Are We There Yet?

We have a few trips planned this summer that are fast approaching.   To keep us entertained for a marginal part of the adventure I made us a few no-batteries-required fundries (that's sundries that are fun, get it?).

Everything involves laminated paper and a simple wipe off marker!

 Magic Slates! 

 Magic slates are so fun!  Finding neat vintage ones that still work is a bit of a task and can be somewhat pricey. While these do not have the added bonus of lifting the crinkly screen to magically remove the scratched-on doodles, they are still fun to doodle on. To make these I found a few images of cute vintage Magic Slates which I printed out and then laminated.  After the road trip I think I may put a magnet on the back and place them on the fridge for writing reminders and notes on. 

Etch-A-Sketch!

An actual Etch-A-Sketch is a great item for travel since it is all self contained and hours are needed to produce something decent. I made these really to just be wipe-off blank slates for drawing on.  

Dapper Dan (aka Woolly Willie)

Dapper Dan, in his original form, is also a self contained toy but truthfully frustrating to manipulate while traveling down the road. I think this is an improvement and much easier for facial feature fashioning since it only involves drawing. 

Everything I made is just printed images that I laminated at PB's school.  If you don't have access to a laminating machine, clear contact paper could be used.  I also mounted everything on card stock prior to laminating so it would have a more substantial backing.

Here are the images that I used if you are interested in making some road trip fundries for yourself!

 The Dapper Dan has a back with "serving suggestions"!

Because we do have a few small trips impending, MHICTY will also be on vacation for a couple of weeks.  I will see you all back in the near future with adventures to report upon!

National Fried Chicken Day!

With it being National Fried Chicken Day let's celebrate with some finger lick'n goodness.  I have a mixed piece bucket of random KFC pressure fried fun for you! I found this really neat clip from 1963 of Colonel Sanders on the television show "What's My Line?" In recent times, KFC has come up with some superbly funny commercials and advertising featuring SNL's Darrell Hammond. "And if I could, I'd put chicken in the lemonade." On the KFC website is a "Hall of Colonels" that is cute and quirky. Each colonel tells a little story/ song/interactive video game about his peculiar life. Stuff like him shooting someone and delivering babies.  You get to do these things in the video game too!

But by far my favorite Colonel Sanders-ness is this vintage picture of a little girl wearing a mask of him and hanging out with Spiderman and Batman!

Go forth and enjoy 11 secret herbs and spices!

National UFO Day!

Today is National UFO day.
But how does one celebrate this holiday while keeping from being abducted and probed?
I have a few suggestions!

Watch a favorite UFO film.

Make your very own cow abduction center piece for your home!

(spray painted paper plates, domed lid from an Icee, a glass vase, AstroTurf samples, and an unsuspecting victim)

And for eats...

Spaghetti Monsters!

(Pasta cooked within pieces of hot dogs)

UFO ships!
(Biscuits with meatballs)

And for dessert...Donut Space Ships!
(Made from glazed donuts and holes)


See more UFO shenanigans and details on these creations from PB's recent b-day party:
In Search of... Aliens

In Search Of ...Party Food
Operation 11 Candles

Trust No One!

Peanut Twist Ups

I love collecting vintage Pillsbury Grand National Bake Off cook-booklets. I have a small collection so far of  #2 (1950) thru #7 (1955).  I have gotten most of them for Christmas from PB.  I plan on collecting up to #11 (1959), maybe a few early 60's but nothing past that.

I happened to find the 16th (1964) edition at a thrift store.  It's interesting to me how much the design, colors, and look of the cook booklet is so "70's" to me. I am not going to put the front cover up on this post because I don't like it.  It's all brown and orange and dark blah.  It's also weird to me that the grand prize winning recipe (Peacheesy Pie) didn't get the cover spot but the senior third prize winning recipe for Fudge Ribbon Cake made it. And if you really want to get me started you can't even make Fudge Ribbon Cake anymore because it calls for a defunct convenience product called Nestle's Choco Bake. 

But that isn't the focus of this post.  I was flipping through the cook booklet recently and found this recipe for Peanut Twist-Ups by Junior Winner Connie Maley of Hershey, Pennsylvania.  I happened to have a jar of Apple Butter in my fridge in need of usage (other than my eating it straight!) and the recipe called for so few ingredients so I tried it out.

But hold up!  Before you start dragging out your measuring spoons, I have to report that we didn't care for this recipe.  It was very bland and dry.  BUT I do think the dough could make an excellent pie crust. I have never heard of using cream cheese in a pie crust dough but I do lead a rather sheltered life. Maybe it's common knowledge.  

I plan on trying the pie crust idea out at some point and will give a full report.

Until then, here are a couple of other recipes I have made with excellent results from past Pillsbury Grand Nationals:

$25,000 Orange Kiss Me Cake 1950

Cranberry Coconut Holidainty 1953

Clean Up Time..grab a rake.

Look at this mess!

This is going to take some time to clean up so I will have to catch up with everyone in a week or so.

C'mon Ethel...Wake up.  I got some black coffee on the stove for you...along with a broom and dust pan.

Decennial MHICTY: 10 year Blogiversary GALA!!!

Welcome to
My House Is Cuter Than Yours
Decennial Gala Event!!

Come on in!
I am so glad you were able to make it to the Gala!
Let's head down to the Rumpus Room!

You can place your wrap in here...
Oh... This is Jean.  Don't mind her.
She kinda started the party a few hours ago.
 Just pile your stuff on her. But be warned...any loose change she claims it!

Let's move on!  

I have a few friends I want you to meet! 

Ok... Act cool... Remember those red carpet folks I told you about?

This is Gene and Pat.  They own Red Carpet Rentals Limited of Nebraska!

For all your fancy gala carpet rental needs give them a call!

Since we are friends I got a discount on that red carpet you saw in the entry way!

Man, they are sooo cool!

Hey guys! 

Having a good time? Good! Good! 

See you later for the limbo contest!

Oh...Watch out.

Here comes Big Mouth Bernice....  

I told her I would only let her come to the Gala if she helped out and kept her trap shut.

Grab a libation and some nibbles from her but be quick about it.  She loves to tell folks about her 10 year plan!

Hey there Bernie! Looking good!

 Let's make our way to the buffet!  I had the best food put there anyway!

Help yourself and enjoy!

I went all out!  Every way meat can be manipulated....

potted, sliced, diced, boiled, processed, cubed, jellied and olive laden!

Don't forget to try some delicious sandwich loaf.. olive laden as well!

Lots of lamb and relish delicacies!

Not quite sure what those cubed cream colored chunks are....maybe steer clear off those.

I have an array of sweets for everyone to sample as well!

The creepy clown ice cream dessert with cheez whiz facial hair is for Gladys.

But I am sure she won't mind if you try a bite.

We better get back to the party!

Miriam and Bob are about to perform their crowd pleasing accordion musical numbers!

Polka covers of all the favorites!

Such as: "No Sleep till Brooklyn", "Holiday in Cambodia", "Yes We have No Bananas"....You name it, they know it!

Get out there on the dance floor!  I'll hold your Pink Squirrel cocktail for you.

Wow!  I didn't know you knew how to do the Mashed Potato!

Speaking of delicious carbohydrates, it's time for some cake!

Don't forget to sing the Happy Blogiversery Song while I blow out the candles!

Gladys...geez..if you don't know the words to the song don't just make them up!

It's not "glad tidings of fried spam"!  It's " glad tidings of jellied ham"!

Oh? What's that you say?

A present?!

 You brought me a hostess gift?  How lovely!

Well let's see what it is!

Oh! I LOVE it!!!! Thank you so much!
I love the prison tattoo star you added on it!

It's really too much!

Oh, keep laughing Millie!

What did you get for me?

Well ooh la la!

This is such a useful item!
It will go so well with my Doll Head toilet paper cozy and toilet seat cover!

I happen to have a little gift for all of you dear guests!

A can opener with an umbrella on it!

(To keep your hand dry when you open cans in the rain!)

Ruth got me a whole box for 1.75....It pays to know people!

Well it's about time to wrap this shindig up. I have to be up early tomorrow to make it out for the Canned Cream Corn Council Convention.  (Free samples to the first 100 attendees!)

Let's end with a toast.
Martha is well known for her excellent send offs!
Everybody raise your paper dixie cups!

"Cheers to many more years

My House Is Cuter Than Yours!

May your floors always shine,

 and the marshmallow fluff salad surprise be divine.

We hope your future adventures to be quirky,

and your crafty doo-dads be perky.

We all wish you thrift scores a-plenty,

and the perfect recipe for Brown Betty!

Now it's time for us to scoot,

We understand you have to give us the boot.

Good luck with the chores,

We think your the ginchiest,

My House Is cuter Than Yours!"

That was beautiful Martha! It's worthy of a tombstone engraving!

Now everyone,

here are some straws and ziplock bags...take those drinks to go!

Move 'em on, Head 'em out!

 Thanks for coming folks! 

Decennial MHICTY: House Tour

Welcome back dear readers!    This is the ninth post celebrating 

My House Is Cuter Than Yours 

10 year blogiversary retrospective and more!

Today we are going to have a bit of a true life house tour.

For MHICTY's first blogiversary in 2006, I threw an online shindig!

 Along with having a wild web party and virtual hor d'oeuvres, I also gave a tour of my favorite room in my actual house, the kitchen.  (for more photos)  

In 2007, to celebrate the second blogiversary, I gave a tour of PB's nursery:

PB's not-up-to-code but super cute crib! He lived...

( See here for more photos)

For the ten year celebration this year, I thought it might be fun to show you some images of the exterior of our house we bought in 2011.  Please don't file these away for stalking purposes.

This is a listing pic of our house and it was looking ultra cute!

Built in 1950.

When I first went to look at the house I thought it was so adorable that it was too good for us and our paltry meager possessions!

Another listing image:

 Well, the cuteness wore off (or flaked off) along with the adorable planter boxes, when we had to have extensive wood rot repair done along with a new paint job. 

Currently our house is looking much better!

A close-up of the aluminum fence detail.

We have a lot of work still to do on the inside and the landscaping needs some additional assistance.
Maybe by the 11th blogiversary I will have some decent interior images to share!

Next up!  Get your best suit pressed because it's the official

My House Is Cuter Than Yours 
10 year Blogiversary Gala

Don't forget to bring your dancing shoes!