Veterans Day: Honor History By Learning It!

It’s one of those cliched facts of life that once you get older, you wish you’d paid more attention in school. Learning becomes a luxury you wish you had more time for. Such is the case for me with history. Now that time is at a premium, I quite often look to The Attic for books and DVDs that quench my thirst for knowledge.

I’ve spent hours poring through crisp maps (I love maps, don’t you?), charts, diagrams and photographs recounting battles in our nation’s fascinating history. And it’s highly likely that during the weekends you’ll find me glued to a DVD about Lincoln or Patton while I fold laundry and pretend to balance the checkbook.

Is it odd for a soccer mom to be fascinated by military strategy? I don't think so! Characters like Custer and Rommel are way more colorful than all the Desperate Housewives put together! American Idol? I'd rather watch The American Revolution!

As Thanksgiving looms, we find ourselves seduced by thoughts of roast turkey and buttery mashed potatoes. Christmas is right around the corner, full of sugar plums and shiny paper. At the onset of the holiday season, Veterans Day, quite frankly, gets the short stick. Sure, it gets media coverage full of emotional vignettes about patriotism, but if you ask me...it never gets enough attention.

How do we truly honor those who sacrificed everything to keep our country, and so many other nations around the world, free of tyranny (to use an old but relevant expression)? Making sure that we never forget. How do we do that? By learning. Reading. Exploring maps and diagrams. Watching DVDs. Putting faces to names so that those dusty old textbooks spring to life with wild characters and the smell of gunpowder in the air. Think of this blog as me—slipping you a note during class: “History’s cool! Pass it on!”

Reading Is Magic!

It’s The 50th Anniversary of The Grinch & The Golden Books Turn 65!

In a soft yellow bedroom, tucked under a fuzzy pink blanket, I fell in love with books. My mother used to read to me almost every single night. It was our special time together. Some nights it was my big book of folk tales from around the world. Other nights it might be Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky and, when I got a bit older, it was The Hound of the Baskervilles on nights when the trees knocked at my window!

But far and away, my two favorites (although from very different eras) were Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas and the wonderfully-innocent Little Golden Books! Did you know that both of these classics are celebrating very big anniversaries? The Grinch has hit 50 and Golden Books are 65!

What child can resist the vivid imagery of Dr. Seuss and his mean green villain holed-up at the top of Mt. Crumpit? My favorite line from the cartoon version was “You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch. You're a nasty, wasty skunk. Your heart is full of unwashed socks. Your soul is full of gunk.”To a 6 year-old, “gunk” is a really funny word! I fell in love with Max, his canine assistant, and I instantly understood the message at the end that “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store?”And speaking of adorable dogs from our childhood...“The Poky Little Puppy,” anyone? Holding those tiny Little Golden Books in my hands was so exciting and my mother read me every single tale, from the aforementioned slow-moving pup to “The Tawny Scrawny Lion” to “The Shy Little Kitten.” Each story was custom-sized for budding readers with big imaginations and the adventures flew off the pages!

Happy Birthday, Grinch and Golden Books! We loved you then and we love you now! Celebrate the timeless tales and share them with the budding bookworm in your life. If you’re feeling Seussarific, we have a Grinch Figurine you won’t believe and a festive tee!

More in the mood for The Saggy Baggy Elephant and Nurse Nancy? Enjoy all the Little Golden Books in one fantastic set. And remember...when you share a love of reading, the sky’s the limit!

She Dressed The Stars!

Edith Head: October 28, 1897—October 24, 1981

My children find it impossible to believe that there were fashion icons before Hannah Montana and The Cheetah Girls.

When I am poetic about Veronica Lake’s long luscious locks or Bette Davis’ moxy, they nod their heads to appease me and then go right back to blowing things up in video games. I myself shudder, and wish I could take them on a time travel trip to meet Edith Head, the costume designer for everyone from Mae West to Elizabeth Taylor, and the woman who was nominated for a whopping 34 Oscars®­—more than any woman in history!

When Edith ruled Tinseltown, she played by her own rules (unscrupulously at times, rumor has it) and matched wits and brawn with the gruffest of cigar-puffing studio heads. She was known as much for her formidable presence as her huge dark glasses and severe chignon bun. But the stars adored her because they knew she had the power to transform them from mere actresses to goddesses with a few silky swatches. Some of the icons she “dressed” were:

• Mae West in She Done Him Wrong
• Veronica Lake in Sullivan’s Travels
• Barbara Stanwyck in The Lady Eve
• Ingrid Bergman in Notorious
• Bette Davis and Anne Baxter in All About Eve
• Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard
• Elizabeth Taylor in A Place In The Sun
• Grace Kelly in Rear Window and To Catch A Thief
• Rita Hayworth in Separate Tables
• Kim Novak in Vertigo
  

If you love old Hollywood glamour and fashion as much as I do, you must must must check out our two new paper dolls sets! They combine one of my favorite games as a little girl with the most luxurious, gorgeous designs known to mankind!

The Hollywood Paper Dolls Book contains 24 silver screen sirens (with famous movie outfits) such as Rita Hayworth, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and more! The Fashion Parade Paper Dolls Book lets you dress a set of dolls with vintage couture fashions from the ‘50s through the ‘90s with iconic pieces from designers like Yves St. Laurent, Ralph Lauren and modern-day fashion iconoclast, John Galliano! Even if we wear our sweats 80 percent of the time these days, it doesn’t mean we can’t still daydream about slipping into one of these beauties!

The Age-Old Dilemma: Coke® Or Pepsi®?

When I was sixteen I broke with family tradition and switched from Pepsi to Coke. My father, the most die-hard Pepsi drinker you’ll ever find, tried to hide his disappointment, but it was pretty obvious. Had he not raised me well? Instilled proper values and ethics?

What, one wonders, causes such headstrong loyalty to a soft drink? Perhaps the rivalry can be traced to the sock-hoppin’ fifties when hamburger joints and juke boxes ruled teenage life and nothing soothed a flunked exam or a pimple on date night like a frosty glass of pop with your pals. It was during these “Tutti Frutti” times when favorites were born over plates of fries—and most of us still drink what we drank then.

Whatever your preference, one thing’s certain: retro Coke and Pepsi memorabilia adds a touch of class. It’s a potent combination of “idealism” and “nostalgia” that evokes our warmest memories. It says to the world “I respect the generations before me and I’m also passing down my own traditions.”

Pledge your allegiance with our plethora of pop-related goodies! On the Pepsi side, there’s our adorable Ice Cream Float Cookie Jar and accompanying Salt And Pepper Shaker Set. And why not offer friends an ice-cold Pepsi in a genuine Pepsi cup straight from your own Cup Dispenser?

Leaning more towards Coca-Cola®? Serve up cheeseburgers and fries on this set of Soda Shop Placemats, complete with retro-look advertising. Don’t forget to display the ketchup, mayo and relish on the Lazy Susan and top it all off with the Juke Box Shaker Set!

I’ll be enjoying the cool autumn days with my own frosty glass of Coke. Unless my dad visits, of course.

The Witching Hour Is Almost Upon Us!

The Attic’s A Scream At Halloween

Halloween is right around the corner and I thought some of you might be doing what I do every year, which is to have this conversation with myself: Do I want to dress up this year? I never know what to be. I don’t want something boring. But not too crazy, either. But not like everybody else’s costume...Oh, it’s probably too late to find one anyway. I give up!

Fear not—Aunt Betty is here to turn October 31st into Your Costume Is Fabulous Day! Below are but a few of our many Costume ideas. The only question you need to ask yourself is just how fabulous do you want to be?

Does the thought of Lucy shoving mounds of chocolate into her cheeks give you a fun goofy grin? Recreate the classic I Love Lucy TM scene in our meticulous Lucy Candy Factory Costume. Just don’t forget to take the truffles out of your shirt before you go to bed.

Personally, I think there should be a picture of Elvira in the dictionary next to “fabulous,” and you’ll marvel at yourself in the mirror when you slither into the Deluxe Elvira Costume. Add the va-va-vampiress Elvira Wig to the sultry ensemble and get ready for gaping stares (mostly from men...and your grandmother).

Mr. Betty’s Attic and our son will be donning the Wheaties Adult and Wheaties Youth costumes this year as they make the neighborhood rounds. I’m trying to convince them both to wear hideous tube socks and throw in a pair of the Rocky Boxers, but they’ll probably wimp-out and wear jeans.

Maybe you just need a touch of make-­believe but aren’t ready to commit to a whole costume? The Herman Munster Mask is so lifelike, you’ll feel 12-feet tall! And one can never go wrong with a pair of Groucho Glasses! No one will recognize you! Not even your pets!

Whoever you decide to be this year, remember: Halloween is all about fun! And maybe stealing a few candy bars from your kids’ trick-or-treat bags to make sure they pass “inspection.” And some candy corn. Don’t forget those! And caramels...do they still make that sugary stuff you eat with the candy spoon...?

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Some Of My Favorite Holiday Goodies

As I stated in an earlier post, it can be a little hard whipping up holiday spirit way down here in sweltering Florida. Pumpkin pie and apple cider just don't taste the same when you're wearing bermuda shorts. Nonetheless, I’ve learned several tricks of the trade to kickstart my seasonal silliness so join me on this little tour I like to call Christmas With The Stars!

All of you who read this blog know I love the PEANUTS®—and I simply must watch A Charlie Brown Christmas every year (and then, listen to the soundtrack ad nauseum until SuperBowl® time). So, imagine my glee when we got this shipment of Animated Peanuts Sleigh toys! Charlie! Linus! Snoopy and Woodstock, all in soft plush form, wobble and bob in time to “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” atop a cute little sleigh perched upon fluffy fabric snow. It’s enough to make me book a flight to New York City just to ice skate in Rockefeller Center!

More of a Mickey and Minnie type? They’re the next stop on our tour! The Singing Mickey And Minnie Holiday Car is the same idea as the sleigh, only this time it’s the mice with the most at the helm, swaying side to side as they chirp out an adorable rendition of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” I ask you, how much more retro chic can you get? And imagine the look on the little ones’ faces when they see these toys!

Need a little kitsch factor around your tree? The gloriously-goofy M&M’s®Tree Skirt may seem just an innocent piece of decor—but look closer. It’s a rich velour swatch of goofy goodness that’s guaranteed to make you smile every time you glance at peanutty Yellow and his lovable mug.

Then of course, there’s The Grinch. What holiday could be complete without the Master Of Mt. Crumpet and his beady little eyes? Dressed in Santa motif, he’s here to remind you of the first time you watched the cartoon classic and wondered what, exactly, roast beast would taste like.

Finally, we end our journey today with the pièce de résistance: The Giant Inflatable Leg Lamp! Worried your yard isn’t drawing enough attention? Perhaps the plastic reindeer just isn’t cutting it anymore? Feast your eyes on this baby! Inspired by the (in)famous scene from A Christmas StoryTM, it comes with the fan, adapter, stakes and everything you need to inflate it outdoors (or, if you have a ginormous living room, indoors), bestowing the ugliest lamp in history upon the entire neighborhood!

Let’s see if Bob next door can top that with his 5000 lights! Don't think so!

Nobody Expects The Spanish Inquisition!

Monty Python’s Flying Circus Debuts October 5, 1969

Of all my favorite childhood memories, watching Monty Python’s Flying Circus with my parents is right up there at the top! It was during the early '70s when the “let it all hang out” mentality was in full-swing, and even though I was too young to truly understand most of the jokes, I somehow inherently knew those irreverent wacky Brits were onto something revolutionary.

Later, as I got older, the fish slapping dance, Ministry of Silly Walks, and my personal favorite—Ricky Pule’s Mount Everest Hairdressing Salon—got a lot funnier. I realized that John Cleese, Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam had inspired a generation of comics. Everyone from the early Saturday Night Live cast to ‘80s innovator Ben Elton of The Young Ones to modern-day funnymen such as Ricky Gervais, creator of The Office, exhibit the influence of The Pythons.

With so much gross-out adolescent humor in TV and movies these days—humor that seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator—it’s always a joy to stumble across an old episode of the landmark series or one of their wonderfully-looney films such as The Meaning Of Life, Holy Grail, or Life Of Brian. Just about everyone I’ve grown up with can rattle off a few quotes here or there (“It’s only a flesh wound! Bring me a bucket! Nudge nudge, wink, wink, know what I mean?”) and we proudly flaunt our Python knowledge as a badge of honor.

If it’s been a while since you last encountered “The Lumberjack Song,” the killer rabbit, or the “bright side of life,” slip into a cozy sweatshirt and pop in a DVD. Their surreal, slightly-deranged take on life makes the mundane world we live in much more bearable!