Do you remember Smokey the Bear? He recently celebrated his 80th birthday, which made me think he might be one of the most successful advertising ‘campaign ‘faces’ ever. Hotfoot Teddy, as he was once called, evolved from a cub in the 40’s to a stud in the 50’s, before settling into his current look, which hasn’t changed since the early 1960’s. His message hasn’t changed either, and remains as important today as when Smokey first said it: only YOU can prevent forest fires.
The endurance of Smokey and his singular message got me to thinking about which other advertising characters have stood the test of time. I went down my memory rabbit hole and came up with the following list. While their messages, their products, and even their looks may have changed over time, just like Smokey they are all advertising icons.
Permanent wave machine. Route 66 Museum, Elk City, Oklahoma
I’m an eternal optimist and am against spreading negativity. Since the world has been such a shit show lately, my desire to post has been non-existent. But I really do miss creating, so I’m getting back on the blogging saddle with a ‘low-hanging fruit ‘ephemera post, which is the result of months of saved links that caught my eye and might interest you too.
I recently visited Palm Springs and did not see any of these houses, but wish I had.
From L to R Row 1: Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, Louisville Bats Row 2: Albequerque Isotopes, Amarillo Sod Poodles, Biloxi Shuckers Row 3: Jupiter Hammerheads, Lake Elsinore Storm, Jersey Shore Blue Claws Row 4: Kannapolis Cannonballs, Richmond Flying Squirrels, Aberdeen Ironbirds
I was listening to the radio on the way to work, scrolling for something worth listening to, when I heard the words ‘monkey rodeo’. Of course, I immediately went back to the station because hearing ‘monkey’ and ‘rodeo’ used in the same sentence is the aural equivalent of a great meme. Turns out, the hosts were remembering when they had seen Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey performing at a minor league baseball game. Sadly, it appears Cowboy Monkey Rodeos may be a thing of the past, but there’s all kinds of other cool reasons to spend a nightwatching the Boys of Summer do their thing… Continue reading “Look at me, I can be centerfield…..”→
I’ve been enjoying a nice, long break and taking it a bit slower than I usually do. Eating lots of great food, watching ‘must see’ movies [Being the Ricardo’s, Don’t Look Up,Nobody, The Last Duel and in a few days, MacBeth], and spending time with those I love are the best presents of all, and the perfect way to end 2021.
I’m not a resolution kind of gal, but I am a BIG list maker. On my list for 2022; travel to San Diego, Denver, Charleston, and Apalachicola, reading, painting [the art kind] and lightening up. By that I mean getting rid of some of the clutter and excess I seem to collect. I’ve spent the morning cleaning out my internet ‘Other Bookmarks’ folder (aka: links to things I will get around to reading eventually). Here are a few things which made the cut that you might enjoy…
What is it about a handbag? Women go nuts over certain brands and styles, many of which have become iconic over time. The Louis Vuitton Keepall Bag, the Chanel Quilted Bag, and the Hermes Birkin Bag are coveted by collectors the world over, routinely selling, and re-selling, for thousands of dollars. There are bag collector groups, blogs, websites, and even virtual galleries like The Vintage Purse Museum devoted to all things ‘handbag’. You can even take a quiz(or two) to see which handbag you are.
Turns out I am either a backpack (simple, compact, and practical with a touch of whimsy) or a hobo bag (free as the wind, live by different set of guidelines, value autonomy, exploration, art and personal expression, and prefer things that are unique and last a lifetime). Laugh if you will but both bags, and personality descriptions, are quite accurate assessments of me AND my bag styles.
I love those ‘What’s IN my Bag’ spreads in the tabloids. Peek inside my bag and you will always find my Ray Bans, Mac, Nikon, sketchbook, pencils and pens, lipstick, Aleve and my wallet, all carried in a big tote or backpack. I’ve been relying on these choices (almost always in black leather or pleather) since I was a teen. Both styles are arguably the workhorses of the bag world, designed for maximum content and minimal fuss.
Are you a bag lover? Do you have a favorite style? I do, and it is definately not a backpack or hobo. Hands down, my vote goes to a special occasion bag (see whimsical above). Going out for a night on the town in which a great outfit and attendant bag are required always gets me thinking of how to assemble the pieces of the fashion puzzle to make sartorial magic happen. There was a time when my lifestyle saw me routinely dressing up for one glitzy event or another but those days are long gone, leaving me with an awesome fashion archive and nowhere to wear it to.
Even if I don’t have any actual plans, for the past few weeks I’ve been trying to figure out how I might manage a special, spontaneous and quick jump across the pond to see the Victoria & Albert Bags: Inside Outshow. I could travel light, with my trusty hobo (for a few outfits) and backpack (for my passport, plastic, and sunnies) holding everything I’d need to to get me from here so I could tour the V&A in a rocking outfit and carrying by a great bag the entire time. While odds of this fantasy becoming a reality appear slim a girl can still dream, about travel and a great bag (or two)!
I have always been enamored by guitars (and guitar players). No one appreciates the irony of this more than me, since I am someone who can barely keep rhythm with a tambourine. And while I have been blessed with many artistic talents the ability to dream of music and turn that vision into a reality is definitively not one of them.
My favorite musicians all belong to the blues and rock worlds. Their bands still provide me with endless listening pleasure decades later but it’s the pickers themselves I really love. Robert Johnson. T-Bone Walker. Buddy Holly. Dick Dale. Duane Eddy. Scotty Moore. Les Paul. Johnny Winter. Peter Green. Eric Clapton. Muddy Waters. Jimmy Page. John Lennon. Hubert Sumlin. Robert Fripp. Duane Allman. Jimmy Hendrix. Steve Cropper. Mick Taylor. Frank Zappa. Buddy Guy. Billy Gibbons. Jerry Garcia. David Gilmour. Keith Richards. These cats are responsible for some of the greatest formative rock ever recorded and they couldn’t have done it without a Lucille, Blackie, or Flying V at their fingertips.
As a woodworker’s daughter I appreciate the workmanship that goes into creating a guitar and view custom guitars as true works of art. Maybe that’s why when I stumble upon an instrument auction I always get pulled in. Clapton’s 2011 auctionto benefit his Crossroads Centre in Antigua, Guernsey’s 2017treasure trove of rock instruments, and David Gilmour’s 2019 epic sale benefitting the Climate Earth initiative have all left me wondering if I should place a bid to own a piece of rock history. Taking a look at the prices most of these beauties sold for probably means the answer is probably ‘no’, but hey, a guitar girl can dream…AND listen.
Portrait of Constance-Gabrielle-Magdeleine Bonnier de la Mosson as Diana by Jean-Marc Nattier (1685 – 1766) from The Getty
I am 3+ weeks into this isolation thing and pretty sure at this point I am corona free. Week 1 of social distancing saw me driving 2000 miles for a work trip where I was essentially alone except for a few food, gas, and restroom breaks. Made record time getting to my various destinations too, since the highways weren’t crowded at all. And while I feel very fortunate to be able to work remotely week 2 & 3 have convinced me I am less busy when I work from my office then when I work from home.
If I put aside the fears, disappointments, and uncertainty that accompany this pandemic I am actually enjoying having more time to garden, cook, read, and spend time with my family. I have also been spending a LOT of time on the web (which I am grateful has enough bandwidth to support what seems like the entire country watching ‘Tiger King’ at the same time). Here are a few things that have kept me from going a stir-crazy over the last week. Here’s hoping one or two will do the same for you…
When you’ve scrolled through everything Amazon, Netflix and Hulu have to offer check out Shout TV
Spend some time virtually strolling in these beautiful gardens– my garden doesn’t come close
If gardens aren’t your thing maybe Escape to The Chateau will be – I was instantly hooked
I spent the past couple of months curating and installing The Form of Reformshow, which features art and writing from Tennessee’s Riverbend Maximum Security Institution death row population… Continue reading “Death don’t have no mercy…”→
If you know me at all you know I no longer make resolutions based on the calendar. Over the years I’ve resolved to lose weight, starts a business, pay off debt, stop smoking, travel more – you name it and I’ve probably resolved to do it. My good intentions rarely worked out however, leaving me feeling blue by February since I could never make my ‘new’ habits a reality for long.
I’ve adopted the mentality that I don’t need to wait until January 1st make changes to my life, which is quite freeing since I have the power to make changes big and small any day, hour, or minute that I am alive. So do you.
Happy New Year to you and yours and here’s hoping your own resolutions – made tonight or throughout the year – become your new reality!
You really CAN find these [questionable] gifts online
Can you believe the holidays are upon us? I feel like I’ve received a billion emails and insta posts over the last week identifying the ‘best’ gifts to buy NOW for that [insert the identifier for the person you need to get a gift for here] and frankly none of it looks that special to me. While I am trying hard to get into a gift giving frame of mind I am always down for my favorite holiday of all, Thanksgiving.
For me, it’s a four-day whirlwind of cooking (this sweet potato gratin was a winner!), catching upon some TV and movie time with my favorite culture vultures (including 5-star worthy The Righteous Gemstones, The Irishman, and Knives Out), and catching up on all-things web. Here are a few stories which helped me recover from my tryptophan-induced lethargy……
The Grey Goddess 