responses to your collection

[charp13]

MDG!  Where in the world did you find all these treasures?  I don't even know where to begin....WOWEE!  I love EVERYTHING in your home! The dining room table and bar are soooo beautiful! And the wall art and tiki bar made me stop breathing! Did you collect for a long time before you decorated your home or was this a gradual process? That beautiful orange ceramic piece on the mantle is exquisite, orange is the best ! I can't even form sentences right now. I'm going back to magnify the screen and look again.  You must be so proud of your interior design ability. Bravo!

[charp13]

What kind of wood is your dining table made of? It is so exotic looking     I love the shape too!

[MDG]

Glad you like it Charp! We've been buying stuff for 20 years or more, mainly garage sales and flea markets, and a lot of stuff came from my parents (either stuff they had or got at flea markets) and gifts (typical remark: "This was real ugly so we thought you'd like it.") The Chinese checker boards started when my sister sent us a couple, then we started picking them up (usually $6 or less.) I think the orange ceramic on the mantle came in a box of stuff at an auction.

The bar and stools was $20 at an estate auction. I built the shelf behind it with the tiki torches and the light up cabinet in the dining room. The wall art is a period project I got from eBay (and still have to finish). Some more views:

[MDG]

Oh, the dining room table is some kind of laminate. There's a leaf for it, but the dining room is small, so usually we use it as a buffet rather than sit-downs ehen we have folks over.

[monsterphile]

Marty, digging the 64-65 Worlds Fair stuff.  I have some stuff, but I'm not sure why I've accuymulated it.  I was only there in utero, so it's not like I got to actually experience it.


Rob

[werewolfwoman]

MDG all i can say is wow, i love the retro and tiki motif,  i have a tiki collection as well and really love the way you display your collections, just fantastic

[Gasport]

Hey MDG...Well, it sure looks like the party will be at YOUR place! Love all the Tiki stuff...i used to have that same molded plastic chair [next to the bar] in blue in my bedroom as a kid and i know i have that set of World's Fair glasses up in my attic somewhere. Great place , beautifully decorated! Thanks for sharing...

[Hepcat]

MDG all i can say is wow, i love the retro....

Retro?! Looks cutting edge modern to me. But I really like the Chinese checker game collection!

[MDG]

I didn't clean up as much as I wanted, but pix of the snack bar:

[charp13]

MDG- You brightened my evening!!! I have NEVER seen such an inspiring collection as yours!  I just watched a show about drive-ins on PBS over the weekend, so I'm feeling super nostalgic about snack bars right now, and yours takes the cake!! So many memories in that room, your family must smile every day when they walk into that room.    You are an amazing decorator, and if you live any where near me, PLEASE let me house sit when you go on vacation!  I live near the Ga./Al. line! If you have a chance sometime, will you tell us where you got some of your drive-in memorabalia , like the signs- thanks!

[werewolfwoman]

MDG, WOW, WOW,WOW....... you are my hero we have a local drive-in and i wish our snack bar was that cool.

[Hepcat]

Wow! Cool! Given that it was previously a screened-in front porch, is it still visible to people walking by on the sidewalk?

[MDG]

Well, thanks, guys.

Charp, most of the drive-in stuff came off of eBay--nothing horribly expensive. I lucked out on the Coke sign in that my parents bought it around '75 for something like $30. I was looking for a booth but they were $$$$--then I found out about a guy who had a 50s theme party and had five sets made up (two benches and a table each) and was selling them on eBay, so I was able to get one fairly cheap. Built the padded corner piece myself, and it stores halloween decorations in the off season. Genesee's a local brand, so there's always stuff at garage sales and flea markets.

I just this weekend hooked up the TV to play through the two wooden speakers (allegedly from a drive in snack bar) on either side of the Schaefer sign.

Hepcat, the porch is on the side of the house, but can be seen from the sidewalk--the Schaefer sign shows pretty well if it's on.

[Scatter]

MDG, that is an OUTRAGEOUSLY cool home!! I love retro, am planning on doing that to my home when time permits, so I've enjoyed the virtual tour more than you can know brother!!

[Bonomo]

I didn't clean up as much as I wanted, but pix of the snack bar:

Whatcha got in the jukebox?