Tiki Tuesday: Tiki Caliente 5

I'm sure you tiki lovers have heard about the Tiki Oasis in San Diego, but have you heard about Tiki Caliente? It's such a fun event!!My husband and I were lucky enough to attend Tiki Caliente 5 this past weekend.
It's tiki everything, a big pool party, lots of mai tais, and tons more, all in sunny & fabulous Palm Springs, California!
There were vendor booths with TONS of wonderful vintage Hawaiian clothes...

look at all those eye-popping colors!

Every kind of hand carved tiki wall hanging, statue, ceramic mug, artwork, many of them limited editions for you hard-core collectors...

There was even a dude working on carving tikis right there...

Yikes! I'd lose an eye...or a spleen...or something

There were live bands all weekend, including the Ding Dong Devils, who all wore matching custom outfits, and looked like they were having a great time...I think maybe I heard a theremin up there!!

Here's what I wore on Saturday: a vintage Cole playsuit (Etsy), with tiki-hut purse (eBay), a hat I've had for a million years, my Dior Mohotani sunglasses, and sandals that I got ages ago at Target. I'm so glad I never got rid of those sandals 'cause they match my playsuit perfectly!

My fave band was Kitty Chow and Fisherman, who did a late-night adults-only show...and boy was it adults-only!
Here I am waiting for them to play...bright halogen lights at midnight are an affront to the senses, but the very patient bartender helped us invent a drink that helped dim the lights a bit...

Dude! these lights are tooo bright

we call it an Ectoplasm! Captain Morgan, Mango Puree, and a splash of Blue Curacao? I think?

The whole weekend, people were all over the place wearing amazing vintage Hawaiian clothing...

great colors and mid-mod design!!

who doesn't love a matching set?

Two adorable members of the Ding Dong Devils

amazing shirt...and look at that beard!

even the doggies have tiki style!!

the event was sponsored by Deadhead rum and so there were a lot of rum drinks to be had!!

The above particular mai tai may or may not have caused a particular blogger to pass out for an hour or so in the hotel room in the middle of the afternoon :-)

I met this great gal named Amy Swenson. First I just took a pic of her because of her lovely vintage Hawaiian dress, but then come to find out that she's an artist, an a killer one to boot!

Amy the artist

I bought this adorable little painting of a Benihana Maneki Neko mug...it's painted on vintage Aloha fabric...isn't that genius? I collect Maneki Neko (Japanese lucky cats) so this painting brings together two of my loves. I can't figure out where to hang it. Right now it's just sitting by my nightstand where I can gaze at it adoringly.

Here's a link to Amy's website

Another lovely lady I had a chance to meet was Tayva from SparkleLux . She makes these gorgeous glitter Lucite earrings and sells them on Etsy, and at Pin Up Girl, among other places. Doesn't she have fabulous style?? Look at that dress! Deadstock, she said! *sigh*

does that bag look familiar? :-)

 I did a bit of shopping, too...besides the Maneki Neko painting, I got a really cute Hawaiian barkcloth dress...

The lighting in my dining room is making this look freaky, but it's a gorgeous dress! Really!

I also got some prints from a Palm Springs artist named John Murasky.

these cuties are going in my tiki-theme guest bath

His artwork is amazing for many reasons, but the thing that got me is that he does them in ball point pen! I know! He also does super-great custom portraits. Check out his website...it's a good one.

Whew! Now a few days to rest...and work...
It was a fantastic, fun weekend, and I can't wait to do it again next year!

Tiki Tuesday: Thrift Store Finds

Have you ever had the wonderful experience of wishing for something, and then almost magically finding it?

I have been thinking a bit about doing a little new artwork with a tiki theme. The first thing I need when I start a new art project is resource materials, and I was just starting to think along those lines, when...voila! Look what I found!

 

There is a little thrift store on my street, which, to be honest, rarely coughs up anything great. This day, however, it was home to an enormous collection of old books on primitive cultures, including these nice books.

Check out the illustrations!

 

I can't wait to put these to use...stay tuned for a little artwork, maybe!

 

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Book Review: Hollywood Sketchbook

Here's something for you all to put on your Christmas gift lists...and maybe if you're very good (or very naughty, wink wink) Santa will get it for you!!

Hollywood Sketchbook: A Century of Costume Illustration, by Deborah Nadoolman Landis

This is a huge (600 pages) heavy, glossy coffee table book.

It's got page after page of costume illustrations by designers like: Bonnie Cashin, Travilla, Orry-Kelly, Adrian, Cecil Beaton, and Travis Banton. Only costume designers who were also accomplished illustrators are included.

Here's some eye candy for you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aren't these gorgeous???

The author has written many other books on costume design and is herself an Academy-Award nominated costume designer. She has a PhD in the history of design.

This book is really all about the pictures, though...and what pictures!!

 

OK, Santa, you know what to bring me!!!

 

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