A Tiki Themed Trailer Named My Funny Valentine

Some get chocolates for Valentine’s Day …

Some get roses …

Some get a romantic evening,

But for Angela Hoffmann, Her husband gave her a trailer!

And Angela themed it Tiki!

Here is the story of a tiki themed trailer called My Funny Valentine …

What is the tiki scene like in where you live?

Angela- So far, I’ve found an online group for Michigan and I am learning what the tiki scene is like. I have found a few restaurants, but none in my immediate vicinity. I plan on exploring soon. With COVID restrictions that are pretty severe in Michigan, this can be somewhat difficult. My first exploration, I believe will be “Max’s South Seas Hideaway” In Grand Rapids, which is about an hour drive from here! I watched a video tour recently. It looks amazing! Michigan is usually a few years behind in the trends and it is in its infancy here so far. I hope that The Tiki scene grows.

 What came first, the trailer or your love of tiki?

Angela- My trailer was my escape from all the years of “Mom duty”.  I have been a mother for 37 years now, basically my entire adult life. The trailer has been a wonderful distraction and focus for me as my children have grown up and left the nest. My youngest started college this year and I am down to the 21-year-old and his girlfriend at home. My husband of 25 years is not quite retired yet, but has started his own hobby of learning to fly.

Tiki was an accident actually, a very recent one. Part of my trailer love, is creating new, elaborate themes each year. So far, the most elaborate one was my 2018 Harry Potter theme. However, as things are going, I feel my Tiki theme will surpass it! I have had a love of Mid Century décor and clothing pretty much my entire life, so the transition to adding Tiki felt really natural. I have the feeling this is not just a passing theme for my trailer, but will slowly be incorporated into my home and life as well.

What brought you into the tiki lifestyle? 

Angela- Researching ideas to do a “Tropical” theme for my trailer.  But like I said above, the Tiki lifestyle is a natural addition to my love for all things Mid Century! It has been fun adding it to my research and collections!  Oh, the collecting is the most fun of all! Being an avid “Thrift store and antique store junkie”,  has just added a bit more excitement to the thrill of the hunt! I also love cocktails and had been a stand in bartender years and years ago. The concocting in the bar has always been fun for me. So, to discover a new theme that has cocktails as well, just makes it even more fun! I also want to add, that during my research, I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about how Tiki culture started and have purchased several books to learn more! I LOVE learning about new things!

Can you give a little history of how you turned your trailer into a tiki themed trailer? 

Angela- It was a recent transition. I had actually started a “Tropical” theme for the trailer a few years ago. I have loved “Tropical” since I was a child, not for any known reason, just have always loved it. I do remember a party my mom hosted when I was really little. She had an under the sea, nautical, tropical theme and had the whole basement decorated. Maybe it started then. This would have been late 60’s very early 70’s.  I have to laugh because I had the “Tiki Tiki Tiki Room” song on my phone, just because I liked it, but never actually knew where it came from until a month ago!

I also had decorations in the attic as well, from a Tropical themed Christmas party we held in our home for my husband’s staff and spouses. When I decorate I usually go all out! For this theme, I had lit palm trees around the house, the large tree had real sand and handmade giant paper, hibiscus flowers and my bar was created into a “tiki bar”. I have to admit it was the cheesy version, but was definitely an introduction into the tiki idea!  So, this year as I was thinking of a new theme for my trailer for the year, I thought finishing my “Tropical theme” would be fun. As I was researching ideas, I fell into the “Tiki Culture” world!

What’s the story behind the name of your trailer? 

Angela- My “Tiki Trailer” is not Tiki named. Her name is “My Funny Valentine” Around January of 2015, I was periodically looking for vintage trailers on Craigslist or EBay. I never thought I would get to own one, thinking that the skills needed to refurbish one would be beyond my abilities. Lo and Behold, I found a listing for a “1961 Shasta Airflyte Re-Issue”  A brand new trailer that looked like a vintage one! I had sent the listing to my husband and the only response was “oh that’s cool” *sigh*  Okay, he did not take the bait. So, a week later, on day that the children were at school and he had the afternoon off …*wink* we had our “date”! So later in the afterglow, we were talking about things in life and things we spend our money on. He made a comment about how we seem to fall in to being better at spending our money on things we want, rather than need, a seemingly common thing for people to do. “… Like instead of new siding, we buy his theater equipment and my trailers”… what??? “My trailers??” I can get  a trailer??  His answer was “sure, if you can get it in your name and such”  *GREEN LIGHT!!*

So, the next day, I looked up the trailer I had seen the week before and realized it was at an RV dealer an hour away. Needless to say, I went there the next day and bought it! It took about 2 minutes to be approved. So, I text him, tell him how I was approved, the payments were under $200 and I bought it. He was at work, All I got was “okay”!  Crap! I am in trouble!  I spent the next hour, as soon as I got home, cleaning the house and making dinner, frantically, for when he got home. Hoping to soften the blow. He immediately realized what I was doing and said “Honey, you are not in trouble, I just thought we would do this together”!  Later he came to my office and asked me if we could at least call it my Valentine’s present. He always gives me roses for Valentine’s, so yes, it can be my Valentine’s present for the rest of my life. So, realizing this, Her name came to mind and that the moral to the story was “yes! sex works”?

The name My Funny Valentine was born! Even though her name is not “Tiki”  I do however, have a name for my theme this summer. My trailer has black polka dots on the red, along with my red truck, so I have earned the name “Lady Bug Lady”. So I have decided to name my theme “Lady Bug Luau Tiki Bar”. I plan on creating some artwork to go along with the theme. A sign most likely!

What is your favorite Tiki drink?

 Angela- This one I am still working on. Unfortunately, due to weight issues (cocktails are my largest contributor to this problem) I have taken a break from drinking, except this weekend I took a break from my break. LOL! Sadly, I was planning on making a batch of rum punch called “Duvall Crawl” a recipe I sweet talked a bartender at the Ocean Key in Key West into sharing. But one of my ‘now adult’ children…um not naming names, LOL drank all of my rum. I do plan on trying out various rums in the near future and will experiment with some of the cocktail recipes I have been collecting. I think I will start with the classic Mai Tai and go from there. Watch for future mixing, I love to mix drinks! So, the experimenting will be fun! I do make a mean “Margarita” known by some friends to be self-proclaimed aficionado to be “one of the best margaritas they have had”. I also make a delicious all from scratch Mojito and also last year, for a Kentucky Derby theme that never happened, I concocted an improved “Mint Julep, Michigan style” as well!

What does the future hold for you and My Funny Valentine? 

Angela- Well the first thing is to finish the theme for this season, and the outside set up, is still being made. I am hoping that some of this theme will spill over into my real home. Probably starting with my patio, pool and back yard! We shall see. I probably will either have a new theme next year, or revisit one of my past themes. But this theme will always be near and dear to my heart and also will be revisited in the future as well. If I ever decide to park the trailer as part of my back yard, I may keep the tiki theme as the permanent theme!

Anything else you would like to add?  

Angela– I just want to thank you for this opportunity. I am so thrilled and honored!  I hope my rambling and stories add to your blog. I can “go on” at times. I think all of this quarantining has gotten to me and being able to talk about something I am passionate about lets the words spill out!

If anyone is interested in following the tales of ‘My Funny Valentine’ and our adventures, she has a Facebook fan page at: My Funny Valentine RV 

Many more additions to the Tiki theme and the best part will be the full set up at the end of May! I will share more photos and also usually add videos as well!