Last weekend I met up with The Always Awesome Becca Jo at Uncle Fun. For those who have never had the pleasure of visiting in person, I should explain, Uncle Fun is like the ultimate gift shop for uncles who tell awesome dirty jokes. Think Bacon Band-Aids and “Cat Butt” chewing gum. There is a whole shelf devoted to rubber vomit. Oh hush. I know you want to go.
So while we were there, I found a drawer full of monkeys. Yes I said monkeys. Plastic monkeys. Actually, neon, candy colored, plastic monkeys, to be precise. Like those little thinga-meh-bobs you use to mark your cocktails. Well, they were dirt cheap so I picked up a couple and pledged to find a purpose for them.
La dee dah…I got home that night and went to put them in my drawer marked “Too Dang Neat to Throw Out” (No joke. That’s exactly what’s on the hang tag.)… and what do I find? Mermaids. Plastic mermaids. Neon, candy colored, plastic mermaids, to be precise. I bought them at World Market years ago and totally forgot about them. I laid down my newest acquisition in the same box. Monkeys and mermaids should be friends, right?
WRONG.
La dee dah…next day I am having lunch at a diner when what do I see? Swords. Plastic swords. Neon, candy-colored plastic swords OF COURSE. I asked nicely and she let me take a few home.
As a highly superstitious person, I firmly believe all good things come in threes. I also believe that the universe is magically sending me a message by way of plastic rainbow cocktail markers. I’m pretty sure it has something to do with the mermaids challenging the monkeys to a duel. Honestly, COULD IT BE MORE OBVIOUS?
It could also be a sign that these items need to come together. In art. Or something. The question is: what something?
They are so unique and interesting all on their own, I am struggling to think of how I can use them. Anyone out there have any good ideas? You all are so creative and I am royally stumped on this one. Please, please help me come up with something. If I don’t glue them down and appease the universe, I fear I will wake up and find myself surrounded by an army of jagged, rainbow swivel sticks. Help!
Michelle L.
OMG, they are beautiful. Yes, they all must combine into something. My first thought always goes to jewelry, but I think that’s too simple and on the nose. What about using them as drops in a crazy chandelier? A cocktailier, if you will.
But please make at least one pair of earrings from the monkeys!
Megancake
There is a restaurant here in LA that uses all three of those on their bar drinks, I always take mine home and display them in random places around the house. I’m not sure what you could do with a bunch of them, maybe decorate a lamp shade? or make chains of them to hang?
Whatever you come up with I look forward to it!
Leo
I like the idea of a “cocktailier”.
Or somehow fasten them on the wire of a string light so that it lights them up and casts those rainbow-y reflections all over the room.
Sollfire
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Maggi
Oh snap, those are awesome! I love the ideas above, I was thinking some sort of funky chandelier or “wind chime” type installation.
Sollfire
You know, Auntie Peaches, I think you should make a window valance out of those gorgeous coffee-filter snowflakes (below), using colors to blend with mermaids. “Quilt” them together with stitching or glue. Then, use those shimmery ladies on the tops and sides of your window frame – like “curtain rings”. They are naturals for holding something. As you look out at snowy terrain, you’ll be reminded that beach days are just around the corner. Sigh. When seasons change, use the monkeys in a similar way to hold green-leaf snowflakes(?).
PartyMom
My very first instinct was a chandelier….looks like that’s a popular choice. No matter what, you need to put them in a place that lets the light shine through all that plastic fun!
becca jo
i remember a while back the the trend was to melt army guys on the back of a metal bowl to make a bowl out of them but it’s a different kind of plastic…..hmm….
stacy mcqueen
i have the same stash and the same dilemma and frankly was looking at the comments for ideas and going YES A CHANDELIER but that threw me into MUST AQUIRE BILLIONS MORE! so then i thought what about a crown? because what I can’t understand i stick on my head. THEN i thought what about taking all your scraps of ribbon -or colorful yarn or – rags – and stringing them together for a great birthday banner??? what would be more festive? INSTANT MONKEY/MERMAID FIGHT PARTY!
Summerland Style
What about chess pieces? Monkeys versus mermaids.
Sus
I can’t stop thinking “Diorama Hat”…
Boot ~C
love those mermaids!! Sonic Drive~Ins used to put the monkeys( & other animals) on their drinks, thanks for the fun blast from the past. I don’t have an idea, tiaras & chandeliers sound pretty fun
ckh
I love the chandelier idea. On a smaller scale, you can make candles with them tucked inside. Ring them around the edges and as the wax melts they’ll throw off the colors of the flame.
Or so the vision goes in my head.
lisbonlioness
LOL my first thought was “Mich would turn them all into jewellery!”
I’d positively make a suncatcher of some sort. Monkeys on top, mermaids at the bottom and swords… heck, I don’t know, really! YOU bought them, YOU sort that detail out!
Mary Jo from TrustYourStyle
I LOVE the plastic mermaids and would always get to keep those and my brother had to take the monkeys and swords. As I recall there were lots of sword fights and the mermaids always kicked butt. But you know he might have another version to tell.
Hope you are having an extra wonderful weekend!
xo mary jo
mummymoo
I have no idea except that they are soooooo gorgeous and I am sure what ever you decide to do will be quirky fun and super amazing as always xoxo
angela
Hot glue them on chop sticks. Or make barrettes out of them. I like the chess piece idea.
Nutbird
Uncle Fun sounds like an Archie McPhee. When I see something spiky, I think of those mid century modern pointy round mirrors every one is making. How about a wreath with all these candy colored things stuck on. I don’t know if I told you, my mom has Alzheimers and has 50 costume jewelry butterfly pins. I went to Florida to visit ( 6 weeks so far!) She really can’t wear the pins anymore. I bought a small MDF? wreath base at Michaels about 8 inches. It really is for candle base wreaths. She didn’t have any stuffing or batting, no panty hose, but lots of mini and maxi pads around. They use them for leakage. I wrapped the wreath form in the pads, then in a piece of white satin ribbon I found. Then we pinned all the butterflys on it. She loves it and can look at it all the time.
So, a wreath base with a nice color ribbon and all these things and a few other gems glued on would be fascinating. I once saw a family’s memory wreath in a magazine. They saved ticket stubs, prize ribbons, tiny toys, and all sorts of things of their life and made a wreath of them. I wish I had done that. What else do you have hanging around? Let us see them and we will let you see our stuff. I have a whole collection of Playmobil snow toys: the snow plow, snow smoother, snow mobiles, skiers, boarders, artic campers, dinosaur ice excavators, etc. If I ever get a grandchild, I would like to make a snowscape for all these. Ann
Josie
I think that it would be really neat to melt them onto the bottoms of cheap toothbrushes for guests to use, similar to the way you would melt to make a toothbrush bracelet. I always keep a few cheap tooth brushes at the house for impromptu visitors, it would be a nice way to keep them separated and identifiable. “Which one am I again?” “Oh, you’re the purple toothbrush with the green mermaid!”
It’s the little touches that makes guests feel special.
Emma
I love the candle idea!
I used a yellow cocktail sword in a collage once. The epoxy that I used to glaze over everything had a really fantastic reaction with the sword… it kind of glowed. Maybe you could do a war mural and somehow incorporate jolly ranchers and jelly beans (because I bet they look good under epoxy too).
Anonymous
hairclips 🙂
Michele Pacey
Looks like you have plenty of ideas here to work with Peaches! I like all them all: chandelier, jewelry, personalized toothbrushes, hair clips, suncatchers… I’m just gonna sit back and relax and see what the “P” comes up with! 🙂
Holly
Wow, plastic drink monkeys, did THAT ever take me back about a zillion years. My mom used to drink… um… a LOT of cocktails and she would always bring plastic drink monkeys back from any forays into cocktail lounge land. I wonder where all those monkeys went? They must have run off with all the little bitty paper umbrellas to visit the mermaids. I miss them.