back from summer!

I have returned, at least for now, from a summer full of Cape Cod, Busch Gardens, yard sales, weddings in the family, thrift stores, house updates, and in a disproportionately greater amount than any of those things combined, tons of work! Now, all of that is done, except for the work, and of course, the thrifting and house stuff doing, while a new semester of schoolwork and hobbies is tacked on. And hopefully some blogging too.

To start things off rather mildly, my intense fandom of the Venture Bros. (and its airing network) has led me to idly happen upon the inspiration for the home and research lab of the titular characters and their family, the Venture Compound, and its basis, the GM exhibit at the 1964 World's Fair. For those who don't know, this exhibit was part of Futurama II, a theme begun in the 1939 World's Fair as Futurama. In the first fair, the GM sponsored exhibit featured a conceptual glimpse 20 years into the future, including ideas for an automated highway system, actually tested by GM in 1960. The 1964 exhibit took things further; models of futuristic cities displayed with moving parts and lights, and in unusual environments dotted an electric tram tour through the facility, with various new technologies and contraptions showcasing the efficient, economic, and fantastic living habits of the world of tomorrow.

Too bad circumstances in the last 60 years prevented this future from occurring, and the irony of GM's recent bankruptcy, and the popularity of inefficient transportation is all too apparent. I want the future of Futurama!

miniature excitement for a small price

Before my project, and to both brainstorm for it and satisfy my online shopping urges, I bought miniature pieces of furniture for around $12 on ebay from a vendor in Hong Kong. 

This credenza is... a dream. I joked to a co-worker that I could maybe, given extraordinary time and effort, construct an accurate, functional, and life-sized likeness using a new phonograph, but I'm sure it won't happen anytime soon if it does.

The TV is also very cool - when I move into a place with more space, like a house, I imagine the furniture that goes in there will be a bit more like this - more space suggests an attempt to fill it, rather than create it. The little cardboard person, as well as the others in the next pictures, were created by another co-worker, and currently reside in our workplace.

This sewing machine seems maybe a bit dated compared to the legsed (yeah I just made that word up) TV and credenza... oh well it's still cool.

The asian origins of manufacture account for the low table, kanji, and sushi, but not necessarily for the boozed little dudes.

kitchen takeover

So since the end of exams, craigslist has begun to intrude into the kitchen. In the last week, amidst cleaning the whole upstairs, we found a little bit more space, and motivation, to continue to clutter our lives with more awesome stuff.

Pictured: Dimensional Plastics Corp. Table and Chairs set

These are excellent! Dimensional Plastics was apparently (according to the internets) established in 1956, as evidenced by the cheesy and easy to google Krinklglas (i'm not entirely sure what it is, other than an interesting compound and the company surrounding it). either way, Dimensional Plastics at some point between 1956 and probably the 70s apparently made the components of a table and chairs set.

These things are great - the chairs are shaped wood and upholstered vinyl on a metal base, and the table is a delightfully patterned plastic surface on a matching base.

Also recently acquired, but not as of yet mentioned, is a set of three tables - one low coffee, and two mid-height end/side tables - all McCobb-ey knockoffs.

Here the coffee table amidst clutter, 

Here one of the sides. This one has slightly sturdier legs than the other, but, of course, that circular stain. Still probably keeping it. These tables conjure the image of McCobb's planner series:

They're certainly not as valuable, but they look great, and I love them. 

In other news - one of the classes I recently finished called for a final project - a book - to be produced; the point of the class was to deconstruct the traditional identity of what one normally takes to be a book - a codex with pages containing information - and to study the categorization of information throughout history, and the development of literature as a result. My entry consisted of the metaphysical location of the production of a story - the forum where stories take place... for me. So I made a room, symbolic of maybe a place in my imagination, and of course it had to be a little stylized.

Inside the room I placed words and phrases on wiry bases that sat pretty much anywhere - they were interchangeable and malleable, making the whole thing a little interactive... really the relevance is the fact that I kind of want a room with some of these features in my real house.

AJ pointed me in the direction of the table and chairs set, as well as helped me out with the miniature room - the clock and pillows are hers. More to come soon.