Post #564424 by jokeiii on Wed, Nov 10, 2010 9:01 AM

Dear Tiki Central,

You may have thought I was on an extended jag of slackery and sloth. But no. I have not.

There are people here who, when the muse strikes them to transform a given area of their dwelling into a native habitat for Homo Tikiensis immediately set to it with implements of demolition, followed by power tools wielded with much artistry, and in three weekends you have a branch office of Paradise in the back room/basement/terrace/etc.

I, as will become abundantly clear in subsequent entries, possess almost entirely none of the skills required to bring such a project to gorgeous fruition. Between what I have in my mind's eye and and what I have NOW is a vast expanse mostly traversed via credit card, and then only when my beloved looks upon me with benevolence and pity.

So, necessarily, my approach must differ from that of my betters.

Instead of hurling myself headlong into a project and gracefully dispatching unexpected obstacles with a breezy smile, I must plan, plan, plan and then plan some more. Even this is less than ideal, because I can't draw. So I have to pursue matters in an even more primitive way. Planning with crayon, if you will.

What I do is simply to scour Craigslist, thrift shops and garage sales and see what I find. Whenever I am feeling expansive, I even rummage through eBay. The purpose is to gather the necessary chattels of tikification so that when the happy day for launching my Tiki habitat approaches all I'll really have to do is cover the walls with __________, cover the ceiling with ___________, install _________ lighting and I'm good to go.

I know some people like that clutter-shack look, some people like that nautical/shipwreck look. I'm happy to go with a theme I call All The Tiki Things I Got Really Cheap Look. Your mileage may vary.

So, just to show you that I am still feverishly working the whole Gather Mode Thing, here are the acquisitions as of today.

I have a couple of small bits o' tiki-ish hand luggage.

I have no idea what I'll use them for, but they were free and tiki enough for me. Next to them is a medium-ish bit o' tiki luggage that I also have no idea what to use it for. I'm thinking these may hold all the odds and ends one needs to have handy in one's tiki habitat, but which would either look weird and out of place in the open OR would be stashed somewhere inconvenient.

Feel free to suggest.

I also got that smallish cabinet ($8) under the drinks-globe where I am storing all the non-tiki glassware;

because, after all, you may get the odd guest who would rather have a Negroni than a Navy Grog. I'm thinking some refinishing and judicious appliqués would do wonders for it. Propped up against it is a brass & cherrywood shelf. Doesn't look particularly Tiki (but a case could be made that it looks nautical-ish) but it was only $5. Ignore the TV dinner tray tables.

And finally, atop the bar a plumed tiki

and the tiki glassware.

I had never seen a plumed tiki, but for $1.50 I was willing to take a chance.

Now.

Here I must make a confession that just might send me from the list of Orthodox Tikiphiles to Reformed (if not Heretical) Tikiphiles. I prefer tiki glassware to tiki mugs.

There.

I said it.

That's not to say I don't like mugs (in fact, there are several I have in my sights and you can see I have Trader Vic's coconut mugs and Mai Kai rum barrels) but that I prefer the glassware. Because I am also something of a Disneyphile, I like the glasses from WDW's Polynesian Resort.

From left to right we have 1- current WDW Polynesian Resort Tiki glass (short, clear), 2- Hukilau 2008 DOF, 3- vintage-ish Trader Vic coconut mug, 4- recent-ish Mai Kai rum barrel, 5- plumed tiki I got for practically nothing, 6- mid70's WDW Polynesian Resort Tiki highball, 7- Hukilau 2009 DOF, 8- mid70's WDW Polynesian Resort Hurricane glass, and 9- vintage-ish WDW Polynesian Resort Tiki glass (tall, frosted & logo'ed). Not pictured: vintage-ish WDW Polynesian Resort Tiki glass (short, frosted & logo'ed).

Next time, I'll post pix of the "target room" that the collected wisdom of TC may be brought to bear on suggestions for it.