Odds & Ends From Around the Valley : It’s My Party and I’ll Star if I Want to

The “Me Decade” may be synonymous with the 1970s, but “me” is emerging as the latest popular theme for private parties, especially birthday bashes.

“We still get calls for the same old themes (Mexican, back to the ‘50s, black-and-white), but I think people are really trying to personalize their parties. We’ve been doing parties recently where the whole theme was about the birthday person,” said Carolyn Baer, co-owner of Cheers Catering in Northridge.

The invitations, for example, may feature photos of the celebrant or take the form of a Trivial Pursuit card with questions about the person’s life.

“Even the props we create to decorate the party are all about the person,” Baer continued, “such as using life-size photos of the person at different ages. “Or maybe we’ll put giant versions of the Trivial Pursuit cards all over the place.”

Some birthday boys and girls ask that headlines from the date of their birth be used on invitations or decorations. Hit songs from that era--as well as from the person’s teen-age years--may comprise the entertainment.

Most important: Don’t forget to take out the camcorder so there’s something to show at next year’s birthday bash.

Pink and Blue--and Black

Black is no longer the exclusive fashion province of comedians, working women and wanna-be punk rockers. Babies and young girls are donning dark duds, too.

“There are people who are prejudiced against black as a color for babies, but most people who are trendy seem to like it--as long as the style isn’t gloomy. The outfit must have some fun to it,” said Abbey Faranesh, owner of Animal Kracker/Treehouse in Encino.

“The older generation doesn’t like black on babies,” said Marcie Perrie, a salesperson at Splash in Studio City, which even carries black outfits in the 3-month size. “Sometimes a person isn’t sure if the mother of the baby they’re buying for will like black. Or they’re not sure if it’s OK for a girl baby. They tend to buy more black for boy babies, but it’s a good unisex color.”

Girls in the 7-to-14 size range are deciding that black is a sophisticated color. “When we opened 14 years ago, you never thought of putting black on a child,” said Alissa Cohen, owner of A La Popcorn in Woodland Hills. “Now black is our strongest color, especially with this summer’s neon colors as accents.”

And what has replaced black as the consumer untouchable?

Brown.

Buying Dad’s Car

Consider the 1956 Ford Fairlane.

Perhaps it brings back memories of sticky Sunday afternoon drives or counting out-of-state license plates during a trip to grandma’s. But if your dad held onto the car, it might bring visions of riches to your family.

Thirty-three years ago, that Fairlane cost $2,459. Today the car--in average condition--would bring $15,000 to $20,000; the same auto in mint condition could bring $50,000.

“The market for the big-engine cars of the ‘50s and ‘60s is crazier than it’s ever been,” said Holden Raphael, president of Spectrum Vehicle Auction in Northridge.

Many men in their mid-30s are buying the cars from their childhood. “Or they’re buying the car they craved as a teen-ager, because now they can finally afford it,” said Raphael, whose company holds classic car auctions throughout California.

Nostalgia, of course, is frequently expensive.

A Chevy Camaro that cost $2,809 in 1967 could go for $30,000--if it’s in flawless condition.

Who knows what price a 1989 Ford Geo will command in 2015.

Native Solutions

Does your yard have a spot that resembles the Bermuda Triangle? A patch where every plant gets the life sucked out of it?

You may as well throw your money directly into the ground, thus sparing yourself a trip to the nursery and the futile effort of planting, right?

Maybe not.

The Theodore Payne Foundation, a nonprofit nursery in Sun Valley that specializes in California native plants, may have a remedy for your black thumb. “One of the misconceptions people have about native plants is that they’re hard to grow,” notes Melanie Baer, manager and horticulturist. “But I bet about 98% of these plants take.”

What’s more, many of the California native plants are drought-tolerant. “People think of these plants as dry and scrubby,” Baer said. “But a lot of them are green and lush looking. People who come here are surprised by their beauty.”

Many of the plants are now in bloom. Among the roughly 650 varieties for sale by the foundation are California lilacs, manzanitas, wild iris, wild geraniums, wild hibiscus and wild delphiniums, plus more than 100 plants that are on the rare and endangered list.

“Our business has doubled every year for at least the last five years,” Baer said. “We teach anybody who wants to learn what we know about California native plants.”

Just think--if you spruce up the yard, your neighbors might forgive the pink flamingos.

Overheard at . . .

“One of the best things about having a baby is that you get to drive in the car-pool lane to get onto the freeway.”

--Father speaking to another father in the checkout line at Toys R Us in Van Nuys.

for foto slugged FINDER PARTY