Scavenger Hunt at Made With Love

Can you believe that June will soon be here?  Time goes by so fast.  Today I'm joining in with Made With Love's  Scavenger Hunt.   So, let's get started with this month's selection:

BLUE Hawaii.  A picture is worth a thousand words.....

 

CRYSTAL Cove state park which is located on Pacific Coast Highway north of Laguna Beach...

VINTAGE as in sipping a vintage glass of wine overlooking the sunset....

 

FLUFF need I say  more?  My beautiful fluffy Lilly my cat....

 

 GLOBAL...I love the globe shape of these lion head bowls...

MASK...I love the little mask around the eyes of this Egyptian goose which visited with us...

 

 BUS..here's the bus we rode on for our tour of the nut farm in Hawaii...

 

 FRAME...here's a close up of the beautiful workmanship on the door frame of the  Iolani Palace in Hawaii...

COLLECTION....I love this collection of hanging lanterns which I found at an Istanbul restaurant...

POSTER.....An iconic poster from my visit to Catalina Island....
 

RIBBON...Here are my ribbons from the Norwegian sailing ship the S.S. Stavangerfjord .....

WHATEVER YOU WANT.....I want to finish crocheting this vintage pattern  doily I started ages ago......

It's been so much fun taking part in this month's scavenger hunt.  I'd love for you to leave a comment and share your news.  I do read each and every comment (and try to reply if time permits).

My best to everyone,

Pat

Historic Casino on Catalina Island

Thank you to everyone who read my crazy post about my everyday life here at Lilly My Cat.  Today I'm going to share rest of the story about the Casino in Avalon.  If you missed the first part of my trip to Avalon, you can read about it here.

We have to go back in time to the late 1920's.  Willam Wrigley, Jr*., had originally built a dance hall on the site where the Casino is located.  It was called Sugarloaf Casino.  As the population of the island grew, this building became too small.  Mr. Wrigley along with David Renton (a well known builder and business executive at the time) had the Casino built.  It was designed by Sumner Spalding and Walter Weber in the Art Deco style.
*The same Wrigley who made chewing gum*

Here a photo of the beautiful Casino building.  It overlooks Avalon Bay.....

The Casino has two main floors; a working movie theatre and a top floor grand ballroom.  You enter the building from the main floor which houses the movie theatre.  The lobby is fully carpeted (a luxury at the time of building).  The walnut paneling in the lobby today has an estimated value of $4 million dollars! 

 

Here is one of the aisle entrances to the movie theatre.  I love the Art Deco styling on this sign...

The movie theatre was built not only to accommodate silent films but also talkies.  Here's a photo of the original 1929 Page Pipe Organ.  The tour guide told us that four of these were made at the time and now there are only two in existence and this one still works..... 

This is the interior of the movie theatre.  The acoustics are amazing.  The murals on the walls are hand painted by John Gabriel Beckman,  the same artist who painted Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.  There is pure gold leaf and silver used in the design.

 
I was fortunate to go on a "Behind the Scenes" tour.  This is a photo of the stage lighting panel located in the projector room......


They still have the original movie projectors in the theatre and they still are in working order!  Here's a photo of one of them....

 
I love this photo of this counter in the projector room.  It looks as though time has stood still....

 
Here is one more photo from the projector room.  Notice the antique phone on the wall.....

The casino on Catalina Island was a playground for Hollywood's elite during the Casino's heyday.  Those who gathered there included Cecil B. DeMille, Louis B. Mayer, and Samuel Goldwin who many times held the premier of their films there.  Mr. Wrigley had two steamships built; the SS Avalon and SS Catalina.  These tourist ships brought passengers to Avalon from the 1920's to the 1950's. (I have to add a little note about my home state of Washington.    Washington State Ferries is the largest ferry system in the USA and fourth largest in the world.  If this was Washington state, I'm sure Avalon would be service by the state ferry system).

To access the grand ballroom which is on top of the theatre, there are not stairs but instead a ramp that slowly rises as you walk up.  It's really an ingenious idea especially if there are large crowds of people.  In the photo above, you can see the bar area of the ballroom...

 
It's a circular ballroom with the stage to the left in this picture.  The ballroom can hold 1,500 people.  In it's heyday, all the famous big bands played there.  There's a raised area around the perimeter which has tables and chairs....


This is the beautiful light fixture in the center of the room made by Tiffany and Co.  It's quite exquisite in it's Art Deco design....

Outside the doors of the grand ballroom you will find the balcony or "romance promenade" with it's splendid view of Avalon harbor....

Can't you just imagine the elegant ladies in their long ball gowns walking this promenade?

The architecture is quite amazing to see.....

Here's are a few more facts that you might find interesting:

1.  The word "casino" in the Italian language means "gathering place".  This is not a gambling casino.

2.  This building was the first of it's kind in being a circular design.

3.  The height of the casino is equivalent to a 12 story building.

4.  The grand ballroom measures 20,000 square feet!  (it's huge)

5.  The designers of NYC's famed Radio City Music Hall came to Avalon to study the perfect acoutics in the Casino.

Santa Catalina Island is a very unique place.  In 1972 the Wrigley family established the Catalina Island Conservancy, a non-profit organization, to protect and conserve the island.  In 1975 the Wrigley and Offield famlies deeded over 42,000 acres over to the conservancy.  Thus, most of the land on the island is owned by the conservancy.  There are a few parcels that are privately owned.

I hope you have enjoyed this little glimpse into history.  Living in south Orange County, where everything is relatively new, it's hard to find history around the corner.  I truly enjoyed my time in Avalon and I hope you will too if you ever visit one day.  

My best to each of you,

Pat

Linking to the following parties:
Five on Friday.....
What to do Weekends.... 

Everyday Life @ Lilly My Cat

Hello my dear friends.  I hope that you had a wonderful holiday weekend and are home safe if you traveled.  All is well here in Southern California with our gray skies (which I love).  I thought I would share something a little different today.  I read a lot of blogs and I'm always impressed with the beautiful homescapes people share.  But, there's never any papers, desk clutter, or cleaning items.  I love watching Venetia in Kyoto.  She's a British lady who lives an idyllic lifestyle in Japan.  She shares her lovely garden and unique kitchen but where are her papers?  Doesn't she get bills, need a computer, garbage can, etc.  It's never shown.  So, today I thought I'd share with you  a glimpse into my daily schedule/routine.

Sometimes I wake up early in the morning.  When that happens I sit and read a bit before going downstairs and starting my work. (I really don't "work" anymore.  I used to work outside the home and raised two dear children.  Now, I don't know how I would handle it)... First I switch off the outside lights..

Next stop is the laundry room or I should say "Lilly's Room".  Lilly is a big, hungry kitty.  She could eat all day long if you let her.  About 9 years ago, we purchased this automatic feeder for her (shown uncovered).  Magically, two times a day food appears for Lilly and is she ever happy.  Each morning I clean her litter box (no picture needed), fill her water bowl and her feeder.....

 Next up is her water bowl in the kitchen.  She also has a little food dish she eats her "lunch" out of each day.....

Monday is my day to do laundry (I never use that word "laundry" as I call it washing).  I don't have the luxury to have a clothes line (due to crazy covenants).  But, I do remember as a child getting the clothes off the line and the heavenly scent of freshly dried laundry.  I might add that I have this habit of getting the clothes out of the dryer the minute the dryer buzzes.  Then of course I have to fold them and put them away before starting my next chore.....

 On Tuesdays I iron.  I've always ironed on Tuesday for over 35 years.  Isn't that odd?  I even iron my pillow cases and the tops of my bed sheets.....

Here is a picture of my most favorite possession.  I couldn't live without my vacuum.  It's not that I love to vacuum but I cannot stand to see "stuff" on my floors.  I still "mop" my tile floors on my hands and knees with a bucket and cloth.  You may ask why I don't have a housekeeper.  Good question...probably because she wouldn't clean it like I want.  It's a bit crazy isn't it?......

On Thursdays I wash the sheets and clean the bathrooms.  And I'm always taking out the garbage, watering my plants and doing whatever else is needed.  But one task that I no longer have any patience for is paperwork.  You may ask why so many papers?  Well, my husband loves to invest in real estate (no, he's not a realtor, he's an agricultural consultant). But where my hobby is dishes, yarn, handbags, etc., his hobby is collecting real estate.  Luckily, we are in the process of selling some of these investments which will be a blessing.  I can hardly wait for the day (if it will ever come), when I have no properties except our residence.....

It's funny how people get set in their ways.  I look back now and I've always been a routine person.  I have my schedule and that's how I function.  It's not that I love this scheduled way of life but that's me.  I can't do something for fun (like knitting) if my work isn't completed.  Sometimes I wish I could change but I do get satisfaction taking care of my home.  And, I might add that I do not like change.  I like the feeling of contentment.  

Speaking of home, I received this lovely book Heart of the Home from my friend  Cathy at Morning Musings. This beautiful book is by Susan Branch.  I feel to fortunate that I was the winner of this giveaway!

I hope I haven't bored you with my weekly chores.  Wherever you are this week, I wish you the very best.  And, it's always a joy to hear from you.  Until next time,

take care,

Pat

Linking to the following parties:
Wordless Wednesday....
Momma Told Me..... 

Anniversary Trip to Avalon on Santa Catalina Island

I can't believe that in less than a month my husband and I will have been married for 40 Years!  It only seems like yesterday.

Our children wanted to have party for us or send us on a trip.  We are a bit "tripped" out since we have a big trip planned for later.  My daughter came up with the perfect solution; a trip to Avalon. We had visited Avalon before via a cruise and only had a few hours on this beautiful island.  We were excited to spend an extended time and explore theses lovely surroundings.

We boarded the Catalina Express from Dana Point, CA in the morning for the one hour and twenty minute ride to Avalon.

Upon disembarking we stored our luggage at a facility since our check in wasn't until later in the afternoon.

It was lunch time so we headed to one of the first restaurants we saw.  The fish and chips were delicious.

Here's the view from the restaurant.

Avalon is such a pretty little place but the hills are so dry due to the drought.

Our children booked this accommodation for us on Airbnb.  It was very easy to find as the name "Grisham" was prominently displayed.  We stayed on the top floor of this 100 year old home.

My husband loves the water! So, he soon found his place on the deck with his shoes kicked off and his iPad in hand ready for his "work".

The following afternoon we walked along the waterfront to the Casino.  It's not a casino in the gambling sense but a historic building from the 1920's that houses a large ballroom and movie theatre.

Another historic building with the Casino behind.

A plaque outside the Tuna Club.

We took the Avalon Trolley up to the Wrigley Memorial Garden.

 

William Wrigley, Jr  from Chicago (yes, the same Wrigley who makes the chewing gum) came to Avalon in the 1920's.  He was responsible for the conservation of the island.  Mrs.Wrigley started this botanical garden of native plants.

This is the Wrigley Memorial where Mr.Wrigley was originally buried.

Here is a plaque commemorating Mr.Wrigley' s effort in conservation.

There are a large number of steps leading up to the memorial.  These bronze doors were specially cast for this memorial.

A plaque about the bronze doors.

Here's a close up of the art deco frieze of Catalina ravens inside the memorial.

Look at the view from the memorial.  Can you see the ocean out there?

Walking back down from the memorial, I walked through the gardens.  Here's a prickly pear flower.

I love this huge cactus...

Here's a pine tree.  I loved walking though this area as the scent of the pines and surrounding greenery was heavenly.

I thought you might enjoy a bit more information; here are five facts about Catalina Island:

1.   William Wrigley, Jr. (1861-1932) purchased a controlling share in the island back in 1919 for $3 million dollars.

2.  Wrigley's Chicago Cubs used to hold spring training on Catalina Island until 1952.

3.  The population of the island in the census of 2010 was just over 4,000 people.

4.  Bison roam the hills of this island.  They were originally brought over in 1924 by a Hollywood film studio for the purpose of use in a film.  They are still there today.

5.  Close to one million people visit this island each year.  Cruise ships bring in many of these tourists.

I hope you have enjoyed this little look into this amazing island.  Next time I'm going to share with you some more facts and photos about the Casino (pictured above).

I wish you a wonderful weekend and a wonderful Memorial Day holiday.  Be safe.

My best to you,

Pat

Linking to the Following Parties:
Five on Friday....
Handmade Monday...