Holiday Decorations: The Aluminum Christmas Tree and My eBay Remorse!

Here's a Link for this Cool Book "Seasons Gleamings the Art of the The Aluminum Christmas Tree"

The story is this. Gregg and I live in a Modernist House in Montecito, Ca. We have decorated this home with all collectable modernist furnishings and art from galleries ranging from Paris, New York,  Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Palm Springs,  and Santa Barbara. All of the furniture is collectable mid-century modern furniture. Sooo, I got a bug this year to get a vintage "Silver" christmas tree with rotating color wheel et all. Honestly, because I really don't have the energy or vibe to decorate a 10' tree this year, plus I'm a Mad Men freak which is spilling over into my design cravings. I go to check it out on ebay and sure enough some gal had just bought a vintage aluminum tree with a real authentic color wheel from 1960, it was in perfect condition. She stated in comments on ebay that she had purchased it earlier that day at an estate sale (garage sale) somewhere in Ohio. She was selling it on ebay because her husband was harassing her about it so she was willing to to "give it away" for $250.00, just to shut her husband up. She stated it was too late for her to list it with the BUY IT NOW option. I bit her bate and put in a bid just below $250. There was only 20 minutes left the auction, so I brought my laptop to the dinner table.....big mistake. Evidently the bidding was non-existent until I put a bid in, needless to say, while I ate a beautifully prepared, um, whatever it was, with my nose in the bidding war that ensued, I turned to Gregg, who had the made the beautiful prepared dinner, whatever it was, as asked him if I should go over $425...he said I should do is just go away. It sold for $423 and not to me. This was a total cart before the horse scenario for me, I was into buying this on instinct based on this gals story (which I totally believed) and my instinct that this color wheel was rare. Subsequently I have done a bunch more research and boy, were my instincts correct. I'm sure some hipster in Palm Springs is going to be very  happy with his Gleaming Pink, Blue and Green Tree!

Spotlight on Two (!) Brown Girls

Sonia Manzano

also known as Maria on Sesame Street

The Sesame Street character Maria Figueroa first appeared on the popular television show in 1971 and has been a staple of the series ever since.  She arrived on Sesame Street as a Puerto Rican teenager, taking a job at the Sesame Street Library. The library was later converted into the Fix-It Shop, where Maria was hired as Luis' helper. Luis promoted her to full partner in Episode 1563. She married Luis in 1988, becoming Maria Rodriguez and her mother came over from Puerto Rico for the ceremony. Later, Maria's pregnancy became a storyline on the show, and Maria and Luis had a daughter, Gabi, in 1989. Maria and her Sesame Street friends visited her family in Puerto Rico in 1979, for the first few episodes of Season 11.

Loretta Long

also known as Susan on Sesame Street

The Sesame Street character Susan Robinson has been played by Loretta Long since the show's debut in 1969.  Susan is married to Gordon, and works as a nurse. In season 17, Susan and Gordon adopted a son, Miles. Susan's parents are Dorothy and Lee. They live in Michigan and visited Sesame Street in Episode 2125. In the earliest episodes of the show, Susan was a housewife. By Season 2, she became a public health nurse, so that the character might serve as a better role model for young girls in the viewing audience. Among her projects was offering a Measles Vaccination Clinic in Episode 0343. She also headlined her own album, Susan Sings Songs from Sesame Street, and had minor roles in both Sesame Street movies.

[Source: Muppet.Wikia.com]