Day 608: On the iPhone

I was coming up with topics to fill the empty blog post spots and it occurred to me that I've never even blogged about this one, which is actually quite weird considering it's probably the most Disney thing in my everyday life. My iPhone itself is a constant reminder of Disney, in more ways than one really.

For starters, you have the case itself, which changes from time to time. My personal favorite so far has been my Donald Duck phone case, which is getting a bit worse for wear at the moment due to my constant dropping of my phone, but I love it all the same. It's the one phone case I knew I wanted before I even had an iPhone, and it was the first Disney case I got once I had one. In fact, I love this case so much I've bought it three times over, just because they wear out or break (after all that constant dropping) or you get a different model and the case no longer works. It's a struggle.

And then I have my lock screen, which has been the same since not long after my March trip. Of all the pictures from that trip, this has to be my favorite, and that probably goes for pictures of my brother and I too. It was one of those random pictures that we didn't really intend to take at all. I remember meeting back up with my brother that night in Magic Kingdom and walking super slowly thorough all the stores simply because we didn't want to leave (and we really wanted to see the Kiss Goodnight because that's how we roll). So as we walked down main street and saw a photopass photographer, I suggested that we get our picture taken, not really thinking much else of it. So we did, and now it's one of my all time favorite pictures. I have it framed on my desk too and just can't get myself to change it on my lock screen. It works perfectly. Actually, I said that when we go in January I'm going to change it, only this time there will be four of us instead of two.

Finally, there's the home screen. I think we all change this often enough, as I recently did to this picture I shared on Instagram not too long ago. It's kind of hard to see, but you can probably tell that it's Cinderella Castle. It was just a really colorful picture and I tested it and liked how it looked, so it stayed. While the home screen picture changes every so often, it's pretty much always Disney, except for that rare time when it's my cat...

And that's probably the #1 way Disney works it's way into my life. Anyone who finds my phone will obviously know that I love Disney, especially since you don't even have to turn it on to figure that out, but I get a lot of compliments on that case and I love it. Then again, if you really know me at all or follow me on any social media it shouldn't be a question of whether or not I love Disney because I obviously do.

I mean...I'm writing this for goodness sake.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on September 30).

Day 607: The Facebook Tradition

Just as I realized I've never blogged about my phone, I realized I've never actually blogged about the fact that I have this weird tradition on Facebook. I honestly don't even know how it started or why I keep doing it, but maybe it's just because I like to think it keeps the magic alive in between trips.

Hold on though, let's get to the tradition itself.

It started off after my trip in July of 2013, when I posted these two photos to my Instagram:

Both pictures were taken on the same day, and both were at Hollywood Studios (the one of my hand is my hand on Harrison Ford's handprint at Hollywood Studios, and the right one is taken on the Streets of America). The handprint was my cover photo and the other my profile picture and they just looked so good together that I kept them until my next trip in March. 

Then we had those two pictures, again taken on the same day and, oddly enough, in Hollywood Studios. Once again they just seemed to fit together perfectly, and I decided that they would stay until June when I headed to Walt Disney World again. Oh, and just as a comment, that left picture, taken at sunset at Echo Lake, is one of my all time favorite pictures I've taken at WDW. Just a fun fact. 

Which brings us here, to my current profile picture and cover photo. The cover photo is of my high school band marching down Main Street U.S.A, and despite the fact that I'm not even technically in the picture and it's looking away from the castle, it's probably my favorite of all the ones taken of us that day. The profile picture isn't from Disney, technically, but was taken soon after the trip in my High School Band room with the Golden Mickey we brought home after marching. The entire experience meant so much to me that I couldn't think of a better combination of pictures. 

And if you haven't figured it out yet, the tradition is this, specifically. My profile picture and cover photo always have something to do with Disney, and they don't change in between trips. They can, and often do, change while I'm on the trip itself, but beyond that they stay the same. It's sort of like my life stops when I return to Wisconsin and resumes when I head back home to Disney. It's weird, I know. 

What the pictures will change to in January, I have no clue, but I have a pretty good feeling that they'll include my brother and friends. After all, I'm super excited about that trip to begin with! 

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on September 30).

Day 606: Magical Moments

Of all the Disney blogs I follow, AllEars has to be one of my favorites. As a kid (and teenager too I suppose), I always remember my mom talking about the website and the newsletter and so on and so forth, but I didn't really appreciate it all until I began this blog, and then I appreciated it even more when I started reading it weekly.

But my absolute favorite part of the newsletter comes once a month, when Magical Moments are included. On the last newsletter each month they include three magical moments that are sent in. I look forward to these each month and can honestly say that they make me cry more often than not. I mean, these are just moments that showcase how powerful and magical Disney really is, and it's a great feeling.

Oddly enough, as I was writing this blog post, I scrolled back through the past newsletters and picked a random one, which happened to be exactly a year ago in September 2013. I've read a lot of these magical moments, but there's still one that I've never forgotten. I read it to my brother and cried both times I went through it. It was about a little boy who loved Indiana Jones and received the gloves from Indy himself after the stunt show. You can read the whole story by scrolling down to the magical moments section HERE.

Of course, I've had my own fair share of magical moments, but marching down Main Street still tops them all. It was tiring and frustrating and sometimes I wonder if it was all worth it, but I was on top of the world in that moment and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

That's the thing. Magical Moments don't really ever happen on purpose. They happen on accident. They're moments that shouldn't be happening, that we don't think will happen, but occur anyway, and that's what makes them so magical. I think it's moments like those that make Walt proud and are the true heart of the Disney company. After all, these are moments that often stick with us for our entire lives.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on September 30).

Day 605: MathMagic Land

Sometimes Disney DOES pop up in class, in a full-on "We're watching a Disney thing" kind of way. Today was one of those days, when the ever popular Donald Duck in MathMagic Land came up in Theory class...and yes we watched the beginning.

If you've never seen DDiMML before, I'm sure you're wondering about how math and music fit together, and you see, that's the exact point of the entire cartoon! Donald learns all about how math sneaks its way into our daily lives, whether we like it or not (I'm most certainly more on the "I don't like math side of things"). And guess what!?! You can watch the whole thing, RIGHT NOW! (Provided you have time to be watching the whole thing and don't have other homework to do like I do).

This isn't the first time Donald has shown up with his math magic in class though. A number of years ago (gosh..Freshman year of High School actually), we watched this in Geometry class, although instead of actually being for a reason like this time I'm pretty sure it was just because we had an extra day and hey, Geometry is math, right? 

Now I just need to remember to find a straw so I can do that thing Dr. Henson told us about today so we can practice these theories in real life and annoy our friends with little plastic straw flutes. 

Have a magical day! 

Day 604: Out the Door

I've talked about Disney Deja Vu before, many times. Last year it was the train whistle (which surprisingly I have yet to hear) and the smell of something or other on campus. It comes in flocks I find, when my mind is just in a Disney mode and then I seem to find more hints of Disney around me.

But lately I've been having some serious Disney Deja Vu, and I have no real idea why. It happens every single morning, for sure, as well as several other times of the day...specifically whenever I walk out the door of my dorm room. I just get this sudden feeling that I'm at Disney and should be going to Epcot instead of a class on British Literature. 

Maybe it's because our dorm is sort of in a motel-like setup. No, our doors aren't on the outside of the building, but they are outside, winding around center courtyard that's completely open and totally beautiful: 

Because those doors are technically facing the outside air, it's possible that I'm connecting that to some of the resorts at Disney, such as Pop Century or my home resort of Old Key West. Yeah, now that I say that, it makes a lot of sense. Plus, since I've only been in my room for a few days, it would fit together that I feel like this is a hotel instead of my new home. After all, last year really, seriously, felt like summer camp for a good week or two. The hotel idea is a little different, but I guess I'll make it work. 

The problem? I leave here every morning thinking I'm at Disney for a split second, and while this puts me in a pretty darn good mood, what happens later in the semester, like in a week, when I realize I'm not at Disney and none of this is new anymore? I'll be stuck in the rut again. 

Maybe this is why I've had such an urge to practice my alto...I'm just happier in the first place. 

Have a magical day! 

Day 603: Ursula Mugs

I have a friend here at college who loves Ursula, or rather, The Little Mermaid. Like, REALLY loves The Little Mermaid. Probably more than I love Tangled...and that's saying something because do you know how much I love Flynn Rider?

Anyways, a while back they started selling these Ursula mugs:

And it just screamed my friend's name. So I had to get it for his birthday present, despite the fact that his birthday was months ago and literally I just gave it to him today. But he loved it, and I mean seriously loved it. Watching him open it was priceless because the box and the tissue paper all ended up on the ground and stuff was thrown everywhere and he was jumping around. Seriously awesome. 

Because sometimes, there are just Disney products that remind me of my friends, and then they generally end up getting them as gifts because I can't imagine NOT giving them to them because it would just seem wrong. 

Have a magical day! 

Day 602: Spaceship Timeline

It isn't every day that my classes can all sort of connect together while also connecting with Disney. In fact, this is a very rare occurrence. Once and a while something like music will meet up with something I'm reading or read in English, and if you count in the foreign language then I suppose that fits too. But then connecting it all together and then to Disney?

Turns out, I do this more often than I really realize. I'm constantly connecting things in my classes to Disney to help myself understand the circumstance of the historical period as well as remember what my textbook is rambling on about. And the number one way I do this is relate it to Spaceship Earth.

Currently, I'm taking Music Theory, French and British Literature, which is just an interesting combination, but it turns out that the theory and lit are roughly the same time period at the moment, and French just fits in here and there. But then, in order to figure out what time period we're talking about, I think about what's going on in Spaceship Earth. I think my general turning point is "Is it after 1450? Has the printing press been invented yet? Are books widespread?" and then I go from there into the Renaissance.

But if it's before 1450, then I have to think about the Romans and the Library of Alexandrea and the Monks and everything. It works pretty darn well for me, at least to gain a basic understanding of what the time period is looking like.

Now, I do wish that Spaceship Earth could go deeper into the story of communication, but I guess we have pretty much all the big turning points, don't we? I think I just miss the old ending, despite the fact that it's been like 7 or 8 years since the switch and that's a really long time in the first place. I just miss the City of Tomorrow, ok? I want it back. Now. Is that too much to ask?

Apparently.

For now though, I'll just continue using Spaceship Earth as a reference point. It's gotten me this far, hasn't it?

Have a magical day!

Day 601: Fireworks Galore

If you've been reading long enough to remember back to last year, I blogged about our school and the beginning of the year fireworks. It's still a thing, and I hope it continues to be so for a very long time. Initially, I was going to blog about something else, but then we went down and saw the fireworks and this just sort of had to be written about, even if it is going to technically be the second blog post about them, but hey, I blog about Spaceship Earth and Once all the time, so this counts, right?

This year's fireworks display, we think, was even better than last years, and honestly we're incredibly lucky to have such a great college, even if they may be blowing up some of our tuition money. Either way, there wasn't music synchronized or anything, but the fireworks went on continuously for quite some time, and they were definitely timed out, something that most of the Fourth of July fireworks we saw were not. We actually said the fireworks here were better than the ones we saw on the Fourth, and it's true.

But that's not all that reminded me of Disney and the spectacular fireworks displays that take place there every day. Unlike last year, I made sure my phone was charged so I could take pictures and video throughout the show, and I posted a couple of pictures.

I actually had someone comment on the first one and how she thought it was Illuminations at first, and she's right. It does look remarkably similar to this picture I took back in June:

The fireworks are out on the water, we sit at the water's edge, they go off from two barges in time with one another and the entire thing just has a great vibe to it. I actually said that our fireworks show here got the "Lizzie stamp of approval," which is a really difficult thing to get when it comes to fireworks. I have high standards. 

We also snuck into the new science building here on campus and went through some unlocked doors before ending up in the greenhouse, which reminded a few other Instagramers of "Living with the Land." They started with the lyrics to "Listen to the Land" and it just made my day. 

And that's the update on the fireworks. I am happy that I stayed for them, since I could have come back to my dorm and worked more, since there's just this never-ending list of work for me to get done. I feel like the only break I can afford is lunch and writing the blog (today's post...not the others). That and my checking social media. But it'll all be worth it, that's for sure!

Have a magical day!

Day 600: All Moved In

What's weird is exactly a year ago I moved into SNC as well, only it was Thursday last year and I was a freshman and that's how this all makes sense. Also technically I moved in yesterday, so that's how this all matches up. Now I'm a sophomore, and I like to think I have this whole packing up my room and moving to a dorm thing down. I don't know, you'll have to decide for yourself.

That's only a picture of my desk, since the rest of the room is still taking shape, although for the most part everything is in place. We just have the decorations left to figure out. But at the moment, I'm sitting at that desk working on this blog, and that's an accomplishment in itself, that everything is in place and ready to go.

As you can see, several of my Disney pieces that you may have seen on my desk last year have come back, although I'm not sure how they wouldn't. Disney is my life after all. There are a couple of new additions too, such as new picture frames, the "Work like a Captain, Party like a Pirate" sign, which perfectly describes my life while also relating to my unhealthy obsession with Captain Hook, and of course, Buckley and Butterfinger, my Irish dog and bear.

Oh, and the textbooks are new. Yay. (You can hear the enthusiasm in my voice, can't you?)

Have a magical day!

Day 599: Ice Bucket Challenge

Unless you've been living under a rock, I'm pretty sure we've all heard about the Ice Bucket Challenge that's going around the internet. It's in support of ALS, and I highly encourage you to go HERE and learn more about it for yourself because I am EXHAUSTED after moving in to college today and just don't have the brain power left! But I did take the time to go read it myself, so even if you've already done the challenge or donated, head back to the website and learn more!

Of course though, why would I be blogging about this if I didn't do it myself! You can watch me take the challenge here:

Now, as you can tell, if you watched the video, I wasn't technically nominated. But there's actually three circumstances under which I told myself I would take the challenge AND donate to ALS. Those three circumstances were as follow: 

1. If one of my friends nominated me for the challenge, obviously.

2. If Colin O'Donoghue was nominated for the challenge and did it. 

3. If I wasn't nominated or he didn't do it before I moved back to SNC. 

It just so happens that two of these circumstances occurred at virtually the same time, since Colin did the challenge the day before I would of had to do it in order to take the challenge before moving in. So it worked out pretty well.

A few people did question me or give pause when I said I was nominating myself because of this, but honestly, I don't really care. I donated and helped spread awareness about ALS, and I don't need to be nominated to do something good, right? Plus, someone, at the beginning, had to have "nominated themselves" for the challenge. This wasn't any different! 

So do the challenge, DONATE, Learn about ALS! Do it all and let's help support this great cause! 

Have a magical day!

Day 598: Birthday Song

Today is my younger brother's birthday. It's funny, well not for him really, but I always end up moving in the day after his birthday. And typing this just now, I realized we didn't even have a birthday cake or anything for him. I mean, he had those DELICIOUS Churro Cupcakes, but he never blew out any candles. We'll have to fix that.

Anyways, I figure now is as good of a time as any to talk about this one, especially since it's not every day that someone has a birthday, right? Wait...yeah it is, but just not someone that I know and spend a lot of time with. You get what I mean.

Every single time one of my friends has a birthday I sing them a special song, one that's not copyright protected, or at least I don't think it is.

EVERYBODY CLAP!

"This is your birthday song! It isn't very long!"

If you know where that comes from, GOOD FOR YOU because most people don't. Some laugh because literally it's just about the worst joke ever when it comes to birthday songs, and some people just look at my like I'm from another planet, but hey, if I want to quote Jungle Cruise I AM GOING TO QUOTE JUNGLE CRUISE.

So Happy Birthday Jonny! Hope you enjoyed your day!

Have a magical day!

Day 597: Churro Cupcakes

It would seem that my summer cupcake project is one of the few projects I intended to work on at the beginning of the summer and didn't let go on. Everyone seems to ask me WHY I'm suddenly all about cupcakes, but to tell the truth, I have no idea why. It's probably a mix of the fact that I know Colin O'Donoghue's favorite kind of cupcake and then I just love baking, but there's also the fact that people never stop telling me I'm good at it. Way to feed my ego guys.

But my cupcake collection wouldn't be complete without this little beauty, a fast favorite of my brother and, it seems, Instagram. Then again, how WOULDN'T Churro cupcakes be a fast favorite.

I made these for the first time a couple of weeks ago and my brother took one bite before taking a second cupcake and then informing me that I'd be making them for his birthday. That is how much he loved these cupcakes. 

So for the second time in like two weeks, I made churro cupcakes. I think the first batch was gone within about a day or two, which has to be a record for this house. I guess that makes sense though because these are literally like a Disney themed cupcake. Who doesn't love churros? The answer? NO ONE. 

If you want to make your own churro cupcakes, HERE is the recipe I used!

Wait...we have Grey Stuff Cupcakes and Churro Cupcakes? What's next?!? Dole Whip Cupcakes. Oh yeah. 

Have a magical day!

Day 596: Dole Whip Dreams

For some reason, the past few weeks have been filled with absolutely wonderful dreams. I have no idea why this is, or what's causing it, but I've had several dreams about Once Upon A Time, especially meeting Colin O'Donoghue and Jennifer Morrison, and a handful of dreams about Disney World too.

Oh, and one really odd one that was a mix of Harry Potter, Once Upon A Time, Titanic, and Star Wars.

But that's all besides the point, because last night's dream was pretty sweet...literally.

I was in Epcot, and that's about all I remember about that, other than the fact that it was around closing time and I was leaving the park in that super slow manner that I generally do. I walked through Mouse Gear, only to come out one of the doors, where there was this weird new cart for Dole Whips. The cast member told me they were trying to sell out for the night so they were now free and we got to pour them ourselves.

So I ate a ton of Dole Whip as I slowly left Epcot.

And then I woke up, only to find that no, I wasn't at Epcot, nor had I been eating Dole Whips, nor will I eat a proper Dole Whip for months. Talk about seriously depressing.

That's honestly about it for today though. I've spent a good portion of my day catching up on some blog posts from April and May, meaning I've been sitting in front of my computer working on this fro HOURS. I'm ready to call it quits for the night and catch an episode of Once Upon A Time before I fall asleep completely!

Have a magical day!

Day 595: Getting It Done

Work. Work. Work.

I feel like despite the fact that I don't have a job, all I've done this summer is work on stuff. I mean, on one hand that's great. I've been able to spend time doing things that I really want to be doing. Like experimenting with videos and learning new techniques there and writing and spending time with friends. Sure it doesn't leave me a lot of time for a real job, but it's been nice to sit and relax a little bit. I won't be able to do that for much longer.

Granted, I didn't get this blog very far this summer either, and trust me, that fact alone just KILLS me. I love writing, especially when it comes to my blog, but with so little internet it's just been hard to find the capability and time to get it all done.

Which leaves me with "Operation Last Week of Summer."

In reality I guess it's only really a few days because I know that the second I step foot back on campus I'll be ambushed by any number of friends I haven't seen more than the occasional Facebook conversation in like three months or so. That's a really long time, and while I'm very excited about seeing everyone, it does leave me with a bit of an issue.

I have four days (three really now) left at home and more work to get done than I can possibly imagine. Sure, like a month ago I calculated the amount of work I had to do paired with the amount of time I had to do it then too, and back then it was impossible, but now it's just a little more real. With so many projects I want to finish before the school year starts in a week...A WEEK...I'm a little lost as to how I'm going to get everything done.

But I do have some good news. Over the past few days I've made some extreme progress in my blog. No, I don't have a ton of posts written like I wish I did, but I have topics for over 30 of the 80 some missing days, and honestly, the topic is the hardest part. One of my friends is starting a blog of her own at the moment and told me that seriously, the everyday blogging thing has to be rough. I'll tell you a secret: IT IS.

There's a lot of time and effort that goes into a daily blog, and I'm not really sure how I manage to get it all done, but seriously, if I keep this thing updated daily it doesn't take all that long. More like just a couple of minutes a day. Sounds like a new challenge, doesn't it? Actually blog everyday for an entire month or something. Yeah, we'll see how things settle in once I get back to school. Maybe September.

For now I'll just continue to work all the time, from writing to filming to editing, you name it. Apparently I do it all. Not that I'd have it any other way.

Have a magical day!

Day 594: Inspire and Be Inspired

I do love to blog.

I love the whole process. Coming up with new ideas, writing the actual posts, getting any sort of feedback. I think the entire thing is wonderful. I mean, I generally don't get comments or anything, but there's a significant number of views, especially when this thing is updated, and that's awesome. Just to sit and think "Hey, there really are people out there that are reading what I write."

I try to keep a variety of stuff on the blog, and while I am often times quite long winded, I try to keep each post focused around one particular thing. Sometimes it directly relates to a Disney Park or to a Movie or to something going on in my life, but I do always connect it back. What's different and weird for me is the idea that maybe I could inspire someone else to write a blog too.

About a year ago, over a year ago actually, my friend Ashley took it upon herself to start her own blog, and while sadly I don't have a ton of time for reading blogs lately (or even a year ago), I tried to read as often as possible, and now she lets me know by text message when there's a new post up so I can go to read it if I have a couple of minutes. In reality, I really should spend more time reading up on Disney news and other blogs because that's something I really had the ability to do when I first started Everyday Disney and I miss it.

But that's not the point here. Recently she began a new blog, like so many of us do. I can't even count the number of blogs I had before I landed myself here, and just going back and reading my journals makes me realize how many times I really did start over. That's kind of what you have to do though. It's a trial and error process for sure. You get going and then relax and forget about it, and then you remember that you had one but it's been six months since your last blog post and now it just seems ridiculous to continue so you start all over. It's the scenario I'm honestly trying to prevent right now by working my way back through the summer of blog posts that I missed. It's gonna take a hell of a lot of time and works to write all of this, but I'll get it done somehow.

On some level though, there's a bit of me that knows "I started her on that path to blogging!" and she tells me all the time about how much she really does enjoy it, even just a few blog posts into the new website. And she's right in saying that her writing gets better with every post because seriously, that's how these things work. It takes a long time to fit into a blog and a format that works for you. I mean, I can't even count the number of nights I spent trying to figure out exactly how this daily Disney blogging thing would work or how I would end the post or so on and so forth, and I continuously start the process over on new projects now that I'm comfortable here.

In all honesty though, I think it was this blog itself that gave me the courage to start on those other projects. They don't always get done, but hey, not everything works out, right? It's a matter of constantly coming up with new ideas to work on, just so we can improve our own skills and make progress. Because that's what we're all about. We keep moving forward.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 18, and if you want to check out my friend's blog, you can do so HERE!)

Day 593: Good Times and the Tears

My friend wrote a blog post the other day and then proceeded to tell me that there was an Illuminations reference in it and the second I got around to reading it, I would pick it out instantly.

I did.

Now, I haven't met many people in my life who love Illuminations quite like I do. Literally, as you guys well know, that fireworks show and the music is my LIFE. It means more to me than anything else honestly, other than maybe Spaceship Earth, and I will cry like no other the day it leaves. I'll probably force my way to Disney just for the last performance itself, even if I have to fly down at some weird hour to get there. That's how much it means to me.

But since finding out that we were going to Walt Disney World with the high school band, my friend Ashley took it upon herself to listen to the music basically on repeat. And I mean on repeat. Once a day, at least, for almost 300 days she listened to the soundtrack for Illuminations, and honestly that number quickly racks up against my own infinite amount of time spent listening to it.

There's more to Illuminations than just the music during the show, however. In fact, there's much more, and yeah, I'm talking about "Promise." I talked about this song a really long time ago. We're talking the first month of this blog long time ago, but I do faintly remember it. I talked about the "Soundtrack of my Life" I had to make for Psychology and how I threw Promise on as a bonus track because it basically defines my life and my childhood.

What I didn't expect was for it to define my time with the high school band the the band trip to Walt Disney World itself.

I mean, just think about it. The line Ashley featured in her blog post, "Through the Good Times and the Tears," very much describes my trials and tribulations with the band, especially as we move on to the next great adventure. And so, now Promise has an entirely new meaning to go along with the significance it already carried.

I can honestly say that I never thought I'd be able to share something like that with one of my friends, much less more than one friend. Nor did I ever believe I'd be able to say that we're all going back. This is my home, and now I get to share that home with my friends. They understand what I'm talking about, although maybe they do still get a bit lost when it comes to me talking Disney history with my brother. And it just goes to show that no matter what, through the good times and the tears, there are a few things that will always be with us, whether that be each other or Disney or the perseverance we've shown over the past year and a half.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 18).

Day 592: Grey Stuff Cupcakes

This summer I've really been loving cupcakes. I have no real idea why it is that I've been so inspired to make cupcakes, but I have, and for some reason, I'm actually pretty darn good at it. I've been trying to compile a list of cupcake recipes that everyone loves, while asking all of my friends and family their favorite cupcake flavor to give me new challenges.

And boy have a few people stepped up and given me some.

My friend Charlie suggested something earlier in the summer that really got me thinking: pudding filled cupcakes. I mean, everyone loves pudding, and everyone loves cupcakes, and they probably taste amazing together, so why isn't that a thing? Well, actually it is, and even if it wasn't, it would be now because I've gotten pretty darn good at filling the center of my cupcakes. A fact that makes some of my friends very happy indeed.

But in my quest to come up with the perfect pudding filled cupcake I actually stumbled upon a different cupcake entirely, and now I have people requesting it. That's certainly a new one.

And so I present to you, the Grey Stuff Cupcake:

This one was actually specifically for my friend's birthday, since she's the one who wanted them for her birthday very specifically. My brother's choice will come later in the week, which is just as Disney themed as this one is. Of course, we had to complete it with a Once Upon A Time candle, only her's is green. Not everyone can have a blue one, after all. I haven't. I'm saving it. For like...my 28th birthday. 

Anyways, as you can see, it's a chocolate cupcake topped with delicious real, actual grey stuff. Homemade of course, but hey, I have my resources! And then there's little pearls on top just like at Be Our Guest. I think that was her favorite part to be honest. They're not the exact ones, but they look right and still taste amazing. 

Oh, and I didn't even tell you the best part! Not only is the cupcake TOPPED with Grey Stuff, but it's filled with it too! DELICIOUS! Plus, I've experimented with putting an oreo in the bottom. It's sort of a 50/50 vote on whether or not people like it with the oreo or not though. They're certainly harder to eat with it than without, but even without a cookie on the bottom these things are seriously delicious. 

Any other Disney inspired cupcake ideas for me out there? 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on August 18). 

Day 591: Kids from Wisconsin

Tonight, or rather a few nights ago, I had the pleasure of heading to one of my favorite summer shows: Kids from Wisconsin. I saw the group a couple years ago when I went with my Camp and absolutely LOVED IT, so when one of my college friends became a part of the group this year, I was more than excited to go see it.

For those of you who aren't from Wisconsin or don't know what Kids from Wisconsin is, it's a group of basically college age kids who tour around our state every summer to perform a complete show filled with music of all kinds. There's 20 singers and then a band that backs them up (Go Jessica on Piano!!!), and they perform literally everything from musicals to jazz to current popular music.

So you can bet that there's always a couple of Disney moments in the show.

This year, and by far my favorite part of the show, they performed their today's hits section, which of course had to feature Let It Go from Frozen, because seriously, that song is everywhere. I think I've had the lyrics memorized since November or so and despite the fact that I do love Tangled more, I have a Frozen dress and am just totally pumped for the addition on OUAT.

But the Disney didn't end there.

Later on they were doing a tribute to the Tony's, featuring songs that were nominated or won there, and you can't have a musical montage without a little Mary Poppins and Newsies.

It's funny, actually. My roommate from this last year loved Newsies, or rather, she loves Newsies, and at some point during the school year I watched it for myself. Now, I don't really know all the words or anything, but I do love that musical, and now I have Megan hooked on it too. So from one Megan to another, the musicals go.

Seriously though, although their tour is pretty much over for this summer, if you ever have a chance to go see Kids from Wisconsin, DO IT! It's sooooo worth it because they're one of the best musical groups I've seen, and it's different every single year!

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 18).

Day 590: Chuck

Apparently, amongst the numerous TV shows I'm already addicted to (literally, I need to do something more productive with my life than freak out about OUAT), my new roommates decided that I seriously need to watch the TV show Chuck. "It's only 5 seasons" they said, "It's the best show ever" they said, "You'll love it they said!"

Well, all of those statements were pretty darn true.

So here I am, addicted to yet another TV show. Maybe that's why I need a life. I watch too much TV.

But that's all besides the point because we're here to talk about Chuck, and how this is literally one of the best shows I've watched in years. It's kind of comforting knowing that I can binge watch the entire series basically without having to wait eternities for new episodes (I should have thought OUAT through more), but at the same time, it's a little scary knowing that we'll finish the five seasons and then all cry because it's over.

I don't know which is more painful.

For those of you who have yet to experience Chuck, here's a run down. Basically, this guy named Chuck (played by the one and only Zachary Levi...more on that in a minute), has some super secret government spy information stuck in his head, and he has to become a spy because of it, despite the fact that he fixes computers for a living as a part of the Nerd Herd. If high speed car chases and top secret missions isn't enough to get you to watch, there's also a ton of references to other fandoms, especially Star Wars, which I enjoy tons.

And if THAT isn't enough, let's return to the fact that it stars ZACHARY LEVI. You know, the guy who voiced FLYNN RIDER? Yeah, him. He's been on my favorite actor list for a while, and seriously, it's tough to get and stay on that list recently. Once dominates it. And to get me addicted to a show after like one episode? That's an entirely different feat.

So if you need me now, I'll just be over here wondering how long I have until I can watch the next episode, since I'm watching it with my roommates. We have to bond somehow you know! ;)

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 18).

Day 589: Never Had a Friend Like You

It isn't often that we come across an event that basically stops the world from running. One where it makes us all slow down and think about our lives and those we love and, in this case, our childhoods. Some of the more prominent world stopping stories include 9/11, or Pearl Harbor or the death of JFK. More recently we could probably say we all know what we were doing when we heard about the death of Michael Jackson, and now we can, sadly, add another name to that list.

If it's any indication as to how much I personally loved Robin Williams, here's a bit of a clue. My all time favorite actor isn't Colin O'Donoghue, much as you might think, but rather Harrison Ford. I have at least 12 of his films in my personal collection apart from Star Wars and Indiana Jones, meaning that I have more of his movies than I have of any other actor. But Robin Williams comes in second, with at least 5 that I can think of off the top of my head, and I intend to include at least two more as soon as possible, favorites that I loved to watch on television but never got around to adding to my collection.

Over a year ago, a different actor's death broke headlines, that of Cory Monteith. I happen to remember where I was when that story broke as well, although I think it would be pretty easy to remember I was at Disney. And I remember the date because it also happens to be Harrison Ford's birthday. But that honestly didn't affect me like this news has. Some of my friends talk about how Cory's death DID affect them more, but for me, Robin Williams was that guy that I think we all kind of thought would live forever. He brought us all so much joy, and I can't help but smile every single time I'm on the Great Movie Ride and he says "Good Morning Vietnam." I know I'll probably end up crying next time I go on it.

Other than that, I'm not really sure what to say. Robin was a great man, always making us laugh, and it breaks my heart to know that he wasn't laughing with us. But I did read a really great tweet yesterday that said "If there's any thunder tonight it's just Robin Williams making God laugh," and I like to think that, if there was thunder last night, that was the case.

The world lost a legend yesterday, and so I encourage you all to go out and watch your favorite Robin Williams movie. Mine happens to be Hook, with Robin playing the good old bangarang Peter Pan, although there are plenty of movies out there of his that I love and adore. Whether I'll be able to get through any of them without crying, I don't know, but it's just still heartbreaking. I remember saying that although my least favorite Disney movie is Aladdin, there's one thing I loved about it, and that was Robin Williams. The only thing that made that movie watchable for me. Because to be truthful, he was one of a kind.

And we'll never have a friend like him again.

Carpe Diem everyone.

Have a magical day!

Day 588: Not So Frozen Summer Fun

Raise your hand if you're not at Disney and that makes you incredible angry!

(Unless you actually are at Disney you better be raising your hand).

Seriously, nothing is worse than being stuck at home or at school when at Walt Disney World you know that people are experiencing Frozen Summer Fun at Disney's Hollywood Studios. It's been going on for some time now, and since I personally have yet to have my chance meeting Anna and Elsa, it makes me pretty darn sad. I love Frozen just like everybody else, although as I've said before, Tangled will always win in my heart. I'll race across half a park to meet Flynn Rider but I'm not going to wait two hours to meet Anna and Elsa. Thanks very much.

But that doesn't mean I don't want to experience Frozen Summer Fun with the rest of you! I've been seeing pictures since the beginning (a hazard of following so many Disney Instagramers), and gosh it looks spectacular. And KRISTOFF. KRISTOFF PEOPLE. KRISTOFF.

I think the one I'm most jealous of though is the Frozen Fireworks Spectacular. It isn't very often that there are fireworks at Hollywood Studios, and while I've had some super amazing experiences when it comes to fireworks there, it's just not the same sitting here at home. I mean, all I'm asking is for someone to send me to Disney for a Day so I can see this stuff.

Or, alternatively, you could send me a baby Sven stuffed animal. Those things are ADORABLE.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 23).

Day 587: Hot Topic

You know what's a problem in life? I do. It's called "Disney makes clothing and merchandise for children but not for us teenagers who are probably just as obsessed if not more obsessed than those children." And there's no better example of this than the Frozen craze. You can hardly find adult size Frozen shirts, or at least ones that look great, anywhere, and it's a frustrating thing, it really, truly is. All we want is to sport our favorite Frozen characters and showcase our love of the film. That's not a crime, right?

Well, it's ok, because recently I discovered, or realized more like, the answer to all our problems.

Hot Topic.

I don't really know why I never thought about this before, or why I hardly ever went in the store in the first place, but I know how it occurred to me. A while back they had a Captain Hook T-Shirt from Once Upon A Time. Yes, Colin's face was on a T-Shirt. I can't even imagine what that must be like for him. I mean, I had no intention of actually buying the shirt because it just isn't my style (I can look at Colin all day, I don't need to wear a shirt with him on it too).

But the shirt DID cause me to venture into Hot Topic, and it changed my life forever.

Recently, I bought a new Frozen Dress, as well as a Peter Pan shirt and gosh I am just so excited about it and a little afraid for my wallet since I'm totally going to spend half my non-existent paycheck there. Just go look on the website in the Disney section. I died. How about someone just gets me like all of that?

Now we just need to get stuff like this for sale all over the place.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 23).

Day 586: Disney Rewatch

I figured I should at least give an update on where I stand with my rewatch of all the classic Disney animated movies, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Frozen. It's about the third or fourth time I've attempted to do this and I have say that I'm pretty darn proud of myself because this is the furthest I've gotten.

Currently, my next film is The Aristocats. Previously, I think I got to Alice in Wonderland and then stopped, so this is a welcome goal so far, but I am pretty determined to finish this out. The only problem is now I'm back at school and it's a bit harder to watch movies all the time. I'm going to make it work though, even if I have to go a week or two without a movie because I'm so busy. Once I finish catching up on this blog things will get a little bit better though, so that's going to be nice. I mean, I still have plenty of work to do (I should go make a To-Do list before I forget...), but I'm going to have to just figure it out and be as productive as possible.

That's beside the point though. I have to say that so far in the Disney Rewatch I've uncovered some gems that I totally forgot I even liked, because there are obviously those Disney films you love and the ones you don't love quite as much, but sometimes we forget about which ones fall into which category.

Of course, I always love Lady and the Tramp, so that was a pleasure to get to watch, because seriously I can't watch that movie too many times. And Bambi was really great too, as was Cinderella. I'm not even that far into the Rewatch and already I have new favorites. Something tells me this isn't good for the question "What's your favorite Disney movie?"

Otherwise, I'm excited for what's ahead and continuing the entire Rewatch. It's complicated because I'm also rewatching Once Upon A Time, so that's another hour a day and I just can't spare three hours of TV time lately, but hey, we're making progress, right?

Oh, and I'm super excited to watch Robin Hood. Haven't seen that one in AGES.

If you want to follow along with my Rewatch or join me, feel free to do so! I post a picture on my Instagram every time I watch one of the films, so you'll know exactly where I am at any given time!

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 23).

Day 585: Tour Guide in Training

Contrary to what you might think, I actually don't spend every single day in the Music Lobby at SNC. But I do spend a heck of a lot of time here, especially since my internet at home will work great one minute and then completely crash the next. It's a struggle. And it's real.

But today is one of the days that I am taking up residence in the music lobby here, and it's funny, because I get to see a lot of different people in my hours spent in this chair. I mean, I'm working on my laptop pretty much all the time, so I can't always stop and talk, especially since the majority of the people I see I don't even know, but once and a while I'll set the laptop aside and chat. 

And again, today is one of those days. 

I'm not a tour guide here. I probably should be because it would be great for me and I am pretty darn good at answering questions. But there's so much to memorize. Either way, I'll probably end up with that job sooner or later, and today only strengthens that idea in my mind. 

So I'm just sitting here, clicking away at my computer like I generally do, when a man and his daughter appear at the other end of the lobby (I'm on the far end, so you kind of have to go around the corner to even see me). People actually do this all the time. I mean, tours go through, and people ask about the music program, which is all in this building, and if you're going to be a music major you'll probably want to see the music building. But these people weren't on a tour, and stopped to ask me questions. 

This has never happened before. 

But I absolutely loved talking to you guys (if you ever actually read this...know that you totally inspired me to be a tour guide here on campus, and I really hope you decide to come to school here! We're a spectacular bunch of people). I mean, I am a music major after all, and surprisingly I have an actual grip on what classes you have to take and when, even if I'm a performance major and not an education major. 

What does this all have to do with Disney you ask? Well it turns out that I would also LOVE to be a tour guide in the parks. I know so much already and memorizing information about Disney and then sharing the magic with other people sounds pretty darn amazing. I guess we'll see where that goes though. Maybe someday, depending on how long I work in the parks versus going off to pursue that career with Disney Performing Arts. That's what's going to make the difference here, I can tell that already. 

But hey, if anyone ever has questions about Disney or anything else just let me know. I'm always more than happy to answer them! 

Have a magical day!

Day 584: Young & Hungry

Despite what you may think, I actually don't watch brand new TV shows very often. Last season I had a bunch of new premiere shows, and in the past there is always Once Upon A Time, but for the most part I jump onto the train at a later station. It works well for me. With things like Chuck, I'm able to just binge watch all five seasons without much of a second thought, and the same rings true for Full House or How I Met Your Mother.

But once in a great while I'll start a new TV show, although I feel like this one happens to be a mix of the two scenarios, since I binge watched the first six episodes and have watched live (or recorded) since then. 

I can't really figure out just why I love Young & Hungry, but I do. It's an ABC Family show that premiered earlier this summer about a girl who becomes a private chef for a millionaire or something like that. All I know is that she bakes and cooks and so do I and that's probably why I like it for the most part, because seriously doing that for a living would be super great. 

At the same time though, the characters in the show are great. I can't really even pick a favorite or least favorite, which is totally new for me because normally I have a list after about one episode. It sounds like the rest of the internet is enjoying the show too, which means that, fingers crossed, it'll be back for a second season, although words cannot express how sad I am that next week's episode is the season finale. I still have a month left before Once! What in the world am I going to do!?!

Guess I'll just have to go watch something on Netflix...

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on August 23).

Day 583: Sometimes I Get Sad

I think we all get sad from time to time, but there are certainly specific moments that always, no matter what, just put us in a sad mood. I mean, for instance, whenever I watch certain episodes of Once Upon A Time I get sad, or when I have a huge assignment due for class.

But there's one time that I think every single one of us just gets so sad that we can no longer handle it alone, and therefore, we take to Instagram. That time? Whenever we leave Disney World.

I'm a part of a huge Disney Instagram community, and I LOVE it. The people are wonderful, and I'm looking forward to meeting some of them on my future trips, but a lot of times you see these people heading to Disney while you still sit at home. And yeah, you're jealous for a while, that's for sure, but no matter how jealous you are of them during their trip, you get sad right along with them when they have to leave.

It's heartbreaking, knowing that other people are leaving Disney, because you know what that feels like. You know how difficult it is to turn away from Spaceship Earth or Cinderella Castle and say "I'll see you real soon" when maybe you don't even know when "soon" really is. It's terrible. I think my friends who were with us on the band trip certainly get it now too, which I cry every single time I leave Disney because it's home and you just miss it and your life is there pretty much.

So of course you get sad when you leave, or when others leave. It's just a pain we all share...and then we share in the pain and excitement of waiting for the next trip too. It's a long process, but it brings us all closer together.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 23).

Day 582: Storybrooke Is Frozen

Back in Season one, you could say that the little town of Storybrooke, Maine was "frozen." I mean, after all, time never moved there, with everyone except for Henry living in this perpetual state of what basically amounts to nothingness. Not one of them realized that time, in reality, was passing without them aging, even the children. Except for Henry of course.

Now things are changing though, with Elsa in Storybrooke and promises of Kristoff, Hans, Anna and Sven, along with a few other loveable characters, things are going to get pretty chilly.

So WHY IN THE WORLD CAN'T I STOP WITH THE SPOILERS?

It's an age old question, and honestly, one can get pretty deep here. We, as humans, have this want to know what happens next. It's the reason that cliffhangers just about kill all of us, because we can never know what is going to happen in our personal lives. We are often uncertain of the outcome, and therefore, when it comes to things like TV Shows, we have a certain amount of control over how much we know. The problem is, it often becomes hard because of that need to see the future.

If you ask me, I've done pretty well so far. Alright, so maybe I know just about every spoiler that's come out and can basically tell you things that will totally for sure happen, but on the bright side I don't know the order of the scenes like I did for New York City Serenade...and I'm trying pretty darn hard to NOT look at the spoilers as they come out. Sometimes it's just...things happen. Actually, I end up accidentally seeing things because of Pinterest or Twitter or something. It's a serious issue. But I'm not about to give up all my social media for the next month. No thanks.

But Frozen people. FROZEN.

I've heard a lot of different opinions on this idea, of Anna and Elsa joining our lovely Once cast and how it will either ruin the show or the film and storyline. I don't agree with either. This isn't Frozen in it's movie state, it's a continuation of the story, and I fully trust Adam and Eddy to make the right decisions. After all, I never really loved fairy tales until after they got their hands on them and now I love them to death, finding deeper meaning and inspiration in the pages. If that isn't successful, I don't know what is.

So I'm definitely on the welcoming side of Frozen on Once. I can't wait to see how these characters interact with the ones I already love, although if anyone stands in the way of my Hook and Emma moments I might have a few issues. Something tells me I'm going to hate a few people in the future, but that's alright. I love all the characters of Once, because they all play their own roles, so in the end it'll be worth it.

Although I could do with a bit less angst.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 23).