Scrap Crafty~ T-shirt Corset

okay! I am really really proud of this t-shirt recon!!! I put waaay more work into it than the halter (which I now plan on going back and spiffing up a bit). This t-shirt is from my friends TV show, Nightmare Theatre and could be viewed as a collectors item since the shirt is out of print (you know who you are ...and don't laugh at that). Doesn't it make me look stacked too!

back view

close up of back
I used the same spider web fabric as Mrs. F's apron along the sides of the back closure and put those eyelets in myself
(those are fun to do!)

this is a better shot of the image on the front

Now for the how to....I made it all up as I went along. I can tell you that I patterned the basic shape after the same shirt that I made the halter from. I also put some elastic along the front edge to ensure it would not slip down. For the back I sewed on 2 panels of the spider web fabric and put 1 row of boning on each side. I hammered in the eyelets and then used red ribbon for the lacing.

I am soo loving this top! I plan on making Dixie Doll Heather one as well, since her hubby is The Baron on Nightmare Theatre. Then she and I are going to go to the events and wear them and be Nightmare Theatre whores! Ha ha ha!

"Always perfect" Cinnamon Twists

Made these lovely Cinnamon Twists for Sunday's dessert. I voted they were a bit dry but as I reread the ad, I realized my mistake... I didn't use Gold Medal flour! In the ad they claim near devastation if you use anything but! Apparently Gold Medal's baking qualities are so superb that using any other flour will not give you "deliciously perfect bakings, every time" and "You good cooks know that!". Don't I just feel silly? How could I have even thought to use some other flour. Gold Medal and Betty Crocker teamed up for this "always perfect" recipe. Of course Mrs. B. Crocker had to open her pie-hole to cause me to further doubt my kitchen and baking skills. She claimed the recipe was .."tested and tasted...checked and rechecked. We've tested the uncertainty right out of it!". Yeah!? I wish Betty would offer those same services to all aspects in my life. She could be my own personal future teller and risk taker in a devil's food cake box!

Be armed with Gold Medal flour and proceed!

Household magazine January 1950

RECIPE:

Don't forget to use Gold Medal Flour! You don't want to piss off Betty Crocker! She looks like a force to be reckoned with!

Scrap Crafty~T-shirt reconstruction

My newest sewing project is taking my old cool HUGE t-shirts and reconstructing them into more figure flattering tops. This Descendents 1997 tour shirt was like a tent for two.. I didn't take any before pics of it... sorry, just trust me. For the pattern I laid another top that I liked the style of over the large tee and went to cutting away. I am fairly happy with the results and it didn't take but a few hours to make . I have 2 other shirts that are on the cutting table, only not being made into halters. A girl needs choices, right? Here I am as casual gal! I can't wear my heels and pearls all the time!

Golden Treasure Upside-Down Cake

from The American Home magazine February 1958


I took it easy on the victims this week and made a 'normal' dessert. No jello, no marshmallows, no condensed soups, no hidden ingredients. It is a simple spice cake (from a mix) with the only twist being it is a peach upside down cake. I got the recipe from an ad peddling canned cling peaches:

My 'superb' upside-down cake
(at least the recipe in the magazine promised that)

Recipe:

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Golden Treasure Upside-Down Cake

1 spice cake mix
1 1/2- 2 cups sliced cling peaches
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

Melt butter, mix in brown sugar and pour into bottom of greased ring mold. Arrange drained canned peach slices round bottom of the mold. Pour in spice cake mix (prepared as directed). Bake about 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

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The cake was very good and simple to make. The peaches along the top give it an "ohh la la" presentation, which I am completely into. Highly recommended for your next lady's bridge gathering or Mexican-wrestlers-are-dreamy fan club meeting.

Merry Cherry Scary....A make ahead delight!

As promised, here are the 'leftovers' from yesterday's Swapatorium post:

I made this lovely and exciting salad, Merry Cherry Salad, which can double as dessert as Household Magazine boldly claims. Really, though, is it not beautiful? With the bright red cherries and ultra white marshmallows peaking through it's pale pink wedges of frozen perfection?

Household magazine June 1957

As you can see from my attempt below...Things can go horribly wrong. This photograph is not touched up... it turned that horrendous shade of pink all on its own. I followed the recipe and no perfect cherry and marshmallow contrast was to be had...it turned out looking more like a hot pink congealed technicolor yawn*. Now saying that, I didn't even try one bite of it. I did however subject my victims to this luscious treat. Poor souls, they are really too supportive. Not only did they report that it tasted great but thought it was a beautiful presentation as well.

Oh, and those furry white things are known as Coconut Snowballs and are quite a delicacy and highly recommended.

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The Recipes
(click on image for larger viewing)

(the recipe forgot to mention what to do with the marshmallows..
so I just tossed them in the mixture right before freezing)

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Enjoy if you so desire!

not included in the swapoturium post:

* "to do the techicolor yawn, to blow chow, to summon the earl...."

JOIN US!!!!

come on in!

i'm sorry, but robert's got diarrhea
and the kids both have lice, so...
it's just going to be us.

i hope you're hungry!

~mikwright


I'm over at the Swapatorium today! Stop by and sit a spell!
I'll be serving up the leftovers here tomorrow.

the hanks

This most amazing band played my little town last weekend. I am just completely awestruck by their music, their performance and their lyrics...

*************************************

Once Again

Your attitude's brand new, it seems that you're back into me again,
though I'm having trouble even standing here being your friend.
Am I just supposed to wipe clean all the messes of our past,
and forget the year I gave you that you didn't let last?

(chorus:)
You've done it, once again.
Foolishly, I've fallen.
Will there ever be peace for a romantic like me?
I'll wait by the phone and see.

The passion is still there but so are all the stupid little things,
we let get between us, along with all the heartache that they bring.
My pulse quickens as I touch you for the first time in so long,
and my heart's too married to my head to know if this is wrong.

(chorus)
(bridge:)
Think out for hours each word that we say.
If I come back will you even stay?
Should I run with your amorous play,
or should I run away?

(final chorus:)

You've done it once again.
Foolishly, I've fallen,
Will there ever be hope for a girl like you with me?
I'll give up my heart to see.

Sometimes

"Do I deserve this?" I ask myself, nervously looking deep into your eyes. You smile back sadly, we're ending so badly, though it's darkly funny, I guess. Hopelessly I beg away, though you don't care what I say. So I say we won't be "just friends" and I walk away, I walk away.

And sometimes I stop and stare, though I know it's much better if I just don't care. Sometimes you stare back so long, why don't you just move, not keep me holding on?

God how I miss you now that I can't kiss you and ask if you've had a good day. My dreams are so lonely, if we could've only managed to not throw it away. But maybe it's better this way, a thought you quietly conveyed. As all my worst fears came true, and night suddenly shrouded the day.

And sometimes I stop and stare, though I know it's much better if I just don't care. Sometimes you stare back so long, why don't you just move, not keep me holding on?

Your kindness is awfully cruel, when it just keeps me in love with you like a fool. And seeing you every day just serves to keep me here, pining away. Your emotions seem to be at odds with all of the things you told me. And when you smile my way I almost expect you to say...

...that sometimes I stop and stare, though I know it's much better if I just don't care. Sometimes you stare back so long, why don't you just move, not keep me holding on?

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It's safe to say that I have become quite addicted to listening to their album, and I'm not exaggerating here...about 10 times a day. For me, the tone and mood of the music in a song speaks to me, I view the vocals as just another instrument most of the time. Their music as a whole pulls me in and just grabs me. 'Bruised' and 'luggage vs. baggage' are two such songs that no matter what the lyrics are, the vocals are so beautifully delivered that they intertwine with the music in such a way that have a severe hold on my heart. In 'luggage vs. baggage' there is a point at 3:18 that has to be the most lovely and beautiful musical piece my ears have ever heard. Of course, they have lovely lyrics also as it just makes this love affair of mine even more strong.
I can't even begin to describe how amazing it was to watch them perform.....They only performed about 7 songs but for that short time I was transfixed and any and all worries I had on my mind left briefly.
I don't get into doing the meme's so instead I offer this post as a small insight into my life other than my normal serving of vintage babblings.

just added this photo from their gallery...is it not lovely?

Kick me when I'm down

Dear readers, it's sad to say but it's true... there is no such thing as an original idea. I love to think I have them all the time but I found something last night that shot my hopes and dreams down. I honestly had it in my mind that I was going to get this idea patented and make millions......I was going to make the circuit and tour the country, no, make that the world!... I was going to be in demand and next big thing! My idea? The Drag Queen Cake...




I discovered this last night..... Boo!!! I made "Ta-Ta Licious" about 2 years ago while I was at my mom's during her first shoulder surgery. She had a cake pan for making hoop skirt cakes for birthdays and wedding showers with girl tops and I didn't see why a man doll wouldn't enjoy wearing a frilly dress also. Ah well.... I guess I better get back to working on another idea that will just be pulled out from underneath me.

~UPDATE~ the "this" cake link apparently isn't working due to something going on over at craftster....

Hooray! Yipee! Woo Hoo!

from the swapatorium archives

I am as giddy as this gal in her aluminum pig tails...matter of fact, I might just have to make me a set of those and run around acting a fool! I have been asked to be a monthly contributor to, in my opinion, one of the BEST blogs around...Swapatorium! If you have never been over there...Go!...Go Now! I'll be here when you get back.

I will be doing a post once a month on vintage recipes and foods that I make. My first post will be next Friday, June 28th.

I was browsing some of the swapatorium archives and came across a few things that I thought my dear readers would LOVE! Something along the lines of this....only, putting my offerings to shame!

Fab vintage mail order and even more fab vintage mail order !!!!! Enjoy!!!

Dixie Doll Kat's Birthday Bash!

Last Saturday night, the Dixie Dolls (my girl gang) went out on the town for Kat's birthday! We met up at this out of the way bar that our favorite local rockabilly cover band, Cadillac Attack was playing at. It is understood that we own them and demand they play all our favorite songs...we are also now known for jumping up on stage at a moment's notice to sing back up. They always make a big deal over us when we are at their shows.....and since it was Kat's birthday it was twice the big deal.
I baked her an angel food cake, but not the one seen above....mine totally flopped! So I had to swallow my pride and (gasp) get a bakery made cake! I put on the topping (very sloppily as I now see, but I'll blame it on all the amaretto sours I can consumed previously to the decorating) and the cherries she requested. I also made a little Dixie Doll cake pick for some added decor.

This is a Dixie Doll tiera I made for her to wear during the festivities. I bought the tiera from the dollar spot at Target. It was originally meant for a bachelorette party and had some ugly blue jewels and a veil on it. I ripped that crap off and attached some black and white dice beads along with a little shrinky dink Dixie Doll logo girl (Dixie Doll heather made that part). And no, we weren't at KFC as the glowing chicken bucket in background might suggest. That is the band's tip bucket .....it is very hideous and I am quite embarrassed for them.

This is her gift. I crafted up a journal embellished with black trim, leopard print paper and an image of the lovely Betty Page on the cover. I attached a small bit of the fringe trim as a little skirt so Betty could shake her stuff.

Here we all are (l-r: me, kat, heather) coping a feel on the birthday girl as she requested!

Kat means a great deal to me and I wanted her birthday to be special....I think she really had a good time so that makes me happy.

Delicious Glamour

Yes... that's what the recipe for this Easter Egg Cake promises....delicious glamour frosting. I have never thought of frosting as glamorous before... This frosting is pretty delicious though. It is very rich and tastes like fudge! I like that it is made on the stovetop and didn't have to come anywhere near my mixer.


Dear readers, I just want to explain why almost all the cakes you see that I make are on this seemingly plain silver square tray... It's the bottom of my cake carrier....( and please pardon the crappy photo set up with the wrinkled fabric.)

the illustration on it has been on my mind for a tattoo.... one day.

I decided to go with pink coconut tinted grass instead of the suggested green. I think green and pink look so darling together...I just can't pull it off as an outfit.

My cake didn't look as pretty on the inside as the picture from the magazine. And just a helpful hint: work fast with the icing because it hardens and becomes like a shell on the cake.

The recipe and How-To (click on image for a bigger view):

recipe from Household magazine April 1957.

For me, the coolest thing about the frosting is that it is made from chocolate chips and marshmallows! What a unsuspecting combination for an icing, and I love trickery in cooking and baking! Just about any recipe that calls for marshmallows ranks highly with me because that generally means it's going to be some kind of tacky dessert. Here we have a cake parading around as 'glamorous' but we know it's little marshmallow secret!

Mail Order 1950's style

As I was flipping through some of my vintage magazines tonight, I started really looking at all the mail order stuff in the back pages. Check out these interesting gadgets and concepts of yesteryear:

Safe Ride? hmmmmm...I'm not biting that one!

Now I know where granny got all those plastic slip covers that always stick to the backs of my legs...

who needs a man anymore?

I would buy this...well no, not really, but I would talk my mom into it so I could borrow it. She loves the gadgets!

I have a feeling that the results weren't as startling as they claim.


Mail order tombstones for gifts! At least that's my idea...that would be a great joke to have one made and sent to someone. They open it up and get freaked out to see their name on it then pat themselves down and say: "hey, I ain't dead yet!" well... i thought to would be funny.

very clever...get it? hear rings....sheesh.

I WANT THIS!!!! FOR ME!!! I am soo not kidding, dear readers. I love cool novelty toothbrushes! Someone may remember my Tiny Toons Hampton Pig one that I had ...while I was in college.

Scrap Crafty~Nylon Novelties

First off, I just want to say that the word 'novelties' always makes me laugh...people, that is just a funny word..like when used in terms like "ice cream novelties" or "adult novelties"...okay, maybe it's just me... back to our story...

I bought this booklet called 'Nylon Net Novelties...Handicrafts For Fun' 1965 from a thrift store years ago. I just love this kind of dorky stuff. Case in point. It contains How To's on novelties (ha ha ha ha!!!! novelties!) to make for gifts or as party decorations. Some are really cute and some are...well... down right creepy...take for instance this jolly Net Satan...I mean, Santa..
yeah...A great way to scare the kids into being nice all year round. But on the cute side of it is this baby shower bassinet center piece...awwwww! What a cute little dolly!
Okay, now on to the scrap crafty part of this. For Pumkinbutt's two baby showers (and then used later as a decoration in his room) i made the bassinet seen below.

I didn't want to know if I was having a boy or girl so I used both blue and pink netting and flowers. I also didn't really follow the instructions in the book because they thought you could glue plastic netting to a plastic bed with regular white glue...that just sounds like failure and frustration waiting to happen.

Above is the behind the scenes look at it. The scrap craft part about it is that the bassinet base is made from a gallon bleach bottle with the handle part cut away and the bottle opening part facing toward the back of the bassinet. I stapled the netting to the side of the bottle and hot glued on the flowers and bows. The canopy part is just a loop of wire attached to the bottom of the bottle with clear packaging tape and then covered with more netting, flowers and bows. I didn't count on this decoration being around for as long as it has but I thought it was just soo cute. I also have a feeling that very soon Pumkinbutt's cute little nursery is going to be having a BOY transformation...so I will be posting some before pictures in the next couple of months, depending on when he does finally get that pudgy little leg all the way over the crib rails.

Decorating Loves

I love old 50's and early 60's decorating books for ideas for my own house. Here are a few of my favorite images from the Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Ideas book 1960.

I love this kitchen.. I have stared at this photo longer than I care to tell you people! I love the color scheme and those metal cabinets! I love that little fridge too.. I have one pretty similar to it, matter of fact...now looking at it I think they are the same band...Frigidaire made by General Motors.

I like alot of the furniture in this den but not the yellow and green color scheme...it's a little too much on the brink of the 70's for me.

and this is a great color scheme... The clown pull down table is a bit of nightmare fuel but the rest of the room is pretty cool.

this room wows me... I generally hate the color orange but when used with the black/white tiled floor it works... and don't get me started on those awesome couches!

Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa Cake

For last Sunday's dessert I decided to try out making the famous Steel Magnolia's recipe recited by Truvy...Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa:

"It's a cuppa flour, a cuppa sugar, a cuppa fruit cocktail with the juice, mix and bake 'til gold and bubbly."
"Sounds awfully rich."
"It is, so I serve it with ice cream to cut the sweetness."

The results: I thought it was god awful but that fam of mine...they actually liked it. I'm starting to believe that they will eat anything and like it. I found it to be kinda...chewy. I did serve it with ice cream as well. (And Jen, I know how much you love this movie also! I thought about you while I was making this dessert!)


My mom and I love Steel Magnolias, it's kinda 'our movie'... she even made me an armadillo cake complete with the mysterious grey icing and red velvet cake innards. I couldn't believe how many people didn't get it!


ah well....anyway, here's a funny quote from the movie for you to enjoy:

Ouiser: " I don't see plays, 'cause I can nap at home for free. And I don't see movies 'cause they're trash, and they ain't got nothin' but naked people in 'em. And I don't read books, 'cause if they're any good they're gonna make 'em into a miniseries."