Merry Kitschmas


Book Description

This text is a celebration of all things campy, cheesy, sparkly, and fruitcakey from the most beloved of seasons. Over 50 recipes and craft ideas for tacky wreaths, customised trees, glittered garlands, overly bejeweled festive wear, Christmas feasts from a can, and much more.




Inside Pee-wee's Playhouse


Book Description

“Gaines thoroughly explores the innerworkings of the most grownup kiddie show in TV history. Pull up a Chairry and enjoy” (Michael Musto, Village Voice). Between 1986 and 1991, a pandemic swept the nation. Symptoms included talking to furniture, checking the refrigerator for signs of life, and a desire to SCREAM REAL LOUD every time a “secret word” was spoken. For five years, Saturday morning television infect nearly ten million people a week with Pee-wee Fever. Following the twenty-fifth anniversary of Pee-wee’s Playhouse, the behind-the-scenes story of this groundbreaking, successful, and still revered children’s program is told for the first time by those who experienced it, with never-before-seen photos. Come on in and take a look Inside Pee-wee’s Playhouse. “With his inspired, lunatic Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Paul Reubens showed a generation of television viewers that it’s okay to be different. Caseen Gaines has crafted a meticulously researched look at the origin, production, and legacy of this landmark series that is every bit as educational and entertaining as the show it chronicles.” —Jeremy Kinser, senior editor, The Advocate “Caseen not only reveals the genius behind Paul Reubens’ pop culture creation, but also takes us inside Pee-wee’s Playhouse to meet the fascinating team that brought it to life.” —Noah Levy, senior news editor, In Touch Weekly “A must for any Pee-wee fan. Gaines unearths a significant moment in pop culture with the care of an archaeologist, and the vibrant humor of Pee-wee himself.” —John Ortved, author of The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History This book is not affiliated with Pee-wee’s Playhouse nor is it endorsed or approved by Paul Reubens




Betty Crocker Lost Recipes


Book Description

A captivating collection that celebrates the wonderful recipes from the Betty Crocker archives in a package that appeals to the modern cook​ Betty Crocker Lost Recipes is the ultimate treasure for the most devoted Betty Crocker fans, as well as cooks who are interested in recipes with a retro/nostalgic twist. Eighty percent of the book includes tried-and-true recipes that simply aren't in today's cooking repertoire--mainly from-scratch recipes that are hard to find. Twenty percent is a fun look back at some of the cooking customs of the past that may not be worth repeating, but are worth remembering. Features include ideas like "How to Throw a Hawaiian Tiki Party," and the robust introductory pages contain interesting stories, anecdotes, and artwork from Betty Crocker's history. Recipes are carefully curated to ensure that they are still relevant, achievable, and made with available ingredients--think Beef Stroganoff, Chicken la King, Waldorf Salad, and Chiffon Cake. These lost recipes are ready to grace the tables of a whole new generation of cooks.







Antiques Frame


Book Description

An auction house becomes a crime scene in this rollicking mystery starring an “amusingly ditzy duo” (Kirkus Reviews). With their reality TV series, Antiques Sleuths, Brandy Borne and her quaintly kooky mother, Vivian, have a real hit on their hands. But when the bidding turns deadly, Brandy finds herself ornately framed for murder. Aided only by Sushi, their loyal shih tzu, and police dog Rocky, the wacky mother-and-daughter sleuthing team races to determine how an empty antique frame can hold a deadly portrait, before they become the subjects of another masterpiece of murder. Includes Brandy Borne’s tips on investing in antiques! Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash ‘n’ Treasures Mysteries! “If you delight in the absurd and enjoy manic humor, you’ll treasure the Trash ‘n’ Treasure mysteries.” —Mystery Scene “The characters, both primary and secondary, shine with brassy humor.”—Publishers Weekly




Antiques Foe


Book Description

Eccentric antiques dealer and amateur sleuth Vivian Borne finds herself in jail - again! - when a podcast star is found dead in her hotel room in this new Trash 'n' Treasures cozy mystery - "one of the funniest cozy series going" (Ellery Queen Magazine) When popular podcaster Nicole Chatterton wants an interview for Killers Caught, true-crime author Vivian Borne is overjoyed. Finally, some recognition for the sleuthing skills the septuagenarian antiques dealer and her daughter Brandy have demonstrated, solving countless crimes in their small hometown of Serenity, Iowa! Dolled up and dressed to the nines, Vivian figures the interview is going swimmingly . . . until Nicole turns the tables, accusing the mother/daughter duo of committing the very crimes they solved. Shocked and affronted - and with a spiteful tirade captured by the cameras - Vivian breaks off the interview, ejecting the rude podcaster from the premises of the Trash 'n' Treasures shop. How dare the woman? Later, when Vivian pays the podcaster a follow-up visit at the woman's hotel - hoping to smooth things out and set the record straight - a very dead Nicole is waiting. Caught as the killer (true to the podcast's title) by producer Clare Shields, Vivian finds herself behind bars. Now it's up to Brandy to determine who really did the dire deed before their fiendish foe can strike again! Antiques Foe is a light-hearted, laugh-out-loud cozy mystery which also features mother-daughter sleuths Brandy and Vivian's witty tips for buying and selling antiques, along with a selection of tasty recipes.




The New Republic


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Art Index


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The Publishers Weekly


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Kitschmasland


Book Description

A fun, nostalgic look at an infatuation with Christmas holiday decor from the 1950s and through the 1970s. Decorations some whimsical, some beautiful are part of a treasure trove of campy kitsch that the author calls "Kitschmas!" Features vintage Christmas ornaments, trees, ceramics, and more, as they are used in today's homes. This book is a delight for Kitschmas fans, decorators, and the 1000s of people devoted to mid-century dcor and design.




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