Vintage Thingie Thursday: A glimpse of A Vintage Big Tex

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday

If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a really good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week. Lastly, if you link in, LINK back to my blog, so everyone can see all of the vintage goodies on display that day. If you don't link back here, they won't know who to visit......thanks so much.

It's State Fair time in Texas....and as you can imagine, it is a pretty big deal here in this state. Big Tex has always been a noticeable icon of the Texas State Fair.

He is the beloved greeter at the gates leading in to the state fair. Of all the icons of Texas, I would be willing to bet, he is the most recognized.

Big Tex has looked like this photo for as long as I can remember. His shirt might change from year to year, but he has always looked like this. However, his origin was far removed from the front gates of the fair.

Big Tex was originally from Kerens, Texas. The Kerens Chamber of Commerce built what they claimed was the world's largest Santa Claus, a 49-foot-tall figure constructed from iron-pipe drill casing and paper mache with 7-foot lengths of unraveled rope for a beard. The thought behind this huge Santa was to attract Christmas shoppers to shop locally in Kerens and not travel to neighboring towns to spend their money. 

The promotion was a big success during the 1949 holidays, but the novelty wore off the following year, and community support waned. In 1951, State Fair president R. L. Thorton purchased the Santa's components for $750 and hired Dallas artist Jack Bridges to create a giant cowboy out of the material. Thus the birth of Big Tex and he has stood proud overseeing the guest at the fair ever since.

Tragically, last year, there was a fire which destroyed the beloved icon in a matter of minutes. The Big Tex we have all known and loved for years is no more.

But like everything else in the times we live in today, the Fair, and the City of Dallas has promised a new and improved Big Tex. Mind you, there was nothing wrong with the old Big Tex and many felt he should have been made like he was for all of those years, however it was not to be.

The news media is all hyped up as the unavailing of the "New Big Tex" will be Friday, opening day of the State Fair of Texas. The news covers this story each and every day, as you can expect that is how they cover a story....it takes days to lead up to an event and you have to hear about it each and every day. ahem. 

So, this is my vintage thingie today...the vintage Big Tex.....as the new one steps up to the gates this Friday to do the job the old one did for years, greet each and every guest with a BIG OLE HOWDY FOLKS. 

Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday! 

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Vintage Love and Faith

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday

If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a really good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week. Lastly, if you link in, LINK back to my blog, so everyone can see all of the vintage goodies on display that day. If you don't link back here, they won't know who to visit......thanks so much.

Time certainly marches on, it waits for no one. I have found myself very busy these days with lots of things I need to get done. Am I making progress?? I would say not so much. I find myself preoccupied and that keeps me from being productive.

This is a wall plaque that is one of two that came in a set during the 1970's from Home Interiors. I had both, one said Love the other Faith. I remember when I thought I had out grown these and I am sure we sold them in  a garage sale, but if you remember, I have been on a spree of buying back my childhood one object at a time. Guess some would say the cause is entering your second childhood. I am not sure exactly what to call it. 

With current events that have occurred recently for me, these hold a particular reminder of how matters of the heart that cut deep into our soul, always involve love. Matters of the heart can and most always tip the balance between disappointment and joyous acceptance of things we can not control. It is difficult when walking that thin line to ignore the pain in your heart, especially when you feel it is breaking but knowing in your mind, things will be the way they were meant to be. I don't do well with letting it go and getting over things. I acknowledge the pain, I cry - even if it means tears for days, and then I struggle for my heart to feel better. I will get to the feel better....just not yet, even if acceptance is granted,  it takes a bit for my heart to heal.

It  takes a lot of faith to know the pain will ease and it will be easier to be completely happy in the midst of the pain. It is hard to describe or understand how you can be thrilled and happy about something, but at the same time, a sadness so great, that is hard to describe. Love and Faith always sees us through.

I write things here on my blog that may not make a lot of sense to some, but the words written down seem to help me in a small way. I could be referencing one thing or several things that are going on all at once, the meanings are clear to me and that is what matters. Some who personally know me may try to connect the dots, but don't assume you know the topics of my writings. Even if it is written down, I usually just skim the surface of my meanings.

Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday......glad you stopped by today!

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Vintage Owl Light Switch Plate From The 1970's

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday

If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a really good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week. Lastly, if you link in, LINK back to my blog, so everyone can see all of the vintage goodies on display that day. If you don't link back here, they won't know who to visit......thanks so much.

This week, I have a remarkable find to share. I have talked before about buying back my childhood a little at a time. Things I fondly remember and am replacing them as I see them if it suits me. It usually suits me. 

I have also done a few post on the significance of owls to me these days and did a post just recently about that.

Right after I had written that post, I stumbled across another treasure from my childhood and tried to win the bid on ebay. I lost the bid and was crushed I was not going to get it. But last week, my luck was with me and I was able to purchase this one......and low and behold, it was still in the original packaging. New, never used.

In the 70's, my mom must have ordered these for us and although I don't remember the packaging at all, I am thrilled to have it now! I found this light switch that I had as a kid in all of its original packaging. I had not thought about this in YEARS. It is funny how sometimes things come to mind that years ago were long forgotten. 

I don't know what ever happened to my original owl, but I am guessing it must have been sold in a garage sale when I deemed myself too old for it and never thought for one minute I'd want it in my adult life.

The most unusual thing about this owl switch plate is the eyes glow in the dark. I tried and tried to get a photo, but it would not show up. The white circles glow in the dark, and this one still glows after all these years. I guess that is so you can see where the light is in the dark, but I distinctly remember thinking as a kid the owl was watching for "boogie men" in the dark.

I am over the moon to have found this and to have found it in original condition. It was waiting no doubt, for the right home and for me to find it! This is going up in my home soon, and I am most likely going to put it in my laundry room. 

I tell ya, I have lots of treasures from my adult life, but slowly but surely I am buying back my childhood one treasure at a time!

Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday!!