Day 1266: Quoting

I've been doing these Quote Canvases for a while now, and I really believe the hardest part about them is choosing the quote you want most and then finding a design that will fit both the space and the theme. For the above work in progress, it wasn't that difficult, although it took some debating for sure. We knew we wanted something Pixar, and because it was going in our kitchen, we figured that Ratatouille would be a fair place to pick a quote from. 

But with so many great Disney quotes out there, how can you really pick just one? I mean, here are some of the brainstormed quotes that we've discussed for various canvas works: 

"Have Courage and Be Kind" - Cinderella

"All our Dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible." - Walt Disney

"Adventure is Out There" - Up

"Just Keep Swimming" - Finding Nemo

"Oh yes, the past can hurt. But from the way I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it." - The Lion King

"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - Winnie the Pooh

To be far, those were just a few of the options that we've considered over time, and I would love to know what you'd put on a quote canvas like the ones I create! Let me know in the comments! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1265: Finding Dory

I don't know how old I was when I saw Finding Nemo for the first time, but in the years since then, I do know that it's made an impact on my life. From the Disney Parks, where Nemo and Friends took over the Living Seas and brought a lost attraction back to life and swam their way on stage in their own musical, to several of my best friends loving the film, to watching it on every single band trip I've ever been on, Nemo is one of those films that seems to be universally loved. That's why, as usual, I headed to theaters as soon as possible to see the sequel, Finding Dory, and this time I made sure to bring my extended family with me.

I don't know entirely what to say about this film aside from the fact that I think we all really enjoyed it (and loved it, if we're being honest here). I heard before seeing it that some were comparing it to Toy Story 3, and saying that it's the best Pixar sequel since then, and I completely agree. For those of us that experienced Finding Nemo when we were young, and then crowded the movie theaters to see Finding Dory, it was extremely fulfilling.

And on top of it all, this film had a great message, as many of the Pixar films do, which left us really wondering what Dory would do. It shed a light on some of the disabilities we may not be able to see, and how they can make a person just as valuable in their own unique way. Finding Dory included a variety of characters, from a Beluga Whale with broken sonar, to Dory with her memory loss, Nemo with his lucky fin, a blind whale, and even a bird named Becky that quickly became one of my favorite characters. It showed us that everyone is worthwhile, no matter what we struggle with, and that if we celebrate our differences, strengths, and yes, even our weaknesses, we really can swim across an entire ocean to find those we love.

If you haven't seen Finding Dory yet, I encourage you to do so! I must say that it's one of the funniest films I've seen in a while, as it had me laughing pretty much the entire time through some really cleverly created jokes and funny moments that could have only been created by Pixar, and I'm excited to see it again at some point in the future!

Have a magical day!

Day 1223: Responsibilities

The semester is rounding out, and that means that my usually busy schedule is almost worse than normal. Of course, everything decided to fall on the weekend before finals, much to the dismay of myself and many of my fellow SNC students, since our jazz band played for the Dean's Reception, which was held in the library. Not the best idea, really. We did have fun with it though, playing some of our favorite tunes and checking Yik Yak every few minutes to see who was complaining about us being there. It was a nice break from all the studying though!

It also happened to be State Solo and Ensemble, which put me going back and forth between SNC and another nearby college campus to hear my brother and other members of the Seymour High School Band perform for state competition. I think I drove more than I really needed to for one weekend, especially right before finals, but it did give me a chance to listen to Finding Nemo the Musical, which I just found the soundtrack for on Spotify!

All in all, life at the end of a semester of college is pretty boring apparently. There's not really time to work on the blog, trips are usually still pretty far away, and most of the day is spent reading textbooks that maybe should have been read earlier in the semester.

And that's about it. Responsibilities have kept me pretty busy lately, so there isn't much Disney to report. It's too bad really, because everyone can always use more Disney in their life!

Have a magical day!

Day 1044: Finding Dory

That's right, the moment we've all been waiting for is finally here: the trailer for Finding Dory!

Oh come on, you can't tell me that you haven't been anticipating this movie at least a little bit. We all want to know why we have to find Dory, and where she went! Plus, more Ellen and more Nemo? Sounds like the greatest thing ever.

It seems like we're not necessarily looking for Dory, but that Dory is looking for something else. Regardless, with this bunch of fish it's sure to be an interesting adventure! 

So...can we go see the movie now? 

Have a magical day! 

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

Day 748: Disney Desk Flair

It seems that with being back at school, I suddenly have found a wealth of new blog post topics, even if this one is more inspired by the Disney Style blog than my own dorm room.

Today, while in search of the last few blog posts to make up for the last week of nothingness since, really, all I did was edit video and that can only fit into one topic, I found one about Disney Desk Flair, showcasing some of the interesting desks at the Disney offices.

It's always been a dream for me to have a Disney office, and someday hopefully I'll get to that point. I can't even begin to express how many times I've seen something at Disney World and turned to my dad and said "For my office" as if I have one and know exactly where it's going to go.

Of course, not all of it is going to end up in the office in the end, as you really do have to keep things clean, but I loved this article, which you can read HERE, and couldn't help but think of my own desk here at school.

My desk has changed a little bit from last semester, largely due to the fact that I have almost twice the number of books now as I did then, and I still have bookshelves filled at home. Overflowing in fact. But overall, there's a lot of Disney influence in my desk without it constantly screaming Disney!

I think one of the things that really helps tie it all together is the nautical sort of theme I have going on. I found the jar at Hobby Lobby in the fall and instantly loved it, a plan forming in my mind. I picked up the sand that currently resides in it this past trip in January, right from the little beach on the walkway near the Magic Kingdom monorail station where my brick is! The little boat also came from Hobby Lobby and the Seagull (from Finding Nemo) is another of the things I picked up on my trip.

But that doesn't mean there's not a fair share of real Disney stuff. I may have a lot of books, but I feel like if there's two stereotypes of English majors, it's lots of books and lots of mugs. I definitely have both and ran into the issue of "where do I put all these mugs?" I solved my issue by working them into my desk decor. Here you can see my Fairy Tale collection next to my Mickey's Diner travel mug and my "I'm Inspired to have dreams as big as Walt Disney" quote frame!

Remember when I said there was a nautical theme? Yeah, more like Captain Hook. Somewhere along the line I got really into the whole pirate and Irish thing, and maybe, just maybe, it's got something to do with the guy in the middle in the frame here. 

And of course, I've got my Vinylmation. I've had numerous people compliment me on these little guys, and I really am in love with the custom designed shelf my Dad and Brother made me to help hold them. There's more at home, but these are my five favorites, and they look rather good together, don't you think?

But no post about my Disney Desk Flair could be complete without this little beauty. I've talked about it numerous times, but my Mickey Mouse wreath that Megan made me for our high school graduation is one of my absolute favorite things. It'll definitely be coming with me if I do get a Disney desk someday. 

This is just the beginning though. There's plenty of other little Disney hints on my desk, and it would probably take me a while to could them all up. Plus, I'll soon have a new desk to add just a little bit of flair to, even if I'll be the only one who ever really sees it down in the deep, dark, music library. 

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on January 24 due to a busy schedule).

Day 256: They've Got Character

One thing I really really regret not having the ability to do is have a so called "Princess Phase." Granted, when I was a kid there really wasn't much of a Princess thing going on. Growing up I had Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Belle and Ariel. That was pretty much it. I guess Pocahontas and Mulan were there too, but it wasn't as big of a deal as it is now. I didn't have either of my favorite Princesses (I ADORE Rapunzel and Tiana...Belle is a close third and then Ariel), and while there were some of the little dresses, it's not like I remember it being a huge thing. I just wasn't a kid that constantly wanted to meet characters. I have autograph books, and I'm sure my parents remember me wanting to meet characters much more than I do, but it's just something that my family in general never really did a lot of.

That's me...and Goofy, obviously. It's actually one of my favorite pictures from my childhood!

But now I'm going to Walt Disney World with some of my best friends, two of which, if they both go, have never EVER been to Disney. I know that our time there is short and that our real trip won't be for many years, since we really want to plan another one when the last of us turn either 18 or 21, but still, I want to make this trip as magical as possible, and for me, one of those things is making sure they get to meet some of their favorite characters.

I was going through the common character list tonight to send it to one of my friends and honestly, I had no idea that there were so many characters in the Disney Parks. Like the list is much longer than I initially expected. So that leaves the question, who are the must see characters, who do I want to meet and who should they meet?

For starters, I know my best friend Megan, if she goes, absolutely HAS to meet Marie. Her favorite Disney movie is the Aristocats, so that would have to happen. My other friend, Ashely, loves the Pixar movies Up and Finding Nemo. Of course Nemo is a bit hard to meet, but I fully plan on spending time in the Seas with Nemo and Friends and trying to take her to meet Dug, Mr. Fredrickson and Russell. Those are more specific to them I guess. I think my list includes the Princesses because I honestly have never met my favorite one (RAPUNZEL!) and I really can't wait to see Princess Fairytale Hall! And Gaston is probably on that list too because well...it's Gaston.

And me and Marie a couple of years ago!

Aside from that, everyone needs to meet Mickey and Minnie and Goofy and Donald and Pluto and all those guys. Mickey and Minnie for sure. It just needs to happen. When I went to Disneyland Mickey and Minnie walked out and I was right there and I will forever regret not going by them right away. I could have met Mickey and Minnie AT DISNEYLAND, and I didn't. Sigh...regrets in life.

Also on my list? Indiana Jones and Marian! It's not necessarily a secret but if you stick around after the show you generally can meet the actors and I personally think it would be awesome to do that with a group of people from my HS Band, if not everyone! First we need to go to Hollywood Studios, but if we do I promise I will work my hardest for us to get to meet Indy!

Today's Frumpstagram was, surprisingly, easier than the past few days. The topic? Transportation. I couldn't find the Millennium Falcon so I guess a Speeder Bike will just have to do for now! It's kind of interesting though, and I think I'll make that tomorrow's post maybe, about how I used to hate Hollywood Studios and knew very little about it until Star Wars changed my life forever.

And here's today's Disney History: 1941: Walt Disney's father Elias passes away in Los Angeles, California at the age of 82. Walt is currently in South America in the middle of a 10-week trip.

Have a magical day!

Day 213: Disney Things I'd Like to Buy

Well, when trying to figure out what to write about for today, I was on Pinterest, like I often am, and decided that one board I don't really talk about much is my Disney Store board, which is basically all of the Disney things that are awesome and that I really wish I owned. It just sounded like something I could talk about, because while there are so many Disney things I wish I owned, there are really only a few that I have currently posted on my Pinterest board.

Alright, so I'm kind of obsessed with Donald Duck. He's probably one of my favorite characters. Like, my phone case is sometimes Donald, and I love my Donald Duck Sweatshirt absolutely to death! Actually, other than that I guess there isn't a lot of stuff that I have that's Donald, but you know. That just means that there's plenty of room for more Donald!

I'll be honest with this one. If someone buys me these, I'd be so happy for like...ever. If you are a blog reader and want to send me something ever, send me these. I would kill for such shoes. I would. Ok, maybe not.

I have one question: Why do I not have this for my computer? 

You can't not have Disney luggage. I guess I have some Disney luggage, but this one is seriously awesome. I would love to have these suitcases, and if I ever have to actually buy new suitcases I'm pretty sure I'll buy these or something like these. It just seems like a thing I need to do. 

And finally, this. I just need this. I think we ALL need this. Just saying. 

So, if you ever want to get me a gift...these are all great choices. That or anything Canadian. I love Canadian things. That might just be because I'm currently watching an ApprenticeEh vlog though. 

Here's today's Disney History: 1942: Disney's 5th full length animated feature Bambi has its U.S. premiere at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Have a magical day!