Housewife in Hollywood - housewifeinhollywood.com

Last night Mr. HIH installed a new microwave. Our old one stopped working weeks ago after an instant oatmeal incident.

He decided to buy the same exact model thinking it would be easy to install over the oven. Little did he know the manufacturer decided to change the outer design so that meant, realligning, and re-drilling holes in the cabinets. After hours of things not going well, Mr. HIH started to sound like the dad on A Christmas Story. Finally after a tough night of Tim the Toolman style work the new microwave is operational.

This morning we chose a bag of Orville’s microwavable popcorn for breakfast. We have an air popper but it’s just not the same thing. There’s no fake butter smell, and no artificial ingredients to savor. I could go into a rant about how much fiber popcorn has, even if it’s microwavable or how it can be used as part of your daily grain intake but it would never be as entertaining as Bill Cosby’s Chocolate Cake speech. Click here for Cosby’s Chocolate Cake vid.

Some of you might think using an air popper is Old School but I remember my mom popping corn on the stove.

All you cartoon and commercial voice over experts out there, who does the voice of that big popcorn piece? Anyone?

After all the Facts of Life  episodes I watched as a kid I don’t remember this one. Do you?

I really should break out some roller skates and clean the house Tootie style. Did you recognize Helen Hunt from Mad about You fame?

For some really impressive moves on roller skates click here.

Yes, I am a homemaker and I have been called Suzy.

I’ve been scouring the internet shelves to find out more about the name Suzy Homemaker. Did the name originate with the Suzy Homemaker toy line or were the toys inspired by a real life Suzy of homemaker fame?

With not many clues to be found, I did dust off various craft blogs, vintage apron seller sites, and great retro commercials like this one:

Will the real Suzy Homemaker please stand up! It sure isn’t me.

Visit www.captainbijou.com for classic clips, commercials, and DVD’s!

I’ve talked about how much I’ve enjoyed watching Celebrity Rehab & Sober House, both with Dr. Drew Pinsky. He has a successful radio show called Loveline. The primary goal of the show is helping youth and young adults with relationship, sexuality, and drug addiction problems.

This theme of helping youth and young adults has been brought over into an MTV series called Sex… with Mom and Dad.

“Dr. Drew’s groundbreaking series on MTV, Sex…with Mom and Dad, is back for a second season to help 20 more teens, and their parents, get to the root of their problems when it comes to the taboo topic of sex.

With more emotional stories, tougher tasks, and a new look that incorporates vintage sex education footage, this season takes sex ed — and family communication — to a whole new level.” 

 
Have you seen this show yet? If so, what do you think about it?
Sex…with Mom and Dad Season Two, Mondays at 4:00 PM EST on MTV.

Like so many people around the world I grew up watching the Oscars, a.k.a. the Academy Awards. The 1st Academy Awards took place in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt. It just so happened to take place on my birthday, May 16. Of course I wasn’t born yet, the first ceremony was in 1929.

Watching the Oscars has become a tradition for many people. Oscar themed parties, watching the show live at bars and pubs, and these days live chat on the internet while other people commentate or even rant.

This year, I won’t be getting all dolled up to walk the red carpet but I will be having a big plate of nachos and a cherry coke in front of the big screen.

The Oscars Official YouTube channel has a lot of great videos from previous years, including Oscar trailers, speeches and even blunders.

I had a hard time picking out a favorite moment from their video library. I was going to pick one of Bette Davis presenting Marlon Brando with an award for On the Waterfront merely because I thought Bette’s Munchkinesque outfit was worth noting.

Then I found this one of Jim Carrey presenting legendary filmmaker Blake Edwards with an Honorary Academy Award®, at the 76th Annual Academy Awards. Blake Edwards thanks everyone, even the little guy on set that shoveled elephant poop, but he fails to recognize Peter Sellers by name which according to Wikipedia was a big Oscar faux pas. Click here to see what I mean.

It seems that many Oscar moments are streaked with controversy. From Sacheen Littlefeather turning down the Oscar in Marlon Brando’s behalf to Michael Moore blasting George Bush, and an actual streaker crashing the Oscar event.

I wonder what moments will happen this year to be put in the Oscar library for generations to discuss. What is your favorite Oscar moment?

Because I couldn’t find any unique Oscar worthy images you haven’t seen already, I decided to present you with this Oscar from waverlyfilms.com:

We went to the library the other day, and the kiddo recognized many great Americans honored in the children’s section for Black History Month.

She said, “Martin Luther King Jr., George Washington Carver, the lady that made the Underground Railroad, and my Aunt Virginia.”

Her Great Aunt Virginia is my husband’s father’s sister. She was also an award-winning author of children’s books.

Virginia Hamilton won numerous awards for literature including the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, the Coretta Scott King Award, and the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Her book Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush was awarded a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award.

Check out this retro Snipet from fuzzymemoriestv.TV

Many of her stories went from the printed page to other media such as her novel The House of Dies Drear  made into a film starring Moses Gunn, and Shavar Ross in 1984. She collaborated with James Earl Jones to narrate her book The People Could Fly on CD.

Newbery Medalist Virginia Hamilton tells 24 stories that kept her ancestors’ culture alive during slavery, from spirited animal trickster tales and robust tall tales to spine-chilling tales of the supernatural and moving narratives of slaves in search of freedom. Twelve of these tales are on the 78-minute CD, including the hauntingly beautiful title story, “The People Could Fly,” Booklist praised the recording as “an outstanding and most welcome production that both complements and extends the original work.”—from her official website www.virginiahamilton.com

Her stories inspire young and old to read, write and share their own stories with future generations. Virginia’s love of storytelling and the arts have been passed down to her own children. Her son Jamie Adoff is a writer, and her daughter Leigh Adoff  is an opera singer.

Virginia Hamilton left this earth on February 19th, 2002 but her stories can be found in libraries, bookstores, and inside our minds and hearts, thank you Virginia.

“The past moves me and with me, although I remove myself from it. It’s light often shines on this night traveler: and when it does, I scribble it down. Whatever pleasure is in it I need pass on. That’s happiness. That is who I am.”—Virginia Hamilton

Actress Debra Messing collaborated with legendary jeweler Robert Lee Morris to design an 18K Gold Bracelet that you could win!

Look for Debra on USA Network’s series The Starter Wife  and in Instyle Magazine promoting this Legendary Gold contest that benefits her favorite charity YouthAids.

You can win an 18K Gold Bracelet just by telling your favorite story that involves a piece of gold jewelry. Maybe I should send in the one about losing my wedding rings in Cozumel, Mexico. I think they’re looking for stories a bit more inspiring, but I could put a motivational spin on it.

Here’s what you need to do:

Tell your favorite story that involves a piece of gold jewelry for a chance to win an 18K Gold Bracelet , it’s one of only four ever made, designed by Deborah Messing and Robert Lee Morris.

Contest End Date: February 24th, 2009

To Enter: Visit http://www.instyle.com/legendarygold to submit your short story.

Check out favorite Gold stories, including one from Debra Messing on https://www.instylecmg.com/worldgold/

Find out more about YouthAIDS by clicking here.

YouthAIDS, an education and prevention program of PSI, uses media, pop culture, music, theatre and sports to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and reach 600 million young people in more than 60 countries with life-saving messages, products, services and care.

President’s Day is a day to remember past President’s of the United States and reflect on their contributions to our world. It’s also a great day to find out funny facts like these presented by gagfilms.com

Usually for most Americans it means a day off, and big sale prices at stores that aren’t going out of business. Schools usually spend most of their time teaching about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Can you recite all 44 Presidents  in order?

Check out this unique video of Washington morphing into Obama by “An old retired guy who likes to play with computers.”

For more great videos from this talented “old retired guy” visit http://www.youtube.com/HerBunk

Nothing says romance like a night on Fantasy Island. All you men out there wondering what to do for Valentine’s Day, don’t waste your time and money with chocolate, flowers or jewelry. Take a lesson from Don Juan, this one will actually show you what “not to do”…

If you’re looking for what “to do” when it comes to romance, watch Don Juan De Marco starring Johnny Depp, and Marlon Brando. Click here to view the trailer  on IMDb.com.

“There are only four questions of value in life, Don Octavio. What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for, and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same: only love.” —Don Juan

Happy Valentine’s Day!

The kiddo is having her Myth Believer’s Fan Club meeting today and we’ll be talking about Cupid, Eros and creating our own icon for Valentine’s Day.

I did some research to find out more about this chubby little son of Venus. He turned out to be a good-looking guy, in an ancient mythological sort of way.

Learn more about Cupid by visiting the History Channel, click here.

Of course Cupid gets all the publicity around Valentine’s Day but his mom seems to inspire artists, writers, and musicians more often.