A Tiki Fourth

I am planning a luau for the Fourth of July. I would have had it on Memorial day but the flowers will not really be looking that good yet at the end the month. I figure that everything should be spectacular by early July.
I have renamed our old pool area 'The Tiki Garden' for the event. I have ordered a couple of Tiki plaques for the fences and will pick up new Tiki torches before then. I have ordered enough silk and shell leis for all the residents of my apartments (although I expect only half will attend because of family obligations). I may try my hand at making fresh crowns using podocarpus foliage (we have tons of it) and various ferns and whatever flowers are around then.
I have already added my tiki mugs to the shelves that hold our potted plants in that area (don't worry they are brand new, not collectables)and will bring out my couple of real Tikis, Aloha shirts for anyone who does not have proper attire and sarongs to use as table cloths or just drape over the fences that day. I will take my smaller sterio down to the laundy room and set it up in the window that overlooks the garden to play all kinds of Hawaian music. As for food I plan to merinate some ground beef and chicken with teriyaki for grilling, serve macaroni salad and Hawaiian potato chips in my big monkey pod bowls, deviled eggs on my vintage pinapple platter, and then whatever anybody else wants to contribute. Maybe have a Hawaiian Pizza delivered too. Really just traditional American BBQ fare with a few Island touches. No room in the garden for an earth oven to make Kalua pig:) (How about you, Got Imu?) I don't drink but I may make some virgin pina colatas and provide cut up fruit and little umbrellas for tropical drinks.
What are y'all doing for the holiday? Anything special? I'd love to hear.

Sounds mui fabuloso buenos dias ricky martin grande nachos Nuimaleko!

(how do you marinate ground beef?)

haven't made big plans for the 4th o july, except to blow stuff up.

pyromaniacally yours
elicia

Well everything is set. Food has been bought, BBQ grill cleaned, ect. And a friend has lent me the whole tiki luau set from Island Madness (just showed and said "Here I know you can use these")with the plastic painted face tikis; tiki bowls, tiki cups, tiki lanterns, tiki salt and pepper shakers. I was going to use just a few quaint authetic Hawaiian items, but now it is like a bad show in Vegas, but I don't want to hurt her feelings and say, this is iki not tiki.
Oh well, it is only for a day.

[ Edited by: nuimaleko on 2005-07-01 23:03 ]

Actually, it sounds great to me, the kind of thing that will stay in people's memories. Very stylish and fun!

Sounds cool. I'm going to a barBque of the first person who bought one of my tikis. Her son has since claimed it and converted his room into a Polynesian paradice.

My last good 4th of July celebration was up in Santa Ana (in da OC) in 1997 with my (late) wife & nephew. We shot off a bunch of Black Cat & Red Devil fireworks along with "ladyfingers", cherry bombs & a few M-80's from south of the border. The fireworks show that rocks hardest is the DIY kine!

I'm going to wake up on Monday whenever
the mai tais and maragaritas wear off...
then i will stumble to the congatiki room...
open the windows...and blast Dave Alvin's
"Fourth of July." I do it every year...and
my wife is getting tired of it.

Well the luau came off, but I had a lot of friction with my friend (who brought all the tacky tiki decorations)about everything,(she just bulldozes her way through life like Hyacinth Bucket. She is what is sometimes refered to as formidable woman)She would not let me play Hawaiian music (which she hates)and she had insisted that everyone who came bring food, (despite my instance that I did not want them to, she rewrote my invitation, stating that everyone was to bring a covered dish that will serve at least eight)which essentially destroyed any semblance of a Hawaiian BBQ since the food everyone brought was the usual mottly crew of dishes that show up at pot lucks; pasta salads, three bean salds, chips and dips, ect. My teri-burgers, shewered teri-chicken and macaroni salad were the hit of the party, but it still irritated me. So I think the guests had a much better time than I did and I doubt I will ever try to have a party again. (at least while she is my next door neighbor)Grrrrr

[ Edited by: nuimaleko 2005-07-06 11:57 ]

Sorry to hear your luau didn't go off as well as hoped.

I had an unofficial tiki 4th. I went camping in humboldt with a group of dominatrixes (no, they did not dress up). A lot of my camping gear was tiki: the tablecloth, the plastic cups, the plastic bowls, etc., just because it was what I grabbed. I was also wearing my tiki necklace all weekend. The ladies thought it was cute.

Hey Nuimaleko and Dangergirl, you both had one thing in common on 4th of July... you both spent the day with dominatrixes!

Nuimaleko, why did you let your neighbor run the Luau? Were you both throwing it, or is she just a really pushy broad?

P.S. I am ashamed to say that I actually got your reference to "Hyacinth Bucket" from Keeping up Appearances. My mom is a big fan of that show. I wonder how many other people knew who she is. By the way, its pronounced "Boo-kay." :)

[ Edited by: joefla70 2005-07-06 11:56 ]

Just as with Hyacinth Bucket, it was clear no amount of argument would change anything. It was easiest to just go along, as Elisabeth always says. At least she did not sing at me.

some pics of the tiki garden and the Tiki Fourth

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/calthai2003/album?.dir=5038&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/calthai2003/my_photos

Nuimaleko....for those die hard "Keeping Up Appearances" fans...perhaps Hyancinth-like neighbor mistook your 'luau' for an evening of 'riparian entertainments.'
Cheers,
John

The more people who get involved with planning any eccentric project, the more diluted any idea becomes. Too bad about your party.

Do you have a Mercedes and room for a pony?

Did people stay late, or were thy just polite? If they seemed to have fun, then it's not all bad. Do you think any of your guests sensed that she took-over?

There was an interesting piece by Cherry Capri in the Tiki Magazine that has hints on party giving. One piece of advise she gives is to keep extra bowls on hand (that stick with the theme) for what-ever odds and ends people bring...(sort if giving you the upper hand in the control stuggle)

Perhapes next party you will need an active volcano to throw a certain somebody into? (make one with a wood chipper and paper mache?)

[ Edited by: Gigantalope 2005-07-08 07:16 ]

To answer an earlier question she is my neighbor, the apartment complex manager and a friend. ( after all she has given me a lot of Hawaiian and tiki stuff) She was just supposed to be a guest. But as it turned out an overly helpfull guest. A few people noticed her following me around and rearanging the food on the buffet table I just laid out the way Hyacynth does at the church. Some people stayed late, mostly residents of our apartments. Everyone says it was great and they had a wonderful time.
My problem is I had a vision of a laid back Hawaiian style BBQ. Granted my tiki plaques on the fences are plastic( but inspired by real Hawaiian design),but I wanted to use my vintage Hawaiian pottery, real monkeypod bowls (all of which she had given me) and plates. (in other words I wanted things to be real)She insisted we use that fierce faced tiki paper and plastic stuff she borowed from her sister.(including the paper palm tree on the table you see in one of the pics, aaaarg!) After all she had gone to all that trouble to go and get it (without being asked to). But the worst was no Hawiian music. She had been hinting all week that she and the other guests would not enjoy listening to Hawaiian music all day. When it came time to putting the sterio together she volunteered and proceeded to screw up the speaker wires and made it impossible to play anything (I believe on purpose) then whipped out a small boombox and said "It's OK, I have a radio, but sorry, it doesn't play the all Hawaiian station" and actually cackled
Oh well, it is over. We have barely spoken all week but it will eventually be forgotten the next time she brings me a bunch of Hawaiian stuff she has picked up at some yard sale. .

[ Edited by: nuimaleko 2005-07-08 11:13 ]