We're finally here!

The first week here in Orlando Florida has just been absolutely lovely! Here are just a few pictures of our first adventures at the hotel and at Downtown Disney.

I painted Kelsi's toes at the hotel! There is nothing like cute toes!

When we were out and about we found a cool truck with this amazing logo.

Early morning swim at our Hotel!

Ready for some apartment shopping!

At Downtown Disneyland everything smelled so good it made us hungry for the magnets.

The Lego shop was so cool and Kelsi is in love.

Packing, Packing, Packing

Tasha and I will be flying out of Utah in about 39 hours.

Personally, I'm terrified, sad, excited, and ecstatic all at once. I've said a few hard goodbyes already, and more are on the way.

Mostly, I'm afraid to start packing, because I've so successfully managed to avoid it for the past few weeks. Not sure if I'm ready to face the magic quite yet.

After Monday, we will certainly post a travel update (maybe with photos?), and give this blog the kick-start it needs.

Thanks for reading! See you later!

I can already smell the magic!

Food is an important part about living away from home, and it's something that Kelsi and I have been discussing a lot recently. We'll be splitting grocery costs and cooking duties, and we're ready to start making some magic in the kitchen!

Already Kelsi and I have great plans for what we are going to be eating in Florida! First and most importantly, we're hoping to eat cheap, healthy food for our everyday meals (rice, pasta, veggies, et cetera). I love making ratatouille and Kelsi's specialty is taco soup, which both fit into our "healthy and cheap" criteria. On fancier occasions we can't wait to make some rainbow pancakes and baked french toast, and we are excited to bake chocolate chip cookies and colorful cupcakes for our neighbors.

However, we will definitely be partaking in the bounteous deliciousness that Disney has to offer. I have already made some reservations for some of Disney's finest dining:

The number one on our list is Le Cellier Steakhouse, a fancy-schmancy place in Epcot Canada. You have to book reservations WAY in advance, but it'll be totally worth it. Bistro de Paris is another one. I'll definitely be taking a look at their pastries. We have also looked into the Coral Reef Restaurant, Via Napoli, and Teppan Edo. (One of our Disney Goals is to eat around the world at Epcot, you know).

Can't tell you which restaurants we are for sure going to though, because it's all a surprise for Kelsi! I booked all the reservations on my own, without telling her where we were going--because the best kind of prize is a surprise!

Thanks for reading!

Seasons Greetings!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Tasha got a Rapunzel doll and a laptop.

Kelsi got Toy Story sheets and a video camera.

We hope your holiday was as lovely as ours! See you soon!

The Disney Look (Costumed)

So about a month ago, we both got an email about the famous Disney Look. We'd already heard all about it, of course, but it was still a nice summary of the official dress code of Disneyland. If you want to check out all the information Disney offers, look here. Here's a quick survey of a few of the Disney Look guidelines that are especially pertinent to me and Tasha:

Hair, Makeup, and Fingernails

Hair should be 'neatly combed' and conservatively colored; extreme hair colors are not permitted. Basically, it just needs to look natural and professional. Makeup should be well-blended and in neutral colors. If Tasha wants to wear nail polish, it has to be a "classic" shade; no black, gold, neon, or multi-colored. Since I am in Quick Service Food & Beverage, I'm not allowed to wear nail polish at all (which isn't that big of a deal, because I only ever wear clear coats anyway).

Costumes and Accessories

We will be responsible for keeping our costumes neat and clean. Hair accessories need to match the costume, and no more than "three small accessories" can be worn at once. Rings, earrings, and a "classic, business style" watch are allowed, but no bracelets or necklaces. Earrings can't be larger than a quarter.

Footwear

THE BIG MYSTERY. We don't know what kind of shoes we need to buy for our costumes yet, but on the Disney website, it says we will have adequate time to buy shoes before we start work in costume.

So there are the guidelines for Costumed Cast Members, female! I don't think that any of the rules will be a huge problem for either of us. Check back sometime soon for a post on the Disney Look for non-costumed roles.

Links We Love

Happy Friday!

So we're not leaving Utah til January 17th. Does that mean we're just sitting around, staring at the four walls? No! Tasha and I have been planning like crazy, booking flights, doing Disney research, and, of course, wasting plenty of time on the Internet.

I thought we could share some of our favorite links for all you college-program-in-waiters, to beef up your time-wasting resources. Enjoy!

College Fashion: Clothes are fun! Right? Also, this site has a very fun series where they make clothing sets inspired by Disney movies. Check it out.

Team Coco: We are BIG Conan O'Brien fans. Huge!

Food Gawker: I'm not the best cook in the world, but it's still fun to look at and daydream.

Hark! A Vagrant: Our favorite comic! It's chock full of history jokes and hilarity.

StumbleUpon: Tasha wastes more time on this than I do. To be fair.

So there you go, five more links to check out if you're mindlessly killing time. Have a great weekend, we'll see you Monday!

The Flight, Part 1: What We'll Do

We love traveling.

But even more than that, we love making the travel plans.

Tasha and I just bought our plane tickets to Orlando. We'll be flying out of Utah on January 17th in the early afternoon, and arriving in Orlando at about 9:00 p.m.

We're looking at a four hour flight (minimum). Not counting the layover.

Needless to say, we'll be bringing along a lot of goodies to keep us occupied.

traveling entertainment by Kelsinki on Polyvore.com

Natasha's Travel Essentials

One: Elton John

Or just music in general. Tash and I both plan on loading up our iPods with long, interesting travel playlists. Elton John just happens to be one of Tasha's personal favorites.

Two: Sketching Supplies

Of course Tasha will be bringing along a sketchbook and some coloring pencils. She's definitely going to be doodling some Disney heroines during the flight (especially Rapunzel and Esmeralda), and airports are the best place to people watch-and-sketch.

Three: Midnight Pomegranate

Natasha bathes in the Midnight Pomegranate scent from Bath and Body Works. This is not an exaggeration. She will most certainly have a travel-sized bottle of body spray tucked into her carry-on.

Four: Variety Kit-Kats

Tasha's favorites are the dark and white chocolate. I, on the other hand, only like regular.

Five: Airplane Reading

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, American Creation by Joseph J. Ellis, and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

Shared Travel Essentials

Six: Fruit Crisps

More airplane snackage! We'll both be bringing our own favorite candy, but Fruit Crisps are lighter and healthy(ish), and also happen to be the best granola bars around. Tash and I both love them, so we'll be sharing.

Seven: Playing Cards

We come from a game-playing family. I've been looking up a lot of two-player card games that I've never heard of and really want to try on the airplane.

Eight: Water

Staying hydrated is important! We'll want to have cold water in our bag all the time to keep us going during our long day.

Nine: Coloring Books

A mutual love! Coloring books are the best way to pass the time when you're flying. Tasha already has a neato Tangled coloring book, and I'm sort of hoping to find a Princess and the Frog one before we go.

Kelsi's Travel Essentials

Ten: Airplane Reading

Tried by War by James M. McPherson, His Finest Hour by Christopher Catherwood, and The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis.

Eleven: My Computer

What's this I hear about wifi in airplanes? Is that just a rumor? Well, whether it is or isn't, I'll definitely be carrying my computer with me everywhere. Maybe I will even do some blogging whilst in flight!

Twelve: Peanut Butter M&Ms

My favorite! Tasha likes them too, maybe we will work out a candy barter system.

Thirteen: Writing Supplies

My ultimate favorite thing to do while flying is write lists. To-do lists, favorites lists, et cetera. I'm sure I'll be organizing papers and writing budgets and time charts all the way to Orlando, to prepare for our move-in to college housing.

Fourteen: Johnny Cash

I am on a Johnny Cash kick lately. If that is still the case in January, I will probably be listening to a lot of his music on the way to Florida.