Sitting with Grandmother Willow: Evie of Pixie Dust & Skulls

Madame Daisy from Pixie Dust & Skulls

As part of our on-going series, Sitting with Grandmother Willow, I am happy to introduce Evie of Pixie Dust and Skulls, a lovely Etsy shop. This series of blog posts highlights artists and bloggers of all stripes with one thing in common: a passion for Disney! I hope you will enjoy getting to know Evie as much as I have. A big thanks to her for taking the time to interview with us! And be sure to visit her shop for a great selection of Disney themed accessories!


Disney by the numbers (with apologies to Harper's):

# of trips you have made: Wow I seriously wish more but I’d say around 10-15 times

Date of first trip: There’s a picture of my sister as a baby and myself, we are two years apart and she was barely walking, so I’d have to say I was about 3yrs so around 1984.

Date of next trip: My goal is next year when I visit my family in California; my last visit was around Christmas time so I’d like to experience Halloween festivities this time around.

# of Resorts stayed in: Someday it’ll happen. Dreams do come true in a Disney lovers mind LOL

Usual # in your travel party: It varies; it’s a party that always includes family and friends, last visit was apart of 5 but, it’s been as big as 15+ people

Pairs of mouse ears in your cottage: Currently chesire , gifted by my sisters BBF on my last trip to California.

WDW or Disneyland (or other)? Well I can’t compare if I haven’t been to WDW, so at the moment Disneyland.

How do you usually travel to Disney? We all meet at my parents’ house, mom makes breakfast, carpool in about 2-3 cars and head on out.

Do you have any tips for trips? If you want to make it out throughout the whole day at the park take comfortable shoes, or extra change of clothing (just in case you get soaked in Splashed Mountain ) I also take a messenger bag, and carry only necessities, don’t want to lose any valuable items. And most important, shop as soon as you get there to avoid the long lines before park closes. You can just rent a locker and put all the purchased items and collect at the end of the night.

Do you have a favorite place to eat while in Disney? Actually no, I’ve never been disappointed in any of their restaurants. Everything is delicious, but my Mom loved Hungry Bear so we went there a lot.
What is your absolute DON'T MISS attraction? Anything pretty much from Fantasyland but Alice in wonderland , Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and Pinocchio’s ride.
Stage shows, yes or no? Yes most definitely, It such Joy to see kids happy.

Parades, yes or no? I don’t like parades but Disney parades it’s a must. I’ll never forget my parents taking us to see the Electrical parade which I thought it was out of this world LOL. But I think I fell in love with it even more when my High School participated in their Christmas parade, my last performance was to M-I-C-K-E-Y-M-O-U-S-E song, I was in colorguard and my prop was tall flags.

Best Fast Pass to get: I haven’t tried it yet, I know right LOL.

Favorite park: Fantasyland!

One piece of advice you'd give a novice about WDW/DL: Use your map, and if visiting with kids, always assign a spot to meet if one should go missing. And make it fun while on waiting lines, look for hidden Mickeys LOL.

How do you create extra magic for your family? Have dinner with family outdoors, sit down and enjoy the lighting of the park. We literally eat and just let all the beauty sink in. I think that is why she loved going to hungry bear. Take lots and lots of pictures, and be a kid, after all it is the happiest place on earth! And create something memorable, home made and gift everyone with it.

How can we connect with you?
www.etsy.com/shop/Pixiedustnskulls
Instagram: Pixiedustnskulls
pixiedustnskulls@yahoo.com

DIY Upcycled Disney Nightshirt

Spring is eventually coming and Minnie is going to need some lighter sleep attire. And, as you may imagine, we have a plethora of old T-shirts from Disney. So when I saw this easy tutorial from It's Always Autumn I knew this was a project that would be perfect for us. And it was, both easy and perfect.

Minnie is currently wearing a size 12-18 months, so I used an adult size XS shirt. It was just what I was looking for. I don't know about you, but I find that the sizing of Disney clothes can be wildly different across the board. Especially kids clothes. I always get a size up if there's a question. So I was nervous about how this would fit; but there was no need. She fits it quite well. And in a year or so, I think it'll be cute with a pair of leggings and a hair bow; perfect resort wear!

Incidentally, if you don't have a plethora of Disney t-shirts hanging around your cottage, Goodwill (or your local donation center/thrift store) is a great place to find park merchandise for a steal! Especially t-shirts and hoodies. I found this one for $4.00. I was sad it wasn't in my size but I knew I'd find a way to use it. And here it is! Just the right thing for a growing girl. I also have dreams of a Disney t-shirt quilt...we'll have to wait and see if that materializes! So until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

DIY Disney(ish) Winter Olympics Fun!

The Winter Olympics are starting and we have just the thing to help you enjoy the fun in a Disney sort of way. Cool Runnings was a family-friendly movie, released in the 1990s, about the very unlikely Jamaican bobsled team and their experience at the Winter Olympics. It's based on a true story and a lot of fun to watch. It had been years since we watched it and I have to say it's still a really fun movie. (I'll admit right up front, I'm a John Candy fan!)

And if you have little ones that are into crafting, One Pretty Thing has some really fun Winter Olympic crafts that are totally toddler friendly; like making your own torch, or your own medals, or even making your own olympic themed snacks! There are even links to some printable puzzles and coloring sheets. You're sure to find all sorts of great things to keep your kiddos busy during these long winter nights.

And if you are in need some more active activities, head on over to Zoom at PBS for some Winter Olympic themed games and activities. We hope you enjoy watching the olympics with your family. We will certainly be tuning in here at the cottage. So until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

Scrapbooking Disney | Be Our Guest

I've been working again with  Project Mouse (FANTASY edition) - a collaboration of Britt at britt-ish designs and sahlin studio. And I still love it! This is another layout from our trip last fall. We actually had the opportunity to dine with the Beast at Be Our Guest! Although I was under the impression that Beast and Belle would be circling around the dining rooms, as with most character meals. This is NOT a character meal; it is an opportunity to dine in the castle and eat a lovely meal. Then you may stand in line and get your picture taken with Beast. I just hadn't done my research on this (as the experience was still relatively new). I'll know better next time.

Getting an ADR for 16 was not easy - we had to arrange it through email with a special dining agent. But as is my way, we made it happen! And perhaps because of the early hour (4:30 pm) we were all seated at the same table, which was delightfully unexpected, and truly the Disney way. We had wonderful service. In fairness, Mr. Photos from the Parks and I can be rather tough dining critics, but the food was just so-so for us. We enjoyed our meal. Doc loved his lamb chops. But we payed the same for a meal that we could have had in Cinderella's Castle and had the added bonus of the Princesses joining us. I was disappointed. But I do think we will try the counter service next time. That is, if the line isn't beastly. (See what I did there?) I'd love to hear about your experience at Be Our Guest. Was it the same for you? Did we just have an off night?

Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

DIY Disney Park Maps Puzzle Blocks

We all love upcycling those Disney Park maps. This is a fun project for young Disney fans, or just those that are young at heart. We are big puzzlers around the cottage. Every Christmas my sister's family comes over with a jigsaw puzzle and we work the entire thing in one day. I LOVE a good puzzle. And now that the Disney park maps all look a lot more alike, this puzzle is a bit harder than I originally thought it would be! Still, it's fun.

I was able to find a set of 1.5" plain, wooden blocks from Pick Your Plum. If you don't know about them, it's worth checking them out. You never know what sort of thing is going to pop up there! I also used 5 different park maps (I needed 2 from Animal Kingdom), mod podge, fine grit sandpaper and a foam brush. I cut out the maps into 1.5" squares and roughed them up on the back side with the sandpaper. This just helped them adhere well to the blocks. I then adhered them with the mod podge to the wood. Once they had dried I sanded down the edges so they didn't peel up, and put a top coat of mod podge on them. Once they were dry they were ready to go!

The toddlers like to play with them as blocks, the older ones like to fiddle with them on the coffee table while we are watching TV or planning our next Disney vacation! These were fairly simple to put together, even if they were just a little time consuming. Worth it though, to have another reminder of our time together in Disney.

Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

DIY Disney's Wonderland Caterpillar Socks

There is no denying it's been a VERY chilly winter, and let's face it; many of us have been spending an inordinate amount of time indoors due to the inhospitable temperatures outside. Due to such unexpected circumstances, I have been spending a great deal of time knitting. And my favorite sort of knitting is socks. One can never have too many pairs of hand-knit socks. If you have never tried a pair, you are sorely missing out! They are simply divine. And I love having socks that actually fit my oddly shaped feet.

These fun little circle socks by Anne Campbell reminded me instantly of the Caterpillar in Alice and Wonderland. I knew they would be next on my list. I'm a fan of self-striping yarn; in fact, I have oodles of it. But it's hard to see intricate patterns on it once it's knit up. I really like how this pattern stands out on the stripes. When I first saw it, I thought it might be hard to memorize, but boy was I wrong! These socks came together within two weeks, and that's with limited knitting time with the two littles! 

The other wonderful thing about these socks is that there is no grafted toe. I am terrible at grafting - it may have something to do with the fact that I am constantly needing to put down my knitting in the middle of grafting. No matter the reason, I was delighted to try this star toe. I may have found my new favorite bind off! If you are on Ravelry you can find my project details here. And if you are not, and you do any sort of knitting or crochet, well you should be. Take a moment and look around. I promise you'll be hooked! (See what I did there?)

Until next time, stay warm! And my all your days be filled with fairy dust!

A Freezer Full of Mickey Waffles

If you've ever had the opportunity to breakfast in one of the Disney Resorts, you know how magical those Mickey waffles can be. There is something so delightful about sitting down to breakfast and seeing Mickey right there on your plate. You know the day is going to be a good one.

Here in the cottage, the days just got happier. We now have a Mickey Waffle Iron! The whole family is excited about it. In fact, Little Chef couldn't WAIT to get his hands on it. It helps that we love waffles any way you make them. So starting our days with a Mickey waffle seems like a bonus!

We also make our own freezer waffles; with our allergy issues, we make a lot of things at home. Plus it's SO much cheaper to make them ourselves and freeze them. It's really easy. We just make the waffles a little underdone, let them cool, and put them into gallon size ziplock bags. I like to put a piece of waxed paper between each waffle as it goes into the bag. It's just makes getting them out a lot easier. When it's breakfast time, we simply pop them into to the toaster to heat them up. Easy as can be. And now we will have Mickey waffles to make our mornings that much better.

Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

From Belle's Library | Peter and the Starcatchers

It's been a while since we've reviewed any Disney books - the holidays can do that to a reading schedule! But now it's the new year and we are ready to share our love of Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (of the Kingdom Keepers series). As many of you know, I am a fan of audiobooks. I'm not sure I'd get anything read if it weren't for listening to them with the kids! And here's where the first little delights comes in.

I must confess, I am a huge fan of the Harry Potter books (we're not talking about the movies here); I read them all as they were released, and then listened to ALL of them again on our various road trips. I think Jim Dale must have envisioned the same thing I did when reading these books, as his voices and cadence were perfect. I was DELIGHTED to hear the familiar narration of Jim Dale again as he read Peter and the Starcatchers! What a treat. His voice is one of my very favorites for audiobooks.

And the story delighted me as well. If you've ever wondered how Peter Pan and the lost boys, Captain Hook and Tinkerbell came to be, this story will tickle your imagination! I throughly enjoyed the twists and turns, the adventure and the magic of this first book in a series of (what I imagine will be) fantastic books. I do love young adult fiction (especially fantasy and adventure), and while reading the Kingdom Keepers I was recommended this Peter and the Starcatchers series by an Instagram friend, Kaifers. I am so very glad I took the recommendation to heart! And I hope you will too. This is a marvelous series; I highly recommend it! I think it's perfect for both boys and girls (and certain young-at-heart adults!).

If you have a book that is (if loosely) related to Disney in some way, I would love to know about it. Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress T-shirt and Greeting Cards now on RedBubble

I am so excited to offer this brand new design through RedBubble! As always, this design is available on a number of shirt colors in a wide range of sizes and styles, including those for kids and babies!

Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress is one of our don't-miss attractions when we are in the Magic Kingdom. It's just not the same if we miss it. As an original, it still works. You can catch us singing "It's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" in the parks or just hanging out in the cottage.

If you are a fan of vintage Disney, then this design is perfect for you. It's also available as a card, poster, canvas or sticker, just incase the mood strikes you. I am hoping to offer it for iPad and iPhone cases too in the very near future. I'll let you know when that happens!

Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!