Day 1248: The Fifth Room

Since we finally moved into our fifth and final housing assignment on campus, and because I just happened to have the good camera here with me, I figured it was time to take some detail shots of the Disney in our new apartment. It took over three days before everything was in place and finally set up, but we're really happy with how it's all turned out, and with all the natural light we get thanks to living on the third floor, pictures are a lot easier than they were in the last place.

Starting in our living room, the most obvious Disney can be found in our attraction posters, which have traveled with us from our last two homes before ending up on the wall above our couch.

Of course, one of the oldest pieces of artwork in our apartment is our Once Upon a Time quote canvas, which I created a year and a half ago for our wall that we intended for Christmas lights. The lights burned out a while ago, but I managed to find some new ones, so in reality, this wall hasn't changed much...or at least, the setup hasn't. The wall has definitely changed. I mean...it's a different wall. 

There are several smaller Hidden Mickeys around the apartment, but the newest is the pressed penny Mickey my best friends recently gave me. It currently sits on top of our fireplace, which holds an ever growing collection of odds and ends. 

My desk, unlike previous years, sits on the side of our living room. Because our bedroom is rather small and cramped, I decided to move my desk to give us more space, and really I love the amount of light it brings in. If you look closely, many of the little elements have remained the same since my Freshman year, although the picture frames now feature significantly more Colin O'Donoghue. Either way, I took a few extra detail shots of some of the newer elements of the desk. You can click on them to see larger versions of each photo too!

Heading right next door into our open floor plan kitchen, I realized that I hadn't really shared some of the details there. I'm sure I've mentioned the "Kitchen Kabaret Gang" before, but we also have quite the collection of Disney magnets on our fridge, because apparently the attraction posters on the wall weren't enough for us.

In the bedroom, our bookshelf stands pretty much the same way it has in the last two apartments we've lived in. My set of Haunted Mansion Marble Busts keep my fairy tale collection in order. 

 

On the shelf down below that there's a few other random books that I keep on hand, but for the most part it's filled with more Disney merch, from a limited edition Killian Jones Funko Pop Megan got for me, to my CarsLand Oil Can, to my Disneyland Starbucks Mugs. Really, this is the most Disneyland area in my entire apartment...weird. 

And then, back in our entryway, we have the largest canvas in our apartment, which made an appearance late last year...meaning it's also the newest as of right now. That'll change soon, but all in all, the "Let's Go Fly a Kite" canvas is made up of 10 individual canvases and honestly is sort of a pain to hang, so I'm glad it's up and that we won't have to take it down for a year. We also have a mirror right by our door, so I suppose you get a picture of the photographer. 

And that's about it. There's definitely more Disney in our apartment than this, but really you've already seen most of it in past posts, and I really wanted to highlight some of the newer things or smaller details that you normally wouldn't see. After all, when decorating with Disney it's all about being subtle while also letting your inner Disnerd come out. That's sometimes difficult, but once it's done right, an empty apartment really starts to feel like a home...or at least a satisfying place to live while waiting to go back to Disney World. 

Have a magical day! 

Day 970: A House for the Town

I can still remember a time when I was freaking about moving into my first college dorm. Having never moved in my entire life, it was a huge step, and the terrifying number of boxes and crates sitting in my dining room prior to move-in day absolutely caused some shock. Granted, the transformation my bedroom at home went through as I moved in this year was none the less terrifying, but at this point I've gotten pretty good at this whole moving thing.

I also remember my debates prior to college about how I was going to bring Disney into my dorm room, and it was something I thought long and hard about. The internet doesn't have much on the subject, but over time I've come to find my own classy collection of Disney memorbelia, knick knacks, and real actual textbooks, and as usual, I snapped a few pictures to give you an idea of where in the world I'm living now and how you might be able to bring a bit of Disney into your dorm or apartment too!

First up is my desk, which you can see is definitely the most condensed area for Disney. However, it's a pretty equal balance between actual Disney stuff, Once Upon A Time, family items and school necessities. You probably recognize a bunch of it from my previous desk setups, but I have to say that I spent a lot more time at this desk than I think I did the last two years. Alright, maybe about the same as last year, but the lack of shelf space definitely threw us all for a loop after having multiple giant shelves last year! 

I did manage to find spaces for a couple little pieces though, including my new Jaq and Gus figurine and the little yellow bug that one of my roommates got for me. It's a little bit of Emma Swan to go with my strange amount of pirate stuff. 

The walls in our room are also covered in Disney, although maybe not as obviously. On the wall above my own bed and next to my desk we have a quote canvas from Peter Pan and attraction posters from the Disney Parks (there's four total, although one is cut off in the picture). Then, on the other side of the room, above Megan's bed, is a new multi-canvas work I put together inspired by Mary Poppins. It certainly brighten things up! 

Of course Cardboard Colin finally got to come with to college, and he now watches over us from a spot right next to my bed. Charming keeps him company on the wall! Meanwhile, on the side of my desk, you can find the awesome Mickey wreath Megan made me for our high school graduation. It's been a key feature in all of my desk setups so far, so a spot where we both could see it felt like the right choice! 

As an English major, an extra bookshelf was absolutely necessary, and I keep my books up with these awesome new Haunted Mansion bookends I got while at Disneyland! Also on the shelf, but not pictured, are a few of my Starbucks You Are Here Mugs and the oil cans from Cars Land! 

Down in our kitchen, because yes we have a kitchen now, we have what I realized could be called our own little Kitchen Kabaret! This setup sits right on top of our stove/oven and keeps things lively in an otherwise pretty boring kitchen. We spent a lot of time figuring out how to bring color and excitement into a room we spend a lot of time in!

Finally, in our basement, you can find our ever popular quote canvas and Christmas light combination! You probably remember this set from our room last year, and after a few repairs, it's officially made it's new home in the basement of our townhouse. Thankfully the lights didn't take as long to put up this year, but I'll let you know if Jennifer Morrison likes them again as a part of #101Smiles!

Finally, also in our basement living area, you can find a couple of the Disney decorative pillows. Of all the things I've bought for my dorm rooms, these have to be one of my favorites. They're the perfect way to add a little bit of Disney without being too obvious!

And that's about it! To give you a general idea of where I live otherwise, I'm in a townhouse I share with five other girls (three of which I lived with last year). We're situated right along the river, which makes for a great view, and our only big downside is super thin walls. Our neighbors tend to get a bit loud, but we're quietly planning an attack that involves Let It Go and it's a small world.

Hopefully, if you're just joining us, this gives you a few ideas of how you might be able to decorate your dorm room or apartment! That's definitely my goal with these yearly posts on my new campus living, because I definitely continue to refine and develop a new style based on where I'm living next!

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on September 18 due to a tight schedule).