Wish You Were Here!

(Circa the year of our Lord- 2002)

Before we even knew there was a "Mick's" to go to!

-Mick-

It's A Whole New Era...

FIRST Readers, let me HEREWITH AND CLEARLY STATE that "Patricia and I are NOT having a baby"! Haha. But the Casablanca has entered a whole new, and unexpected era of its own. The Baby Boom! I do not report this fact to make our friends and members sound "busy", but the fact is we have four going on five sets of married members who have family's of their own. The Noble's, The Williams', The Maxwell's, The Daughtery's, (and very soon) The Jarvis's!

As luck would have it in the midst of our "boom" I inherited this vintage baby play pen. NOW before you all go shrieking "THAT THING IS A DEATH TRAP! IT'S NOT BABY SAFE!" The Mothers of the Casablanca (Ha! That sounds like a club in its own right.) have inspected and approved this piece.  As a further testament to its safety, my Dad and his siblings were kept in it way back in the late 50's and early 60's and for the most part came out unscathed. Dad seems to think that my Great Grandparents had this collapsible crib at their lake house up on Grand Lake in Oklahoma. (Isn't that fitting? From one Jordan lake house to another!) What I like most about it, is that it folds up small and can be stored out of the way. It will be great for parties!

(Cora was NOT a happy camper...)

I used to joke that when the time came for us to ad an "nursery" to the Casablanca, that we'd just put a play pen in the lounge with the bar... that way both Baby's and Adults could have bottles!
Speaking of the Lounge-

(The leg looks crooked, but i assure its not.)

This wooden folding/card table is a treasure saved from the trash heap, also from my Great Grandparents house on Grand Lake. It is OLD. At some point someone painted a checker board on its top, in good think oil/lead based paint! It doesn't bother us though...

(We were going to play Checkers, but couldn't remember the rules... so we switched to Chess!)

I already had a nice set of wooden chess pieces that I got in Kansas years ago, and they were just perfect for this table.  It was nice to sit in the evening cool of the screened in lounge. I couldn't help but imagine how many times the same scene must have played on the porch of the house at Grand Lake. I bet many a card and board game were played on this through the years!

Once again isn't it funny, and kind of charming that these things ended up at another lake house.

How they ended up in "a whole new era"!

-Mick-

Trash to Treasure!

Let me tell you dear Readers, with 90 years worth of stuff in the barn, (including my Grandparents AND Great Grandparents things) there was a LOT of "trash"! It seems like they held on to just about everything, and I am a fourth generation pack rat. I picked out several "treasures" to fix up an work on, mostly just stuff that otherwise would have went to the land fill.
The Jars pictured above were filthy when they were uncovered, but with a good scrubbing and a long soak in Alka-Seltzer made them shine like new.

The jar lids were a bit rusty, so I sanded them down painted them with primer and spray painted them my favorite color of turquoise!

(Ta-Da!)

This old TV had a few rusty spots on it, but I was able to buff them off with steel wool. It will be great for outdoor entertaining!

When this was pulled out of the barn, I thought it was an old plant stand base. As you can see it was rusty and since it was missing the planter it was bound for the trash.. so it came home with me.

However picture my surprise when a few days later I got to pick it up, and realize... it spins!


It's a Lazy Susan base! So as planned I primed and repainted the metal...

And since all the little ceramic pieces that go in the metal holder were gone, I put this cut glass dish of my Great Grandmother Jordan's in it and it works just fine!

I really don't think our kitchen table at the Casablanca is big enough to constitute a lazy susan being on it, but I will keep it out for a while. It's neat, and I'm sure it will provably get more use than I think!

This was a really cool save as well, I wish the lettering as a little better but it suits me fine! a "Tropi*cal*lo" Orange juice glass jug! I have one like this that we have lemonade in at the ready, so I was super stoked to pull this one out of the heap for Orange Juice.

(Back in action after a 60 some-odd year hiatus!)

It just goes to prove, "One mans trash is another mans treasure"!

-Mick-

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.

*  *  *

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-