DIY Disney Princess Sliding Gift Box | TInkerbell Treasures

This adorable box would be the perfect thing to house an invitation to Be Our Guest, or even a sweet Belle themed jewelry item. It was so easy to do and would be fairly simple to take with you to the Disney Resorts for a Tinkerbell Treasure.

The box itself measures 6 x 2.25", and perhaps for the first time ever I simply cut it out on the silhouette portrait without doing a thing to alter it! I used yellow and red card stock to resemble Belle's dress and the red rose in Beast's castle.

If you would like to make it, you can find the design for this sliding 3-d rose box in the Silhouette online store. And best of all, if you find making these 3-d projects a little intimidating, Jamie Lane Designs has a full tutorial on how to put it together on her blog!

I would love to know how you use this if you decide to. Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

DIY Disney | The Grey Stuff from Be Our Guest

We are always up for a little bit of sweetness in the cottage! Little Chef is a big fan of chocolate pudding and Oreos, so I thought trying The Grey Stuff from Disney's Be Our Guest Restaurant would be right up his alley. (For those of you who don't know, it's essentially a cookies and cream mousse.) It was indeed! Although truth be told, he almost always likes the making of things much more than the eating. Go figure! I can't say I fit that bill. I'm much more about the eating!

Making this was really easy, and if you follow the recipe at The Disney Diner, it would be even easier! As our regular readers will know, we are all about using homemade ingredients as we have food allergies to contend with (nuts, peanuts and synthetic food dyes). Here is the original ingredient list:

• 1 (3.4 ounce) pkg Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
• 1 1/2 cups Whole (or 2%) Milk
• 15 Oreos (regular, not double-stuffed)
• 1 (8 ounce) tub Whipped Topping
• 3 tablespoons Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix
• Edible Pearl Sprinkles

Instead of the instant pudding (which often has synthetic dyes), I made mine from scratch (with the expertise of Mr. Photos From The Parks) using the Joy of Cooking recipe for cornstarch pudding. Oreos are safe for us, but we don't like Whipped Topping (too many chemicals), so we just whipped up some heavy whipping cream until if formed stiff peaks. I think next time we'll add a touch of rum or Grand Marnier! We omitted the instant chocolate pudding altogether and I was able to find some edible pearls from HomeGoods that were safe for us too! (By the way, I love shopping the food aisles at HomeGoods. I can almost always find some organic goodies to bring home!)

I tried piping the mousse onto plates, but as Doc said, it looked like poop! So instead, we decided to serve it in these martini glasses. It was a MUCH more appetizing choice! I think an Oreo propped up in it would have been just perfect for a dinner party! And it tasted out of this world! It was a really fun treat to put in lunch boxes this week. If you've never tried it, I highly recommend doing so. You should try it, it's delicious! And such an easy way to bring a touch of Disney magic to your home.

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!