We have a house!

Our offer went through and now we have a house! And even though I don't get to move in till October I'm super excited to brainstorm updates for our 50's/70's style house

You can consider these photo's the "before" pictures:

My favorite part is the wood walls and the orange carpet...why was that ever a good idea? Luckily there are hardwood floors underneath the carpet :)

I like that the kitchen has blue cabinets, and a double oven, and the oldest dishwasher I've ever seen :) Zach hates it though, so we'll probably make it better at some point

I found this little plaque underneath the kitchen sink:

So I googled it, apparently Youngstown Kitchens was a hip thing back in the 1950's...but they made steel cabinets, and ours are wood, maybe just the sink is by Youngstown Kitchen. Either way I still think it's super charming, it makes me want to put on a dress and pearls and cook dinner. And I know Zach will want to rip everything to make it better....but I kind of want to make it look like this one!:

Even though that's probably not possible :)

I really enjoyed all the old ads I found for Youngstown Kitchens, like this one:

the illustration seems to be saying "get out mom! we don't need you because our kitchen's super fancy" or "get out mom! you don't know how to use kitchen appliances, go churn some butter"

The bottom corner is teaching you how to use the garbage disposal :)

Retro ads

Kotex 1951

These are so weird! apparently this was the ideal way to advertise to women?

Marlboro 1950

This one is my favorite, Lifebuoy 1930, according to wikipedia Lifebuoy coined the term "B.O." so they didn't have deodorant in 1930?

adverse advertising

I was looking through the weekly Target ad today when came across a sale on Healthy Choice products...and I suddenly got nauesous? why?


Oh now I remember, it's because the new commercials for Healthy Choice make me want to vomit.

Clearly the best way to sell your product is to make it seem disgusting.



and anyone that knows me is not surprised :)

Power Rangers vs. League of Super Villians

The winning skit for this years Spring Sing, the first one I've missed since my freshman year, sad day, I wish I could have seen this one in person, I'm SO glad someone finally took advantage of Steppin Time!

Hawaii

We left for Hawaii very early Friday morning, good thing too, otherwise we wouldn't have made it to the San Francisco airport in time to wait for 7 hours, AND we would have missed the incredibly angry mob...people are dumb...especially when they are confused and stop thinking....here's how not to get airline employees to help you:

1. get really angry

2. get really impatient

3. assume they're going to leave without you while you're standing there

4. scream profanities and insults

5. follow the lead of the guy screaming profanities and insults

Zach is not dumb, he outsmarted the whole mob, and thanks to him and Perry Parker we reprinted our boarding passes for the next (practically empty) flight and got to sit next to each other (something the travel agent thought wasn't necessary) and we didn't have to wait with the angry mob.

We encountered the most entertaining/annoying group of girls (and one token guy) on the beach one day. They screamed and cursed at everything....which is weird...because nothing was that interesting. But I guess when you're 15 and see a sailboat you're reaction has to be: "what the f*** is that! we are so f*#&@ doing that tomorrow!!" "let's go surfing tomorrow" "no! f*#&%$ shut up Becca! we're f*$&## sailing tomorrow!". In the next segment of our new favorite reality show Becca and Kelly were angry with Molly because Molly didn't want to go to the beach with them, which is like so f***ing lame, she doesn't even care about sports! who cares about her grandma! "I'm going to write her dad a letter and be like, you're daughter is a b***h! whatever if you're in the navy you're daughter needs like psychological help!" ....We felt really bad for Molly, she needs new friends. Luckily high school will be over soon and she can go off to college, and I would say there's a 99% chance no school would accept the others.

We tried surfing. But with short little boards, and in very crowded water. Zach still did great, although his skin suffered for it.

Christine's wedding was fun, and she looked beautiful of course :)

I took Zach to the Waikiki aquarium, which I think he liked a little bit :) he even got a souvenir (that almost never happens), now there are two snow globes in the collection.

We left for Kauai, my favorite island! It was so nice to get out of Waikiki. And chickens were running around with their chicks! and they bumped us up to an ocean front condo for no apparent reason :) Since we had a kitchen and were tired of eating out we went to the market, and then Zach made me dinner which we ate on the giant balcony. AND THEN HE PROPOSED! :)

and I was shocked! I didn't see it coming at all! He said he was going to wait till we were on a hike by a waterfall but he couldn't wait any longer :) And then we smiled for hours till our faces hurt.

The next day we went Scuba diving, Zach's first time, he did great, and wasn't even scared at all (I was even a little nervous, the visibility wasn't good). Our dive instructor was awesome and super nice, his name was Michel and he was from the Czech Republic, which automatically makes him cool.

The next day we beached until our skin hurt and we ran out of sunscreen....we weren't there as long as the monk seal though.

We hiked for a long time the next day, in Waimea canyon, it wasn't a very well marked trail, so we just hiked till we found waterfalls (we did not give up like the Southern people ahead of us)

Pretty much the best trip ever :)

Ummm...

I found this on a list of "8 Inane & Pointless Pieces of Exercise Equipment" I hope they don't actually sell these, or at least that no one actually bought one



My favorite part is when "you can take it on the bus" and then they cut to a different scene as he gets stuck in the door.

I also enjoy this video mocking the first one:



Melissa and I watched this video last night, it raised so many questions, like "what kind of guy spends this much time writing a song about his cat?" But seeing as I too own a mean kitty I related to it.

Softly, deftly, music shall surround you . . .

Last night Zach and I saw The Phantom of the Opera, and I can now cross off "orchestra seating" on my list of things to do before I die. We were in row A, so close that we could feel the fire when it was used. It was great to be able to see the actors faces so clearly, and to see the ornate detail in all the costumes. I found myself wanting to scoot back, so I could see the whole layout of the stage, and I didn't realize that when you sit very close a lot of the acting seems hysterical...especially kissing, because it has to be huge for everyone to see it, but when you're close it's just awkward looking. I enjoyed curtain call very much, Meg Giry was my favorite, she had tears in her eyes while taking her bow, which makes me think that she enjoys her job as much as I think she should, she also makes me want to prance around like a ballerina.

our seats, 2 rows back

After watching the movie version I was afraid that the show would be just as mind numbingly boring, but it was not. I wasn't bored at any part of show, I giggled a lot when the phantom kept throwing fire, he's like an irritating magician who kills people. I couldn't wait for the chandelier to fall :) symbol monkeys are ALWAYS creepy, and I finally understood the whole "hand at the level of your eye" thing (so he can't lasso you, ooohh!). One thing I still don't understand though is this order of events: opera ghost murders actor, drops chandelier, act break, masquerade?? what happened during the act break that makes them think "yes, this is a good time for a creepy party" and not "this is a good time to catch the murderer"? I guess it doesn't have to make sense, like the random scene in Singing in the Rain which I still can't figure out, or the creepy cat heaven in Thomasina!

As for the actors, our phantom was incredible, Raoul was equally good (and looked like Christian Bale), Christine was a little shrill for my taste, but not bad, and she actually seemed like a real person, she didn't wander around with her mouth open the whole time. Overall entertainment rating: 4 3/4 stars.