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Happy Holidays and New 2013 Year from DRB!



"QUANTUM SHOT" #812
Link - by Avi Abrams




Weird & wonderful - to infinity and beyond!

Thank you, our marvelous readers, writers, explorers and photographers; everybody who contributed to DRB in the Year 2012, and everybody who enjoyed our content! Looking back on 2012 we see that this year has been good to us (for one thing, we are all still here on this good old planet Earth) and the New Year promises to be full of wonders, discoveries and awesome creativity - and we wish the same happy sentiments to all of you!

With this end-of-the-year collection of sheer "eye-candy", strange and funny images we celebrate all holidays and New Year: have a good helping of joy and cheer for the year ahead!


(fragment of the 1956 Cadillac advertisement, via)


Beautiful Barbara Rush caroling... really inspiring image from the 1950s:


(image via)


Great Christmas light displays all over the world:




Some of the best light displays are traditionally in New York, Tokyo and on Champs Elysées, Paris, France:




Say Hello to a Winter Monster! - "St. Joseph Lighthouse, Michigan", photo by Tom Gill:


(image credit: Tom Gill)


Beautiful frost patterns on a window (by Russian photographer Andrew Osokin):


(image credit: Andrew Osokin)


And even weirder ice "fingers" growing from a fence (see more of these formations here):


(image via)

-------

Retro Holiday Blast! Joy and Glamour, Combined

"Christmas Eve" by Gustave Dore (1832-1883):


(art by Gustav Dore, via)


Some very neat cars complementing the 1910s Winter Wonderland:





Christmas Eve, 1892, from Harper's Weekly:




Arriving to the party in style! -


("The Last Run, Boston, December 24, 1900", 1951 ad for Timken Axles, via)


Hi there! We bring presents! -


(1950; illustration by Norman Rockwell, image via)


Writing a wish list... what a glowing image from 1929! -


(fragment of a cover for McCall's Magazine, December 1929, Neysa McMein, via)


Some more good old Christmas cheer from the 1920s: colorful window shopping and giving each other presents by the fireplace -


(images via 1, 2)


Here is a traditional family gathering around to unwrap presents (we can't get enough pictures of happy vintage families, don't ask me why):


(illustration by Haddon Sundblom, via)


Piper Laurie decorating the tree circa 1950:


(image via)


If it's "Space Age" style you want, this photograph from the "Mademoiselle", September 1965, has plenty of it:


(image via)


Joey Heatherton wishes you a Happy New Year! -


(image via)


Time to bring out your record collection! -


(image via)


Wenche Myhre approves! -


(image via)

-------

Some creative ideas for preparing Holiday parties

First and foremost rule of cooking: do it with joy! -


(original unknown)


Here is a way to re-use the egg crates to store decorations:


(image via)


Cook some great-looking treats:


(cheese ball with almonds looking like fir cones and a snowman pizza, via)


Give your hamsters and guinea pigs some Christmas, they deserve it! -


(original unknown)


Peanuts makeover:




Easy snow shoveling:


(image via)


Wouldn't it be wonderful? Simply point and press the button:


(original unknown)

Match your sweater with a coffee cup (we have these sold in our local Starbucks):


(original unknown)


The "Santa Helicopter" 1960, wonderful windup mechanical toy from Japan:


(image credit: Strong Online Collections)


Play the game of "Guess the Animal" with your kids:


(original unknown)


Or why don't you think up a science project to make with kids... and build this awesome robot from some spare tin and metal lying around? -


(image credit: Neal Boenzi/The New York Times, via)

The story of the picture above is actually quite interesting: "In 1955, a 14-year-old with ambitions to go to the moon built a robot he named Gismo, winning the Industrial Arts Competition run by the Ford Motor Company. Gismo walked, talked and waved his arms, and he cost $15 to make. He was one of 72 examples of craftsmanship by teenagers on display at the Waldorf-Astoria."

Here is a similar "Iron Giant" rusting in the park:


(original unknown)

UPDATE: The "Iron Giant" rusting in the park is Goldie (created by Joe McCreary) who lives in Woods Quad on The University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa, AL.

-------

Meantime in Russia... pedestrians are busy helping out with installing some street art:


(original unknown)


Time to walk out your goat:




Tough grandma ("babushka") heading out to the party:




Don't pray to this icon! It's got three hands... -




Meanwhile cats are doing what they do best... -





Just don't try to dress them into Christmas attire:




Christmas Cat is disappointed:



-------

Some Christmas Trees and Decorations That You Did Not Know Existed

What is the tree on the left is made from? I hesitate to guess... -




Cthulhu Christmas Tree (left) and Dalek Christmas Tree (right):


(images via)


One of the most inventive alternatives to a snowman:


(original unknown)


If you have no snow, do the best with your tumbleweeds:


(original unknown)


"High Five" from construction machinery, with a tree involved:




Tree made out of slippers? Why not? -




This Christmas tree has punctured the ceiling, so why not make the best of it? -


(image via)


A beard? A beard! -




Even weirder (the right image shows an obsession we can easily understand):




Some miserable fails:




... and a beard to make your cat proud! -


(original unknown)


Stay tuned for fantastic and magical material to fill up your coffee breaks, mind, heart and soul in the New Year - courtesy of Dark Roasted Blend!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR, FOLKS!




CONTINUE TO MORE SEASONAL CHEER! (2012) ->

STILL MORE FUN HERE (2011) ->

AND HERE! (2010) ->





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DRB is a top-ranked and respected source for the best in art, travel and fascinating technology, with a highly eclectic presentation. Our in-depth articles in many categories make DRB a valued online magazine, bringing you quality info and entertainment every time you visit the site - About DRB

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YOUR COMMENTS::

6 Comments:

Anonymous Dave said...

The tree on the left, which you were unable to identify, is made from inflated rubber/latex gloves.

Merry Christmas to all.

___  
Anonymous Circeus said...

The unidentified pics of buried car is from Montreal after the December 26-27 snowstorm. This is not quite the source (the original is apparently from facebook/twitter), bvut it's probably good enough.

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The "Iron Giant" rusting in the park is Goldie (created by Joe McCreary) who lives in Woods Quad on The University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa, AL.

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I know there is a story behind the three handed Mary with baby Jesus. I think it is Serbian and it represents Her healing powers or something like that, because she miraculously healed someones severed hand...

___  
Anonymous Dave said...

Re: Anonymous & Three handed Mary Icon
These are not unusual.
Serbian:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojeručica
Greek: see 23'rd icon
http://www.paleks.com/icons.htm

see also:
http://ikoncopies.com/en/threehanded.html

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Its a christmas tree made of inflated gloves..or udders of plastic cows

___  

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