Monday, May 07, 2007

Why Jungle Dream Pagoda? Celebrating 100 posts !! ...and a give-away !!!

Blogging time sucker warning :LEVEL ORANGEBlog names are very clever and most often capture EXACTLY the personality of the artist and writer of the individual site.
If you have ever peeked at the brilliant musings of The Epistle Of Timothy it is indeed an ego-centric driven forum,but for all his bravado and James Joyce bottom lining (can that be possible, J.J. bottom linings?)you will detect a distinct flavor of faith fueling his writings.Pandoras Button Box ? Well at Amandas place you never know what creative,yet old-fashioned with a twist project will pop up....and like the mythological creature her site is named for ,you will always find a hopeful and optimistic feel at the bottom of her ideas. How about A Fanciful Twist ,Through the Secret Keyhole? Don't we all feel like priveliged flies on the wall of her studio?So why Jungle Dream Pagoda?Lets just say its an idylic and artistic place that lives in my heart and in my head.
Back in my struggling artist days(daze!),I was still living at home with my parents ,and it occured to them I wasn't going anywhere.They decided if I wouldn't move out on them,they would move out on me! It was their way of supporting the arts you see.Thus they moved out and I became the care-taker of the sweet little cottage I grew up in. The empty house they left me with gave me the perfect blank canvas I needed to create the bohemian/artist salon I had always dreampt of.It was at that time I switched my thrifting focus from vintage clothes to vintage kitsch. My taste in those days was not quite as developed and edited as it is now.My voracious appetite loved anything interesting ,unusual,and breakable,especially from the mid-century.Spaghetti poodles,plaster angels,velvet Elvis paintings,African masks,leopard throws,and anything Asian.
Another passion of mine at the time was the vintage Barbie Doll.I loved the whole ideal. Barbie,the perfect plastic goddess,with perfect tiny vintage clothes for every occasion.Even before my parents flight,I had begun taking them around to fun events(dressed oh-so appropriately ofcourse!) ,(yes my feet are much closer to the ground these days!).
Hard to believe there were no digital cameras around to document bumping into Tim Curry and asking him to sign my dollies leg. He happily agreed and drolly extolled,"How very peculiar."!
As little Barbie vignettes began popping up everywhere in my leopard infused Asian fantasyland.It was only natural to name my world.

I loved this packaging.
So ofcourse,I changed it to artwork in the original Pagoda.
Mondrian color-blocked cabinets,why not?
The fiesta dining room,ofcourse!!!
.....BARBIE'S....
...EXOTIC..... Martin Denny and his Orchestra,was usually the soundtrack of my life in those days.
.....JUNGLE...... Gosh,wish I still had these taxidermied frogs!......NOT !!!!!
....DREAM....
.....PAGODA....
This picture(taken by my dear friend Stephen)was shot shortly before we were married on the day my hubs interviewed for grad school. Doesn't he look comfy (teehee)?Barbies Exotic Jungle Dream Pagoda,was truly an oppurtunity to let my imagination run wild. Shortening my sites name to Jungle Dream Pagoda,captures this same ideal and lets my feet float gently back down to the ground(okay, so they still hover a bit).It more inclusively describes what inspires me most,my fabulous and still exotic family!
On to business!!!
We are celebrating 100 posts(107 if your really counting) here at the Pagoda,and I wish to give something back to all the adorable people that have come into my life. If we've yet to meet, heres our chance.Leave a comment for a drawing, and let me pick some goodies out of my magic closet(this includes my assorted fripperies and tchotchkes),that I think might best suit the individual reader.If you would like to be entered twice,leave a haiku comment. I get to choose my favorite poem as a winner!So that way there are 2 winners!!!!You may comment,and or haiku through next monday,on THIS post.
Heres my Haiku:
Isn't it tragic?
I loved vintage ,long ago.
Tragically hip!

Sending out LOTS of Pagoda love and gratitude for all the support!

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love the story of "jungle dream pagoda" I must admit it is a great blog title and just mysterious enough. I also find myself whispering jungle dream pagoda when dollar shopping in chinatown, so odd.

LOVE the kitchen, love it all! Your parents are the coolest and you, my dear, are gorgeous and talented.

Can I win now???

Rebecca said...

Oh the Jungle Dream
was finally realized
and vintage still lives

sign me up!

xoxoxo

Michelle Legler said...

Oh, Miss Pagoda!
You totally rock my world
With your vintage Style

Jennifer W. said...

Tim Curry - Legend
Lord of Darness - find the light
Save us, unicorns!

Ok - couldn't resist that one. You reminded me of the movie I have probably more times than any other (it seemed like it was always on TV). Don't know what that says about me...

Loved seeing the origins of the Pagoda. Love everything you have going on here!

Dana said...

Thanks for sharing the story behind your blog name :)I love vintage Barbie ! I don't collect her much anymore, but I enjoy looking at the ones I have! I enjoy your fashion shows, and have gotten a lot of ideas from them:) Keep up the good work, and thanks for sharing with us!

Happy Anniversary :)


Dana
d07@goldingers.com

Sarah and Jack said...

I just want to say that the frogs are really disgusting. LOL Not only that, but they are reminding of that smell in my classroom when the kids were doing their frog dissections. Just ew.

stilettoheights said...

love a good contest...and I love the barbies, LOVE them...I wish there were a way I could type love with a heart, lol.

I used to have a ton of barbies but living in a teeny place made me sell them, but I kept a few, tucked away.

xoxo

Heidi said...

This is funny, because at the magazine where I work, we have to write a haiku when we finish a spread. So I've had some practice, but I still suck at it. Here's my effort:

The dream continues
An online pagoda
The jungle is wild

miss vintage love said...

Vintage barbies ROCK!
Oh, and you and your husband are a gorgeous little couple.
xoxo

Jane said...

Crooked Halo shines
Little Blossom holds her own
Retro goodness rules

or

From Babs to Blossom
Lifestyle's of the retro girls
Jungle Dream House Rules!

eb said...

oh yes its magic
to be,dream and play - now -
really - there's no other way

is that a proper haiku - maybe...

please include me dear lovely one

xox - eb.

Anonymous said...

Well congrats on 100!

And I loved, LOVED the story. I always thought it was a cool name but the story behind it is amazing.

Now where's that bedroom redo for crooked halo, is what I want to know!

alexgirl said...

What a great story. Great Barbie pics. And I love the pic of you and your hubby. A very "opposites attract" picture! I am a TERRIBLE haiku writer, but good luck with the contest/give-away!
AND, btw: Terrance Mann is TOTALLY the poor man's Tim Curry. I've always thought so. And wait, you're not serious about the Kristen Chenowerth/Hugh Grant/Michael Buble thing, are you? I think I just had an day-mare.

Vallen said...

pink lace, leopard pumps
rhinestone collar, beaded bag
make my heart go ping

Angelina said...

Congratulations on your 100dth post!

I kind of wish my parents had done that. Best week of my entire youth was when my family left me home alone for a week in summer when I was fourteen and it was absolute bliss!

Anonymous said...

YOu lok exactly the same! And, those look like magazine photos, not real life people!!!! But, I know you are (real), so I won't let the voices confuse me. Happy Happy Happy 107th post! Mr. Lovee would love the taxicermied frogs...Boy, do I have a story for you! xxxooo,V
ps: LEgend, my fave movie from junior high!!!

Anonymous said...

I love the name of your blog, it's so you! Oh my goodness on those vintage Barbies, I think they were featured at the Barbie auction at Christie's London recently. Congrats on your 100th post, your hubby look like Hugh Grant, love that picture of you both.

Anonymous said...

Change clothes all the day
Wardrobe fire jungle dream burn
Pagoda in lace

my poem for you.

happy 100th post!
I love it that Tim Curry signed your Barbie..Legend is in my top 5 all time fav's

Anonymous said...

love to visit you and your vintage lovelys!

oh, I had that barbie dream house....so 50's modern! loved it!

please, please put me in your vintage bag!

Anastasia said...

oh wow weeeee that mondrian inspired kitchen - too cool! you are super creative...Vintage barbies swoon swoon! love the pic of you and your man - great shot!
happy 107th post!! Crack open the bubbly - here's to many many more

Victoria said...

Oh you crack me up! I would've LOVED to have seen your house back then, so funny. Those frogs...

Peta said...

Love the Pagoda! Your husband is very cute too!

Anonymous said...

Exotic panache
Retro fabulosity
but glad frogs are gone

xx
I enjoyed reading the Pagoda history very much

karlascottage.typepad.com said...

Yes, please enter me. And don't judge me by my boring blog name,I actually picked it BEFORE I had read any blogs. It is actually the name I use for my house, which is ok for a house, but is boring for a blog. I day dream of all the better choices I could have made.......

gilfling said...

Happy anniversary!!! I love the story behind the name - and as usual the vintage pieces are so inspiring - although I have to admit I am ever so slightly freaked out by the taxidermy frogs!!!

eb said...

happy mother's day sweet jungle dream!!!!!!!!!!!!!

xox - eb.

Michelle Legler said...

I hope you had a WONDERFUL Mother's Day with those terrific daughters!!!!!!
xxxxx!!!(and with the Jolie Lips!)
:-)

S. said...

You are so very thoughtful to stop and wish me a happy mother's day! I hope you had a lovely day too.

Love the photo of you & your husband!

mary jane said...

Yikes I'm late to the party! Happy 100 Miss Jungle dream!

Oh Dear Jungle Dream
The Pagoda Family
Inspires us all

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