worth of clothes all jammed in the back. The rest of our stuff is being professionally moved. Allied, please be careful with my egg chair.

Along the way, we stopped at South of the Border a kitsch tourist attraction along I-95 in South Carolina. It sure has grown since I was there about 10 years ago. They now have a bunch of giant Pedros, giant gorilla, flamingos, restaurants, theme park rides, mini golf, hotels, camping and more! It is definitely worth stopping there to stretch your legs and snap a few photos.

more photos after the jump

Read more!

We did it! We sold our house.

We hope the new owner will enjoy the house as much as we did for the past 6 years. We sure will miss everyone in Orlando. Now we are off to new and exciting adventures in New York.

Vanessa and Brian

Hurry, hurry! Last chance to get your Hukilau 2007 tickets online is today! Don't miss the Hukilau in sunny Ft. Lauderdale FL. June 14-17, 2007. I am sad I can't go this year because we are moving to New York. Have a blast all you tiki-philes!

Who wouldn't want a lamp like this in their home? Alien Abduction lamp designed by Lasse Klein has a light bulb inside the metal UFO which lights up the beam and the windows. The glass of the beam is frosted to distribute light in all directions. Features include little green aliens in the windows, cow and human abductees. The multi-functional antenna turns the lamp on and off and also enables a pulsating beam feature. It is in conceptual stage right now, for more info go to herrklein.com .

Beam me up!

I was reading this "Foodie" magazine while sitting in the waiting room at my doctor's office. I came across an article about this ultra mod restaurant in Chicago called Alinea. Their food is sculpted like modern art. Even the service wear made by Crucial Detail is a work of art, with sculptural shapes that suspend food in mid air! I have never been to a restaurant like this before but if I make it out to Chicago, I definitely want to check this place out. Wow!

more amazing culinary creations after the jump

Read more!

Thank you very much to mod*mom and Fatboy.

We entered the Fatboy bean bag chair contest on the mod*mom website. She writes the coolest blog loaded with amazing info for mod*moms (and mod*dads too). She also holds a ton of contests to win mod stuff! We won her Fatboy contest. We got the Fatboy today. It is wonderful. Since we are in the process of moving to NY it will get packed away for now, but once we get settled, it will definitely go to good use. I was thinking it would be fun to have in the baby's room.

Be sure to check out mod*mom's blog for more cool contests. And check out Fatboy USA for for cool designs including a Fatboy doggie lounge and Fatboy with Marimekko print. Wow!

If you love the mid century modern look and style of Eichler Homes but don't live in the area or simply can't afford one, here are some great tips for Eichler-izing your home.

Eichlerforsale.com is a terrific resource for remodeling projects and ideas. Loaded with photos and directory to buy.

more photos and great ideas after the jump

Read more!

Is your Dad a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright? I found these nifty Round Gifts Cuff Links for him.

Authorized by The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, these cuff links, called “Round Gifts” are based on a detail from one of the twelve magazine covers Wright was commissioned to design for Liberty magazine. Silver-plated cast alloy with enamel inlay. 5/8 inches in diameter. Gift boxed. $55 Guggenheim Store. Don't forget, Father's Day is Sunday June 17.

If you have always dreamed of owning an Airstream, now is the time to get one! Design Within Reach has teamed up with architect-designer Chris Deam to create the ultimate Airstream travel trailer!

The galley is tricked out with Heller Dinnerware, Nelson Ball Clock, Wire Coatrack by Tom Dixon, Tripolina Chairs, Matteo linens and a Maharam Pillow. Other features include cooktop, stainless sink, Elkay faucet, fridge-freezer, recessed halogen lights, skylight, lavatory, shower, eco-friendly flooring, European custom aluminum window treatments, rooftop AC, Sony sound system and TV.

more photos after the jump

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Whoa Nelly! This is amazing! You can have your digital photos transformed into flooring. Creative Edge Master Shop in Fairfield, Iowa, reproduces photos in colorful pieces of floor tile made of rubber, cork, linoleum, vinyl, or stone. $50 to $150 per square foot (plus materials), depending on intricacy.

Kids portrait looks great with the Eames chairs. photo via cookiemag

This weekend we started packing up all our stuff for our move to New York. For two people who are supposed to be modern minimalists, we sure do have a lot of stuff. Our home is full of boxes, bubblewrap and all that jazz. I put a few of our mod furniture pieces up for auction on ebay this weekend. I should be putting our knick knacks, books and other household stuff up for auction within the next few days. We will be selling our stuff cheap just so we have less stuff to move up north, so please check out our ebay auctions. Our ebay name is Populuxe.

These are so cute. The new Tiki Farm Moai Munchkins are inspired by the popular Tiki Magazine limited edition mugs. Each measures 3 3/4" in height with a 4 oz. capacity.

The price on the Moai Munchkins is only $5.95 each PLUS, if you buy all 4 colors, Tiki Farm will throw in this online exclusive print by Derek Yaniger at no extra charge. What a deal!

If you live in the Sarasota area, check out this amazing mid century modern masterpiece.

OPEN HOUSE Sunday June 3 from 1-4 to see this modern Sarasota classic. Originally designed by Paul Rudolph's associate WM Rupp, this Sarasota School of Architecture classic is NEW again, thanks to Seibert Architects.

Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 3.5
Square Footage: 2,630 s.f./3,570 gross s.f.
Year Built: 2007 Renovation Complete
Architect: Seibert Architects
Offered At: $1,200,000

You must see the virtual tour movie

give it time to load. It's worth it. Wow!

ADDRESS: 604 42nd Street, Sarasota FL 34234 Map

Contact Martie
martie@modernsarasota.com / 941-724-1118

Willow Glen Partners is hosting an open house reception and tour of the 'Pasinetti House', 1958 in its original unrestored condition.

photos via modcom

Post & beam 50's untouched masterpiece by Haralamb Georgescu & James Larson, AIA. Published in "Arts & Architecture" Jan 1959.

Does anyone know anything about these architects? I couldn't find much information on them. Readers, please feel free to fill me in.

This is the last known remaining work of Haralamb Georgescu in the U.S. This modernist masterpiece from the Case Study era was saved from demolition. Willow Glen Partners plans a restoration and preservation of this extraordinary house, updating it and making it eco-friendly for the 21st Century homeowner.

When:
Sunday, June 3rd
5PM to 8PM

Where:
1421 Summitridge Drive
Beverly Hills 90210
(off Benedict Canyon behind the Beverly Hills Hotel)

MAP

Please R.S.V.P. to Tim Braseth
(310) 720-9994
tbraseth@aol.com

Hi all! We sold our house and it looks like we are moving to New York. We have to be out of our house by June 14. I will be putting a bunch of our mod stuff up for auction on ebay within the next few days, so please check out our auctions. All items won will have to be picked up no later than June 14. Items include our mod bar, barware, mod tv stand, op art, mod end tables, fiberglass spaghetti lamp, mod patio table, 46" GE projection screen tv and more! Our ebay seller name is Populuxe

more photos after the jump

Read more!

Look whats new at the Cain home!

I finally found my "holy grail" of space age mod electronics. I got a 1970's Panasonic Orbitel TR-005 television.

Many thanks to Tiera who read my blog. She found one of these oh so hard to find egg shaped beauties at a garage sale. She offered it to me for a really reasonable price. I had been looking for one for years at yard sales and thrift stores but never was lucky enough to find one. They are so expensive on ebay or other mod websites. Thank you, thank you Tiera. You are wonderful!

Our Orbitel is so proud to be displayed on our mod shelf. He is happy to join my collection of mod electronics including a JVC Videosphere tv, Weltron 2001 8 track player, Panasonic TNT plunger 8 track players, Panasonic Panapet ball radios, Panasonic Toot a Loop radio and a Sculptura donut phone.

more new stuff after the jump

Read more!

Wall murals are hot! I found this in the PB Teen catalog. You can make your own personalized wall mural. Pottery Barn Teen will take your digital photo and print it out in brilliant color on thick, super durable 6 x 4' canvas. Wall mural comes with sturdy grommets and tacks in a brushed-nickel finish. $199.

Here is a photo I took of my niece Jessica last week. She loves to spin on my egg chair. I would love to have this enlarged to wall mural size.

I also came across this gigantic wall mural of Tretchikoff's Green Lady. It is at a lounge bar in Notting Hill UK called Trailer Happiness. Wow! I would love to go there.
via Mr. Bali Hai

Here is a little entertainment while you are eating your breakfast.

Check out Zuse the movie for the future of toast. A toaster made by Inseq Design which toasts a dot matrix design on your bread. Yum.

Do you love the look of 1950's design but don't have the cash for vintage designer pieces? Check out our example library for the complete instructions and plans for building an authentic 1950's kidney shaped coffee table.

For the first time in 50 years, the Philip Johnson Glass House in New Canaan CT will be open to the public. The 47 acre site is a center for the preservation of modern architecture, art and landscape design.

Tours include a 1/2 mile walking tour across the site with access to the Glass House, Brick House, Painting Gallery, Sculpture Gallery, and Da Monsta. Tours run April through October.

Prices
Glass House Tour
90-minute guided tour | $25 per person

Glass House End-of-Day Tour
Two-hour guided tour | $40 per person

Patron Tour
This is a personalized two-hour tour of the Glass House site. This curator-led tour is $500 per person and includes a picnic lunch provided on the grounds.

The Philip Johnson Glass House is a National Trust Historic Site.
199 Elm Street, New Canaan, CT 06840 203.594.9585

Purchase tickets online
or by phone 866.811.4111

We all had a blast at Club Firestone last Sunday for the Baby Loves Disco Party. They had disco dance music, bubbles, hula hoops, egg shakers and all kinds of toys for the kiddies to play with. They even had a mirror ball hanging from the ceiling. There was food, drinks, face painting, and free stuff on the way out. If you missed this one, they will be having 2 more this summer at The Club. Its $12 per person, kids under 1 are free. Rock on kiddies!

Luca gets ready to party

more photos after the jump

Read more!

The 3rd International LUSTRON Conference will be held June 9 2007 in Cedar Rapids IA. The goal of this conference will serve as a catalyst to further the research, education, enjoyment and preservation of the Lustron Home!

You may ask, what is a Lustron home and why are they so special? Lustron homes were made with panels of porcelain enamel coated steel. 2560 Lustrons were constructed by Carl Strandlund and his Lustron Corporation between 1949 and 1950. Due to production delays, bad distribution and escalating prices, the Lustron Corp. delared bankruptcy in 1950.

1800 Lustrons were built in Quantico Virginia. 60 houses remain at the U.S. Marine Corps military base. January 2006, it was announced that the historical homes would be eliminated from the base housing.

Jeannie Lambin, a program officer with the Wisconsin field office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation said, "A strong, well organized group has not emerged that can deal with the massive task of dismantling, storage, and distribution of the homes."

What will happen to these porcelain-clad beauties? Check out the Lustron Homes Conference. Guest speakers include Thomas T. Fetters, author of the book "The Lustron Home - The History of a Postwar Prefabricated Housing Experiment" and Alex James - former Lustron employee (Columbus, Ohio) and author of "An Employee's Perspective of The LUSTRON Home" 'The Real Reason Why Lustron Failed!'.

There will also be a self-guided Lustron home tour.

The 3rd International Lustron Home Conference

Date: Saturday, June 9th, 2007
Time: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Place: The Best Western Longbranch Hotel
Address: 90 Twixt Town Road Northeast
Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402

Reservations: 800.443.7660
To get a room in the block of rooms they have reserved
YOU MUST mention that you are with the LUSTRON CONFERENCE
Special Rates of $74.00 Per Night Apply for Conference Guests.

Best Western Longbranch Hotel Website: www.thelongbranch.com

The pink lawn flamingo is an endangered species. In 2006, Union Products of Leominster Mass. has ceased production of the kitsch plastic critters. The company had to close due to increases in costs of electricity and plastic resin combined with loss of financing. The plastic flamingos were originally designed by artist Don Featherstone in 1956 and were proudly displayed on many a yard for over 50 years.

You can still find these beloved lawn ornaments on ebay or at garage sales if you are lucky. You can tell its an original if you see Mr. Featherstone's signature molded into the plastic.

Are plastic lawn flamingos cute or tacky? You be the judge.

I found a great resource for period lighting fixtures. Schoolhouse Electric carries a wonderful selection of classic fixtures and handblown shades that have been out of production for over 50 years. If you are looking for Depression era or Art Deco lighting, this is the place to go.

click here to request a catalog

Shag’s newest print, The Thinking Has Been Done, goes on sale Wednesday May 23, 2007 at 12 PM PST, but as a member the Shagmart newsletter mailing list you can purchase it now.

22x26" signed and numbered edition of 250. $250 Shagmart

Shag's next show of new paintings and prints opens Saturday, June 9, 2007 at The Shooting Gallery 839 Larkin St. San Francisco, CA. 415.931.8035.

The Shag Salt and Pepper Shakers, New Shag Stickers, and the Shag Lunchboxes will also be available at Shagmart soon.

The caravan to NYC has begun. Not only are we moving to NY, our friends Mike and Julie are moving too. Check out their amazing 1958 mid century modern home for sale in Orlando, near Winter Park. They are having an open house today Sunday May 20 from 2-4pm.

1902 Merritt Park Drive
Orlando, FL 32803
MID-CENTURY MODERN POOL HOME IN MERRITT PARK
$572K 4br/2ba 1943 sq. ft.

click here for photos

realtor
Brett Bennett
Brettonbennett@yahoo.com

pragmatic realty

Office: (407)619-5023
Cell: (407)619-5023
Fax: 407-481-0680
Text Message: (407)619-5023

Stay cool this Spring with SIGG water bottles. I can't believe how much thought and design has gone into a simple water bottle. The artwork is amazing! All SIGGs are 100% recyclable too. $15.99-19.99, Customize your own at MySIGG.com

Enter the "What's your Eco-Style?" Design Contest and show off your own eco-conscience on a SIGG bottle. You can win a free Sigg of your choice plus your design will be produced by SIGG and sold exclusively through Patagonia and MySIGG.com. You will also get 100 of your Siggs to share with family and friends. A portion of sales of your winning design will be donated to Surfrider Foundation, a not-for-profit organization committed to protecting our oceans and beaches.

When I first saw this vase, I thought it was a joke. Then I realized it was designed by Ettore Sottsass. He says it was inspired by a trip to India where he learned of the Hindu God Shiva, the destroyer of the world. What a trip that must have been.

Shiva Vase $138 (Wow, that's steep for a vase that looks like a penis) unicahome.com

Whoa nelly! Check out this ultra mod dollhouse for the kiddies! It is called the Villa Sibi doll house and it includes birch dollhouse, garden, pool & poolhouse; along with beech furniture. Reminds me of the short-lived Charles and Ray Eames dollhouse.

$690 (holy cow!) Sparkability.net

I had my 19 week ultrasound today. We are having a boy! We are so excited! My husband may be a little too excited. Check out his funny article on yesbutnobutyes.com

Tiki Farm has made an exceptional tiki mug commemorating the 50th anniversary of Oceanic Arts in Whittier, CA.

The mug was designed by Tiki Diablo and features 4 Tiki Gods that were inspired by a mother-of-pearl carved pendant purchased in Papeete, Tahiti in 1960 by OA founders Bob VanOsting & Leroy Schmalz.

more after the jump

Read more!

Happy Mothers Day!

Looking for something fun to do with the kids? There are going to be a
series of "dance parties" for families at Club Firestone in downtown Orlando.

The first event is May 20th. I have friends who went to one of these in Los Angeles and they say it is definitely more fun if you go with a group of friends. The one they attended opened the bar for adults and had a refreshment area for the kids. Whole foods is one of the sponsors listed for this Orlando event, so the snacks should be pretty good.

If interested, Check out Babylovesdisco.com. You can buy tickets
online. It's $12 per person (babies under 1 year are free)

With a baby on the way, I have been thinking a lot about how to make my home a clean, safe, and eco-friendly environment.

What is this? Is it a lamp? Is it modern art? No, it is the Henry Air Purifier by Swizz-Style.com. Designed by Matti Walker for Stadler Form, the Henry Air Purifier not only looks cool, it has a HEPA 5 stage filter that absorbs dust, pollen, smells and other unwanted particles from the air. It is very quiet and has an automatic shut off switch. You have clean, fresh air to breathe and a piece of art to admire.
$300 Swizz-Style.com

Our retro kidney shaped pool is featured on Decor Next Door, a fun website where you can post photos of your home. People can vote on your photos or you can ask decorating advice. Check it out!

The home featured on the cover of the book Atomic Ranch: Design Ideas for Stylish Ranch Homes (by Michele Gringeri-Brown and Jim Brown) is coming up for sale. It was also the cover home for the Winter 2005 edition of the Atomic Ranch magazine. Our home was also featured in this issue.

Open house in Orange CA. Saturday, May 19th, 12-5 PM. $935,000

The home is the largest Claude Oakland floor plan with 2063 sq. ft., 4 BR+ hobby room, 2 BA, central air and heat, 2-car garage and a carport, pool, and view of the hills of east Orange.

for more info contact
Stephanie Raffel
Broker, Oaktree Realtors
(714) 501-7653
stefraffel@socal.rr.com

Kelly Larnard
Realtor Associate
(714) 376-0212

I found these amazing vintage 1950s pin up cheesecake photos at a yard sale awhile ago. I wrote about them before on my blog. I finally decided to part with some of them so I put them up for auction on ebay. Please take a look at the auctions.

I went to the pediatrician with my sis in law and my niece. Her doctor had these oh so mod Panton Junior chairs in the waiting room. Kids love them and you have to trust a doctor who is into Verner Panton.

Identical to the adult-sized regular model with regard to material and shape, the Panton Junior is 25 percent smaller and available in six different colors.
$230 for set of 2 Modernseed.com

If you are thinking of remodeling your home, go eco-friendly! Check out these surfaces that are not only beautiful but they are made from recyclable or sustainable materials that are good for the environment.

This kitchen backsplash is made of recycled aluminum tiles. $35 sq ft

more after the jump

Read more!

Built in Tokyo almost 35 years ago by Kisho Kurokawa, the Nakagin was the first attempt by a modern designer to create a building that could adapt to the needs of its inhabitants.

via treehugger.com

Each of the 140 capsules were constructed with built-in bathrooms, bedrooms, and entertainment centers and then hoisted into place and attached by only 4 central bolts. The idea was that the rooms could be moved and expanded as needed by the singles and families that took up residence.

In recent years residents expressed growing concern over the buildings disrepair and presence of asbestos. On April 15, the building’s management association approved plans calling for the architectural icon to be razed and replaced with a new 14-story tower. Demolition date is unknown.

I will be sad to see this icon of modern architecture go. I had hoped to travel to Japan to see this amazing building.

I discovered this amazing product called Enviroglas, it is made from recycled recycled tubs, sinks and toilets. Enviroglas can be formed into beautiful countertops, terrazzo flooring, and even landscaping for your yard.

It is eco-friendly and extremely durable. It is good for people with allergies too. Since it is poured into place and no grout is needed, there is no place for mold or mildew to grow.

Price: $50-$70/sf for slabs, $20-$30/sf for tiles

I really want this for our next home!

For your kids next birthday, why not make it a Tiki Luau Birthday Party? Pottery Barn Kids has lots of island decor and games including this cute Tiki Toss Canvas Game in which kids toss beanbags through the tikis mouths.

Tiki Toss Canvas Game
$39.00 Potterybarnkids.com

If you Swan chair is lonely and needs some company, why not give it a little friend? The Little Friend Table is designed by Kaspar Salto. Made in Denmark for Fritz Hansen, now available through DWR. He was inspired by the 1956 Disney cartoon character Little Helper who was a humanoid robot with a light bulb for a head.

Instead of a movable chair used with a stationary table, this is a movable table to be used with a stationary chair, sofa or bed. It weighs only 11 pounds making it easy to move from room to room.

$735 for fixed height table, $1088 for adjustable height table DWR.com

When I was in NYC, I saw a lot of chicks wearing these oh so stylish rain boots. You know the old saying, "April showers bring May flowers". Why not sing in the rain in style? Check out these "Mommy & Me" Tattoo City rain boots. Mom and daughter can wear matching rain boots. They come in various designs including ladybugs, camoflage, mod flowers and more. My favorite is the retro tattoo design.

Mommy & Me Tattoo City Rain Boot (Matching Set) $84.90 Dianeslittlelambs.com

We just got back from our whirlwind tour of NJ and NY. We went house hunting this weekend and had so much fun exploring the areas around NYC. We saw 4 mid century modern homes. They were hard to find amidst all the colonials but we found them with the help of some really nice realtors.

Friday we took the train to Maplewood NJ and met Olga our realtor. She drove us up the mountains to Kinnelon NJ which is actually where I lived until I was 7. I always told Brian that NJ is very beautiful especially up in the mountains. All he had seen of NJ was Newark airport. We saw this really cute house which was right across the street from a lake. It had huge windows but the kitchen needed updating and the rooms were small.

more after the jump

Read more!

Whoa Nelly! Check out these cool Shag items coming this summer!

Monku & Apohu mugs will be sold exclusively through Shagmart. They have 2 tone green with turquoise accents. Wow!

The Paakai & Nioi Salt & Pepper shaker set will retail for $13.95 at Tikifarm in May

Brian got a job in New York City so we have to move. We need your help. We need to find a new place to live. We are looking for our mid century modern dream home in a suburb of New York City (NY, NJ, CT). Brian wants to be able to commute by train 30 minutes to 1 hour into the city to go to work.

We haven't had much luck house hunting so far. Everything is so old and is either a Colonial or Cape Cod style home. We want to find a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home that is mid century modern in design, either a Ranch or 2 story. We want lots of glass windows, open floor plan, with possibly a fireplace or a basement. A 2 car garage would be nice because Brian would freak if even one snowflake touched his 70's convertible Mustang. Our budget is approx. 400-600K. We appreciate any info any of our readers might have. Thanks!

Brian, Vanessa, Casey Cain
(and baby on the way!)

If you are looking to buy a mid century modern home in Orlando Fl please check out our home for sale

My husband Brian got a killer job in NYC so we have to move! We are selling our wonderful mid century modern 1955 ranch home in Orlando Fl.

We love this house. We have lived here for 6 years spending all our free time making it oh so mod. This house is the ultimate hipster party pad. Open floor plan, lots of glass windows to view the kidney shaped pool. The kitchen even has boomerang counter tops! The bathrooms have original 1950's tile and the floors are gorgeous terrazzo. Our home was featured in Atomic Ranch magazine which we are so proud of.

Click here and here to read the Atomic Ranch article.

If you are looking for a mid century modern dream home in Orlando Florida, please come to the open house Sunday April 22 from 1-4pm.

1208 Newcastle Dr
Orlando Fl 32806
$279K, 1554 sq ft. 3 br / 2 ba, corner lot with a pool and fenced in yard
just east of downtown O-Town.

For more info, call or email Brett Bennett (our realtor and a real cool dude) and be sure to check out our listing with more photos and an amazing virtual tour.
BRETTON BENNETT, CCIM
pragmatic realty, llc
(407) 619-5023
E-mail: brettonbennett@yahoo.com

more photos after the jump

Read more!

I love the new Utopia collection of ceramics by Jonathan Adler. The Utopia sun is my favorite. It has a female face on one side and a male face on the other side. Neato!

If you join club JA you can get 20% off plus you can enter to win web-tastic prizes from Jonathan, Wow!

I found these adorable plush robots via Cute Overload, a website full of photos of cute animals and fun stuff to make you smile.

Loveable Robot with Headphones
by Lynette May $40.00 Shanalogic

If you live in Orlando, Fl. be sure to check out the art of one of my favorite Florida artists Scott Scheidly, aka Flounder. He is famous for painting tikis and other surreal pop culture icons.

The Art Work of Scott Scheidly Solo Show at Uberbot.
7pm-10pm Saturday April 21st.
480 North Orlando Ave. Suite 126
Winter Park, FL. 32789

His award winning painted Tiki Munny is amazing!

I came across these nude shots in the Bed and Bath section of this vintage interior decorating book. It was the Swinging Seventies when Terence Conran wrote The House Book. I guess sex sells mod furniture!

Check out this photo of this half nude couple in their love den. Looks like they are watching some sort of S&M porn on the projection screen. Oh my!

Here is a woman as she is taking a shower. Notice she only has tan lines on her bottom. Topless sunbathing anyone? Wow!

This is absolutely bizarre! These are kids baby teeth carved into sculptures of the tooth fairy! What thaaaa?

via apartmenttherapy

I found this cute little brochure tucked between the pages of one of my vintage decorating books. Money Saving Household Tips. Looks to be from the 1950's. So what does our cartoon June Cleaver have to say? Is she quite helpful or quite silly?

Food Tips

Day old bread is not only cheaper and just as nourishing, but actually better for your teeth and gums, according to experts.

more after the jump

Read more!

If you like your flowers Shaken not Stirred, check out this neat floral arrangement, part of the Todd Oldham collection for FTD.

Shaken not Stirred $54.99 FTD

3 Red roses, 2 hot pink Matsumoto asters, 3 pale pink mini carnations and 2 hot pink Gerber daisies are arranged with various greens and arrive with a 17-oz. stainless steel martini shaker. Yowza!