Our Family Stories

1953

Shirley's New Kitchen

The Contest

A dream kitchen, won fair and square

In 1953, Shirley decided to enter a nation-wide kitchen design contest. The 100 winning entries would receive a complete new Crosley kitchen plus $500.

Shirley knew exactly what she wanted, and Dave had the mathematical brain to get it all to fit perfectly into the existing space in the duplex they rented from family friends Basil & Eveline Long.

The Prize

The kitchen of her dreams

Their design won, and Shirley had the beautiful kitchen of her dreams, complete with metal cabinetry and essential appliances.

Kitchen Memories

Tom has two vivid memories of this kitchen

Tom, age 5, decided that the contents of a 2-pound can of ground coffee looked a lot like dirt and that the "dirt" needed to be emptied onto the floor and added to his dump truck.

Leslie, age 3, climbed from the floor to the countertop and then up to the top of the refrigerator to get to the turtle that was spending the weekend with them. No one knows quite what brought it on, but let's just say the turtle lost his head that day.

1970s

Descanso Gardens Christmas Craft Show

A Love of Christmas

Shirley loved, really loved, Christmas

There wasn't a room that was not decorated in one way or another. When she learned that Descanso Gardens was having a Christmas Craft Show, she jumped on the opportunity to share her love of the season.

One year, Shirley's contribution was a set of four Winnie the Pooh ornaments. Each ornament comes from a different story from The World of Pooh by A. A. Milne, a favorite book for the family.

Pooh uses a blue balloon to confuse the bees protecting their honey into thinking he is a cloud in the blue sky. Winnie the Pooh and Tigger stand in front of Pooh's house where he lived under the name of Sanders. And Pooh, Piglet, Rabbit, Kanga and Owl are all on an Expotition to the North Pole, led by Christopher Robin.

1972 — The Doll House

A three-story Christmas home, made by hand

In 1972, Shirley bought a 3-story doll house and got to work wallpapering, furnishing, and accessorizing it to represent a late 19th to early 20th-century home at Christmastime.

On the ground floor: the kitchen with mother at work, grandmother making sure it's all being prepared correctly. The gentlemen are in the informal dining room enjoying some libations. The 2nd floor is home to the formal living room with the family piano, the fireplace with stockings, and the formal dining room. On the third floor, the master bedroom with the adjoining nursery.

A Surprise for Joan

Merry Christmas, Joan!

This could have been the end of this doll house's story, but no. Shortly before Christmas, Shirley sent Suzy and Joan out delivering Christmas goodies to friends. Suzy, being a relatively new driver, took her time driving all over La Canada.

When the girls returned home, this was waiting for Joan.

1973 — The Mouse House

A Victorian home, inhabited by mice

1973 saw a major increase in complexity. The entire display, all 4' x 5', was created by hand, piece by piece. The focal point is a 3-story Victorian home late on Christmas Eve, inhabited by a family of mice.

Perhaps this theme was inspired by the Borrowers books by Mary Norton, which the family was reading while traveling by motorhome to Tucson for Tom and Jeanne's wedding.

A Family Creation

Every detail, made together

Father and grandfather mouse decorate the parlor tree, so tall that grandfather stands on a ladder. The cook prepares the Christmas meal. Upstairs, mother mouse tries to get the kids to sleep before Santa lands on the roof, while grandmother pulls out the gifts.

Because the house is not to any standard scale, everything was made by hand. Dave built the furniture, Shirley painstakingly wallpapered each room, Leslie helped with the curtains and bed covers, and Suzy and Joan made the mice. Dave used a then-new technology, fiber optics, to light the entire display.

1986

The 40th Anniversary Party

Chicago Tribune wedding announcement, 1946

Where It All Began

From Ohio to California, a celebration takes shape

Dave, Shirley, Tom, Jeanne, Bryant, Jeff, Suzy, Bill and Joan were all in Columbus, Ohio on July 27, 1986 for the wedding of Christy Haack and Steve Ricca.

Once back in California, it was all-hands-on-deck to prepare for the big event on August 23rd.

Dave and Shirley had spent many an evening in the "early days" at the Valley Dale Ballroom in Columbus, Ohio, a nationally known venue during the Big Band era of the 1930s and 1940s. The family set out to recreate that scene in the front yard of their La Canada Flintridge home.

Jeff, Dave and Tom laying it all out

Planning the layout

Joan and Dave testing the dance floor frame

Joan & Dave testing the supporting frame

Joan & Bill painting the entry facade

The facade takes shape

Tom was the lead designer and craftsman for the props. They built a structure to support the rented dance floor above the sloping lawn and hung a disco ball from the elm tree. Rented tent side walls enclosed the yard. A grand facade and entryway welcomed the guests, and a giant juke box served as the bar.

The Invitation

It's been 40 years. Come and celebrate!

They actually made it. Buffet dinner, dancing to 40's music, 7:00 pm 'til we all poop out. 5025 La Canada Blvd. Dress casual.

The Big Night

Herrman's Valley Dale Ballroom

The grand entryway welcomed 60-plus friends to celebrate Dave and Shirley's years together. Big Band music played through speakers hidden in the plantings throughout the yard.

Tables ready for guests

Guests arrive under the lights

The "Juke Box" bar

Meats on the buffet table

Salads on the buffet table

Shirley, with help from Leslie, took care of the feast for the 60-plus friends who came to celebrate. A piece of cake for one half of S2 Catering. Miniature lights added even more ambiance for the evening.

The disco ball hanging from the elm tree

Dancing Under the Stars

The disco ball hung from the elm tree

A disco ball cast light across the rented dance floor built above the sloping lawn, just like the old days at Valley Dale.

The Dance Floor

The dance floor in use

Couples took to the floor, dancing to the same Big Band sounds that Dave and Shirley had loved in the early days.

Leslie, Suzy in Shirley's dress, and Tom

Family

Leslie, Suzy, and Tom

Suzy wore Shirley's lime green going-away dress from 40 years prior.