Girl Friday: Vintage Airstream Porn

I figured I would kick off the weekend with a little of what I like to call "Vintage Airstream porn."

As I've mentioned before, when I was a little girl, my younger sister and I called Airstream trailers "baked potatoes" because of their obvious resemblance to how a russet potato looks when wrapped in foil before being placed in the oven for baking.  As an adult I have an inexplicable need to own an Airstream and fix it up with some quirky, fun paint and upholstery and stuff. I periodically just put the word "Airstream" or "vintage Airstream" into Google and see what comes up. Just last week I came across some great inspiration via the marvelous blog Green Wedding Shoes.

Vintage Airstreams create instant nostalgia wherever they are, so it only seems a natural choice for intimate events like weddings, girls night out gatherings, etc.  I'm thinkin' they could also be perfect for a bridal shower or rehearsal dinner. One I came across that could easily add a unique flare to your festivities is a piece of cake - literally!  Cupcakes to be precise from cupcake entrepreneurs Amber Joy Vander Vilet and Kevin Vander Vilet.  Known for their inventive flavors with nods to California's wine country like:  Vanilla Mascarpone Chardonnay, Caramel Pinot, Cherry Apple Chardonnay, Tangerine Mint Mimosa, and Cherry Vanilla Merlot.  Their business is Enjoy Cupcakes.  Can't you just imagine your guests' delight in being served those yummy treats out of an adorable restored vintage Shasta trailer, no less.  The marvelous photos above and below are courtesy of Jose Villa.

How fun would it be if you had a vintage airstream come and serve as your bar?  Well, one such place, based in Portland, Oregon called the Tin Cantina, offers their airstream for private parties and does just that.  I'm having another "wish-I-would-have-thought-of-that" moments!  What a marvelous idea - love it!  The photos below are courtesy of Blue Window Creative.

Another concept crafted by two New Jersey brothers, Walter and Patrick Hessert, is not of the goodies or drink persuasion but is just as creative.  They  are embarking on The ULTIMATE American Road Trip. They have named it The Million Dollar Road Trip and it launches on July 4, 2010 from somewhere in the Midwest.  Over the course of one year, they are going to drive over 40,000 miles. Along the way they will visit 48 states and 50 of the largest cities in the USA. Their route is planned around notable events that we will attend. Among those are the Milwaukee Summer Fest, Burning Man Festival, Sundance Film Festival, TED Conference, and the New Orleans Jazz Fest, to name just a few.  You can follow their travels and discoveries on Facebook and Twitter.

This is more than just a road trip, however.  The brothers are selling advertising space on the exterior of their Airstream. These advertisers will be promoted through their Twitter, Facebook, and elsewhere on the web. Check details here.

They will be chronicling American small business along the way through their blog. Their feeling is that an entrepreneurial spirit and people who are committed to doing what they love is alive and strong in American, and they want to showcase it and award Inspiration Grants to young Americans who are pursuing their passions. Every two weeks, with their fans’ help, they will choose a young American who has inspired them. The winner will be profiled on their site and will receive a cash grant.  Bravo you two - and safe travels!  The photo above is courtesy The Million Dollar Road Trip.

Here in Austin it is kind of amazing the number of businesses run out of vintage Airstreams. So, I figured I could check 'em out and report back with a post or twelve on local Airstream and trailer businesses in Austin.  But, until then, you can read a few more "airstream porn" posts I have made here and here.

Have a marvelous weekend and I'll see you next week!

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The Hitchin' Post: Jessica & Lorien

Ever been invited to a "surprise wedding?" Well, if your name had graced the guest list of a celebration for Pingg CEO Lorien Gabel and artist Jessica Licthenstein, you would have recieved not only an invitation via Pingg; but a video, as well. In spite of the couple's aversion to . . . uhmmm . . . well . . . "commitment" in general, they were married recently in quite a unique ceremony. They were perfectly happy to remain a "commitment-phobic" couple . . . completely in love, while simultaneously in denial; that is, until "THE IDEA" hit 'em. Jessica's pat response to friends who asked the “when are you going to get married” question, was, “The only way you could get me to show up at my own wedding is if I didn’t know it was a wedding!” And there it was, the "AH HA! MOMENT." They would elope, throw a party afterward, and send invitations to everyone they knew, but their guests would be kept in the dark about their nuptials. They started from scratch and boiled down the party to its essentials and decided what they really wanted for their wedding. They knew they wanted their friends to see a part of their ceremony, but not necessarily have to sit through it in real-time. They knew they wanted to celebrate with people, but didn’t want the traditional first dances, toasts, and cutting and smearing of cakes to be part of the plan.

The final idea boiled down to this: a ceremony in Vegas in the middle of a desert, surrounded by sand, wind, rusted cans, and just 3 guests, namely some of their best friends, who just happened to be a director, a camera operator, and an editor, known as The Sibs. The couple invited everyone to their combined 30th/40th birthday parties using Pingg, they created what they thought was a unique invitation that symbolized their relationship. At the party they showed their friends the "David-Lynch-meets-Oliver-Stone" type movie of their private wedding ceremony and the place literally erupted. Lorien and Jessica were brought to tears by their friends' reactions while the video looped in the background at the celebration.

The groom, Lorien and his brother started Pingg with the idea that people want to incorporate their own personal style into all aspects of their lives, including their invitations. "Pingg gives people a voice— a canvas to write whatever they want, send it however they’d like, and provides users with a web page to express themselves in words and pictures. It was this idea, taking something so firmly entrenched in tradition—a wedding invitation, or any invitation for that matter—and twisting it a bit, adding a bit of our own flavor and style, that allowed us to have the wedding invitation, wedding video, and ultimately, the wedding party we had always wanted, yet never could imagine." said Lorien.

I remember feeling like a rock star on my own wedding day, but these two are the real deal! And with that, I give you their invitation and their innovative “Surprise we already got married!” video.





If you would like to share your wedding with us, or are an event planner or photographer that was an integral part of a creative wedding celebration, please send lots of great photos, videos and the details to me, The Vintage Laundress, at lstephenson@austin.rr.com.

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