Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Bowling Bag Coin Purse and Matching Bowling Everything

Submitted by Allee Willis August 8th, 2010
Certifikitsch Winner
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Bowling is easily the sport that has rained down hardest on Pop Culture in terms of artifacts emulating its shape, spirit and efforts to capitalize on the good clean brand of social interaction the sport promotes. Though I go a little farther than the normal person in terms of their love of the sport. I should clarify that it’s not actually the sport itself I love so much as the accouterments associated with it. You name it and there’s some bowling derived interpretation of it. I have bowling can openers, decanters, tables, lamps, brushes, floors, shirts, shoes, dishes, cups, glasses, trophies and then some. Sometimes I even turn the trophies into door handles.

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I’m sipping decaf from a bowling ball cup right now.

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I clean my clothes with a bowling pin brush.

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I work by the light of this bowling pin lamp.

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Sometimes the lamp sits on one of four bowling tables I got from the famous Hollywood Star Lanes when they closed their doors in Hollywood in the late 90s. I use them as desks.

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I have bowling balls planted in my garden.

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I even have a bowling ball carved into my kitchen floor.

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Yesterday I extracted coins from my bowling ball coin purse and bought these bowling shoes.

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When I got home I popped open a bottle of Bubble Up. I had a choice of two bowling pin bottle openers.

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Alas, my bowling bag coin purse is not going to be opened for any more bowling memorabilia for a while. As I’m a totally self-financed artist, my pennies need to be pinched for all the projects I’m working on. That would be depressing but when it all comes down to it my favorite place to be anyway is home. If I’m bored I can always go bowling in the sand.

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5 Responses to “Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Bowling Bag Coin Purse and Matching Bowling Everything”

  1. denny

    1. I am freaking out over that coin purse!
    2. I LOVE LOVE LOVE trophies from the 40’s and this one is gorgeous.
    3. I can’t relate to bowling but I sure as hell can relate to ending up in the
    gutter. Fabulous way to be reminded that one can no longer swing
    their arm to even throw the ball.
    4. The bowling pin brush is beautiful, I used to use one when my hair was
    short. You can brush the cats with them too.
    5. That’s the lamp in Dina’s office! Geezus, I only got to see the top
    part of it when I was there! It’s amazing.
    6. What I really need to be sedated over are the bowling tables!!! I’d
    kill for one of those. Unbelievably beautiful. I’m breaking out into
    a sweat again.
    7. I would eat off that kitchen floor it’s that gorgeous.
    8. I always hated the shoes though. I think it’s because when I
    was younger, they would make fun of me ’cause my feet were so
    long and narrow. These shoes made me look like I had giant
    propellers on my feet. I have since learned to appreciate them for
    sure!
    9. Where the hell is “Bubble Up” from? The gems sitting with the soda
    are also amazing!
    10.Where was this stuff at when I was there. Look out “Willis
    Wonderland”, baby is coming home!

  2. Allee Willis

    The bowling pin brush is actually a clothes brush. The bristles are a little too soft for hair or fur.

    I have four of the bowling tables. The light and projection apparatus still works on them too.

    The whole point of bowling shoes is to look like you have propellers on your feet.

    Bubble Up is a soda from the 50’s that you can still find in select places.

    Everything was right out in the open when you were here except for the bowling tables. I now keep those in storage.

  3. Nessa

    I’m crazy about the bowling pin lamp and the table out of the actual bowling alley. They are so cool! Is the shade original to the lamp or did you add it? Either way I’m thinking about how I could make one.

    I like bowling alleys but the ones around here are always so smokey I can’t breathe, so I never go bowling anymore. Both my parents were on leagues when I was growing up so I spent a lot of time sitting around and looking at bowling stuff.

    • Allee Willis

      I made the lampshade out of PVC. Just drilled the holes (it’s HARD drilling through it so make sure and clamp tight first) and then painted it pink. I made it when i was making all the matching drainpipes for my house.