Vintage Wahine of the Week: Jayne Mansfield ...

Introducing this weeks Wahine of the Week Jayne Mansfield, a bit of a blast from the past. Biography from Java's Bachelor Pad.

"In the 1950's, Jayne Mansfield was probably the most well-known Hollywood blonde bombshell next to Marilyn Monroe. Whereas Marilyn was the unattainable goddess, Mansfield was the girl that every swinging bachelor hoped and prayed to meet at a nightclub. She was everyman's ideal of the buxom beauty. She knew how to purr and how to sway her hips. But these are the same attributes that caused her own downfall. As intelligent as she was (an IQ of 163) and as much as she wanted to be taken seriously as an actress, she could never shed her image of the dumb blonde."

"In the 1960's the world changed, but Mansfield stayed where she was, a prisoner of her pink-colored world and unmarketable to a new generation who had grown tired of the classic glamour model. But in the last 40 years, Mansfield's mystique has grown. As kitschy as her life was, we still adore her."

We certainly do!

Reviewing iPhone Cases Tiki Style ...

It's been a while since Tiki Talk (on of my favourite Tiki Blogs) drew my attention to a rubber iPhone case for the third generation model.

But having upgraded to the 4G version I'm looking for a new case to replace my rather nondescript black one, the reception is remarkably good here on The Secret Island. I was disappointed that the makers of the case above don't have a 4G update and so it was onto the internet to find the best of the rest and I thought I would share...

#3. Tiki Amakua skin from Skinit.com


This one comes in at $14.99 and is a front and back skin. Not a bad look but offering minimal (none!) protection against drops but will keep those scratches at bay!

#2. Magma iPhone 4 Slider Case from Cafepress.

The Magma Tiki iPhone 4 with this back cover, two-piece case. It features a removable bottom (with a soft grip for easy handling) that slides off for quick docking. A hard plastic design protects from scratches.

• Fits iPhone 4g
• Hard-shell two-piece protective case
• Sliding case, with removable bottom for docking
• Felt-lined inside
• Easy access to all controls
• Apple® and iPhone® are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries

They also have the Eclipse... both available for $25. Cheap when you consider the price of a replacement!

#1. Tribal iPhone 4 case by Grove.

Okay, okay so it's not strictly speaking a Tiki but my choice case is hard to resist. Part of its artist series (Jonny Wan, UK) this skull design has all the trademarks of a quality tattoo etched into bamboo. Each case is created from a piece of bamboo with a scary amount of accuracy. The back is a mere 0.075" while the whole thing weighs .6oz!

You might not even notice its there ... even your wallet will feel lighter! But I guess at $89 and taking into account the style and workmanship you certainly get what you pay for!

Derek Does It Again ...

Derek Yaniger has been a busy boy. Invited to contribute three pieces for an exhibit at Miami’s fabulous Harold Golen Gallery he sent in 3 full color original art pieces torn right from the pages of his very own personal sketchbook…now each one is framed and ready to hang on your wall. Two are pictured below and you'll need to get in contact if you want them...

He is also planning on releasing some serigraphs in the near future (like the one pictured below) if you like the look of this one sign up for the emailed news at Derek Art and get in the queue!

Trader Sams ... open for business.

Back at the start of May I posted about the imminent opening of Trader Sams at Disneyland. Well the question is, is it any good?

Well what better place to find out than check Critiki . Well it would appear that its well worth the visit, scoring an average of 9.4. Whilst the decor is grabbing the headlines it is disappointing to see that its lowest scores come when reviewer score the drink quality, drink selection and food... all key elements of a quality Tiki Bar. The Critiki review states...

"Trader Sam's is named for the "head" salesman from the Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland, and the decor is a mix of influence from that ride and the Enchanted Tiki Room, with a little of Walt Disney World's Adventurer's Club thrown in for good measure. Top-notch Disney designers Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily were able to work on some of the decor. There are reports of some interactive elements at the bar.

The early word is that the drink quality is higher than one might expect, with syrups from Portland's Trader Tiki in use. If you like the punny performance given by the Jungle Cruise skippers, you'll love the drink names: "HippopotoMaiTai", "Schweitzer Falls" and "Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum" are some of the cleverly-named cocktails."

To mark the opening Richard at the Designerland Blog has created and shared a rather nice unofficial Trader Sam's Soundtrack. Get over there and check it out...

Wahine of the Week: La La Hartline ...

Three posts in three days ... I really am back!

As its Tuesday its Wahine of the Week time! This week I bring to you for your viewing pleasure La La Hartline.

LaLa is a Tattoo Shop owner, Body Piercer and Tattooed Model. She has been modeling for 10 years with experience in everything from runway and fashion to pin-up and adult, and has also featured in countless tattoo magazines. Besides all that is tattoo, piercing, and modeling her interests are interior design, gardening and sewing!

Webley Edwards presents Paradise Island Capitol Records 1959 ...

I've been doing a little reading around the marketing of Hawaiian music in the 1950's. I found quite an informative article which highlighted its growth, and this Webley Edwards album is a classic example. There are tracks which mark your arrival and departure on the island by boat... you kick back in your favourite armchair and are transported to a Paradise Island aided by the impressive sleeve notes and full colour booklet which acts almost as a travel brochure.

Extract from article...

"Hawaii-inspired music marketed via popular record albums, radio shows, and Hollywood film soundtracks aided Hawaii’s transformation in the popular imagination from a mysterious ‘primitive’ paradise into the 50th U.S. state. Indeed, by constructing and capturing the temptingly tropical so-called ‘sounds’ of Hawaii on the latest hi-fi recording equipment, the music industry offered up Hawaiian music as an achievement of modern technology, promoting these U.S. islands as an acoustic, as well as a tourist, paradise."

"Record albums are useful sights for material culture studies for several reasons. They are durable. Records from the 1950s remain widely available today, collected and coveted by consumers, and recirculate as retro icons. Used records are sold by the thousands in vinyl stores, at record fairs, and on the Internet; and, surprisingly, vinyl has rebounded as a viable niche within the music industry. Furthermore, old records are often re-released on compact disc, thus enjoying a new life. Although images from 1950s and 1960s advertisements usually appear hopelessly dated, record cover designs enjoy new life on compact discs that cash in on ironic trends or retro fashions."

Enjoy a trip to Webley Edwards' Paradise Island.