I'm going to be taking a little vacation folks! i'll be back in a few weeks but until then please enjoy one of my favorite songs by my favorite band

Pixies- Frank Black from the Pixies, Live "Where Is My Mind?"



i don't know who the eyeliner clad fellows are in the video and it does take a few moments to load but it's worth it.

i really love this video..i can watch it over and over...actually i have been. i was lucky enough to get to see Frank Black about 8 years ago and it was divine! Enjoy! We'll catch up in a few weeks!

Headband Hooray!

I just finished up making a couple of these oh soo cute headbands for a couple of certain somebodies. I got the pattern from Heather Bailey's Hooray for Headbands. They are very easy to make and fit really well. I see the need to make many to match all of my outfits... Of course I wear black nearly all the time, that's fairly easy to match up I guess.

If you make a headband let heather know and thank her for sharing her pattern!





And a BIG 'Thank You Kindly" for the sweet blogiversy wishes! It's nice to hear from you all!

It's a blog party!

For My House is Cuter than Yours 1 year blogiversary you're invited to a little party! Please come in and make yourself at home! I stayed up all hours of the night to make and arrange to perfection these lovely treats for you all! Click on any foods to get a closer look, help yourself don't be shy!

let's start with some lovely appetizers! Please have as many as you like! I made sure to make one of Barb's favorites, Cock Kabobs with cocktail sauce!

(Betty Crocker's Frankly Fancy Foods 1959)
and if you don't see something at the table above please try a sample from this one below...."serve yourself sundaes" and "creamed ham in potato cups" go so well together! What's the brown carcass surrounded by pineapple rings, you ask? umm.. well the word 'savory' was involved in the title of the recipe.. isn't that enough for you? Eat up! I don't want any leftovers hanging around or crawling away!

(Sunday Night Suppers 1956)

And for our party craft project we will be making this "lovely" scrap craft housewife from kitchen cleaning apparatuses and trims! ahhh... so sweet and not a bit creepy!

(Betty Crocker Party Book 1960)

For dessert I churned out a number of jellied bavarians, minted snows, puffy whips and sparkling gelatin molds! Yes, you sure can have seconds on the pineapple and prune frozen dessert, I made extra just for you!

(Gay Melodies in Gelatin Desserts 1940's)
ahhh! This was the easiest party for me to plan and clean up after! Thanks for coming!

And now a little peek at where I really make all my dishes!
A tour of my kitchen!

I got my vintage stove for free!!!

above the stove. I love and collect vintage roosters especially if they are a fighting set. The love I have for this set on the wall just ain't fittin' to talk about.

The small pantry of vintage and old looking food containers. Granted I have 3 boxes of lard... so I don't think I would be making anything too appetizing from my 'stock'.

View into the laundry room. The vintage refrigerator doesn't work.. well not unless call working when you plug it in and turn the knob and it shocks you....Storing cleaning supplies in it (unplugged) is turning out much better for me. That Kitty Girl sneaks into many a picture.

a really crappy pic of the inside of the display cabinet. I collect vintage bar-b-que items, on the top shelf are the smaller things. The middle shelf contains some of the vintage cookbooklets and a few vintage drinking glasses with atomic starbursts, polka dots, and a couple of other designs that I don't know how to describe. The bottom shelf is the 'fine china' along with my very much loved set of corn kids chalkware plaques.
I didn't photograph everything in the kitchen... Didn't want to keep you all out too late, I noticed a few of you nodding off!
Again, thanks for coming by for the MHICTY shindig!

Thanks to everyone that reads and comments so I know I am not alone in my domestic undertaking adventures!

My! That's a huge wedge o' pie!

Swapatorium Leftovers!

Instead of presenting my usual unusual culinary delights of yesteryear, I bring you this cross section of what can be found in the bottom of a defunct garbage disposal after years of the maintenance guy "just waiting on the right part to come in"...

Actually, it's a slice of pie. No really, I'm not kidding you, it is apple pie! This recipe for Big Apple Pie is brought to us by the kind folks of Wrigley's Chewing Gum. By the looks of the pie, Wrigleys better not quit their day job. And to ease any speculations, there's no gum in the pie as one may fear.

Because of it's hideous presentation I just had to reproduce it! It's an "apple pie built to real he-man dimensions", weighing in at what seems like 20 pounds and is over 4 inches tall! It's what all the men folk want...Big Ass Apple Pie!

This pie's propaganda is in favor of making the men in the house happy. Sure it's expensive..at "25 cents a wedge but for once dad and the boys get all they want". Huh? For once!? For once those greedy little bastards will get all they want?! They should consider themselves lucky to be getting any pie. What, with leaving their dirties all over the house for mom to pick up! "So go ahead and please them"..... Please this! I recommend tossing everyone a pack of gum and saying "Here's your damn dessert!" Then leave the dishes in the sink and go out with the girls for happy hour. Give them "All they can eat" ....yeah, chew up the whole pack if you like! Whew, a little housewife breakdown there! Okay, back to this pie....

Just a serving suggestion folks!

RECIPE
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(click on recipe for larger image)
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Nothing real special about the ingredients or taste of this pie except for the fact that the recipe calls for 6-7 cans of apple pie filling!!! That is crazy, I got away with just 4! Oh Man!

I tried to bestow the same hideous look to my pie photo but I just couldn't get it as dreadful as the original. I was quite depressed over this fact. A few packs of prechewed gum mixed in with the apple filling may just do the trick though...

Enjoy!

What the?!

Find out more about this monstrosity over at the Swapatorium!

And while you're here, enjoy this Wiki meme!
(I generally don't get into the memes but this one is really neat!)

1. Go to Wikipedia.
2. In the Search box, type your birth month and day (but not year).
3. List three events that happened on your birthday.
4. List two important birthdays and one interesting death.
5. One holiday or observance (if any)


Okay, on my birthday the happenings were:

Events:
1911 - French poet Guillaume Apollinaire is arrested and put in jail on suspicion of stealing the Mona Lisa from the Louvre museum.

1915 - Former cartoonist Johnny Gruelle is given a patent for his Raggedy Ann doll.

1971-The last new episode of The Beverly Hillbillies is aired (the first episode debuted on September 26, 1962).

Birthdays:
1936 - Buddy Holly, American singer
1951 - Julie Kavner, American voice actress


Deaths:
2003 - Warren Zevon, American musician and songwriter (b. 1947)

Holiday Observances
no special holiday observances listed except what is known around my house as birthday week! I demand more than just one day of being treated like a queen!

I was tagged by sarah...I tag barb and amanda and mary ann!

odds and ends

There are many things in the works around 'the house' right now, just nothing completed or photographed yet. Here are a few new things that i can show off in the mean time:

13 magazines i got for 5 bucks! I will be making that cake shown on the front cover on the far right!

The fabric for my What's Cookin' apron guest. he he! Hope she likes!

I went to see Unknown Hinson last week with dixie doll heather and her hubby. It was a great show! (thanks heather for taking such a lovely photo! Quite suitable for framing!)

On wednesday, i'll be over at the swapatorium. Then on friday.. guess what friday is?! It's My House Is Cuter Than Yours one year Blogiversery! Woo Hoo! I am hoping to have something neat to show but we'll see...Don't get your hopes up or nothing!

Scrap Crafty~ Tie wrist cuff

I'm even working the scraps of scraps into something! It's a matching wrist cuff to the choker!

I used the wider end of the left over tie from the choker deal to make this wrist cuff. Seriously easy construction: wrap end of tie around wrist, measure, cut, stitch up raw end, mark/cut button hole, sew on button and finish off rough edges of hole! Done! This project only took about 15 minutes and that was because I had a little one to keep busy in the process.
I still have enough of the tie left to make my friend a chocker as well! 3 accessories out of 1 tie that cost me a buck! I think that is just about as thrifty as it gets!

Coconut Strawberry Shortcakes!

Darlings! I bring you the best Strawberry Shortcake EVER! Don't settle for those little spongy yellow cake things ever again! Sure, they are great childhood memories but these shortcakes are so yummy they'll help you forget the waxy residue the old school ones left in your mouth, or was that just me? Then when you factor in the loveliness that is coconut....heavenly!

Better Homes and Gardens May 1962

Really, this is the best strawberry shortcake I have ever had. It's the only strawberry shortcake I have ever made but still....

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RECIPE

Strawberry Coconut Shortcakes

2 cups JIFFY Baking Mix
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp melted shortening
1/2 cup milk
shredded coconut (I used a bit more than 1/4 bag)

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine above ingredients, mix into a soft dough. Turn onto surface dusted with baking mix and knead quickly 20 times. Pat or roll dough 1/2 inch thick. Cut out 3 inch circles. Bake on ungreased baking sheet 8-10 minutes. Spoon sweetened fruit on top and between shortcakes. Serve with whipped cream mixed with shredded coconut. Makes 6 shortcakes.

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I love Jiffy products...part of it is the aesthetics of their packaging and the fact the have been around since 1930. I will buy foods just because the packaging looks old. I also collect the real deal old food boxes and packaging too. I have a shelf in my kitchen that looks like a mini 1940's-50's pantry! Please tell me I'm not the only one out there that loves Rose-Dale fruit cans....

Dwight Yoakam!!!!

Went to see THE man Friday night! Dwight Yoakam!! He was amazing!!! And he looked hot!

Seen above: Dixie Doll Kat and I singing and looking like dorks. We can surely belt out the lyrics to Turn it on, Turn it up and Turn me loose though!

Now for a little "complaining" to put it nicely and be warned there are a few not-so-nice words in the preceding:

The people at this concert were the rudest assholes I have EVER been around. I'm talking people who spill their drinks on you, step on your toes, flail into, ram up against you...And not one word of saying "sorry". Matter of fact they would turn around and give us the dirty look....Geez! Sorry that we have been standing in the same spot against the wall for 3 hours and your drunk ass doesn't have any manners! Kathy handled herself like a Dixie Doll should and I was quite proud. This one old chic (wearing an outfit that soo didn't match) got up in our way and was continually bumping into us and not apologizing. Kathy started blowing smoke her way and flicking cigarette ashes on her..IT WAS GREAT! The chic realized slightly what was going on and felt the need to turn around all the time and look at us. Hello! Old lady! Check your manners and we won't have to give you the business! At another point Kat and I had our stuff sitting in a stool. Stuff like a suitable for framing small print of the lovely Dwight Yoakam...This skanky hussey comes up and just sits on our stuff (and I don't think she was drunk, she's just rude) Bending the corner of the print all to hell !!!! Normal common courtesy is when you want to sit down in a chair and there are people standing right on top of it is to ask if it's their chair and if you can use it.....And OUR STUFF WAS IN THE CHAIR!!! Also, did you know that you can hippy dance and booty dance to Dwight Yoakam? These people thought they could and it was quite disgusting. And they certainly didn't mind if they rammed into you when they did it. I think the worst was when at one point I had made it just about up to the front of the stage so I could take a few pics. This one tall idiot jock type was between me and getting a good pic. Mind you, if you know me I am a petite ( aka short!) gal. I kindly ask the idiot if I could get in front of him for a moment to take few pictures and he gives me a 'go to hell ' look! Can you believe that? I am 2 feet shorter than him and only take up about 1.5 feet of floor space and he thought I was going to be in his way ????!!! Also, just to bring this whole story to as many of the 5 senses as I can...It was as hot as 2 rats getting it on in a wool sock and these people smelled and were dripping with sweat and all up against us...Oh, Dwight... The things we endure for you!

I am in absolute belief that Seville Quarter ( a local 'meat market' of a bar) decided that they wanted a break from all of the worst idiots that they have come up in there. They gave free tickets to the worst of the worst and sent them out to this Dwight Yoakam concert.

Now, besides all of the above we had a lovely time really!

Scrap Crafty~ neck tie choker

I picked up a very slim neck tie a few weeks ago at a thrift store. I think it was meant for a young man or maybe a ska rude boy type. Who knows, but it worked perfectly for my new idea. I like how the fabric matches my glasses so well.. It's just so nice when an outfit comes together!


very easy construction....wrap the end piece of the tie around your neck, skip with scissors a little bit longer than you want it to be, use fabric glue to form point on snipped end, mark button hole, make said button hole, sew on button! Now, go sport your new sassy handmade cuteness of a choker!
ps. if you make one let me know, i'd love to see a pic!

Chocolate Scotcheroos!

Better Homes and Gardens April 1964

Don't the chocolate scotcheroos shown above look oh so lovely? They look completely light and airy as they cascade downward... yeah, they fooled me too! I was hoping for soft and chewy and instead got break your teeth, hard ass bricks! I followed the instructions but i think that just may have been the problem...If you are curious over this one maybe use more peanut butter or less krispies...I don't know...I'm a scorned woman right now....

Aren't they lovely, how they just fell apart on the bottoms, ruining my hopes of a chocolate scotcheroo waterfallish photo shot!? "boo!", i say! The only positive I will give them is the chocolate frosting on the top was fairly yummy.


RECIPE
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Tie One On / Scrap Crafty~ Smock Apron

Here is my smock apron for this month's TOO. I was determined to make a smock that didn't look like a preggie top and had at least a bit of a figure flattering cut to it, I am soo not into frumpy! I made this smock from a vintage pillow case and lots of lavender bias tape. Here are a few pic's where I was trying to go for a 'spilt milk' theme.


Since my house doesn't have a porch I 'used' a house down the street that was for sale (hence the lock box that I didn't take note of!!)



here is a detail of the cool vine-ish stitch pattern my sewing machine can do. This was my first time using the special stitches and this one proved hard for me to keep it straight, as you can see. I do like the green thread contrast with the lavender bias tape, it has that going for it!

Frost n' Bake Fudge Cake

Household magazine April 1954

Wow! It's AMAZING! You frost it before you bake it?! Surely you jest, how can that be?

Believe it friends! Is this not the coolest idea? This cake is easy and fun to make. You can't go wrong flavor-wise with a chocolate frosted white cake. But I'll tell you what is even better! A chocolate frosted strawberry cake! Next time, my darlings, next time!

And btw, do photos of lady's sticking their heads in ovens freak you out as much as me...no? okay, forget I said anything. But to further my argument, think Sylvia Plath.

Ahhhhhhh....okay, let's have some cake, shall we?

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RECIPE

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What's Cookin' Apron + Recipe Swap Meme

:first apron (that you can remember):

i remember having a cute pink frilly sassy apron in my size when I was little but
after so many moves, it has been lost. :(
my mom still has the first apron she made in high school for home ec (it has gold rick rack)



I just got a cute red gingham deal for a buck a coupla weeks ago.

:dream apron:

my dream apron would be one that is figure flattering, dutiful and got some style to it.

like this(i don't own this apron.. some other apron lovin' hussey out bid me on ebay for it!)


or this

this apron is owned by mary ann

:favorite aprons:



I generally don't care for floral prints but I made an exception for this one just because of the lovely color combination.


I like the print and the style of this one. It is my favorite 'all purpose'.

I got both of these vintage aprons during that great hospice sale I am always raving about, just at different times.

:dream sewing machine:

easy! A Bernina, baby! I do own a Bernette, which is made by the Bernina company...but damn...I want me a Bernina fo' real!


:what do you put in your apron pockets? Or what strange thing have you ever found in them?:

hmmmm...pockets are great to put small toys in and give to the boy to keep him occupied while I am cooking. However, here recently he has started playing with the little 'kitchen' I set up for him in my kitchen. He has a thing for the fake fried egg and baking it in the toy oven ...and washing it and carrying it around with him.... I also put recipe cards in my pockets. Haven't found anything strange in them 'cept the occasional lint ball.


:condiment(s) you can't live without:

I love Tony's Creole seasoning. It can make just about any (non dessert) dish taste fab!
cholula hot sauce and sriracha hot chili sauce ,which I call rooster sauce, are two other fav's.


:do you favor showy aprons or dutiful ones?:

I own more showy aprons. But really wear my few dutiful ones for serious stuff.

:favorite cooking gadget:

I'm not much of a gadget gal. My mom is nuts over them. I did have a fondness for her automatic potato peeler for some reason. It had a set of blades that turned really fast and took twice as long to peel the potato as by hand and it made a huge mess of soggy micro peels. But it was fun to use. She has had many veggie mangling machines/gadgets.

I do have a rice cooker that I am very fond of.


:cooking gadget that promised the world but didn't deliver:

see all the above! I honestly hate gadgets....'cept my rice cooker, we're like this: (fingers crossed together)

:a recipe that you know by heart and any stories behind it:

I make a pretty good veggie lasagna the I know the recipe by heart. no real stories behind it 'cept for the fact that it's really one of the best things I make and since it involves no trickery in it's ingredients the fam feels safe eating it.

Let's make pie!

serving up swapatorium leftovers!

Ahhh... Prunes! They aren't just mother nature's secret helper anymore! Now they can be served up in a dessert as seen here in Prunes n' Cream Pie! Sounds appetizing, right? This recipe comes from the American Home magazine, February 1958. I can't recall the last time I have seen a recipe that involved prunes since they featured 'Hot Prune Toddy'* in Smooth Move Monthly, a Guide for Swinging Senior Living. Prunes really do get a bad rap don't they? Poor things are looked upon with such ill repute to the point that if you do buy them they get hidden under a box of Fruity Pebbles in the grocery cart. All they want to do is help you out. Enter this recipe, a combination of necessity with a bit of splendor. The dessert's presentation give prunes a touch of glamour that they normally aren't credited with while the ingredients contribute to a good colon cleansing. This recipe could very well be the solution in overcoming the country's prune stigma!

As you can see my pie didn't turn out quite as lovely looking as it's predecessor. It was fairly tasty though. I really do recommend giving prunes a chance, they want to make friends. If it helps just think of them as dried plums. Also, make sure to keep in mind that end results and outcome may vary....if you know what I mean.


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RECIPE:

(click to enlarge)

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*note: props to my mom for coming up with the term 'Hot Prune Toddy'. she is a nurse and when she presents prune juice to her patients she calls it this. funny, huh?

Prunerific!

Curious?

I'm over at the Swapatorium today!

Not one of dad's best ideas

Popular Mechanics Home Handyman Encyclopedia Vol.1 1962

This set of How-To books contain many a bad idea, like for instance.... an INDOOR SHOOTING GALLERY!!! Click on the image folks and try to tell me that dad and jr. don't have a deranged "this is gonna piss mom off" look on their faces! I see some couch time in dad's future for making this crazy thing and do I have to say it?...."You'll shot your eye out!"

And don't even ask me to post the instructions for making this...I'm not going to be responsible!

peek a boo!

Greetings! Meet my friend and hubby to Dixie Doll Heather , the Baron Von Doren of Nightmare Theatre. Don't let his glum look depress you, he is smiling on the inside.
This weekend I went to my first sci-fi convention called mobicon . Nightmare Theatre were guests and presented a few vintage horror gore movie trailers along with the 'big screen' public viewing of a film called "Frankenstein's Bloody Nightmare" which was written/directed/produced and acted by a local guy by the name of mr. john r. hand. The Nightmare Theatre duo had small acting roles in the film as well. I had a great time, so many strange tales to tell.... but let's get on to the tie.... Since the Baron's character is a minor demon and with his new red suit making a debut this weekend and all, I made a devilish inspired fashion accessory for him called a peek a boo tie. Peek a boo ties were primarily popular during the 40's and 50's. The front of the tie seems tame but when the underside is exposed an ohh la la show is revealed under the flaps.

front

HELLO!
underside

I designed and handpainted the art on the front of the tie. The peek a boo devil girl artwork is by Coop and is an iron on transfer I made on the computer. I don't feel that the tie is complete just yet, so I will have to borrow it back at some point to add some more details.

As far as interesting tales from this weekend go.....let's see...my girlfriends and I were approached to wear hand woven chain bras in very unprofessional pornish type pics that also involved a stuffed Wile. E. Coyote toy, saw a guy wearing a pink lady's slip with a design on the front that said "Sorry, I'm a lady" along with his 'package' fairly obvious, saw 2 of the hugest vats of ramen noodles ever, and had 2 guys let us call them our puppies (which we got to name them: Domino and little nicky) and they followed us around and fetched things for us. Since we had guest passes, Heather and I had people believing we were in a horror film where we were silly screamer type girls. I just thought of something...ha ha ha... we should have just screamed and asked if they recognized us from that...damn, next time.