Day 922: The Old Stomping Grounds

2013 seems like much more than two years ago...seems more like two decades. Funny, considering that's how old I'll be turning this week so it's impossible for it to have been that long ago. Regardless, heading back to my childhood summer camp to visit some of my friends who now work there seemed like a great time to flashback to my last week of camp in 2013. The week was filled with Disney all over the place, not that it was surprising in the least. Attending a camp called MADD camp, which stands for Music, Arts, Dance, and Drama makes it pretty easy to expect Disney to find it's way into just about every day of the week! So now, looking back to my last year at Pilgrim Center, here's a few of my favorite memories: 

I actually forgot a picture of this existed until I went back to my blog post from the day, but here we have me getting hit with a frying pan as a part of our Five Minute Musical: Tangled! If you want to read our miniature synopsis, you can find it back on Day 175, but let's just say that I was very excited to have my favorite Disney movie as my group's musical. 

This is actually the picture that reminded me of how much Disney was stuck in my last week at Pilgrim Center, when we had a cookie decorating contest and I decided Minnie Mouse would be the best design option. Long story short, I won the competition and what I wouldn't give to have another of those cookies. Read about the cookie and more of the camp adventures on Day 176! 

I forgot this happened until I went back to Day 174 too! Every year at camp we make buttons as name tags so we can easily learn names throughout the entire camp. In 2012 I was lucky enough to find a Disney cartoon, which you can see on the button on the left, as my background for my button. And apparently, as I wrote about two years ago, going into my last year, I had no expectations to be as lucky again as to find a Disney themed background...until I found a Nat Geo from 1982 and a giant Spaceship Earth. 

And last but certainly not least when it comes to the Disney references at my last week of camp we have the Chihuly exhibit we had a chance to see. If you don't know much about Chihuly, you can read all about him and the exhibit we saw on Day 177, but basically he's a glass artist that's done beautiful sculptures for many locations I've visited, including some of the Disney cruise ships (although I'm not sure if they're still there at this point). 

Like I said, it's been a long time since I've actually attended camp at Pilgrim Center, but that doesn't mean it doesn't feel like a little bit of home to me. There were several years in the middle I didn't go, but I'm forever thankful that I decided to go back for my final two years because I met so many wonderful people that I can't imagine my life without now. If you want to read all of my posts on my last week of camp, they're in and around those I've listed here! 

Have a magical day!

Day 180: Last Days

Today was my last day of camp, ever. I mean, forever. Unless I come back to be a counselor at some point, I am officially graduated from the camp I go to, and I'm not really allowed to go back anymore as a student or camper. I mean, I could go back for adult camps, but I can't go back to MADD camp, which is just super duper sad. I have so many friends that will probably go back and I can't. I am very much going to miss all of them, but I do hope they keep in touch.

But that wasn't all going on today. It may have been my last day of camp, but it's also the last marker in my countdown to Disney! That's right, today marks SINGLE DIGITS!!!!!!!! I only have 9 days left until Disney, although my brain is having a hard time wrapping around that fact. Normally my family goes to Disney in the winter. In fact, I've only ever been to Disney World once in the summer, which was exactly two years ago (to the day actually). I went to Disneyland that summer too, but I think Disneyland is more of a summer thing for us while Disney World is still a winter thing. We always go in November, December, January or Early February, so going in July is just weird.

But that doesn't mean I'm any less excited! I've got so much planned for this trip, and still so much to do before I leave. So that means get ready for a bunch of posts about my excitement and my last minute projects before I leave! I have to make three videos this week before I leave, and I've got to finish up planning for my Disney challenge for this trip as well as what is all going in the vlogs for this one as well! Plus my room is still a huge mess because of all the trips I've been going on recently. Everything is kind of a big mess in my bedroom right now, and honestly I don't know where half my stuff is. Maybe my cat does, but I doubt she'll be much of a help since she hates it when I leave and purposefully tries to interrupt my packing.

Here's just a brief look of what I have planned:

- Packing Video!
- Daily Vlogs while in Florida
- A Disney Must-Take Photo Challenge
- A Graduation Party with Plenty of Disney mixed in
- And hopefully a blog post a day if I keep up!

I am honestly super excited for Disney and I can't wait to leave. It's a shorter trip than I normally take too, but then again, how many people can say they celebrated their 18th birthday at Disney World? Ok, a bunch probably, but I get to say that!

Here's today's Disney History: 1901: Singer-actor Nelson Eddy, who can be heard in Disney's 1946 film Make Mine Music, is born in Providence, Rhode Island. He provided all the singing and speaking voices for the film's final segment.

Have a magical day!

Day 179: Baskets

It's our technical last full day of camp, although we don't leave until tomorrow morning. This morning was super exciting though, since we had an opportunity to do something that I've never done before, and I think it was really awesome.

We got to weave our own baskets! A lady named Kayla came in and taught us how and while it took a bit of patience, it was really a lot of fun. And I really have new respect for baskets because each and every one of them in this world is made by hand. It took time, but it wasn't necessarily hard, and I got it down pretty quickly. My basket isn't perfect, but really it wouldn't be ever because I'm not that talented. Plus, nothing is perfect (that seems to be my new motto recently. I'll have to do a blog post on why sometime after I go to Florida).

You start by getting the reeds wet and then you just start weaving basically. We got to choose which colors we wanted, and I went for the blue and green that I really liked. They are my favorite colors after all. In fact, everything for the week kind of matched too because I did everything kind of Goofy colored. It started with a friendship bracelet that I really still need to finish for myself before I go to Florida so I can wear it when I'm down there.

I honestly think that basket weaving was one of the best things I've ever done at camp because I really loved getting to do something brand new, which kind of goes back to the whole being adventurous thing that I continue to talk about that goes along with my Memoir. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to weave a basket again, because I probably won't have the resources, but that was seriously a ton of fun and I do HOPE that I will get to do it again someday.

Here's today's Disney History: 1988: The opening of Disney's Grand Floridian Beach Resort ushers in an era of accelerated hotel building at WDW, during which 10 new resort hotels have been added to date. The Grand Floridian is the third Magic Kingdom monorail resort located on the beaches of the Seven Seas Lagoon between the Polynesian Resort and the Magi Kingdom.

Have a magical day!

Day 178: Questions

Since I'm technically writing a lot of these blog posts for this week after everything really happens, it's sometimes hard to think about what I was going to write about, but I did finally come up with what today's post was supposed to be about.

You see, I was in a cabin of wonderful, awesome, amazing people! I'm not kidding. We all attended MADD camp last year, other than our Counselor, who was from South Africa. So we all already knew each other and spent the time getting to know each other better, although as one of my friends pointed out, we've really only spent a week and a half together in person, and that's pretty weird (although as I finally type this it's been two weeks). Still, we know so much about one another and are pretty good friends.

But I think the reason we do know each other so well is because when we do have some downtime in our cabins we do talk to one another and really ask about each other's interests. I know I had a lot of people ask me about Disney this week, and not just people in my cabin. I'm not saying they were seriously interested, but it was a great way to find discussion. I mean, I found that one of my fellow campers loves the Muppet Show, and so do I, so that was something we bonded over!

I talked a lot about this blog too, which means that it is a good idea for me to finally catch up on it (now that I'm back especially). And I know that in the future a few of us want to do Youtube videos too, kind of like John and Hank Green, but more of a letters from MADD camp kind of thing.

And you know, at the end of the week, since I am can change this a little now that I'm typing afterwards, I did end up promising to send everyone a postcard from Disney, and I intend to hold myself to that. It's like 30 postcards and someone will look at me like I'm insane when I put a huge stack of them into the mailbox at Disney, but still. Plus, if I write about it on here, I absolutely have to send out all those postcards. Because otherwise I would be lying. Granted, I'll have to send postcards to a few of my friends too, so it will end up being like 30-35 postcards, but that's ok. I'm going to do it anyway.

I'm kind of off topic now, but I guess the point really is, I love answering questions about Disney, whether it be about the Parks themselves or about my experiences, like how I got involved with Disney or if my entire family loves it like I do. Maybe someday I'll make a Youtube video of my own with my most commonly asked Disney questions, because I do get the same ones over and over sometimes. But that's still ok.

Here's today's Disney History: 1997: Disney's 35th animated feature film Hercules is officially released in the U.S. and Canada, the same day Disneyland's Hercules Victory Parade debuts. Based on the legendary Greek mythology hero Hercules, it is directed by Ron Clements and John Musker.

Have a magical day!

Day 177: Chihuly

It's the third day of camp, and time for a field trip!!!

Every year, MADD Camp does some awesome stuff. Normally we get to see Kids from Wisconsin, but they weren't making a stop in Ripon this year. But we also have another field trip to the Paine Arts Center in Oshkosh, and it just so happens that this year's feature exhibit had a bit of a Disney reference too!!! What are the chances?

At the Paine, currently and through October 13, 2013, there is an exhibit by Chihuly, the glassblower. Specifically, the exhibit it called Chihuly Venetians, which is an exhibit featuring 47 pieces, 12 drawings and a chandelier in the Venetian style. Everything was from the George R. Stroemple Collection, according to the Paine Website, and if you want to find out more, click here. 

The exhibit itself was stunning, as usual. Last year it was a photography exhibit by Ansel Adams, but this year was just as exciting. The glass is beautiful! Pictures aren't allowed in the museum, but lucky for me, my favorite piece is featured on the website! I'm not sure why it's my favorite piece, other than I love the colors and the uniqueness of it with all the angles. Granted, there's tons of other beautiful pieces, but this was just the one that really caught my eye. 

But has anyone caught the Disney reference? When I first got the letter saying that we'd be traveling to the Paine to see this specific exhibit, I got it right away. Dale Chihuly happens to be the artist that crafted the sculptures that grace the main lobbies of both the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder, two of the four Disney Cruise ships. So I've seen his work before, especially since a local college also has one of his piece's, but it was really cool to see an entire exhibit! 

And of course, the gardens of the Paine are as beautiful as ever, so I figured I'd share a couple of my favorite photos I got there too!

Here's today's Disney History: 1999: Disneyland hosts a two-day celebration honoring the Haunted Mansions' 30th Anniversary. On this evening, over 1000 guests witness a panel discussion at the Fantasyland Theater with some of the people who brought the mansion to life. The Dapper Dans materialize as the Hitchhiking Ghosts and the Gravedigger to sing a rendition of the attraction's song "Grim Grinning Ghosts." 

Have a magical day!

Day 176: Disney Everywhere

Another day of MADD camp, another adventure. It's actually kind of interesting trying to find the time and energy to write a blog post everyday here at camp, especially since i sometimes write halfway through the day at rest hour, a time when we go back to our cabins for some quiet time, and some days I wait until right before bed to do my writing. The other major difference is that I'm still writing everything by hand. It's something I do from time to time, but never with my blog and especially not for an entire week.

Either way, I've been keeping busy with tons of stuff that fits in with this blog perfectly. Our day today started off with a trip to arts and crafts. We had several activities, including henna, which is like a tattoo, but it only lasts for a few days. We could do any design we wanted, so I course, did something Disney. I have two volumes of the Disney songbook for piano, and on the front there's a treble clef symbol with a Mickey head at the bottom. This was my inspiration and I got something similar. It turned out pretty awesome, and I really hope it stays for the remainder of the week (it did!).

We also got a chance to make alcohol ink plates. Basically you take a white plate and drop alcohol ink on it to create cool patterns. We had like six colors to mix and match, but I went with the Disneybounder inside me and picked Goofy colors: green, blue and orange. Once again my Disney inspiration worked out and it looks pretty awesome.

But that wasn't all we did. We also had a cookie decorating contest after lunch. The rules were simple, you could enter one cookie to be judged by the kitchen staff, and you could do anything to that one cookie. We had five different colors of frosting and two kinds of sprinkles to decorate with. Now, I'm pretty proud of how my cookie turned out. I started with the white frosting and then used brown to make the Mickey shape. Or in this case, the Minnie shape. A little pink frosting made the bow and then I added the pink sprinkles around the outside and the little white ones to make polka-dots on her bow. Turns out the kitchen staff liked my design too because I won first place! That's the power of Disney magic for you!

I wonder if the Disney bakery would be proud?

Here's today's Disney History: 1967: A new version of the CircleVision 360 film America the Beautiful debuts at Disneyland. The film has been re-shot using the 9-camera CircleVision format (as opposed to the old 11 camera Circarama format).

Have a magical day!

Day 175: 5 Minute Musicals

Second day of camp, and still super exciting. Today though, we did a few different things. My personal favorite activity though was right up my alley since our "musicals" were really Disney movies. Of course, I ended up with Tangled, which was what I was hoping for all along. We didn't get to choose which one we got, but Tangled found me anyway.

The whole thing was a lot of fun, but kind of difficult. I mean, to take all of the movie and bring it from 100 minutes to a few minutes, it's not the easiest thing. Still, we incorporated much of the film into our few minute approach. We started with me, as Flynn, describing about the magic golden flower, quite similar to the movie. There was a Mother Gothel and a Queen and a Rapunzel. The story went as it normally would, and Rapunzel was locked up in the tower made of three chairs. Rapunzel sang a quick song about cleaning and then Flynn got chased by Max before jumping in the tower. Rapunzel hit Flynn with the frying pan, as one generally does, which was pretty amusing. One of our camp directors, Molly, even got a picture of it in action.

So they go sing with thugs about dreams and then go almost drown. Rapunzel heals Flynn's hand before they go see the kingdom and do some dancing. They see the lights before Flynn goes to return the crown and Gothel kidnaps Rapunzel. Flynn almost gets hanged, but Max saves him, and they go to find Rapunzel. But then Gothel stabs Flynn, Pascal pushed Gothel out of the window, she died, Rapunzel cried, Flynn came back to life and they lived happily ever after.

Pretty true to the storyline, but still something that was unique. My favorite part was probably a tie between the frying pan and how Pascal constantly grabbed onto my leg. It was just great.

The other musicals were the Little Mermaid, Annie and Grease, all of which were very, very entertaining. I love how stuff like this still brings Disney in. We also had a Jam session where there were plenty of Disney songs to sing along to.

Here's today's Disney History: 1893: Roy Oliver Disney is born in Chicago, Illinois. The middle of 5 children, he along with his younger brother Walt started what is today the Walt Disney Company. Roy guided the business side of the Disney company, leaving his brother, Walt, free to produce and create. Roy served as President of Walt Disney Productions from 1945 to 1968 and chairman of the board from 1964 until his death in 1971. A modest man, it was Roy's idea to change the name of the Florida park from simple Disney World to Walt Disney World, after the death of his brother in 1966.

Have a magical day!

Day 174: Buttons

Today is my first day of camp. Of course, I have no laptop, so originally I'm writing this in a notebook while laying in the top bunk in a very humid cabin, but I'm still writing. I go to Pilgrim Center camp, specifically MADD camp, so overall it's a church camp for music, arts, dance and drama. I went last year as well, and I've been to the camp, which is on the shores of Greenlake, before for several years. The MADD Camp is great because we get to spend a lot of time making things, many of which I'll discuss over the next week.

For instance, our first project every single year is to make a name button. I probably have a ton of them, but these last two years have really been interesting. Basically, what you do is this. You take a tracer and go through magazines until you find a background. Then you cut that background out before searching for letters to make your name. Of course, as you can imagine, Lizzie is difficult because of the two z's in my name. Once you have your name, you glue the letters on and then make an actual button out of it.

Last year I was lucky enough to find a magazine with a cartoon about Disney, so I used that as my background. In the end I think it's my favorite button I've ever made. I mean, it is pretty cute with the little cartoon castle. I feel like the cartoon was originally making fun of Disney, but I cut it apart anyways, so it really doesn't matter.

And this year, I figured I wouldn't be lucky enough to find another Disney background. I searched for a background for a while before turning to National Geographic. I guess the force was with me because it just so happened that the copy of Nat Geo was from 1982. And what opened in '82? Epcot.

And what opened with Epcot? Spaceship Earth.

That's right, I got a SSE button. I was honestly pretty excited. There's that little piece in it that doesn't belong, but it's still spaceship earth, so it's still all good with me.

Here's today's Disney History: 1956: Disneyland's Skyway to Fantasyland and Skyway to Tomorrowland begin transporting guests across the park. Guests take off from a small Alpine chalet seated in gondolas in Fantasyland on their way to Tomorrowland. In 1959, Skyway riders will pass through the Matterhorn Mountain when the Matterhorn Bobsleds attraction is added.

Have a magical day!