Retro Republik Sightings: 'Mad Men'

The retro, stylized and sensational drama Mad Men is a Retro Republik favorite - the historically accurate costume design, set design and props are painstakingly researched and flawlessly executed.

Inside Mad Men: Costume Design

Inside Mad Men: Production Design

Inside Mad Men: Behind the Scenes

On a side note, Mad Men's central & complicated character, the dapper Don Draper played by Jon Hamm was eye-spied today by yours truly at the Nautica Malibu Triathlon.

Even though Mr. Hamm plays the ladies man and the big ad man in the corner office, he was an absolute gentleman. He even introduced himself to Fast Freddy.

Mr. Hamm competed in the triathlon with the 1/2 mile swim portion of the Celebrity Team Relay Division (time of 00:15:18.5) - Guess it's a good thing all those cigarettes they smoke on the show are herbal cigarettes, not tobacco.

New Products: Melamine Plates & Pillows

Coming soon - New Products from Retro Republik:

jefdesigns has joined forces with freddy&ma to create a special collection of home accessories - including melamine plates and pillows that combine unique and organic design elements of jefdesigns' work with the craftsmanship and quality of freddy&ma.

Additionally, all pieces are made to order in the U.S.

Melamine Plates:
These 10" diameter sea-inspired plates are dishwasher safe (not recommended
for microwave). Available in 4 unique designs. Sold in sets of four (1 of
each style or 4 of a single design).

Pillows:
Washable covers with eco-friendly cotton and Kapock insert.
Available in small (12” square) and large (17” square) sizes.

9/11/01: Republik's Remembrance

Remember this: Every day ordinary men and women do extraordinary things to ensure that our freedom is secure.

This 9/11 we will be offering our remembrance, gratitude and appreciation to families of our American fallen and injured heroes by providing for their families and remembering the price they pay.

Recently I heard about a foundation called Operation Family Fund that assists the injured and families of those injured or killed as part of the Global War on Terrorism (domestic or abroad and military or civilian), with financial grants to help them transition to their new circumstances and achieve financial self-sufficiency.

As of June 2008 over 230 families have received grants and more than $1.5 million in donations have been received.

God Bless America.

-Taryn

Retro Stamps: Eames to Mickey Mouse

Just got back from running errands and to my husband's surprise I brought home everything I've always wanted:

An Eames Lounge Chair & Ottoman, an Eames Storage Unit & a set of Eames plastic Stacking Chairs.

What more could a gal ask for?!? How does a self-employed gal swing this, you ask? Just ask the US Postal Service.

This commemorative set of stamps illustrates the breadth and depth of Charles & Ray Eames innovative 'good design' from architecture, art, exhibits, film & furniture.

This got me to thinking...what other design related stamps are out there?

USPS's American Design series showcases a stylized treatment of a Chippendale chair made in Philadelphia between 1760 and 1765.

I may want an original Eames Lounge Chair & Ottoman, so I guess I'm OK with my honey bringing home any of these four polished & chromed beauties any day of the week.

Built by four different manufacturers, each of these retro mahogany watercraft are still in use today:

• Frolic, 1915 Hutchinson Brothers Launch
• Dispatch, 1931 Gar Wood triple cockpit Runabout
• Thunderbird, 1939 Hacker-Craft
• Duckers, 1954 Chris-Craft Racing Runabout

From vintage watercraft to Steamboat Willie, the USPS's most popular stamp series of all time, 'Art of Disney', will be calling it curtains soon.

Mickey Mouse and his friends rule as the most popular stamp series with $211.5 million in revenue. However, Elvis remains king as the single most popular stamp subject of all time with an estimated $124.1 million collected.

This 'Art of Disney' imaginative design features:

• Mickey Mouse as Steamboat Willie
• Mowgli and Baloo from The Jungle Book
• Princess Aurora and her helpers Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather from Sleeping Beauty
• Pongo and one of his pups from 101 Dalmatians

For more retro & fun stamp facts visit the USPS newsroom: http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/

It only seems appropriate to shut down the laptop now and break out a pen & paper to let someone else enjoy receiving one of these retro stamps.

Retro Toys: LEGO Miniman turns the big 3-0!

The LEGO Miniman turns the big 3-0 today! The 'over the hill' celebration is in full effect over at GoMinimanGo.com.

1978 Police Officer minifigure

According to GoMinimanGo.com, the LEGO minifigure represents the world's largest population of people! Over 4 billion minifigures have been produced in the last 30 years. There are over 3,000 varieties of the LEGO miniman.

The Miniman's blog hosts vintage LEGO commercials, a "Go Miniman Go" fan challenge and even boasts an interactive LEGO Miniman Timeline where you can view the original seven Minimen and check out the Minimen of today including SpongeBob and Harry Potter.

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1978 Space Astronaut / 1989 Pirate

2002 Harry Potter / 2006 Sponge Bob

I don't know about you but I can't resist picking up the retro & quirky collection of 5 famous figures through the years...from the vintage 1978 Astronaut to the 2002 Mad Scientist. I found the link to the Lego shop to pick up the Vintage MF Collection Vol.1: http://shop.lego.com/product/?p=852331&LangId=2057&ShipTo=US

For a more modern twist on these classic yellow & plastic men, check out the blog for Band of Outsiders LEGO® project - this site celebrates the little man's Bday with a collection of photos and also information on their miniman T-shirts that will be available soon.