Theme Night

Technically the husband and I are still in the happy throws of newlywed-hood. While we've only been married for just under 5 months, we've been living together for over three years and we've been a couple for a whopping 7 1/2. (Wow... feeling a little old now...) Therefore it should be no real surprise that "making it legal" didn't really change anything in our relationship. We had already semi-merged our finances (we like having our own cash), we had long divided up the household duties, and we were plenty aware of our less-than-lovely traits (ie. my morning hair.) In an effort to change things up we've been working on creating some new married traditions. So far my favorite is theme night! We've only had two, but I'm hoping to make it into an every-other-week tradition. So how does Theme Night work, you ask? Let me enlighten you.
1. Pick your theme. For Example, ABC.
2. Pick food that accompanies your theme. For this theme you can only eat things that start with A, B, or C. (Think Alphabet Soup, Angel Food Cake, Clementines, Boston Cream Pie, Cheese... use your imagination.) I must admit, sometimes we cheat and switch numbers 1 and 2   if we're in the mood for something specific.
3. Pick a film or TV serious to accompany your theme. The obvious choice for this theme being "Big Fish." Am I wrong?
4. Consider decor to accompany your theme. For ABC I suppose you could hang up some classroom posters or blackboards. Decor isn't super necessary here.
5. Are there any activities that lend themselves to this theme? Um, yes. Scrabble.
6. This is optional: Is there any way to surprise your partner/pal/other while adhering to the theme? For Example, secretly buying a dessert or the makings for chocolate cake? While not necessary, surprising someone ups the ante to any theme night.

I completely forgot! Paul bought Happy Camper lotto tickets!

This Saturday Paul and I had the most fabulous theme night ever in the history of theme nights! (Seriously, we're only two in and I'm worried how this is going to be beat.) Here's how it went down:
1. Camp Theme
2. Pizza, breadsticks and chocolate chip cookies. (The cookies were made mid-movie marathon. and originally we were planning a potatoes meal so we could bake with tin foil a la campfire. However, while adhering to the theme is important, so is not having to cook a ton when one is tired and about to movie marathon it up. Pizza still seemed appropriate.)
3." Camp Nowhere" and "Heavyweights". Ah, 90s classics... I didn't think of it until later, but how great would "Wet Hot American Summer" have been? (plus I've seen the beginning of that movies at least twice and I have yet to see the end.)

4. We were planning a tent in the living room and lighting some candles, but we had spent the day cleaning the carpets and the living room floor was wet...
5. We baked cookies. I'm not sure why this seemed to fit. A few rounds of "War" or "BS" would have been more appropriate based on my camp experiences, but cookies it was. And they were delicious.
6. I have to admit, this was the best part. It's also probably why I don't think this Theme Night can ever be beat (and why I'm positive my husband is the best ever at being a husband. Although he rocked the titles of boyfriend and fiance as well... what an over-achiever.) HE SET UP A TENT IN THE STUDY! I thought he was off putzing in the basement or doing laundry or something, but no. He was setting up a tent using the poles he discovered in the ceiling while cleaning or basement (if only that was the weirdest thing we'd found) and furnishing it with every pillow we own. We bought an awesome projector screen at a flea market last week, so he plugged his mini projector into that and we watched our movie marathon and ate our pizza and breadsticks from the tent. Swoon.

Our makeshift tent. It's not a very good photo, but it was impressive, I tell you!

While I've been typing I've been trying to come up with some more Theme Night ideas. I think Gangsters would make a great theme. You could watch "The Sting" or "Some Like it Hot" and eat spaghetti and play poker. Or maybe an 80s night with Pretty in Pink or Say Anything... but what would you eat for that? Oooo, or Under the Sea with Back to the Future or The Little Mermaid and eat seafood. (Or fake seafood for the veggies like me out there. Or maybe something shaped like fish? Get creative folks!)
So, what do you think? Do you have any great Theme Night ideas? Do you have any traditions you recommend?