Wednesday, March 28, 2012
spring playlist
its been a really long time since i've made a playlist for the blog, so here is some music that sounds good to usher in spring!
Monday, March 26, 2012
updates at the ryan arms
fixing up a new house is really difficult when you're also saving up for a wedding at the same time. we've really had to prioritize the order in which we want to get things done so that we aren't just sitting around doing nothing but we're also not blowing all our extra money that we need to be saving up to have this wedding (countdown: almost exactly 3 months away....and i can't WAIT til its over!)
nevertheless, i've been really proud of josh for all the projects he has managed to complete since moving into our house last august. you might remember, the house was move-in ready when we bought it and we liked the old-fashioned charm and vintage look so much that there was very little we needed to do right away to be happy with our new home.
the only major project we tackled right away was painting the finished room in the basement and turning it into a better hangout spot.
before:
after:
since then josh has been checking off minor projects left and right! when he didn't know how to do something, he taught himself. i'm happy to have such a handy future husband :)
#1 broken vanity lights
i was smitten with the retro bathroom the minute i saw the place. from the original wall/floor tiles to the built-in wall medicine cabinet and the vanity lights, i just adored it. so i was very disappointed to realize that only one vanity light turned on. josh systematically eliminated one reason after another until he found the problem and fixed it. adorable!
before:
after:
#2 creepy bathroom with broken toilet
we only have one bathroom in the house, so having this second 1/2 bath in the basement was nice. the design of it is rather strange, being built into a wooden wall and containing only a toilet (no sink!) so that it sorta has the appearance of an outhouse. josh decided that when he fixed it up he wanted to make it a "hillbilly" themed bathroom, which he is something of an expert in, being born in the hills of west virginny and all. the toilet was broken when we bought the house, so josh learned how to install one on his own and he found a great vintage pink one at a habitat for humanity salvage shop. we have begun accessorizing the room with various decorations: josh's grandpa's spittoon, a moonshine jug featuring a sleeping hillbilly, an old beer can made in west virginia, a vintage postcard that needs a frame, and the most perfect toilet seat cover known to man, etc. we still need to paint the walls, but its at least a functional 1/2 bathroom for now!
before:
[guess what's behind door number three, win a prize!]
after:
ooooh! that's naughty!
i hung all josh's appropriate belt buckles along the wall. you see that hand sanitizer? that's our version of a hillbilly sink, and it took very little creative effort on our part.
#3 back porch
it was nice having a covered porch on the back of the house to hang out during the summer listening to music and enjoying the quiet neighborhood, but the fact that it was so open (and our house isn't very far from the neighbors) left us wanting a bit more privacy. i think it looks a lot nicer now, too!
before:
after:
josh has also finished some behind-the-scenes projects, like insulating the attic to keep our upstairs bedroom warmer in the winter, and waterproofing the basement where the wall sometimes leaked in the laundry room. with each project that we cross off our to-do list, i grow more and more in love with this cute old house that we call home :)
still remaining on the to-do list:
-plant garden beside garage
-transplant flowers on side of porch and create patio area
-paint bathroom/hallways
-finish insulating
-turn the unfinished room upstairs into a bedroom
nevertheless, i've been really proud of josh for all the projects he has managed to complete since moving into our house last august. you might remember, the house was move-in ready when we bought it and we liked the old-fashioned charm and vintage look so much that there was very little we needed to do right away to be happy with our new home.
the only major project we tackled right away was painting the finished room in the basement and turning it into a better hangout spot.
before:
after:
since then josh has been checking off minor projects left and right! when he didn't know how to do something, he taught himself. i'm happy to have such a handy future husband :)
#1 broken vanity lights
i was smitten with the retro bathroom the minute i saw the place. from the original wall/floor tiles to the built-in wall medicine cabinet and the vanity lights, i just adored it. so i was very disappointed to realize that only one vanity light turned on. josh systematically eliminated one reason after another until he found the problem and fixed it. adorable!
before:
after:
#2 creepy bathroom with broken toilet
we only have one bathroom in the house, so having this second 1/2 bath in the basement was nice. the design of it is rather strange, being built into a wooden wall and containing only a toilet (no sink!) so that it sorta has the appearance of an outhouse. josh decided that when he fixed it up he wanted to make it a "hillbilly" themed bathroom, which he is something of an expert in, being born in the hills of west virginny and all. the toilet was broken when we bought the house, so josh learned how to install one on his own and he found a great vintage pink one at a habitat for humanity salvage shop. we have begun accessorizing the room with various decorations: josh's grandpa's spittoon, a moonshine jug featuring a sleeping hillbilly, an old beer can made in west virginia, a vintage postcard that needs a frame, and the most perfect toilet seat cover known to man, etc. we still need to paint the walls, but its at least a functional 1/2 bathroom for now!
before:
[guess what's behind door number three, win a prize!]
after:
ooooh! that's naughty!
i hung all josh's appropriate belt buckles along the wall. you see that hand sanitizer? that's our version of a hillbilly sink, and it took very little creative effort on our part.
#3 back porch
it was nice having a covered porch on the back of the house to hang out during the summer listening to music and enjoying the quiet neighborhood, but the fact that it was so open (and our house isn't very far from the neighbors) left us wanting a bit more privacy. i think it looks a lot nicer now, too!
before:
after:
josh has also finished some behind-the-scenes projects, like insulating the attic to keep our upstairs bedroom warmer in the winter, and waterproofing the basement where the wall sometimes leaked in the laundry room. with each project that we cross off our to-do list, i grow more and more in love with this cute old house that we call home :)
still remaining on the to-do list:
-plant garden beside garage
-transplant flowers on side of porch and create patio area
-paint bathroom/hallways
-finish insulating
-turn the unfinished room upstairs into a bedroom
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
7x7
happy wednesday, y'all.
i'm moved beyond words that a certain mr. tiny over at wacky tacky has found my little ol' space on the web award-worthy. gotta love a fellow vintage lover who can appreciate some good junk. thanks for the nod, mr. tiny!!
and now for my end of the deal: a secret fact about myself, 7 posts that stand out (for being beautiful, popular, controversial, helpful, successful, underrated, pride-worthy, etc), and 7 blogs that i would like to pass the award on to.
FACT: i'm sorta obsessed with other people's memories. this shouldn't come as a surprise seeing as how i like collecting their old junk so much, but i also have a very large collection of found phototgraphs that i can't seem to let go of. when i worked at a thrift store, we threw away ephemera like this, so i took to collecting all the pictures and keeping them from the dumpster. it got so that everyone who worked in the back room would save them for me and give me stacks to take home. i especially like the old ones (duh). sometimes, i might have a particular favorite hanging in my house (ok i have quite a few) and people always ask "oh, is that your grandma?" or "is that your family?" and i have to tell them no, i just kinda like it. i don't know if this is weird or not (i guess it is) but i'm comforted to know that i've read of at least a few other bloggers who can't resist a "found relative" when they get their hands on one.
oh look, here's a good one now:
and now for 7 blog entries that stand out to me:
1. adventures in petting a dolphin (meeting some of my favorite "celebrities")
2. from ida and elmer's to the ryan arms (a big event in my life, buying our first house)
3. when the monkees come to town... (about my lifetime love for the monkees)
4. got some 'splainin to do (a funny story about my funny boyfriend)
5. my most prized possessions, halloweekend, and NEWS (a few of my favorite things...a great weekend!)
6. the hurdy gurdy man (well, what DOES the hurdy gurdy man look like?)
7. attack of the sleeptalker (my favorite josh sleeptalking stories)
and now, award time! drumroll please...
-from bettie page to betty crocker: i admire her sheer ability to keep blog after blog for as long as i can remember
-functional rubbish: i wish ryan updated more often, we have far too much in common for me to be missing out on his life! (note: the photo on his blog probably answers my blog post highlighted above about what the hurdy gurdy man looks like)
-gonked, glooked and slurped: the ultimate in drool-worthy vintage collecting!
-hoarder of awesome: ben is practically my twin. we love the same junk, listen to the same music, know the same goofy people. he's one of my favorite active artists, to boot!
-phoebe's stupid cancer: one of the most inspirational and creative people i know (and she's off on an amazing adventure in italy as we speak!)
-ranch dressing with eartha kitsch: you know eartha is somethin special because this is the second 7x7 award i've seen her get, but i would be negligent if i didn't cast my vote her way as well. her blog always makes me smile and she always makes me feel like she really GETS me. is that weird? i guess so.
-i heart everything: i can never get enough oogling other people's awesome collections...plus, she has a really amazing car and she knows how to work on it herself! aces.
congratulations and thanks, all!
i'm moved beyond words that a certain mr. tiny over at wacky tacky has found my little ol' space on the web award-worthy. gotta love a fellow vintage lover who can appreciate some good junk. thanks for the nod, mr. tiny!!
and now for my end of the deal: a secret fact about myself, 7 posts that stand out (for being beautiful, popular, controversial, helpful, successful, underrated, pride-worthy, etc), and 7 blogs that i would like to pass the award on to.
FACT: i'm sorta obsessed with other people's memories. this shouldn't come as a surprise seeing as how i like collecting their old junk so much, but i also have a very large collection of found phototgraphs that i can't seem to let go of. when i worked at a thrift store, we threw away ephemera like this, so i took to collecting all the pictures and keeping them from the dumpster. it got so that everyone who worked in the back room would save them for me and give me stacks to take home. i especially like the old ones (duh). sometimes, i might have a particular favorite hanging in my house (ok i have quite a few) and people always ask "oh, is that your grandma?" or "is that your family?" and i have to tell them no, i just kinda like it. i don't know if this is weird or not (i guess it is) but i'm comforted to know that i've read of at least a few other bloggers who can't resist a "found relative" when they get their hands on one.
oh look, here's a good one now:
and now for 7 blog entries that stand out to me:
1. adventures in petting a dolphin (meeting some of my favorite "celebrities")
2. from ida and elmer's to the ryan arms (a big event in my life, buying our first house)
3. when the monkees come to town... (about my lifetime love for the monkees)
4. got some 'splainin to do (a funny story about my funny boyfriend)
5. my most prized possessions, halloweekend, and NEWS (a few of my favorite things...a great weekend!)
6. the hurdy gurdy man (well, what DOES the hurdy gurdy man look like?)
7. attack of the sleeptalker (my favorite josh sleeptalking stories)
and now, award time! drumroll please...
-from bettie page to betty crocker: i admire her sheer ability to keep blog after blog for as long as i can remember
-functional rubbish: i wish ryan updated more often, we have far too much in common for me to be missing out on his life! (note: the photo on his blog probably answers my blog post highlighted above about what the hurdy gurdy man looks like)
-gonked, glooked and slurped: the ultimate in drool-worthy vintage collecting!
-hoarder of awesome: ben is practically my twin. we love the same junk, listen to the same music, know the same goofy people. he's one of my favorite active artists, to boot!
-phoebe's stupid cancer: one of the most inspirational and creative people i know (and she's off on an amazing adventure in italy as we speak!)
-ranch dressing with eartha kitsch: you know eartha is somethin special because this is the second 7x7 award i've seen her get, but i would be negligent if i didn't cast my vote her way as well. her blog always makes me smile and she always makes me feel like she really GETS me. is that weird? i guess so.
-i heart everything: i can never get enough oogling other people's awesome collections...plus, she has a really amazing car and she knows how to work on it herself! aces.
congratulations and thanks, all!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
the wienermobile and eddie munster
over the weekend josh and i went to the autorama. butch patrick (aka eddie munster) was making an appearance, as well as the drag-u-la from the munsters tv show.
when trying to pick out a promo photo to have signed by butch patrick, i somehow completely forgot that he also starred on the christmas episode of "the monkees" as milton, the grumpy little boy with no christmas spirit. i talked to butch about davy and how i was so upset, and he got out his camera phone to show me photos of himself and davy hanging out just the week before he died. what a bummer. butch was super nice and even remembered me when we stopped back at the table later on because josh decided he wanted a photo too ("it's ERIN!!!")
"to erin love butch patrick"
"to josh and erin good times butch patrick"
we also saw a ratfinkmobile, the oscar mayer wienermobile (where we both posed with it looking very angry for whatever reason) and a car that looked uncannily like a banana. hmmm.
when trying to pick out a promo photo to have signed by butch patrick, i somehow completely forgot that he also starred on the christmas episode of "the monkees" as milton, the grumpy little boy with no christmas spirit. i talked to butch about davy and how i was so upset, and he got out his camera phone to show me photos of himself and davy hanging out just the week before he died. what a bummer. butch was super nice and even remembered me when we stopped back at the table later on because josh decided he wanted a photo too ("it's ERIN!!!")
"to erin love butch patrick"
"to josh and erin good times butch patrick"
we also saw a ratfinkmobile, the oscar mayer wienermobile (where we both posed with it looking very angry for whatever reason) and a car that looked uncannily like a banana. hmmm.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
gigs
tomorrow i'm playing records in between bands at the reverend horton heat / goddamn gallows / larry and his flask show. i'm excited because it should be a big show. goddamn gallows are old pals who i haven't seen in a long time. plus, josh is playing the pre-show with his one man band and then playing some records with me, so that should be fun. i like that we're a rock'n'roll team :)
(covering the mummies!)
later on this month, i'll be dj'ing with psych-garage dudes night beats. i saw them last year and they were great.
i'm looking forward to doing these shows because all i've been dj'ing out lately have been soul dance parties....not that i'm complaining, because i love me some soul music and its an AMAZING feeling to see a room full of dancing people and know that you're making it happen! i'm just ready to bust out some trashy punk records again ; )
what about you, have you seen any good shows lately? are you going to any soon?
(covering the mummies!)
later on this month, i'll be dj'ing with psych-garage dudes night beats. i saw them last year and they were great.
i'm looking forward to doing these shows because all i've been dj'ing out lately have been soul dance parties....not that i'm complaining, because i love me some soul music and its an AMAZING feeling to see a room full of dancing people and know that you're making it happen! i'm just ready to bust out some trashy punk records again ; )
what about you, have you seen any good shows lately? are you going to any soon?
Saturday, March 10, 2012
recently my old phone wouldn't hold a charge anymore and i got my first iphone. i'm embarrassed to say i'm sorta addicted to it. i've been having a lot of fun with instagram (my username is letsdanceon) and here's a few i've got to share:
i bought these to use as props during our engagement shoot at the county fair, but josh felt like he was too manly to hold a lollipop or something. psssh.
megadeth and i have always had a special bond. she's a very small timid cat, and i often have to protect her from the other two cats who like to play around and roughhouse. when i'm home she follows me everywhere. she doesn't come out of hiding when most people are over, and she never truly lets her guard down around anyone but me (she has taken a liking to josh now that he's been living with her for 4 years, but she still doesn't stick to him like glue like she does with me). every night megadeth cuddles up next to me in bed and falls asleep with her tiny head on my hand.
cute (crabby) boy
i took this photo on the day that davy jones died. i was so upset i moped around the house crying all day. the cats could tell that something was definitely wrong. i was laying on the couch crying, and lemmy jumped up by me to try to cheer me up. he thought that getting as close to me as possible would make me feel better. there was barely enough room between his face and mine to stick the phone to take this photo. silly cat.
just another day at the toy store.
as a side note, i decided that out of all the famous monster cereal characters boo berry is my fave. he does not, however, taste the best (that right is reserved for frankenberry)
what a strange winter we've had this year.
gettin my monkees collection together to do the tribute on my radio show
megadeth is my real-life GIG pity kitty!
monkees picture disc ::insert dreamy sigh here::
rocket from the crypt? covering the music machine? for $2? on a teeny tiny cute lil baby 5" record??? YOU BET!
coconut chip milkshake...mind blown
what about you, do you use instagram??
i bought these to use as props during our engagement shoot at the county fair, but josh felt like he was too manly to hold a lollipop or something. psssh.
megadeth and i have always had a special bond. she's a very small timid cat, and i often have to protect her from the other two cats who like to play around and roughhouse. when i'm home she follows me everywhere. she doesn't come out of hiding when most people are over, and she never truly lets her guard down around anyone but me (she has taken a liking to josh now that he's been living with her for 4 years, but she still doesn't stick to him like glue like she does with me). every night megadeth cuddles up next to me in bed and falls asleep with her tiny head on my hand.
cute (crabby) boy
i took this photo on the day that davy jones died. i was so upset i moped around the house crying all day. the cats could tell that something was definitely wrong. i was laying on the couch crying, and lemmy jumped up by me to try to cheer me up. he thought that getting as close to me as possible would make me feel better. there was barely enough room between his face and mine to stick the phone to take this photo. silly cat.
just another day at the toy store.
as a side note, i decided that out of all the famous monster cereal characters boo berry is my fave. he does not, however, taste the best (that right is reserved for frankenberry)
what a strange winter we've had this year.
gettin my monkees collection together to do the tribute on my radio show
megadeth is my real-life GIG pity kitty!
monkees picture disc ::insert dreamy sigh here::
rocket from the crypt? covering the music machine? for $2? on a teeny tiny cute lil baby 5" record??? YOU BET!
coconut chip milkshake...mind blown
what about you, do you use instagram??
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