Million Dollar Mermaid!

Well, worth a million to me Dear Readers...

I have always wanted one of these chalkware mermaids to hang up in the bathroom, but they are just so hard to find! And when one does pop up it goes for big bucks...so picture my surprise when we discovered this unpainted chalkware maiden of the sea in my Grandmothers things out in the barn!

With a totally blank canvas, I am so excited to get to paint my own mermaid! But... there are so many color combos- I'm not sure what to do?! I really like the four different types above.  (I am considering making her a red head with a turquoise tail, but I'm not sold on it yet!)  What do you Readers think?!

We also found a 12" purple chalkware seahorse with silver glitter in the barn! It has already been added to the collage of chalkware sea life on the bathroom wall. It's starting to look pretty cool!

Once again, Grandma taking care of me!

-Mick-

Time for a "Bloglette"

Since I am swamped and cannot seem to scrape up enough photos or time for a full post, here are a few tidbits from around the Casablanca!

Found these brightly colored "spun honey" containers while cleaning out Grandma's barn. I swear that woman kept EVERY kind of container ever made! I saved these from going to the dump, they are the perfect size for cereal bowls, and also for storing leftovers. I wont feel guilty about putting them in the dishwasher, AND they happen to compliment the Tupperware and Pyrex we use quite nicely. I wish there had been more than seven, but beggars cant be choosers. Maybe i'll run across some in the wild!

(With lids!)

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Finally dug this silk plant out of storage to put in the bullet planter! It looks so great and makes a stylish and perfect door stop when the french doors are open. What makes me especially happy about the bullet planter combo is that is cost me a whooping $0.00 in total for the project! Hehe yay for dumpster diving!

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A little Handicraft if you please, I had all these lights from a few old strings of Christmas lights. The wires were cracked and dry rotted, but I didn't want to throw the bulbs away. So I took a strafoam cone and made them into a wacky tacky Christmas tree, and the end result lives of to products of "Kitsch-mas" past!

(Ta-Da! Atomic and Tacky!)

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Mercy, this was hard to do. Many, many tears in the process. 

The picture above is one taken in the 1940's of my Grandmother Jordan who recently passed away.  Grandma was, and will always be my biggest theatre fan. Before she fell ill, I was cast as "The shoe makers Elf" in a production of "Shrek the Musical" (Which opened last Saturday.) Grandma was so pleased I was in a show, and it was heartbreaking to me that she passed before she could see it.  

The prep and rehearsals for the production have been a nightmare, with many factors making it so. The only reason, and I do mean the ONLY REASON I stayed in the show is because I had told my Grandmother I was in it, and that made her happy.  

As opening night grew closer, the harder it hit me that she wouldn't be there. 

(It is a terrible feeling, knowing there is no one there to believe in you.)

So Saturday, before the "house" opened to the public, I placed this picture along with a note in my lucky seat- #10, second row, second chair in the center lower balcony. Looking up from on stage I could see the 8"x10" picture in the balcony just above the safety glass. She was there in spirit, and true to my promise, I was the shoe makers elf.

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Well, that's what you've missed "here at Mick's!"

-Mick-

The 1960 Miss Casablanca Contest!

(Our lovely contestants!)

(Miss Margaret, Melissa, Patricia, & Caitlyn)

WHAT a contest dear readers!~

Four fantastic contestants and a slew of spectators turned out to witness the 1960 Miss Casablanca Contest. I don't have many before/during photos, but we filmed the whole contest! 

This years contest was by far our best, (and most smooth to run) This years contest boasted a "group number" which all of the girls learned upon arrival (a few hours before the contest) So without further adieu, away we go!

Wasn't that terrific?!

Then came time for the "Resort Wear" (Swim suit to you and I) portion of the evening!

Immediately following the "Resort Wear" category, we have a message from our sponsors!

With the Contest under way, next up was the "Talent" portion of the evening!

The lovely Melissa- singing "Can't help loving that man."

The marvelous Margaret- tapping to "In summer."

That cutie Caitlyn- dancing to "Diamonds are a girls best friend."

Then paramount Patricia- took to the stage roller disco skating to "No business like show business."

The contest was going by fast for our contestants and audience viewers!  These girls had been working for weeks perfecting their talents and preparing for the contest. The next two categories were combined in a revolutionary way, in order to give the contestants a level playing field for the Evening and Interview categories.  

Miss Melissa-

Miss Margaret- 

Miss Caitlyn- 

Miss Patricia- 

(Our Judges)
(Terrace Miss Casablanca 1959, Joseph, Deanna, and Alton)

I wouldn't not want to be on the judging panel right now! Such great answers from such great ladies any one of them will be a GREAT Miss Casablanca!  While the judges tally up the votes, lets dive into the audience and see who they think the winner will be!

Well, the moment had come, It was now time to crown  Miss Casablanca 1960!

Patricia Miss Casablanca 1960, Melissa 1st Runner up 1960, 

Margaret 2nd Runner up, & Caitlyn Miss Congenality!

"There she is, Miss Cas-a-blanc-a! There she is, your ideal!

Dreams of a million of girls on an excursion, may come true at Lake Diversion,

for she may turn out to be, the Queen of fem-i-nin-i-ty.

And there she is! Miss Cas-a-blanc-a!

(Now, Now, girls!)

It was such a lovely contest! One cannot say it was "rigged" as this was Patricia's second time to compete in the contest. The Casablanca is so proud of each of the contestants and once again wishes to congratulate you on a FABULOUS job! 

I would also like to take this time to thank the many people who helped make the contest possible! Our fantastic MC's Cindy and Seigen, Jordan and Margaret the "eats" committee, Patricia "decorations" and all of our wonderful friends who jumped in and helped us get ready at the last minuet! We really couldn't do it without all of your help, AND your fantastic friendship!

 (Terrace- Miss 1959, Patricia- Miss 1960, & Brianna- Miss 1958!!!)

It's hard to believe that next year will mark the FIFTH year of the Miss Casablanca Contest, as well as the 10th year of the Casablanca club's founding!

("Miss 1960 & Mr. Casablanca"!)

We'll have to get something big cooking in the works!

-Mick-

I Wonder, I Wonder...

"I Wonder, I Wonder, who will be Miss Casablanca 1960..."

 It looks like we will have five lovely young ladies competing in the contest this year! Each an ideal candidate for Miss Casablanca. I would wager it's going to be a tough year for the judges!

Miss Casablanca will carry on the tradition of doing good for others and promoting the Casablanca, while wearing the official Swarovski crystal tiara. Whereas the runner up will be awarded the gold 1943 "Victory" pin to wear at parties, events, and functions. 

Come Monday, we'll have a new Miss Casablanca for a brand new decade!

Wish the girls luck, they've been getting ready for WEEKS! Haha

-Mick-

Fun and Fresh Weekend!

It was a fun and busy weekend at the Casablanca Dear Readers!

(Friends Cindy, Patricia, Seigen, & Austin!)

Friday night we saw friend Austin off for the summer, he has taken a summer internship out in Canyon Texas as a dancer in the outdoor stage musical "Texas"! He was the only male intern accepted this year, we are so proud of him! Friday nights activities included cooking up chili dogs and watching the 1980 movie "Fame" (poor Irene Carra) haha it was fun all around.

(Friends- Josh, John, Patricia, Jordan, J.T. & Kat!)

Sunday afternoon the above mentioned friends headed out to the Casablanca to help us spruce up the back yard for the upcoming 1960 Miss Casablanca Contest. We had breakfast for dinner, everyone helped cook or butter toast! After eating a hearty meal we headed to to the backyard for some long overdue maintenance...

Jonathan and JT drove the speaker posts back in the ground, while Kat and Jordan gave the Drive-In a few fresh coats of paint.

The guys also removed the storm damaged outdoor bar and re-landscaped this terrace into a nice seating area!

Patricia made quick work of painting the speaker posts, and Kat thinks things are starting to look marvelous around here!

 We took these atomic stars off of the front of the bar, gave them a fresh new coat of "Electric Blue" spray paint and decided that they should be remounted on the Drive-In's wings a a fresh new look for 1960!

(Ta-Da!)

I can't thank everyone enough, we made quick work out of long to-do list and now the back yard is looking pretty nifty!

Fast, furious, and lots of fun!

-Mick-

The Cover of Life...

(June 8, 1942)

Don't get excited Readers, we're not on the cover of Life Magazine (I wish!) A few friends have been sending vintage periodicals our way and here's a few i'd like to share! 

Friend Nicole sent this 1942 issue of Life our way, as payment in kind for letting her borrow the Casablanca lawn gnomes to start in her senior one act play at Midwestern State University!  The magazine it full of articles on how to throw social parties during war time and how to save and stretch to do so. It's full of lots of neat ideas we plan to try.

(Lots of neat ads too!)

Also gifted to the Casablanca by wonderful friends Brad and Gail...

Special editions of Life and Post magazines from September 23rd 1963. These were printed the day after the Kennedy Assassination and have been in Brads family since 1963. (Knowing our crazy time line at the Casablanca) Gail and Brad sent them our way to use in a few years. The pictures in both of these are chilling and bring an overwhelming sadness even today, 50 years later.


Well, Looks like we've got some Coffee Table reading to do! Drop on by if you'd like to take a gander, but don't smudge the pages! Haha

-Mick-

Bullet Reboot!

This poor Bullet planter has been through it all! Including a nearly 40 year hiatus from its original stand. Finding the stand was the easy part, I had had it at the lake for years holding up a large clay pot that we used to ice drinks in... and a few weeks ago I found the fiberglass planter that went with it!  Battered an bruised, I waxed the fiberglass to get its sheen back, and I repainted the metal base (five or six years ago I painted it silver) and now...

I think the fresh black paint makes this planter look sharp! The scuff marks lightened up after they were waxed, now I just need to find some kind of plastic 1950's plant to put in it (with a few bricks) and we'll be using it as a door stop in the coral room.

The fresh paint on the planter compliments the black legs and edging on my new coffee and fountain side tables very nicely. I inherited them from my Grandmother Jordan, and what makes them really special is that my Grandpa Jordan made these tables himself back in the early 60's! They have a little ware on them, but look right at home here at the Casablanca.

If only all my projects were this quick and simple, ha ha!

-Mick-

Happy Late Easter!

Laaaaaaate, Late Easter! Haha Looks like we have a new "Casablanca Holiday" Dear Readers!

(Patricia, Jordan, Cindy, Jeremiah, Kelcie & Margaret!)

Friends Jordan and Margaret hosted their very first "Casablanca Party" that we have now dubbed "Late Easter". I made a coke ham, and everyone brought a dish for dinner.

Since it was a small dinner party we were able to use the Franciscan "American Ivy" dishes, (my favorite!) Very festive and spring-y, and we drank out of the gold leaf Libbey "Draper" glasses (same as they have on Mad Men.) We even used the good flatware! We enjoyed a leisurely dinner and listened to Big Band records...

After Dinner, Margaret led us in an Easter basket swap (think Chinese Christmas, but with Easter baskets) while Patricia hid eggs out in the yard and Drive-In.

Some guests dashed, while others causally gathered, the brightly colored eggs. But a delightful time was had by all!

 The latter part of the evening was spent lounging in the Coral room, listening to records and planning for the upcoming 1960 Miss Casablanca Contest on the 17th.

All in all a relaxing and fun dinner party hosted by two very lovely ladies!

-Mick-