The 1958 Miss Casablanca Contest!

Well readers the second most anticipated event of the year was upon us, the 1958 Miss Casablanca Contest! The day was truly exciting and we filmed almost all of the contest! So without further adieu sit back and enjoy! (I apologize for some of the segments, I filmed everything on my iPhone and some of the sound cuts out, in the first few clips the lighting is horrible but none the less you can still see whats going on and I promise it gets better as the contest goes on.)

Here we go, as our Master of Ceremonies - Brandon opens the contest!

The Swimsuit Category- 

(Olivia, Disa, Patricia, & Brianna.)

A special message from our contestants...

("We're in the Miss Casablanca Contest and we are NOT being demoralized here at Mick's!")

The Talent Category-

 Brianna- Sings.

(Brianna sings "A dream is a wish your heart makes" from the 1950 Disney movie "Cinderella". I have no idea what happened to the audio, but she has promised to sing it again for us in another post.)

Patricia- Bakes.

Disa- Dances.

 

Olivia- Hairstyles.

The Evening Gown Category-

The Interview Category-

This year we added one more category to the contest, we hope that with these interviews you'll get to know a little more about the contestants! (Turn your computer speakers up, the videos are hard to hear.)

Olivia's Interview-

Disa's Interview-

Patricia's Interview-

Brianna's Interview-

(Thank you ladies!)

The contestants having given their all, it was now up to our judges to confer and deliberate...

(The Judges- Alton, Deanna & Kelcie-Miss Casablanca 1957.)

This ladies and gentlemen is why I myself am not a judge! As you can see the young ladies of the Casablanca are just oozing with personality and talent, each one of them with their heartfelt answers and dedication to our club that is the Casablanca makes them all dear friends and winners to me!

Also at this time I would like to honor Miss Casablanca 1957, Miss Kelcie B.

"Today, I give up my crown as the first Miss Casablanca.

 Its been a wonderful year (1957), and I hope I represented our lovely American paradise with commitment and grace." 

- Kelcie B. Miss Casablanca 1957

In 2011 (1957) when we hosted the very first Miss Casablanca contest, I was afraid no one would want to do it. Kelcie was the first to sign up. She has been everything we could have hoped for in a figure head for the Casablanca. Every party she is there to help, be it putting up decorations or cleaning the mess up afterwards I never had to ask. Kelcie took this position with pride and never hesitated volunteering even when the projects were less than glamorous. When she got the chance to travel abroad last summer she took the Miss Casablanca tiara with her and wore it proudly on the streets of London ever spreading the word  and good will of the Casablanca, and even posed for a few pictures too! Kelcie on behalf of the Casablanca I would like to say we are all very proud and honored that you were our very first Miss Casablanca and all who follow in your high heeled footsteps certainly will have big shoes to fill. Thank you for everything!

The Coronation of Miss Casablanca 1958- 

(A passing of the guard.)

(Congratulations Brianna!)

After the Contest we enjoyed refreshment, friendship and as the sun sank over the hill we gathered in the backyard. The Flamingo Drive-In had a showing of "Gentlewomen Prefer Blondes" in celebration of Brianna's victory!  The movie selection is also timely because in the story line Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russel sail on the same ship as the 1952 American Summer Olympics Team!

I want to thank everyone who turned out for the 1958 Miss Casablanca Contest, for bringing food, drink and cheering our friends on, I'm so glad all of you could come. A special thanks to Patricia, Michael, Joe, Logan, Jennifer, and Alex for helping get things ready. And a HUGH thanks to our fabulous master of ceremony's Brandon Irwin! Everyone helped make this a wonderful event!

-Mick-

Closer.

(To China?!)

No, that silly! Closer to getting the support beams in and getting the new floor up. Much of last Saturday morning was spent with my Dads 1940 tractor and a lot of jumping up and down.

We were aided by friends Michael, Joe, & Patricia in digging the nine post holes that will hold the houses support beams.

It's slow going, but in our defense this is on a part-time weekend to weekend basis for now until the next phase. BUT REJOICE for now all the digging is DONE! Haha soon we will set the beams in concrete and then the actual "building" portion will begin!

Wish us luck, and cooler temperatures!

-Mick-

Footloose

I only had a one major set in this summers production of Footloose along with a few other smaller set pieces.
My first and biggest project being Preacher Shaw's kitchen, Footloose is set in Beaumont Texas during 1984 and since the Shaw's live in a parsonage adjacent to the church I figured I would date things by about 20 years... which conveniently puts it around 1964. (My favorite, lucky me!) This project also became my "Andy Griffith Tribute Kitchen" in memory of his passing.

I tried very hard not to make this kitchen resemble the one I put together in Church Basement Ladies  last August.  I went with a more understated pastel color scheme. I used a light butter yellow on the walls, with dark brown wainscot and six inch base boards.

 If dreamed up figured if the "updated kitchen" was from the early 60's then the house was provably built late 1930's or maybe pre-war 40's.Then on the floor I did a classic checkerboard using a medium gray and a yellowish green. The only thing that is from the prior show is the fridge, and if i had the time I provably would have repainted it too!

Some of the items used on stage came right out of the kitchen of the Casablanca (like the Reddy Kilowatt magnet pot holders, and about half my cutlery!) I firmly believe I could go the rest of my set designing/dressing career just doing vintage kitchens and be happy as a calm.

I love and try to incorporate all the little details add to a set that make it seem as close to real life as possible.

(Notice the faux painted wall plug behind the cart? I LOVE doing stuff like that!)

What parsonage kitchen would be complete without a print of "The Last Supper" hanging up?

(Also from the kitchen of the Casablanca, It was my Great Grandmother Avery's.)

(Mrs.& Reverend Shaw at home.)

Other projects included a honkey-tonk bar.

(Before.)

BONANZA!!! I had lots of fun making up the "brands" to go on the front. Each brand is a member of the set teams name we have- Russ, Joseph, Patricia, Mickey, Bryson, Larry, Sheldon, and the "7B" one is a favorite show of ours Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.  As much as I protest wagon wheel furniture "I will never want that wagon wheel coffee table" I honestly wouldn't mind taking this bar home after the show! Turquoise and brown themed I added ship rope for a more western feel. The galvanized tub holds the bars ice down drinks. Later I added a pair of long horns to the center front of the bar, but RATS I don't have a picture!

A weathered Coca-cola sign-

(Step 1.)

 (Step 2.)

With the help of friend Sheldon, we made a lattice base for the billboard (like they use to have way back when.) I took a deeper red and dry brushed over the main part of the sign, then painted the lattice an off white and "weathered" with black paint and a sponge.

(Step 3.)

To further the distressed look of the aging Coke sign, I took a 2x4 and beat the lattice up a little bit. The finished product looks just like a long forgotten sign, one that looks like countless old billboards scattered in fields all over the state of Texas.

I had a time working on this Kenny Loggin's blast from the past of a show, and now I think I too will go 'cut loose'!

-Mick-

Pearls, Heels, and Provably Bloodshed...

It's That time of year again, We'll break out the crown, the girls will provide the talent, vintage glam, and we'll have a new Miss Casablanca come Monday!

You also might notice "Everyone Goes to Mick's" got a face lift and new background, courtesy of girlfriend Patricia and Missouri Michael. Thanks guys! The new turquoise background with gold and black flecks is a picture of the Formica on my second kitchen table for the Casablanca that came to me from my wonderful Grandma Jordan. What can I say, the lady has taste!

-Mick-

Pyrex At It's Finest- Stress Relief!

Well Readers, do any of you have rituals you do to make you feel better? Last week was a cavalcade of crap-tastic for me and by Friday at 5:00 I was crying Uncle! When I get stressed out I like to bake- BUT It has to be in my kitchen and on my own terms (Bob Crocker I am not!) It calms me down, its productive, and I think it has something to do with simple math and knowing there's a reward at the end.

(Friend Jarrod learning how to make Strawberry Bread)

Patricia, Jarrod, Logan and Myself loaded up after the show Friday night and went to the Casablanca. Early Saturday morning we had a visit from friend Larry (who is in charge of the dining room construction) to make out where the floor support beams will be placed. Just before he arrived we had been mixing up batters for bread. Jarrod making a strawberry variety and I was following recipe of Jim's (over at Ocean Breezes) for Banana bread.

(Banana on the left, strawberry on the right.)

(*DING*)

(And.... Vi-la!)

After the breads were out of the oven I took another try at Wacky Tacky's peanut butter maple glaze cookies.

We all Loaded up and went into town to do the Saturday night show of  "Legally Blonde the Musical" then came right back out to the lake after the show. Sunday morning started off Logan and Patricia baked a red velvet marble cake.

(It was Marvelous... or Marble-ous I should say!)

Later in the afternoon we were joined for lunch by friend Cameron. I made a few pizzas and we spent the rest of the lazy Sunday watching movies and laughing away just what I (we) needed! Which I need to savor as next weekend will be fast and furious as we are digging holes for support beams early on Saturday and then Sunday afternoon the Casablanca will be proudly hosting The Second (1958) Miss Casablanca Contest!

Until then, My blood pressure is down and our stomachs are full!

-Mick-

COMPLETE!!!!

(Six full sets of Turquoise, Pink, Yellow & Green!)

Oh Readers it has been a happy day around here!

The second to last set complete! Girlfriend Patricia along with the help of Missouri Michael found the solid yellow 222 brownie pan! Here it is wit the rest of the set, as soon as we got it out to the Casablanca we baked brownies to celebrate!

(Friend Alex mixing up the brownie batter!)

It was great! Then about two weeks ago I received a parcel in the mail from Missouri Michael and when I opened it MUCH TO MY SURPRISE there was the missing long pan that I needed to finish up my collection!!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH MICHAEL! The solid yellow long pan, and brownie pan have been by far the two hardest to find.

So now that I have all the pieces, I'kind of in shock... I mean we all dream about having a full set of some sort of Pyrex but what do you do when you've collected them all? I think I'll, cook, bake & enjoy it!

So I made some peanut butter-maple glaze cookies, recipe courtesy of Wacky Tacky Blog, if you haven't been by there go check it out its pretty neat!

When I have a spare moment i might start collecting the rest of the American Ivy Franciscan dishes and finish that set!

-Mick-