While we're talking sweet space stuff, doesn't this "Trouble with Tribbles" poster by Juan Ortiz remind you of a Dr. Seuss book cover?
I just love that design! Ortiz is making an art print to go with every single Original Series episode, too. This is only his fourth in the series; you can see (and purchase) them all here.
Feel free to lie here to spare my feelings, but... is it weird that I kind of want this?
Rainbow Brite Snuggler, $30 (via FashionablyGeek)
The world needs more Rainbow Brite products, guys. Seriously.
I may have to drag John over to Tampa, next. :) (And isn't Erin a dead ringer for Brittany on Glee?)
And finally, these made my heart smile, and I only bawled a little: 20 Halloween costumes that incorporate wheelchairs. Here are two of my favorites:
(Hit the link to see the rest! Found via BoingBoing)
"My husband is a quadriplegic and never had fun costumes as a child (poor thing, his parents weren't all that creative.) When it was time to think of costumes, well, how could I leave Jesse out? [So] we were Spacemen!"
SO COOL! Dani constructed the space ship out of lightweight foam, duct tape, and small LEDs. Then she made super-spiffy reflective collars for them all to wear, plus arm and leg bracers for their son:
I love it! Great job, Dani!
The world needs more Rainbow Brite products, guys. Seriously.
Here in Florida we have an old roadside attraction called Weeki Wachee Springs, whose claim to fame is that they have real live mermaids. A few years back I read a fantastic book
on the history of the place, and then immediately dragged John down that weekend to go see it. It's great, retro goodness, and there's something so fantastic about watching girls in tails swim languidly by the glass.
on the history of the place, and then immediately dragged John down that weekend to go see it. It's great, retro goodness, and there's something so fantastic about watching girls in tails swim languidly by the glass.
For some reason I thought the Weeki Wachee mermaids were wholly unique, but then this week BuzzFeed featured these mermaids over at the Tampa Aquarium:
I may have to drag John over to Tampa, next. :) (And isn't Erin a dead ringer for Brittany on Glee?)
These also reminded me of Epbot reader Dani's photos, which she sent in last year. She wrote,
"My husband is a quadriplegic and never had fun costumes as a child (poor thing, his parents weren't all that creative.) When it was time to think of costumes, well, how could I leave Jesse out? [So] we were Spacemen!"
Oh, and speaking of Halloween costumes, we're just about done with John's DreamFinder costume. (Yep, most of you commenters guessed right!) I'm still putting some finishing touches on his wig and beard, which we had to dye, cut, and style ourselves. Expect more pics soon!
OMG. Rainbow Brite!! :D
ReplyDeleteI was begging my friend from Tampa to go with me to Weeki Wachee Springs just yesterday! I've wanted to go since I was a little girl and I was THRILLED when they reopened!
ReplyDeleteIf you go... you MUST do a write-up like you did for Disney!
Holy crap - I thought that WAS Brittany from Glee until she said her name. That's TRIPPY. Glee should cast that girl as Brittany's mermaid twin...they could have fun with that.
ReplyDeleteI want that Rainbow Brite Snuggie! Perfect for Halloween, which I will spend snuggling in my recliner and waiting for our five groups of trick-or-treaters. We definitely need more products like that in our world!
ReplyDeleteThe Fred Flintstone and UFO costumes are awesome! And I just saw the RenFaire gentleman this year at the SoCal Faire. Got my picture with him, too. He's a super nice guy - glad to see his ingenuity widely appreciated.
ReplyDeleteOMG for a minute I totally thought the pic of the 2 of them in costume was a Zaphod Beeblebrox costume. Obviously time for bed!
ReplyDeleteI wanna see the Wicki Watchee Mermaids SO bad! Most of what I want to see in Florida is weird kitschy roadside stuff.
ReplyDeleteI am typing this while on a break from making my Pug's Halloween costume. I'm making her a li'l Rococo dress (that matches one of mine, from the scraps, complete with li'l panniers) and tall white wig-- she's gonna be Mops Antoinette (Marie's favourite Pug, though I'm pretty sure she never made her wear a wig, much less a dress. :)
Cheers, thanks a lot,
Storm
Oh, I feel like a schmuckazoidus supremus! I meant to also say how COMPLETELY AWESOME those space costumes are-- well done! And look how happy Jesse is; that alone must've made all the work worth it. Cheers to you, Dani; you clearly love your family SO much. :)
ReplyDeleteStorm
my hometown, for some reason, has a BAR that features those live mermaid gals. I just assumed it was some weird chain thing and that there were bars full of mermaids all over the place?
ReplyDeleteMy first thought was resin planet earrings
ReplyDeleteWe're members of the Florida Aquarium and I didn't know about the mermaids....much more convenient than the hour trip to WW (which is now a state park btw) for my mermaid loving daughter.
ReplyDeleteMy parents took me to Weeki Watchi in the 80's and I thought it was the coolest thing! I still remember puzzling how they breathed until my dad pointed it out. It doesnt spoil the magic though. Very cool post!
ReplyDeleteIf wanting a Rainbow Brite snuggie is wrong, I don't want to be right
ReplyDeleteI think that the mermaids at the aquarium are from Weeki Watchi... or at least they were last year..
ReplyDelete&& i totally need the rainbow bright snuggie!!
Those wheelchair costumes! Ahhhhh so cute! My brother is in a wheelchair and we did a bunch of costumes growing up with him inside of something and stuffing around him, like a pumpkin or a fat ghost. Also, lots of face painting.. he was a zombie one year, a scary scarecrow, etc. We were pretty creative with our stuff but not like these!
ReplyDelete^_^ So many great finds!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to pop in and say those wheel chair costumes are all amazing. I love love love seeing those.
The last guy in the list, the gentleman in the Hobby Horse, is actually a good friend of mine that I have known for many years. He and I are a part of the guild of Saint Cuthberts in Southern California (at the original Southern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire). His Hobby Horse is so much fun, I can't tell you how much kids love it ^_^ I really hope his horse, and the other fun costumes (the spaceship is so cool!) will allow everyone to think "yup, I can dress up and have fun too!"
Squeeeeeee! Rainbow Brite! Okay, it's a little silly, but who cares?! I want one too!
ReplyDeleteI cannot wait to show my daughter the mermaids. She loves mermaids and is always asking me if they are real. Now I can show her!
It hurts my heart and makes me want to cry while smiling from ear to ear when I see those kids in wheelchair costumes.
ReplyDeleteMy brother-in-law's sister was a Weeki Wachee mermaid for a few years, so we went to see the show on one of our trips to Florida. So much fun! One of the original mermaids (Barb, I think) was still involved with the program at the time as a mentor to the girls, and she let us borrow her waterfront house and boat later that week. Her house was covered wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling with mermaids, including a ton of photos from the 'old days' at Weeki Wachee. Sadly, Barb was out of town--I would have loved to meet her and here stories of the mermaids through the years.
ReplyDeleteThere's a bar in Sacramento, CA called the Dive Bar. They have a mermaid aquarium as well. Fun stuff.
ReplyDeleteThose planet pops are so cool! I think I'll order some for my oldest boy. Luckily, his birthday is in summer, so I might just have time to get the order in. : )
ReplyDeleteThose wheelchair incorporated costumes are sweeeet! I am in love with the ice cream truck and Peewee Herman and the batmobile and the racecar...all of them! Dani's spaceship idea was awesome, too.
Andrea
They sell the Rainbow Brite Snuggie (along with Superman and Batman) at Spencer's Gifts for $19.99. I can totally see you in Rainbow Brite and John in Superman!
ReplyDeleteWeeki Wachee and Tampa Aquarium! We love those places and are so blessed to live so close to both of them. Which means, if you want fan girl interaction, lemme know!
ReplyDeleteSuzanne--analogmommy
Halloween brings out such creativity! I love those costumes. :) I'd like to go down to see the mermaids sometime too. My friends went and had a great time!
ReplyDeleteWow! Those wheel chair costumes are amazing...thanks for sharing. So Sweet!
ReplyDeleteAlso, yes, Tampa is AMAZING and just saying if you stop by THERE BETTER BE A BOOK SIGNING OKAY I WANT CAKE *stomps feet* *makes demands* *roars like a dinosaur* Oh, me! :D
If I tell you there is a bar here in Sacramento called the Dive Bar that has mermaids and mermen, will you come out to visit? 'Cause it's true.
ReplyDeleteI've heard of the mermaids there. They seem to be pretty famous. I know that the Denver Aquarium also has a giant tank in their dining room where "mermaids" sometimes swim. It's so whimsical. I wonder if it's hard to hold their breath that long.
ReplyDeleteOMG! I used to live about 20 minutes from Weeki Wachee, (in Brooksville, FL)! I loved that place.
ReplyDeleteJNCL
The Beauty of Eclecticism
I have a friend who makes and sells mermaid tails. You'd love her albums of the process
ReplyDeleteShe's here, Mermaid Starr
Very cool that Tampa is doing a mermaid exhibit, too. I went to Weeki Wachee for the first time this summer and definitely enjoyed the mermaid show.
ReplyDeleteJen,
ReplyDeleteYears ago I worked with challanged individuals and for the Halloween costume party and dance a co-worker turned one young man's wheel chair into the Batmobile. She used cardboard boxes and did a great job. Sorry no pictures. :(
Maureen
Jen... you find the most amazing things. Although I can't say it's been good for my wallet since you introduced me to steampunk jewellery online... But seriously, that first Halloween costume just about brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for always brightening my day
ReplyDeleteCheck with the aquarium first to see when and if the mermaids are there. They are usually there for special occasions, not all the time
ReplyDeleteHi! I'm the mother of one of the kids in the wheelchair costumes post (Wall-E). You might want to link instead to the original Buzzfeed post, which has credits for each picture. Love your site!
ReplyDelete@ Laura - ACK! I really thought I'd linked to the original Buzzfeed article (precisely because it DOES have sources), but I must have gotten my links mixed up. Drat. Thank you so much for pointing that out; I've fixed it now!
ReplyDeleteOff topic, but I just saw that you will be featured in the next "Geek a Week" set by Len Peralta. That is so cool!
ReplyDeleteThe mermaids at the FL Aquarium were the Weeki Wachee mermaids. they've done a few things at other places to help promote the park. If you want to see mermaids, go see them at Weeki Wachee. The park was recently made a State Park to save it from "going under".
ReplyDeleteI do wish they would invest in more realistic mermaid tails though.
Also, The Bay Area Ren Fest had a mermaid tank this year too. (Not affiliated with Weeki Wachee.) :) Only big enough for one mermaid, but still super adorable.
We had a mermaid/dolphin show at the SD Sea World when I was growing up in the 70's. I used to love watching their hair float around.
ReplyDeleteAnd, you're right, Erin looks just like Glee Britney!
cute kids, awesome costumes and massive creativity = greatness. You are amazing for posting these and spreading this news. I love your site and this just makes me happy. Thank you.
ReplyDelete