Customer Reviews

Merry Kitschmas: The Ultimate Holiday Handbook

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I love tacky/kitschy Christmas items and thought this would be a fun book to add to my library. Maybe some ideas decorating or using that wonderful stuff from the fifties and sixties? Wrong! It's not Kitsch, it's just plain dumb. Although some of the recipes might be worth trying if you want to re-create a classic fruit cake, why on earth would you add wheat grass to make it "completely inedible".

I'm always open to new ideas and love to have fun things around, but for the life of me I can't find one thing in the entire book that I would try to use for a fun holiday. The white powder donut tree? Nope. The rubber glove tree or the weenie tree -- I think not.

Yeah, I can take a joke and the book is meant to be one. But this joke was on me for spending the money on it.

I thought I'd read everything I needed to know about this book, but when I got it, it was completely different than what I hoped. The cover is an adorable reminder of some the kitschy things that made our Christmas as kids so fun. My Grandma had a few of the same little elves as you see on the front of the book. However, when you look inside, there's no more of that. Just a bunch of pictures of cocktails and fruitcakes. (I'm guessing that this was the kind of Christmas the author grew up with?) There is one page with a great idea for a snow man made of marshmallows. It's impressive and looks yummy. But the rest of this book just made me feel dirty.

I realize that this is probably a joke book, but this is one joke I don't get!

I hear Martha and her team lost their cell-decorating contest during her first Christmas in jail. She should be out by next year, but if not, "Merry Kitschmas" would be a great source of ideas for an unashamedly tasteless holiday. The book is funny and wonderfully offbeat and a perfect antitode to all the cultural messages about Christmas perfection and yuletide bliss. It's also very well written. I especially love the airstream tree-topper and the spare tire wreath. I hope Michael Conway tackles Valentine's Day next!

Some of the greatest holiday ideas come out of poking fun at the family, festivus and religion which is exactly what this book delivers for some of us. Highly creative, and beautifully photographed, MERRY KITSCHMAS delivers 100 ideas to keep you busy from Thanksgiving 'til you get that always-expected-great-aunt-fruitcake delivered to your door on the 23rd...In fact, you'll know exactly what to do with it after you read Michael Conway's wonderfully fabulous book. Make a cocktail Judy Garland would be proud to slug down, put on a pair of Isotoners, kick back, laugh, and enjoy!

Are you tired of mass produced Christmas objects made in China with little or no meaning? I know I was. Every holiday I was feeling less and less inspired, and more depressed as I would go to the Walmart and pick out a box of 24 glass bulbs for $3.99 and hang them on my tree. My other decor was just as pathetic. Poinsettia Potholders anyone??? PUH-LEASE! My genius sister picked up this book one year, and it changed my life and my Christmas. I sat for hours mesmerized at each of unique and witty projects that it detailed. The amount of creativity that this book has to offer is really unique. Valley of the Dolls Christmas Tree!!! How exciting is that?!!! I wanted nothing more than the spray paint some old barbies and use my left over prescriptions to create such an incredibly smart display. Michael Conway, you man minx, are you single? This book only continues to bring me joy, this is the 4th year that I have used it and I could never imagine another Christmas without it. It is my Christmas Handbook. And what's even funnier are the people who just don't get it!!! "why would you add wheat grass to make a fruit cake "completely inedible"??!??! Is there really an edible fruitcake out there??? NO!!! You can add soda pop and pop rocks to a fruit cake, and it would be ok, because no one would ever eat it in the first place. And the Franklin Tire comment??? You didn't get that A Wreath of Franklins sounds the same as Aretha Franklin? Come on!!!! That is clever!!!! If you like incredibly creative ideas, you need this book.

This is not a celebration of campy Christmas articles that were commonplace in American homes from decades ago. Oh no. Oh no no no...

"Kitschmas" is a collection of actual projects and recipes. None are worthwhile. The Weiner Tree is a disgrace. The "Franklin Wreath"--made of faux $100.00 bills encircling a photo of Aretha--wow. Incedibly, incredibly stupid.

The white trash Christmas menu would only be duplicated by the greatest dolt on the planet. Which makes me believe that the author--whose slim claim to fame is a bit role in one episode of "Seinfeld"--probably found crafting this trash-heap of a travesty a momentous achievement.

This book is crapulescent and should be utterly destroyed.