Click here to get the recipe.

Are you an ELO fan? Come on, you can tell me.

Of course some people might take a look at the Blue Sky Jello and want to call it “Fluffy Little Clouds Jello”.

Visit http://bobross.com for Bob Ross painting supplies and information.

Follow me http://pinterest.com/suzannehih

Turns out we have something in common, we both grew up loving reruns of I Love Lucy, and we both wondered what it would be like living in the 1950’s.

Angela combined her interest in the 50’s, love for storytelling, and her great imagination to create a fun book series called the Fifties Chix.

Watch this video and find out what inspired Angela to write Fifties Chix and how she came up with some of the character names. Keep a look out for the cool retro pics.

Angela was kind enough to send me a copy of her first book in the series called “Travel to Tomorrow”. This series is most likely geared toward tween and teen aged girls, but I’m a kid at heart and thought it was a great read. First off, I love the idea of time travel and the 1950’s. You have no idea how many times I’ve watched the movie Back to the Future! Well, maybe some of you do.

The five main characters are sketched out beautifully with Angela’s words and illustrations.
Let’s meet two of the Fifties Chix characters:

Meet Judy:

Meet Beverly:

From sock hops and soda shops to 50 years later. How will the Fifties Chix get back and will they even want to?

If you have a teen or tween in your life that loves to read, point them in the direction of the Fifties Chix.

Visit author Angela Sage Larsen at http://www.angelasagelarsen.com

Stop by http://www.fiftieschix.com for all things Fifties Chix and join the Fifties Chix fan club.

Like the Official Fifties Chix page: http://www.facebook.com/FiftiesChix

After viewing the pilot, I knew I was hooked. Here I am dealing with PCS (Pop Culture Syndrome) and so are the lead characters in Pysch, Shawn Spencer and Burton Guster. “fake psychic. real detectives.”

Pop culture references abound throughout every episode usually with an emphasis on the 1980’s.

Take a look at the official Psych website, watch Psych Outs (bloopers), take some fun quizzes all about the 80’s, and watch some Season 6 episodes.

http://www.usanetwork.com/series/psych

I’m not usually into crime stories, but the comedy and great characters of Psych keeps me interested. Do you watch Psych? Are you a newbie like me, or have you been a die-hard fan from the beginning?

For the die-hard fans out there, have you seen James Roday & Maggie Lawson in this fun Kevin Pollack interview? Isn’t it cute that Roday & Lawson are a couple in “real life”?

Stay tuned to the USA Network for all new episodes of Pysch starting February 2012.

Rock stars and Johnny Depp appear ageless, so what’s in a number really?

http://www.davidbowie.com

http://www.facebook.com/davidbowie

She loves the new Transformers movies, and she also has a thing for Bumblebee style Camaro’s.

The funny thing is she’s never seen the original Transformers movie or the TV series.  Mr. HIH decided it was time for her to see where the Autobot action originated. Tonight, he’s giving her a Transformers history 101 class while they’re watching the movie.

My brother is 32 and he doesn’t like the new Transformers movies. He remains faithful to the original robots in disguise. How about you? Did you like the new Transformers movies or are you old school? Maybe both?

Check out this blast from the past, be sure to notice the awesome voice over cast:

I’ve been a Disney fan since before I can remember, that’s why watching Heather Traska’s video was so much fun.

According to Heather’s Facebook info she’s a 17 year-old singer from Wisconsin, USA.

Her YouTube channel’s About Me says: “I am Heather. I am a senior in high school. I sing, do all of the make-up, recording, and editing of/in these videos myself. Hope you like them :)”

Kids these days with their singing, make-up, recording, & editing videos! What will they come up with next?

“Like” Heather Traska’s Official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/heathertraskafanpage

Check out more of Heather Traska’s videos via her Official YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/heathertraska

Please don’t throw tomatoes after I say this but I’m not in the Twilight zone. It’s not that I dislike The Twilight Saga but I never picked up the novels and when I did see the first movie I just wasn’t feeling it.

First off there’s something about Bella that makes me cringe. All that blubbering she does. I’m all for a good love story but her dilemma is so… well…high school.

The other problem I have with The Twilight Saga is I can’t decide on a team. I don’t find either of the love interests that appealing. I like to joke with friends that are in the Twilightzone by saying, “I’m for Team Edward, Team Edward Scissorhands.”

Like I said before, please don’t throw tomatoes. Being the pop culture lover that I am, how could I not appreciate what’s popular? Appreciating and liking are two different things, much like Edward and Jacob.

Because I haven’t read the novels, I am intrigued by the latest movie. It looks like all the high school drama is out and all the going to the chapel action is in.

Have you read the Twilight novels? Did you camp out to get your Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 premiere ticket this week?

In honor of the latest Twilight premiere let’s step back into the “Twilight Zone” with this retro tune from 1982 by Golden Earring.

For everything Twilight, including ringtones, mobile games, wallpapers and movie info, visit the official site by clicking here.
Keep up to date with Golden Earring’s latest news and upcoming gigs, click here.

For some reason, I always snack while I watch these two shows. Reminds me of Home Alone when Kevin McAllister says “Guys, I’m eating junk and watching rubbish! You better come out and stop me!”

Funny, both of these shows have the word “wives” in them. I am a housewife, but I don’t have a sister, or a sister wife and thank goodness I’m not living in Beverly Hills. This leads me to the Down and Out title of my post.

The 80’s movie, Down and Out in Beverly Hills popped into my pop culture drenched brain the last time I watched The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Bette Midler plays a wealthy Beverly Hills housewife, bored and depressed. Richard Dreyfuss plays her disgruntled, work-obsessed husband. Enter Nick Nolte, as a down and out homeless man trying to drown himself in their sparkling pool. That cool Talking Heads song “Once in a Lifetime” plays, chaos ensues, the husband fools around with the housekeeper, the wife falls for the homeless dude, they fire walk in the backyard, Little Richard makes a scene on the front lawn,  the rich couple rekindles their marriage, and they all live happily ever after. I think. Maybe it’s time to watch this retro flick again.

Watch Bette Midler videos and read her “Words of Wisdom”: http://www.bettemidler.com
Check out articles, photos and a 3D representation of Nick Nolte’s heart? Um…sure… why not? http://nicknolte.com
Watch a bunch of cool Talking Heads videos, click here.

There just can never be enough pop culture and geek conventions!

This is the first year for the new Comikaze event and it’s a strong opening. The one and only Stan Lee will be gracing the event along with a long list of geek/comic leaders. The best thing about the event this year is that a normal ticket price for conventions can run 40 and up which in this economy is quite a strain on the pocket. Comikaze tickets are only a mere 12 dollars. We will be trolling the isles looking for interesting and new tidbits of geekdom. For sure lots of pictures and interviews await.

http://www.facebook.com/ComikazeExpo

http://comikazeexpo.com

http://www.youtube.com/ComikazeExpo

Click here to check it out.

I have to admit I don’t know most of the bands listed except the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Marilyn Manson, Alice Cooper and KISS.

What costumed bands do I know besides the ones above? Check out this 5 on Friday and find out!

5 Bands in Costume

1. Let’s a “Go-Go” to this Hulla Baloo dance party with Paul Revere & the Raiders! Anyone know who the cute guy is that introduces them? I do.

Visit Paul Revere & the Raiders to see them still rocking in costume http://www.paulrevereraiders.com

2. Move over Paul Revere & the Raiders because Adam & the Ants are riding through. Stand & deliver artsy fashion, also known as cool costumes.

Adam Ant still delivers his New Romantic style, check him out at http://www.adam-ant.net

3. Uno, dos, tres, quatro…Wooly Bully time with Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. Watch it now!

Find out what Sam the Sham is up to, visit http://www.samthesham.com

4. Cher! Okay so Cher is a singer and not really a band but it’s my site and I can post what I want to.

See what Cher is wearing these days… http://www.cher.com

5. Need an idea for a costume? Look no further than The Village People. They’re like a costume catalog on stage.

Click here to watch everyone’s favorite group dance song, YMCA.

Wow, 35 years of The Village People on their official site! Visit http://www.officialvillagepeople.com today!

I was at Henry’s Marketplace the other day, shopping for protein powders and healthier junk food. They always have a fun music list playing in the store and this time it was a whole lotta Rockabilly. I was practically dancing in the aisles. This got me thinking that I haven’t been listening to Rockabilly music lately.

I’ve always had a thing for 50’s and 60’s music. I have a thing for most music in general no matter the decade but my favorite activity when I was a kiddo, besides reading & watching TV, was blasting my mom’s 45’s in my room. She didn’t have every rockabilly record but she had enough to get me interested. By the time the Stray Cats strutted their way on the radio in the 1980’s, I was amped with rockabilly excitement.

“The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock (from rock ‘n’ roll) and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music (often called hillbilly music in the 1940s and 1950s) that contributed strongly to the style’s development. Other important influences on rockabilly include western swing, boogie woogie, and rhythm and blues. While there are notable exceptions, its origins lie primarily in the Southern United States.”—Wikipedia

So I’ve been rockin rockabilly style again, seems like a perfect reason for an HIH Five on Friday post.

Here are 5 of my Fave Rockabilly Tunes:

Eddie Cochran— C’mon Everybody

Bill Haley—Rock Around the Clock

Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps— Be-Bop-a-Lula

Elvis Presley—That’s All Right Mama

Stray Cats—Stray Cat Strut

What are your favorite Rockabilly tunes?

Check out the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, click here.

There’s a lot of fun trivia to be found about Gumby via cyberspace. Did you know they tested audition reaction by showing Gumby for the first time on the Howdy Doody Show? Did you know that Art Clokey created Gumby just after finishing film school? I bet you knew that Art Clokey also created another one of my favorite TV shows, Davey & Goliath.

Click here to watch Art Clokey’s first stop motion clay animation, Gumbasia.

In honor of what would have been Art Clokey’s 90th birthday, Oct. 12, 2011, Google created a Google Doodle in the style of his Claymation characters.

Visit the official Gumby World site for all things Gumby & friends. http://www.gumbyworld.com

Are you a Gumby fan?

It got me thinking about my denim vest in the 80’s all loaded up with fun pins, a.k.a. buttons. You remember those don’t you?

I had so many pinned to my vest, showcasing everything I was interested in. From Prince, to Prince and the Revolution, to Purple Rain, alright so maybe I didn’t have a diverse bunch of buttons but I had a lot of them. It was fun wearing my interests for the world to see, or at least my closest circle of friends.

These days, pins are making a comeback. Walk into a Hot Topic store and you’ll see what I mean. Here’s a few on my daughter’s denim vest.

If you stop by pinterest.com you’ll see something very similar in the form of images. You can create “boards” and add “pins” to them. You can pin images via links or upload from your computer. Here are a few of mine.

In my “MUSIC” category:

In my “DECADES” category:

None via Suzanne on Pinterest

Books:

Source: images.search.yahoo.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

Fashion: I call it What I Wear:

Source: hottopic.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

Sharing is easy with an automatic post to Facebook and you can embed code like I did above.

The fun thing about pinterest.com is you can see what other people are interested in and then re-pin them yourself. The interests that is, not the people.
Are you pinning & re-pinning at pinterest.com? Follow me htpp://pinterest.com/suzannehih

Leave your pinterest url so we can follow you!

Country Bear Jamboree:

Sadly, the one and only original Country Bear Jamboree, isn’t at Disneyland anymore. Luckily we can still experience the attraction at Disney World & Tokyo Disney. At the Disneyland Park, the Winnie the Pooh ride took over the spot that was home to Henry, The Five Bear Rugs, Teddy Beara, Gomer, Big Al and the rest of the bear bunch.

“Give me a little intro there Gomer!”

America Sings

I loved music when I was a kid, I still do, so it made sense that I always rushed into the rotating seating section of America Sings. Talk about American patriotism, I felt like standing at a salute the entire show while Sam the Eagle and other animal cast members sang tunes through America’s history. Of course standing wasn’t the best idea in The Carousel Theater. The theater literally went round and round like a carousel.
After America Sings closed in 1988, much of the cast made their way to Splash Mountain. You can check out some of the images and find out more about America Sings, click here.

Sing it Sam! Clap with us!

Adventure Thru Inner Space

Have you ever been “miniaturized” to the size of a snowflake with electrons spinning all around you? I have while on the Adventure Thru Inner Space ride. This attraction was sponsored by Monsanto. Yes, Monsanto, a name we see in various debates these days.

I found this animated simulation on YouTube. Take a ride!

Adventure Thru Inner Space opened in Disneyland in 1967 as part of the New Tomorrowland project. It occupied the space that previously housed the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea walk-through and the Monsanto Hall of Chemistry. It closed in 1986. The space is now occupied by Star Tours.—yesterland.com

What Disneyland attraction of yesteryear do you miss?

Visit yesterland.com for lots of great information and images about discontinued Disneyland rides and attractions.

http://www.theavalanches.com

Since embarking on our homeschool adventure years ago, one thing I’ve learned is that I don’t think of myself as a teacher. I am a facilitator, guidance counselor, driver, cafeteria worker… it’s a long list that can be summed up with one word…MOM.

Like most parents I do my fair share of teaching but I don’t like to be called a teacher. I believe the role of teacher is reserved for those that are either experts in their field or teach to the masses.

As a homeschool parent my role is to be sure my kiddo gets a great education. Sometimes I teach a thing or two, but most of the time I set the stage for active learning. So let’s add set designer into the mix. I design goals and set the stage so the kiddo can shine. I find classes, activities, books, online curriculum, TV shows, movies, other resources and then we use them.

We are all students and teachers in this curious world of ours but I like to leave the designated title of Teacher to the professionals.

Let’s watch Disney’s classroom spoof starring none other than their number one Goof:

Are there any teachers or homeschool parents in the HIH classroom today?

Tim Burton’s name is synonymous with words like genius, dark, quirky, strange, eccentric and yes even to some scary. But none can deny his influence on pop culture and film today. His persona can be a bit intimidating, but unlike the stereotype some may have, I found him to be fun and cheerful and a glimmer in his eye of mischief.

His most recent inspiration is in the form of art at the LACMA museum in Los Angeles. This exhibit is full of past works from Burton himself and spans his whole career. Tim was on hand for the opening and to meet and greet a few hundred lucky fans who stood in line for hours just to gain a signature and a copy of his book, The Art of Tim Burton. The day after the opening he was off to continue his work in England on the new film Dark Shadows with of course his partner in crime, Mr. Johnny Depp and his most beautiful wife Helena Bonham Carter. There wasn’t much time for a lot of questions but any time this icon can spare is precious to be sure…

Lizzy Cline: Do you feel a bit like your work is coming full circle with this exhibit?

Tim Burton: To be sure a long way from Cal Arts. The exhibit if full of work that spans a long period of time.

Lizzy Cline: What does this exhibit mean to you personally? What do you hope people gain from experiencing it?

Tim Burton: The curators found a lot of stuff I had forgotten about (and some I don’t remember at all). It was an unsettling trip down memory lane, but ultimately a good way to reflect and in some ways reinvigorate. I’m not sure what others will gain. Hopefully they won’t run screaming.

Lizzy Cline: Could you say one thing you feel is important for the young people (children) that look up to you and your art?

Tim Burton: When I was younger, people like Vincent Price helped keep me alive. He was an outlet, being able to watch him express in dramatic fashion so many of the feelings that kids have, that were shunned as abnormal in 60’s suburbia. If my art can act as that to people of current generations, a way to connect to an outlet lacking in society, then I’m glad.

Lizzy Cline: Do you find yourself feeling more as an artist at times? Maybe from your Disney roots?

Tim Burton: Well sometimes I just want to draw. It’s kind of a mind expanding thing for me.

Lizzy Cline: Do you feel your inspiration for characters have changed since becoming a father?

Tim Burton: I don’t feel like it’s changed anything, though I may end up seeing some stuff I normally wouldn’t watch. I still pursue the projects I can connect with and that present a challenge.

Lizzy Cline: You are working right now on the Dark Shadows film with Johnny. Can you talk about meeting him? Your friendship?

Tim Burton: I had an immediate connection with him. I didn’t know him. I had never watched him before. He just felt right for “Edward Scissorhands.” Now we’re friends and also colleagues. There’s a good sort of non-communicative communication, you know. Like our own language, an understanding. More of a psychic kind of connection.

Lizzy Cline: Dark Shadows can be viewed as an American cult piece; can you give us a peek inside your thoughts as the creative process takes place? How will you approach this piece?

Tim Burton: It’s a real ethereal tone we’re trying to go for and I don’t know yet how it’s going to go, it’s so early yet. We are still trying to get the feel, vibe for it. Every piece has its own feel. We’ve barely started, so your guess is as good as mine.

Lizzy Cline: You aren’t doing this film in 3D is there a reasoning behind that?

Tim Burton: Well I loved doing Alice in 3D, the experience was just great, but I don’t think every film should rely on a certain base. There just doesn’t seem to be a place for 3D in this piece. With film your whole energy is based on your passion for doing something. I’ve found it’s important to stay with the original feeling you have for a project.

Lizzy Cline: Many people have said you have found your comfort zone working with Johnny, what can you say about that? More projects to come?

Tim Burton: Well you know it’s not just a comfort thing, I think as the work allows you go with who and what you know. He gets me and he is passionate about a lot of the same ideas I am. Yes, there’s a connection there, but a lot of directors work with the same actors over and over again. If it works so be it.

The Burton Art exhibit will be in LA through the fall month of October. All kids get in free!

Dark Shadows is set to release this winter in the US Starring Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins and Helena Bonham Carter as Julia Hoffman. His newest 3D project Freankeweenie will be premiered at the D23 Expo August 19-21.

For more information on his exhibit or to order one of his books visit the LACMA site, http://shop.lacma.org

Many thanks to Miranda Carroll at LACMA.
Pictures from Richard Maldonado.

Let’s watch Walt Disney and his Imagineering Department tell us about it.

Thanks to doombuggies.com I found out Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion ride celebrated their birthday on August 9th. I was born in 1970 and the Haunted Mansion ride opened in 1969.

Let’s  honor the hauntingly happy ride with some Haunted Mansion music.

If you’re a foolish mortal like me then you need to visit doombuggies.com for all things Haunted Mansion.

Lucille Ball (August 6, 1911-April 26, 1989)

Visit the Lucy Desi Center site for all things Lucy! http://www.lucy-desi.com/