I hate malls...but it wasn't always that way!
So, the winter holidays are here and upon us.
There is no escape, or hardly any. No matter where you go you are confronted with bad Christmas music, tacky Christmas decor (from China, where they could care less about American Christmas!) and those darn Salvation Army folks. Funny, how the REAL history of the 'Starvation' Army is one of forcing hungry people to hear a sermon with their meal. They always went out of their way to smash Workers Unions, thereby forcing people into poverty so they'd be more open to dogmatic proselytizing. Hmmmm...think of that when you hear those people ringing the bell. They don't have a clue what the history is.
But I digress...MALLS!
OK, I used to actually enjoy malls. As recent as the early to mid-90s, malls were fun.
Malls had bookstores (B. Dalton, Waldenbooks, etc.) they had music stores, they had video arcades where I could go kick some ass when I got done reading and listening to music! They had some beautiful, creative shops like The Nature Company and Discovery where I could buy crystals and 'earthy' gifts for people. The only thing I have seen that is similar, is a little place in Portland called The Fossil Cartel, but it's much smaller and also now very far away.
My favorite little soap/bath goody place, Caswell-Massey, used to reside in a spot in Phipps Plaza here in Atlanta. Phipps is a BEAUTIFUL mall. It's not really quite like a mall actually. It is made of pretty wood and marble with lots of wide open space and lovely curving archtecture. When I was 16-17, I would go hang out there to write in my journal, people watch and relax. During the holidays, I would commandeer the different pianos throughout the mall and play Enya's 'Shepherd Moons' by heart until someone 'official' would tell me to quit. They had book and music stores and my most favorite shop ever...Discovery(before it was morphed into the 'Discovery Channel' store, which sucked).
I still have crystal clusters, a hickory hiking stick and a pin shaped like a very realistic Shamrock spider, all which came from there. I bought my first Enya CD there too. *sigh*
Of course Discovery is gone with the wind.
Caswell-Massey is too. They moved from their pretty upstairs corner (covered in comforting dark wood, deep green tapestry and a soft rosey-sandalwood scent) to a first level shop that never felt as inviting. Now that is closed as well, perhaps a sign that the economy is so bad that even a company who has been around since the 1700's and used to sell soap to George Washington and John Adams is facing it's potential end.
'Illuminations' has vanished.
They were a candle company that debuted around 1996 and created beautiful and elegant candles and ways to display them. They used frosted glass, high quality wax and sophisticated scents. I still have my wall sconces and love them. I don't know where I'd go to purchase the same kind of thing again because it no longer exsists.
The horror of the candle world 'Yankee Candle' bought Illuminations when business got slow for them. Yankee Candle is like the twice-removed, bastard step-headed redchild (yes, I meant to say it that way) of Illuminations. Their stores are ugly, the candles are ugly, every scent they make is basically the same and should be called 'Suburban Housewife Stench'. When I smell that place walking through a mall, I can imagine some blond soccer mom, hanging out with her pasty white friends, as they all say 'OHHH that candle smells SOOOO GOOD!'
The 'decor' they sell to display their awful candles is equally bad. It all makes me want to cry.
What brought this whole diatribe on today?
I looked outside my window to the little patio area outside. I had 3 lovely milk-glass candle lanters that I bought years ago at Illuminations sitting there. One of them somehow got knocked over and shattered. It made me very sad, mostly because it reminded me that I won't be able to go buy something similar.
That led me to thoughts of the holidays, forgotten shops, and places I can now only visit in my dreams. It all used to be alot more fun. *sigh*
Well, that's it for today...now to find a BB gun to pop that squirrel who likely knocked over my candle lantern ;)
There is no escape, or hardly any. No matter where you go you are confronted with bad Christmas music, tacky Christmas decor (from China, where they could care less about American Christmas!) and those darn Salvation Army folks. Funny, how the REAL history of the 'Starvation' Army is one of forcing hungry people to hear a sermon with their meal. They always went out of their way to smash Workers Unions, thereby forcing people into poverty so they'd be more open to dogmatic proselytizing. Hmmmm...think of that when you hear those people ringing the bell. They don't have a clue what the history is.
But I digress...MALLS!
OK, I used to actually enjoy malls. As recent as the early to mid-90s, malls were fun.
Malls had bookstores (B. Dalton, Waldenbooks, etc.) they had music stores, they had video arcades where I could go kick some ass when I got done reading and listening to music! They had some beautiful, creative shops like The Nature Company and Discovery where I could buy crystals and 'earthy' gifts for people. The only thing I have seen that is similar, is a little place in Portland called The Fossil Cartel, but it's much smaller and also now very far away.
My favorite little soap/bath goody place, Caswell-Massey, used to reside in a spot in Phipps Plaza here in Atlanta. Phipps is a BEAUTIFUL mall. It's not really quite like a mall actually. It is made of pretty wood and marble with lots of wide open space and lovely curving archtecture. When I was 16-17, I would go hang out there to write in my journal, people watch and relax. During the holidays, I would commandeer the different pianos throughout the mall and play Enya's 'Shepherd Moons' by heart until someone 'official' would tell me to quit. They had book and music stores and my most favorite shop ever...Discovery(before it was morphed into the 'Discovery Channel' store, which sucked).
I still have crystal clusters, a hickory hiking stick and a pin shaped like a very realistic Shamrock spider, all which came from there. I bought my first Enya CD there too. *sigh*
Of course Discovery is gone with the wind.
Caswell-Massey is too. They moved from their pretty upstairs corner (covered in comforting dark wood, deep green tapestry and a soft rosey-sandalwood scent) to a first level shop that never felt as inviting. Now that is closed as well, perhaps a sign that the economy is so bad that even a company who has been around since the 1700's and used to sell soap to George Washington and John Adams is facing it's potential end.
'Illuminations' has vanished.
They were a candle company that debuted around 1996 and created beautiful and elegant candles and ways to display them. They used frosted glass, high quality wax and sophisticated scents. I still have my wall sconces and love them. I don't know where I'd go to purchase the same kind of thing again because it no longer exsists.
The horror of the candle world 'Yankee Candle' bought Illuminations when business got slow for them. Yankee Candle is like the twice-removed, bastard step-headed redchild (yes, I meant to say it that way) of Illuminations. Their stores are ugly, the candles are ugly, every scent they make is basically the same and should be called 'Suburban Housewife Stench'. When I smell that place walking through a mall, I can imagine some blond soccer mom, hanging out with her pasty white friends, as they all say 'OHHH that candle smells SOOOO GOOD!'
The 'decor' they sell to display their awful candles is equally bad. It all makes me want to cry.
What brought this whole diatribe on today?
I looked outside my window to the little patio area outside. I had 3 lovely milk-glass candle lanters that I bought years ago at Illuminations sitting there. One of them somehow got knocked over and shattered. It made me very sad, mostly because it reminded me that I won't be able to go buy something similar.
That led me to thoughts of the holidays, forgotten shops, and places I can now only visit in my dreams. It all used to be alot more fun. *sigh*
Well, that's it for today...now to find a BB gun to pop that squirrel who likely knocked over my candle lantern ;)