Have You Visited the Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en?

They're the hosts with the most!

Kelly and Paul of Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en

It goes without saying that one of my favorite web series, or vodcasts if you prefer, is the Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en... oh heck, I'll say it anyway! I love this show! While at Ohana: Luau at the Lake last weekend, I was pleased as punch to meet Kelly and Paul, those kitschy-kool kids who bring us all the fabulous tips, advice, and cocktails needed for mid-century modern living.

Love the matching togs made by Kelly herself!

Kelly not only makes fabulous hors d'oeuvres and cocktails, she's quite a crafty seamstress as well. Paul is a music maestro and grillmaster extraordinaire. Their shows cover all sorts of fun subjects, including camping, how to survive in a bomb shelter, midnight snacks, and, most recently, a visit from hippies!

This particular episode is chock-full of tips for your next cocktail party...

What are you waiting for? Head over to the Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en now - you'll be glad you did!

Miss CherryBubbles enjoys a tiki-fied hot dog at Ohana, courtesy of Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en!

A Bevy of Beautiful Blondes in My Grandparents' House...

My family always referred to the light-colored, beautifully-streamlined, modern-looking furniture in my Grandpa Bud and Grandma Elverna's mid-1950s-built house as "The Blonde Furniture." To me, as a child, it always seemed extra-special and somehow more than just an ordinary table, chair, or desk.

While you will most likely recognize it right away as Heywood-Wakefield, I was an adult before I ever heard the name mentioned in relation to my grandparents' Blonde Furniture.

I thought you might like to come along on my trip down memory lane and see some photos I took last fall at the house. At some point in the near future, all this furniture will be headed to auction.

Let's start with the china cabinet... full of the Franciscan Desert Rose dinnerware that I fondly recall my Grandma Elverna using for many a family dinner...


And here's the buffet... I always loved the sliding door on the one side...


One of six chairs for the dining room table - four armless and two with arms... my grandfather always occupied an arm chair at the head of the table (well, actually the end closest to the kitchen)...


The table ends fold down and the "legs" are three arches of wood... my grandmother always used a tablecloth for dinners - often one that she had embroidered or cross-stitched herself...


End tables and coffee table in the living room... my grandmother used to have lady-head vases on each of the end tables...


My grandmother's dresser... the mirror always seemed so huge to me...


My grandfather's dresser... complete with a green Roseville "Hyde Park" monogrammed ashtray that doesn't look as if Grandpa Bud ever used it (even though he was a pipe and cigar smoker at one time)...


The headboard with sliding door compartments... the quilt rack next to the bed was made by my Grandpa Bud...


And, last, but not least, the awesome desk in front of an oft-sunny window where I remember my grandparents taking care of their bookkeeping and paperwork...


I hope you enjoyed meeting this bevy of beautiful blondes! I know I will always associate "The Blonde Furniture" with fond memories of my Grandpa Bud and Grandma Elverna.

What stirs happy family memories for you?

Sophisticated Cats...

I've had this nifty set of three kitty cat plaques for 10 years:

They were my Grandma Elverna's, and I'm thrilled that they made their way to my wall. My Grandma Elverna and Grandpa Bud built their house in the mid-1950s, in a brand new housing development near a small city. They furnished their house with "blonde" Heywood Wakefield. They liked modern things...

A couple months ago, I bought several vintage catalogs from an antique shop not far from my home. Mostly Sears Roebuck, but one was a Montgomery Ward catalog from 1963. Imagine my surprise when my dearest, while perusing our latest acquisitions, came across this:

There on page 1112 of the Fall/Winter 1963 Montgomery Ward catalog were my Grandma Elverna's kitty cats!

According to the description, these are "Sophisticated Cats" (obviously!) which will "enhance the modern decor" (but, of course). Well now, I'm sure you can see why my grandmother wanted them.

Occasionally, I come across one of my own vintage dresses in old catalogs, but, somehow, this discovery meant a lot more to me. I can just imagine my Grandma Elverna browsing through the Montgomery Ward catalog, delightedly coming across the cats, and deciding that they were worth the $8.99 price tag. She would have filled out and mailed the order form in the back of the catalog....in an envelope... with a stamp... and, most likely, actual cash enclosed. Things have changed, haven't they?