Close-up of the brooch, a hatchet with "Carrie Nation" embossed on the blade.

Remembering the Hatchet Brandishing Carry A. Nation the Unsung Heroine of Prohibition

August 23, 2023, Leave a Comment on Remembering the Hatchet Brandishing Carry A. Nation the Unsung Heroine of Prohibition

When the majority of Americans think about the era of Prohibition, we think of the roaring 20s, with flappers, speakeasies, and flowing illegal hooch. However, the push for outlawing alcohol started before the arrival of the 20th century, and part of it was spearheaded by a formidable woman, towering at six feet tall, dressed in…

Overall, angled view of the Baskin Robbins, with its pink roof and palm trees out front.

A-Frame Icon: The Scoop on Baskin-Robbins History

August 16, 2023, Leave a Comment on A-Frame Icon: The Scoop on Baskin-Robbins History

Amid a plethora of auto body shops stands a bubblegum pink A-frame building, at first glance someone could mistake it for a life size version of Barbie’s ski shop mistakenly plopped near LAX instead of the mountains of Mammoth. But you won’t find Barbie here, this is a Baskin-Robbin’s and it’s said to be the…

The Forgotten Adopt-a-Burro Program at Disneyland

May 17, 2023, 1 Comment

Long time readers of the blog will remember I was immensely fond Big Thunder Ranch, the petting zoo/restaurant/entertainment venue that was once next door to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and was demolished to make way for Galaxy’s Edge. Every once in awhile I wistfully look at Big Thunder Ranch items on Ebay and recently I…

Myself, wearing a light taupe colored dress, with long sleeves. At the hem is a series of diamond shapes in peachy-pink, grey, and gold, all in various sizes. Near my shoulder I wear a small wooden brooch of a raccoon holding a pink flower. Atop my head a peachy-pink scarf, and short gold boots on my feet.

The Tale of Nell Donnelly: Fashion Icon Rescued by the Mob

March 29, 2023, 5 Comments

When we think about fashion labels with notorious pasts, we think about Gucci or Versace. But there is one forgotten about fashion label that an estimated one in seven women owned and its founder and designer, Nell Donnelly, was once caught up in a kidnapping that was solved by the mob, and I recently acquired…

Myself, wearing large pink sunglasses, a white cowboy hat, with blue stars edged in rhinestones, a white and light blue patterned suit with silver thread running through it, and a blue satin shirt.

Rocket Man

November 30, 2022, 3 Comments

In 1975, after climbing America’s music charts, Elton John stepped onto a stage at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium to a crowd of over 50,000. In the audience for one of the two sold out shows was my mother-in-law, and last week she got to do it all over again, as her, Patrick and myself went…

The Coven Album "Witchcraft" leans up against the open lid of a record player. The black vinyl record sits on the spindle. The cover features a woman with long blonde hair, and two men, one with dark hair, another with blonde hair and a mustache, in the middle is a human skull. Text across the top reads "Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls Coven"

The Forgotten Mother of Metal Music and Birth of the “Devil’s Horns”

August 18, 2021, 1 Comment

It’s summer still, but many, including myself, already have Halloween on the mind. Disneyland has released tickets for the after-hours party, Universal Halloween Horror Nights has announced their new mazes and some stores already have Halloween decorations in stock, and me? Well, I’m working on what songs from my spooktacular playlist I’m going to share…

Accidental Icon: How the Hollywood Sign Became a LA Mainstay

June 3, 2021, 1 Comment

Recently Patrick, myself, and some friends decided to conquer the Hollywood sign hike. We hiked up steep dusty trails that wove their way for over three miles through Griffith Park, finally reaching the peak and it got me thinking about the amazing history of this accidental symbol of Tinseltown. As America entered the roaring 20s,…

On the left a blue and green map of Los Angeles, with the silhouette of a man walking, black text reads "Paul Revere was Here On the Trail of L.A.'s Legendary Architect Paul R. Williams" and on the right a photo of the Beverly Hills Hotel's green side with white script reading "Beverly Hills Hotel" and tall palm trees stretching toward a blue sky.

Celebrating the Life and Work of Paul Revere Williams

April 14, 2021, 2 Comments

It’s no secret I love a good building. Los Angeles is filled with many beautiful buildings of both the private and commercial kind, and in a wide variety of styles. One person who embodied Los Angeles architecture was Paul Revere Williams, and recently the LA Conservancy teamed up with the National Organization of Minority Architects…

A group of guests look over a pool that has a steep slide, which an alligator slides down. Text across a roof in the background reads "Alligator Farm." Red text in the upper right of the postcard reads "Entertaining guests at the California Alligator Farm, Los Angeles."

Sights and Souvenirs from the California Alligator Farm

March 10, 2021, 6 Comments

As mentioned before I’ve been watching a lot of TV since I’m not going anywhere thanks to COVID, and I recently binged the entire first season of HBO’s new interpretation of Perry Mason. Early in the show Mason handles a taxidermy turtle and small alligator, both which feature a paper label reading “Los Angeles Alligator…

Naughty & Nice: Ode to Haddon Sundblom, the Man Behind Pin-Ups & Coca-Cola’s Santa

December 17, 2020, 2 Comments

Santa Claus. How do we describe Santa’s appearance? White beard. Red Suit. A bit on the portly side perhaps? An icon of Christmas, Santa has seen many different interpretations over the years, but today we all pretty much agree on his appearance here in America, and there is an urban legend that the modern appearance…

Atomic Redhead

History Lessons

Remembering the Hatchet Brandishing Carry A. Nation the Unsung Heroine of Prohibition

A-Frame Icon: The Scoop on Baskin-Robbins History

The Forgotten Adopt-a-Burro Program at Disneyland

The Tale of Nell Donnelly: Fashion Icon Rescued by the Mob

Rocket Man

The Forgotten Mother of Metal Music and Birth of the “Devil’s Horns”

Accidental Icon: How the Hollywood Sign Became a LA Mainstay

Celebrating the Life and Work of Paul Revere Williams

Sights and Souvenirs from the California Alligator Farm

Naughty & Nice: Ode to Haddon Sundblom, the Man Behind Pin-Ups & Coca-Cola’s Santa