Nightmare Theatre Revived

"Shoot what ever baloney you want, just make sure it's seven reels long!"

I have mentioned a few times in the past that Mr. Husband Sir is part of a horror host show called Nightmare Theatre (Mr. Husband Sir as El Sapo, along with The Baron and Mittens the Werewolf).  It started off 17 years ago with them propping up a camcorder in a stationary location (probably on a pile of girly magazines) and one of them pressing record before appearing on camera themselves.  No fancy camera angles, no multiple takes, no staff and no budget.  But for what they didn't have in materials was well made up for in talent and humor. They have had the show on the TV air waves of all the local and free access stations they could arrange.  They also have live shows at local and regional venues presenting great music/bands, costume contests, freebies, and a feature movie presentation every October.

The most recent and biggest thing to happen to Nightmare Theatre just wrapped up a couple of weeks ago....They are going to be on our local PBS station for an entire season!
A set on a sound stage was built for them with real lighting affects, not a corner of our house with a table lamp and a colored bulb in it as normally would happen.  They had a paid staff including a camera crew with directors and editors, normally they would recruit family and friends as free staff and actors...well, actually that did still happen....
Sounds expensive right?!  Luckily the money came from a generous donation by a local entrepreneur who happens to have an interest in movie memorabilia.  Side note: The actual Nightmare Theatre crew and 'staff' received no monetary reimbursements.  What a bunch of maroons! 

So 13 NEW and amazing episodes are on their way premiering Oct 27, 2018 at 10 pm (showing on PBS Florida panhandle and possibly also Alabama as well)!

Here they are doing some green screen work for promos.  Even have a teleprompter, fancy pants!

I had several involvements and roles myself in/for the show.  I was prop master, creative contributor, stage hand, photographer, and an extra.  PB will also be on two episodes.

Almost (more on that in a moment) all of the filming is wrapped up and now the station is working on the editing.  At the beginning of November there is going to be a live event premiere at the station with a tour of the set, photo ops, and a screening of an extra bonus Nightmare Theatre episode....
Plan 9 From Outer Space!

The first segment of the Plan 9 episode is going to be live on stage for the premiere.  The rest of the episode is going to be shot in September, and then shown on the big screen at the station for the Premiere attendants viewing pleasure.

I don't want to give any spoilers away, so for now I have to keep a lid on it about the props and segments...but I will be definitely posting about everything when it's a go.

Here is the Press Release from the station with an incorrect list of the movies.

and here are a few past posts involving Nightmare Theatre:
Tears of Shame
Horror Host Fame

Crafty Wares Selling Suitcase 2018
El Sapo lassos the moon 2017
Criswell Predicts 2007
Scrap Crafty T-Shirt Corset 2006

Peek-a-Boo Tie 2006
Our Bizarre Bazaar 2005

I'm A SHMO

Every boy wants a Remco toy..and so do girls!

It gets farther and fewer between that I come across much awesome joy sparking vintage items at the thrifts anymore.  But last week I happened to come across this 1959 SHMO Tumblebum Remco game for five bucks.

The box is huge, measuring 24 inches by 14 inches and 3 inches deep.  The game board is 2 feet by about 4 feet.

It has all the pieces except for a couple of little boys.

Awww..little PBs!

To 'throw' the dice the player spins a plastic hour glass with a couple of dice in it that only have 1, 2, 3 on their sides.

Being a 'SHMO' ain't good.  Every time you land on a SHMO space he has done something involving tomfoolery...

He forgot his trousers.

He brushes his teeth with shaving cream.  He puts salt in his dad's coffee.

He also walks through wet cement and takes the wrong school bus, among other doofus things.

Each time the player lands on a SHMO space they must take a SHMO card and perform whatever it says, such as cackling like a chicken or walking like a gorilla.

Because of the size of the game board and that it involves some physical activity and math I could see this being a fun and doable game for an elementary class.  Only the card that says "Pat your head and rub your tummy and say "I'm a fat SHMO!" should be discarded before playing!

Happy Happy Birthday Birthday

Last year I didn't want anything to do with my birthday party planning.  I was so busy working on my KonMari-ing and didn't want an extra thing on my plate.  Mr. Husband Sir and PB decided to plan and decorate a secret themed party just for me!

Ren and Stimpy themed!

They printed out a bunch of fun Ren and Stimpy images and hung them up all over the dining room.

They also placed Ren and Stimpy toys and DVD sets out as decor.

But the neatest thing was this Gritty Kitty Litter cake, complete with tootsie roll poops!

After a scoop of litter cake we headed over to Chuck E. Cheese's where a kid can be a kid!  Or an old lady can be for the afternoon!

Check out these past Ren and Stimpy Posts:
Oh Joy! Valentines
Crock-o-Christmas
West Pole Wreath
Santa Yule Log from Blamo

Banana Scallops

image source

A golden brown surprise~Banana Scallops!
French fried bananas-new style!
Serve as a vegetable!

As an impromptu dessert, I made a small batch of these Banana Scallops.  Since they weren't going to be served as a vegetable as the recipe suggested, I added some cinnamon to the coating along with serving them with shredded coconut and a drizzle of honey.

I have to say they look like a vegetable, yummy fried okra.
 I found these to be a bit bland if you make them as suggested.  I think I improved and upgraded them for sure in a dessert form.

The complete suggested Company Dinner consists of :
Tomato Juice
Hamburgers
Banana Scallops
Califlower
Lettuce Salad
Orange Sherbet
Cookies
Beverage

This meal certainly makes a beautiful plate, with it's parsley bunches of flare and all. It's an odd sort of food choices though.   I don't think I have ever had a big head of cauliflower offered to me in this way.  Usually it's steamed and cut into more manageable pieces.  And I've never been offered just a hamburger patty sans bun, lettuce, tomato, etc.
I guess I have never been company at a house that would also pass fried bananas off as seafood but also calling them a vegetable.  It's probably for the best I have never been to these folks house, they may be a bit on the crazy side.

Original Recipe:

Archie and Edith, Four Year Anny

"Gee, our old LaSalle ran great!
Those were the days!"

I came up with the idea that Mr. Husband Sir and I are going to take a "famous" couples photo every year for our anniversary.  We are a few months off getting this one done for our 4 year.

We didn't do one for our first or third anniversary but for our Second Wedding Anny we were the couple from the Twilight Zone episode, Nick of Time.

 This year we are Archie and Edith Bunker from the television show, All In The Family, opening credits.  I put a panther on the piano similar to the one they had on their television set.  The sheet music on our piano is for a song called "Sweethearts" (1938), which I thought was a clever add on.

Who will we portray for our fifth?  I'll have to think on it.  I am kinda leaning toward an obscure couple from the Andy Griffith Show that I happened to reference in the Nick of Time post.

Bonus feature of this photo is a sneak peek of the dining room, finally decorated! 

Home Ec Text Books

In my last installment of Back to School, Mid Century Style, I am featuring my collection of  vintage Home Ec books.  I have picked most of these up from thrift stores over the years. Here's a brief rundown of each one: 

First up is the stunningly beautiful front covered 'How You Plan and Prepare Meals" from 1962.  The very first chapter is "Let's Have a Party"!  What a fun way to start off a class!  This book in general focuses on meals, manners, table settings, nutrition, the basic food groups, cooking terms, safety, and recipes.

Here are a few other images within the book:

Apron clad gals in an amazing Home Ec classroom kitchen....could those possibly be Youngstown Kitchen Cabinets?!

There are recipes and special considerations for the bed ridden sick person, being offered by a rather homely gal.

There are many pages dedicated to the right way to eat foods.  Such as how to use your spoon properly when eating soup.  Hint:  Don't put your face in it like a dog.

My next book is "Food and Family Living" from 1947.  The original copyright date is from 1931. This copy belonged to a great grand mother I never met but it was passed down to me since the family knew of my interest on the subject. It's primary topics include: planning and preparing meals, canning, food management, health and nutrition, and recipes. 

There are not many fun photos, most of them are very utilitarian, just showing cuts of meat.  But here are two of interest.

This husband and wife are canning their food in actual metal cans at a community center.  I had never heard of this before.  Kinda neat!  I would have to design my own can labels if I did this.  Something like: Mary's Marvelous Kernels of Corn, with a picture of my face smiling with corn for teeth.

These ladies are painting fake produce to be used as examples for grading foods for the Bureau of Agricultural Economics.   That display would make for great kitchen decor!

"Food For Better Living" registered to the Home Ec Lab in 1954.  This book's contents focus on the vitamin C family (1st chapter), food groups, budget meals, freezing foods, manners, safety, kitchen design, recipes, equipment, and parties.  In the index is a list of audio visual filmstrips to be played for each chapter, some even being silent.  One of these days, I'll have to try to locate some of those films on youtube. 

Here are a few images:

I love this perfectly arranged table for a Tea Party, makes me want to throw one myself!  Only I wouldn't want anyone to touch anything and mess it up.  The guests could view the lovely table, even have a few photos taken by it.  Then I would scurry them off to the kitchen for dixie cups of Kool-Aid and Dollar tree cookies to be eaten over the sink.

"This 4H Club member is a state winner in bread-making."  And she has awesome hair!

"Neat clothing and attractive tables are important in good homemaking."  These gals and their table sure look splendid!

Danish Apple dessert, made with bread crumbs, butter and topped with meringue.
This book is my most favorite I think.  It has lots of neat photos and great sounding recipes. 

There's also a desert called Praline Christmas Cake that sounds super yummy.  It seems like a combination of a coffee cake and an upside down cake with butter, brown sugar, and nuts.

"Family Living" 1950
I have this book right now on loan from the university, however it is a high school text book.  It's not focused on food as the others have been.  It centers on being in a family, looking forward to marriage some day, personality, getting along with people, and caring for children.

There are no photos just comic sketches in this book, none of which were very funny.  I found it interesting that even with this book being from 1950 the idea of dividing household tasks was highly recommended.  The chart above was for the student to see how progressive their thoughts on the subject were, with more answers of  'either' and 'both' being most modern.

"Exploring Home and Family Living" 1959
This book is perfect in that it covers many broad topics: family, food groups, meals, managing money and time, small children, personal grooming, sewing, parties, home safety, making gifts, cleaning and tiding, and being a good friend.

I love this breakfast of crisscrossed sausage links, mint leaf edged grapefruit halves, and butter balls.  The tabasco has a cozie on.

What makes a happy home?  Giant sacks of money in your front yard!

image courtesy of The Popcorn Institute.  Home style popcorn in a skillet.  Most people nowadays think it can only be made in the microwave.

Lots of great subjects that are immensely needed in today's world. I am sure I could do with a refresher myself even.  There is bound to be tons of stuff I don't know at all.

I'll have to get busy reading these books so I can catch up on Home Ec skills I never learned since I was cut short of my class in 7th grade!

Home Ec Youngstown Kitchen

This week on MHICTY it's "Back to School", mid century style.  In my last post I presented some of the adorable MC bits that still remain in PB's past middle school, which happened to also be my past middle school for the better part of 7th grade in the 1980s.  In my first semester there, I took an art class, and then in second semester I took (for only a month or so) HOME EC!!! In this amazing room outfitted with Youngstown Diana Steele Cabinetry and signature boomerang hardware!

There are about 3 full kitchen stations set up in the room.  I left the class (we moved a lot) right before we were going to do a sewing project which was ironically...an apron!

Over the rest of my school years I never got another opportunity to take a Home Ec class.  They really aren't offered in schools anymore that I am aware of.  Even 'Future Homemakers of America' is now known by the politically correct and vastly boring name of 'Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America'. This room is still intact I am guessing because once every other year the school offers a class that has a small section on cooking, which I am willing to bet is the only school in our district that even does this.  I wanted PB to take that course for my own reasons of getting to volunteer and spend time in the room, but it didn't work out with his other class options.

These pictures were taken when PB was in 6th grade and this room happened to be his homeroom.  I had planned to come back and take much better photos but at the time I didn't realize the teachers moved to different class rooms several times during the school year.  The next set of teachers in this room were not part of his course schedule so these are the best photos I ever got.

It crosses my mind all the time that somewhere in an old storage area at the school is a box full of replacement handles...just sitting there.

It's a shame Home Ec isn't taught properly anymore.  I do my own mini summer class with PB which I call "Life Skillz" (using a 'z' because it's what old folks would think is the hip way to spell it!) that is my own home version of a Home Ec class.  We do a little bit of cooking, cleaning, and organizing around the house together in a teaching fashion.  Next summer we may do some sewing.  He doesn't like my "class", but he needs to know how to clean a bathroom and scramble an egg.

On the subject of Youngstown Kitchens, enjoy a couple of videos I found on Youtube featuring Diana in some form!

First is a 1953 fun sing-a-long for Youngstown Kitchens with a mention of The Diana Style cabinets.  Follow the bouncing ball and give 'em hell!:

And a 1951 Youngstown salesman educational film on how to demonstrate their dishwasher with   hydro-brush action to Mr. and Mrs. Customer featuring a Diana goddess statue that comes to life, works for free and flirts with Mr. Allen, the promotions department manager and a good looking chap in Kansas City.  I think she may be a relative to Mr. B. Natural  since she also possesses powers to make things appear, disappear and with such a chipper attitude. Next up, Home Ec, by the book!

Mid Century Middle School

Since it's "Back To School" around our house, I thought I would do a few mid century school posts for the week.  PB's middle school, which he just "graduated" from, happens to be mid century and still retains several amazing bits of mid century architecture.

There are gorgeous slate brick walls flanking the entry.

Most of the floors are terrazzo.

Many of the rooms have along the back wall a long shelf of aluminum edged 'Cracked Ice' Formica counter tops.

Another neat thing about PB's middle school is that I happened to go to middle school there myself a little over a half year when I was in 7th grade back in the 1980's.
It was at this school that I first took an art class.  At the time I wasn't into school too much but I loved my art class.  It was one of the only classes I always got recognition in (that and writing).  I remember doing a kaleidoscope repeating pattern project that I wrote "RAD" across it.  The pattern was very 1980's Memphis Design.  And of course "RAD" was the word all the cool kids said.  The teacher hung it up on a billboard near the lunchroom with a few other student's work. The billboard is still there and in 7th grade for PB he happened to have a recognition "Panther Paw" on it for the speech he made during his mock presidential election.   For writing, I wrote a Halloween story that was published in the school paper and a poem that was included in a district compilation.  I can't remember what the poem was about.  I did however come across the story while doing my KonMari Tidying.  It's tucked away in a storage bin so I can't access it right now.  Which might be for the best for you all!

During my first semester I took the Art class, then during my second semester I took....
One of my favorite rooms is coming up next!

side note:  I just noticed this is my 1000th post!