In the past, I’ve shared makeup, jewelry, books, and of course clothing illustrated or inspired by Mary Blair. This year, I’m taking a look at something completely different, an “It’s a Small World” Scentsy warmer!
Let me preface this by saying I’m not into Scentsy at all. I don’t buy or sell Scentsy stuff, and I don’t even use this warmer to heat wax for the, well, scent. But I saw this adorable warmer last fall, with a rotating shade that depicts Mary Blair-inspired scenes, and I fell in love with it. My mom gave it to me for Christmas, and it sits on my nightstand, where it offers a lovely, gentle glow in the evening:
I love taking Mary Blair March from my wardrobe to home decor!
Back in August, I was inspired by the “Be Our Guest 4 the Day” segment on SiriusXM’s Disney Hits channel to created my own “Top Four” (*actually five, because hello, it’s me!), list of Disney songs. And then I submitted my list (minus “When You Wish Upon a Star,” because it really had to be just four songs!) to the channel for consideration to be the host of the segment for the day. I had pretty much forgotten it when they contacted me in early December with instructions how to submit my segments (including some other bits that I don’t even know if they’ll ever use). I spent some time writing a script for myself and doing the recordings, and sent them in. I didn’t forget about it this time, but I had pretty much decided they weren’t interested in my presentation when earlier this week, they contacted me to let me know that my hosting slot was scheduled for 9am and 3pm EST today and Saturday!
I was terrified to listen myself on the radio…you know how you never sound like yourself when you hear a recording. But it actually didn’t sound too bad, and I think my choice of words came across pretty well, too! It was quite a thrill to hear myself and see my (first) name on the screen in our van, and it was extra exciting because the segment this morning immediately followed John Williams’ “Raiders March,” and it doesn’t get much better than that! I had so much fun listening to myself (and almost made myself cry with one of the songs!) that I listened again this afternoon, and I’m pretty sure I’ll tune at least one more time, because how often is this going to happen to me? I even planned a special Disney-themed outfit today, including a Walt Disney World 50th anniversary dress I wore to the Magic Kingdom and a pair of Erstwilder matryoshka brooches that give off major “It’s a Small World” vibes:
My dreams might be small, but I’m still chasing them!
Last year, I completed our “12 Days of Christmas” ornament set from Hallmark, which left me wondering what we’d add to the tree this year. After all, that series gave me 12 straight years of not even having to think about what our annual addition to our holiday decor would be, because I knew it was whatever came next in the song. As soon as I saw this “Partners” statue ornament, though, I knew that this year wouldn’t be a problem, because it’s the perfect way to commemorate the Disney 100 year (and Turkey’s, Bunny’s, and my trip to Disneyland this spring!).
It’s the day after Thanksgiving, which means it’s now socially acceptable to get my Christmas apparel and accessories out of my wardrobe! To kick things off, let’s take a look at a new accessory I added to my collection this year…a Daisy Duck “Deck the Halls” bag charm from Baublebar!
I love Daisy in her sparkly Christmas sweater all tangled up in colorful Christmas lights, and I love how well she goes with my equally sparkly red and green sequin Loungefly “‘Tis the Season” Christmas mini backpack I got last year. It’s a glittery match made in accessories heaven!
Today’s manicure was inspired by the Disney 100 celebration. I was so excited to visit Disneyland earlier this year and be part of the festivities. It was particularly special to get to see all of the decorations and character costumes in the anniversary color scheme of silver and a lovely shade of purple. I don’t know why it took me until now to plan a mani reflecting the “100 Years of Wonder,” but once I did, I realized I had the perfect polishes for it. I used Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in “Anything is Popsicle” and “Hi Ho Silver” with a splash of glitter on the thumb thanks to “Deep Sea Diamond.” I also did my best attempt at a not-so-hidden-Mickey on my ring finger, and honestly, while it’s not perfect, I think I did a pretty great job!
Since we’ve had our new minivan, we’ve had a trial of SiriusXM Radio, which I’ve really been enjoying. We’ve had it from time to time before, and I also like flipping through the stations. One that we found that I’ve really enjoyed listening to is “Disney Hits,” which has music not just from the expected places (the classic animated movies and Disney Channel shows), but also from the parks, and newer Disney acquisitions such as Star Wars. I especially enjoy the “Be Our Guest 4 The Day” segment, where listeners get to pick their top four Disney songs to be played. I decided to come up with my own list, but of course I had to add a fifth song…but for once, I actually have five items on my list!
“Part of Your World”–This song from The Little Mermaid is my favorite from the Alan Menken era, and the one I most associate with the Disney of my childhood. I can’t tell you how many times I sang it in the shower (bathrooms have excellent acoustics, even for those of us who can’t sing a note!), and I still really relate to Ariel wanting to explore the unknown when she sings this one.
“Little Wonders”–I still haven’t seen the movie (Meet the Robinsons) that this song is from, but as it came out in the winter of 2007, I remember singing it to Ladybug when we were up in the middle of the night when she was a newborn. Danny Elfman’s music is almost as much a part of my Disney memories as Menken’s, so it’s only fitting that one of his songs has a place on the list.
“Hakuna Matata”–My children informed me that my list wouldn’t be complete without this song from The Lion King because I love singing it so much…when I see a warthog at the zoo, I’m always tempted to start belting it out!
“It’s a Small World”–I know this a controversial choice because the song has a reputation for being annoying, but I love it because it brings back such happy memories of riding the eponymous ride at both Disney World and Disneyland. It may be repetitive, but the sentiment is spot on, and you can’t have a top five Disney songs list without including the Sherman Brothers, can you?
“When You Wish Upon a Star”–For my bonus song, I picked what is arguably the most iconic of all Disney pieces, famous not just from Pinocchio, but also from the intro to classic Disney TV shows and films…it even won the Academy Award for best song in 1940!
One of the things I was most looking forward to when we went to Disney World last year (and again when we went to Disneyland in June) was having a Dole Whip (pineapple soft serve if you’ve never had the opportunity to indulge), and I was also excited to discover that “Dole Whip Day” (which fell on July 20th) was a thing!
My love of all things Dole Whip, from the treats at the park to handbags to frozen treats at home, is fairly obvious:
I was really excited to recreate the treat at home last summer according to the recipe in Delicious Disney: Walt Disney World:
I was also excited to discover that the recipe for “Growth Potion” in Alice In Wonderland: The Official Cookbook, which featured pineapple juice and cream soda, was the perfect drink for this year’s Dole Whip Day:
But the thing I was most excited about was that the Disney Parks blog “Disney Eats” section shared a recipe in the for Pineapple Cupcakes inspired by Dole Whips (yellow cupcakes filled with pineapple mousse and topped with pineapple buttercream frosting), like the ones they serve at the Contempo Café at Disney World’s Contemporary Resort! I was already planning on trying to recreate the recipe (without ever having actually tried one myself), but they made it so much easier for me! I am not exaggerating when I say these are the best cupcakes I’ve ever made…I don’t know how they compare to the ones served at the Contempo Café, but they’re amazing on their own!
This was such fun and delicious way to celebrate Dole Whip Day, and I’m looking forward to making them again!
I thought it would fun to take a side-by-side look at the two Disney castles I’ve visited. Of course, the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland is the original, and is iconic, but there’s no denying that the Cinderella Castle at Disney World is much grander (both because it’s actually taller and also because they didn’t screw up the forced perspective). I love that I got to see each of them decked out for a special anniversary!
From the back, the Sleeping Beauty Castle almost reminds me of a child’s castle blocks set, while the Cinderella Castle is fancier:
Walt and Mickey stand proudly in front of each!
I’m not the type of person who wants to visit every Disney park, but I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing “Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant” at Disneyland Paris someday, too!
After our trip to Disney World, I really felt like I hadn’t taken enough time to appreciate the beauty and grandeur of the Cinderella Castle. Now, I know that the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland isn’t as grand, but it’s small stature doesn’t make it any less beautiful, and this time, I made sure to really see it and photograph it. Here are some of my favorite views, from the front, side, and even the back…I feel very fortunate to have seen it dressed up for “100 Years of Wonder,” just as I saw the castle at Disney World decorated for their 50th anniversary!
The castle at night is quite a sight to behold, lit up, and with light illuminating the stained glass windows!
Maybe someday, I’ll get to see “Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant” at Disneyland Paris, too!
Yesterday was a most anticipated day…it was Stitch Day!
In case you’re unfamiliar with this holiday, it’s a day in celebration of Experiment 626 (which is why it is celebrated on June 26), otherwise known as Stitch, of Lilo and Stitch fame. Last year, we just happened to be at the Magic Kingdom on Stitch Day, and it’s hard to top that, but Disney did just release Lilo & Stitch: The Official Cookbook last month, so I planned a special day of meals to celebrate our favorite alien-dog.
We started with ‘Ohana Fruit Salad, which had pineapple, lychees, pear, green apples, strawberries, and tangerines, and was tossed with coconut yogurt and served in a hollowed-out pineapple. It was really delicious!
Next was Kaua’i Sugarloaf Pineapple Salsa, served with plantain chips…I can’t wait to serve this with our next Mexican dinner, because it too was delicious!
Funny story about the drink I made…it’s called the Blue Hawaiian. Does it look blue to you? No matter how much of the blue vanilla syrup I added, I couldn’t get the pineapple and lemon juice based drink to change colors, not even to green! Even though the color wasn’t right, the drink itself was tropical and refreshing!
For dinner, I made Dawn Patrol Loco Moco. I’ve been wanting to try this Hawaiian dish of a hamburger patty served on rice and topped with gravy and a fried egg for a while, and we weren’t disappointed!
For dessert, we had the Pā’ina Haupia Cake, which had a lovely coconut filling. Bunny drew an outline of Stitch, and Ladybug copied it in royal icing to make the decoration for the top of the cake…they did a fantastic job!
We had a really fun time celebrating Stitch Day, and I can’t wait to try more recipes from the cookbook!
