SANTA'S HOUSE

This morning I got to see Santa's house and workshop!  Not in the North Pole but in my own little town of Fullerton, CA.  You see, today is Thursday and that means I was out shopping Estate Sales.  Today one of the sales happened to be at a home in Fullerton that was owned by Mr. Bob Von Fliss aka Santa Bob!

The house was full of treasures.  There were the usual kitchen items, books and crafts but there was also the bedroom full of his clothes and costumes.  His Santa suit, black boots with the white fur cuff on top, not to mention Mrs. Santa's outfit!  There was a room full of Christmas dolls and ornaments and miniatures for doll houses.  Even the carpet throughout the house was Santa red!  There were ornaments and garland still decorating the living and dining rooms.  I walked around to the back yard and there was a small workshop behind the house.  This must have been where "Santa" did all his work. 

The house belonged to Bob and Dottie Von Fliss.  These 2 have quite a history!  Dottie worked as a carhop at the famous Simons Drive-In on  Wilshire Blvd.in Los Angeles, CA.  Bob was the co-founder of The National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts.  Together they owned an antique shop that specialized in dollhouse miniatures called the High Button Shoe.

An article in the Orange County Register dated November 24, 2005, gave this account of how the Von  Fliss' started their Santa careers:

      "One day, when Bob was out shopping, the woman who owned Dixie Doodle Entertainment approached him and said what a great Santa he'd make. He was rather portly and had a magnificent, flowing white beard. (Real-beard Santas, he says, are hard to find.)   She then asked if he'd be willing to work a party that night. She was in a bind. He agreed and said he'd bring his own Mrs. Claus.   A jolly new career was born for Bob and Dottie.   They didn't do malls, but could be found at plenty of posh parties from Beverly Hills to Newport Beach. In later years, a Beverly Hills agent began booking their appearances.   Dottie was adorable in her fur-trimmed, red-velvet jacket, fitted at the waist with a flared peplum, red skirt and red suede boots.

Bob even played Santa in a TV program called "Ferbus' First Christmas" on December 12th 1995. It was part of the "Masked Rider" series. He also played Santa in the "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers" in a TV episode called "I'm Dreaming of a White Ranger" and also in "V.R.Troopers" in an episode called "Santa's Secret Trooper".

I've shopped at the home of Mr. Wendell "Bud" Hurlburt who worked for Mr. Knott of Knotts Berry Farm.  He is the man who designed and built the Calico Mine Ride and the Timber Mountain Log Ride.  He also established Castle Theme Park in Riverside, CA.

I love to go to these Estate Sales and get lost in time looking at all the things of the past.  You can almost feel the presence of these people and see what their life used to be.