We all live in a..

Yellow Submarine! I was so excited to make cupcakes for Maggie's drama troupe cast party for "The Little Mermaid & The Yellow Submarine". Maggie played Polyurethane Pam, the evil sea hag. Here you can see her conjuring up the "Blue Meanies" on Sgt. Pepper & the Little Mermaid.

You can see my inspiration for the cupcakes, was of course the Yellow Submarine!

Thanks so much to The Cupcake Blog for featuring my cupcake on their blog today!  They were pretty to look at and really tasty too!  A big hit at the cast party.  Great job Fairytale Town Troupers!   

Make it Work!

Can I just say I love Tim Gunn?  I always have.  I like to imagine that he was my classy, fun, gay uncle who would come over occasionally to clean out my closet ,be my fashion consultant, and just hang out and have cocktails and dish.  I've always enjoyed him on Project Runway, in fact I think he's the best part of that show.  Without him it would be unwatchable.

I just came across a wonderful post by Big Fat Deal "Tim Gunn is a National Treasure"  which just warmed my heart and make me love him even more!  While out promoting his book and during an interview with Perez Hilton he said the following:

 If I were to do a clothing line, it would be for sizes 16 and higher. Because I really believe that those women are truly a neglected population, and when I visit department stores and I go to the shop that’s called “woman,” I am horrified! Horrified by the awful, degrading, disrespectful choices that women have. It is mind boggling. I mean, selecting these gigantic prints, and it’s… I mean, who wants to look like a couch?

Bravo!!  It's nice to see someone in the fashion industry who has style and taste is looking out for us fat gals.  I look forward to seeing your size 16 and higher clothing line soon, I hope you do it because I think that's the next step in your career, Tim Gunn!  Make it work!

Meet Ellie the Kitty!

Let me introduce to you, Ellie, the newest member of the family!  A couple weeks ago, Leo called and said he the kids at his school had found a kitten in a box on the playground and the box had UNO GATO written on it.  He asked me to come pick up this kitten and bring it to the shelter since, animal control would not come to the school to get it.  He knew he was in trouble because once he handed her to me there was no way I was taking her to a shelter.

Poor baby looked so sick, her eyes were just about shut with goop and she was just a mess.  Even so, she was acting as though there was nothing wrong with her with the expception of an occasional sneeze.  The minute we put food in front of her she chowed down and drank water with no problem.  We took her in later that day to the vet, and she weighed 1lb, but did have an upper respitory infection and of course covered with fleas.  The whole time she was purring, so happy to just be held, even when they took her tempature..and you know how they do that!  Many $$ later (she's our million dollar kitty) we left with meds and cleaned her up real good and she's been thriving and getting along with our other cats Stitch and Captain Jack. We just took her back for a check up and she has gained 14 oz. and is recovering nicely. 

Now we are up to 3 cats, and I feel almost like we should be on the show Animal Hoarders! As for names,  I turned to my Twitter friends for some Disney suggestions.  I was leaning towards Lilo since our other cat is Stitch.  We also thought about Dora (non Disney), since she was found at Leo's school and their mascot is the Explorers.  My Twitter friend Lynnette  (who is now Ellie's Fairy Godmommy) came up with a wonderful suggestion and it just fit.  Ellie from the movie UP!  If she was human, I can hear her talking just like her! Life was an adventure to Ellie and well, she looks just like her.

We are in love with our sweet Ellie!  I know she will bring us lots of joy for many years to come.

Am I Cute or What?

I'm loving the new Scentsy Warmer I decorated with Tinkerbell scrapbooking rub ons! A little surprise for MK, so she now has her very own warmer in her room. Her favorite scents? Cherry Limeade & Ocean. Scentsy has a whole line of warmers that you can decorate yourself with your own rub ons or we sell theme packs so you can make the perfect gift for that special someone. I love the variety of theme packs, from baby to edgy skulls, there is something for everyone! Just a reminder, if you order in August you get 10% off most items. I can't wait to show you what is coming up new for Fall/Winter very soon. New scents, warmers and plug ins!! All ready to make your home festive for the holidays and the perfect gift, everyone is going to want one!

Snoop Dogg Meets Ondrya Wolfson

My mind wanders alot. I think about..how did I get to be so old? 42 was ancient to me when I was a kid.I think about when our generation are going to be senior citizens. Are we going to have dance parties and line us all up ala "Soul Train" and we each shuffle down the middle with our walkers. Won't that be a site??!! Go Sally, Go Sally, Go Sally ..that, that, that, that, that girl!What happens when rappers get old? Is it going to be like the old rockers..still getting up there and doing their thing? Is Snoop going to be like Sinatra and still singin the "oldies" when he's in his 70's? Can you picture it? "It's like this and like that and like this ya'll" Is Eminem still going to be angry, or will he mellow with age? Is that what they are going to play at the old folks home??Last night in the car the song "Valley Girl" came on. I hadn't heard it in so long it took me WAY back. I was all excited and turned it way up and my son looked at me like I was crazy.

See you in the old folks home Ondrya Wolfson. Like gag me with a spoon.

Feeling a Little Nostalgic

I was thinking about why I was such a Disney Nerd, and how I have passed this Disney Nerdiness on to my daughter. Other Disneyphiles such as myself I am sure agree. It's about the feeling that you get while you are at a Disney Park. When you are not there are always chasing that Disney high. Thinking of things that remind you of the being there. The smell inside of Pirates of the Caribbean, the chills you get when you see the castle the first time walking in the park, the warm feeling you get when you are with your own children and get to experience it through their eyes. The memories you get to bring home, and with me being a scrapbooker getting to relive them and enjoy them over and over again. The excitement as you plan for another trip, counting down the days.

As a child, I was fortunate to be able to go to Disneyland at least once every few years. These were some of my favorite childhood memories because my family was together and everything was right with the world. As I got older and spent time as a teen there, it was an escape from what was going on around me. As an adult the minute I stepped on Disney property I was able to forget all my troubles, and for at least a few days I could live in Fantasyland.

I began to find there is so much more to Disney then just the parks. There is the whole culture over the years and this fascinated me. From the animation, to the music, the movies, the merchandise, the food and Walt Disney himself. I was intrigued with cast members that worked with Disney to create help create these wonderful memories for guests and worked with Walt Disney to build what we now know as Disney. And of course the details. Mickey doesn't skimp on the details.


Luckily I came across an opportunity that was perfect for me. I finally got to be a part of the Disney team. After visiting the Walt Disney Family Museum, I realized how lucky I was to be even a small part of Disney and how really proud I was. I love being able to help with Walt's dream and if I can make one guest smile and feel the magic like so many others did for me growing up, then it's all worth it.


That's me with the hat on visit to Disneyland circa 1971 with my family.

Wish I was here..

One of our favorite spots on earth is a little town on the coast in Northern California called Mendocino. It is reminiscent of an old New England whaling village. This was one of the very first getaways Leo and I went on as a couple and we like to visit at least once a year. I wish I was there RIGHT NOW. The weather is always overcast, which is just perfect to me. You know you are getting close when you can smell the lavender and the ocean . We like to make a stop at the local Irish pub and have a Guinness and Dirty Martini before we head out to our cottage.


Once we arrive at our destination, the Sea Rock Inn, we just soak in the beautiful scenery and relax!

After a relaxing night, we wake up to the sound of waves and gulls then enjoy a lovely breakfast while overlooking the bluff.

I'm looking forward to our next visit, I hope it's soon.

D23

I was at my great aunt's funeral and I reconnected with a distant cousin that I haven't seen in a long time. We got talking and it turns out she was a D23 member and invited me over to take a look at her Disney room and all her magical treasures! My jaw dropped when I saw her Steam Boat Willie, he was HUGE! She had several Giuseppe Armani figures that are just beautiful, exquisite pieces of art. Snow White and the Dwarfs and Pinnocchio , but by far the most lovely was the Beauty and the Beast figure pictured here.

She had many pins that were framed and arranged around the room. Her latest find were the Vinylmation collectibles since being a member of D23. I was loving every minute and taking in every detail of what she was sharing with me. I think I have a new Disney buddy!! As I was leaving she was so kind to gift me my first Vinylmation. It was available to D23 members during the first expo in 2009. Thanks Jane! This really made my day. I have a feeling he won't be my last.

So guess what I asked DH for Mother's Day? A membership to D23.

And yes, I am kicking myself for not becoming a Charter Member.

For more info on D23 go to : D23 Official Community for Disney Fans
For more info on Vinylmation go to : Official Blog for Vinylmation

ETA : I did get what a wanted for Mother's Day!! Thank you to my wonderful family!!

My favorite Disney photo

One of my favorite things to do when I'm at the Disney parks is take pictures. This picture is one of my all time favorite. Leo and MK were riding the Teacups at Disneyland and I was clicking away when I noticed this couple. I was so pleased at how the picture came out. I love how the woman has her hands up with reckless abandon, laughing and the gentleman has a huge smile on his face. It pretty much sums up what Disney is all about. Something about the Disney magic that takes over you no matter what your age.

Kim Possible

On our last visit to Epcot,Maggie had a blast doing the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure. It’s an ultra interactive quest at Epcot based on the Disney Channel animated series, Kim Possible. She got to transform into a secret agent, join Team Possible and help save the world from super-villains with the help of a high-tech "Kimmunicator". Maggie’s mission (if she chose to accept it) sent her to England where she defeated the villian and saved the world! She was so focused and she took her job very seriously. Out of everything we did in Epcot this was by far her favorite! She wanted to spend the entire day looking for villains.

Go Wickless!!

My latest venture! Scentsy. I know what you're thinking. Another home consultant gig Marianne? It wish I could say it was a hard decision, but it wasn't! I absolutely love this product and I would not at this time of my life especially, get involved with something that I wasn't completely passionate about. I simply don't have time for that.

As a candle addict, I purchased a couple of Scentsy warmers after reading about them online. I opened my new warmer and was pleasantly surprised at how pretty it was and the excellent quality. Then I added a couple of scent bars plugged it in and I was sold! It was better then any candle I had ever purchased, it made my house smell wonderful and even my husband really liked it!

Here are the reasons why I joined:

1. Awesome product that makes my house smell great
2. Options of having home parties or selling product on the internet
3. Opportunity to share this fun product with others and make a little extra money on the side
4. 80 + different, delicious fragrances and a fantastic variety of warmers, plug ins and other products

Of course if you would like to host a party there are some awesome Hostess rewards that you can take advantage of. If you prefer to order online, and you have any questions give me a call. I'll be happy to assist. If there is a particular scent you are interested in I can drop by or mail a sample. Go ahead and take a look at all of fun warmers and plug ins.

Please sign up for my monthly newsletter so you can always be the first to know about all the latest styles and scents.

Soon you'll be relaxing and enjoying your very own Scentsy products. Doesn't that sound great?

Disney Autograph Book.

I lost my USB cord for my camera and I have tons of pictures from Walt Disney World. I finally broke down and bought a new one. Here are some pictures of the autograph book I made for Maggie to take with her on our trip.









The characters really enjoyed looking at it while they signed it always asking Maggie if she made it! The most excited was the CM that was with the UP characters, as well as the UP characters. They made a HUGE deal out of it and spent extra time with her signing and fooling around. I think DUG may have licked her a few times.

Pure Imagination

I heard this song on a commercial this morning and it immediately brought me back to when I was about 7 years old. My mom would drop my brother and I off at the movie theater while she would go shopping. Back in the day there was just one movie playing in the movie theater. My favorite snack was a big ol dill pickle and a Coke. The movie, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and this song just reminds me of being a child and carefree. I really felt in this movie I was there with Willy Wonka, touring his factory. Something about Gene Wilder. He was odd, but at the same time something about him was comforting. I knew all along he would take care of Charlie in the end. It was in his eyes, a certain look. Gene Wilder was a genius that way.

I did of course see the remake "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and usually Johnny Depp can do no wrong in my book. But he could not match Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka. I enjoy watching the original with my kids and it has always been a favorite in our household.

When I hear this song I wish I could be a little girl again, just for a little while.

Come with me and you'll be In a world of pure imagination.

Faces of America

I happen to come across this wonderful television program called "Faces of America" on PBS. Henry Louis Gates, The Harvard scholar turns to the latest tools of genealogy and genetics to explore the family histories of 12 renowned Americans. One of them was Stephen Colbert, I just love that guy. They were able to go back to the late 1600's for some of them which I found amazing!! Can you imagine finding out one of the your ancestors was an original founding father of the United States? I found myself yearning to know something, anything about my history. How long have my ancestors been in America and where did they come from? Did my one of my grandfathers fight in World War II, and was one of my great grandmother a Suffragette??

Unfortunately, I wouldn't know where to start and who to ask. I am adopted and not much is known about my background. My adoptive parents are Portuguese and I was raised with many of the traditions and learned about the food , music and how my grandparents came from Portugal. While that is all very dear to me, and I will always cherish those memories, it's not really my heritage. I really don't think about being adopted too much because it was at birth and it's always been part of the story of how I came to be. My family is my family and I don't lack anything...except. Where I came from. I really don't have a desire to meet my birth parents. They did what was best for me at the time of my birth. If they wanted to ever meet me, I figure they would have by now. I just really want to know about my background, my ancestry, my roots. I feel like a little piece of me is missing sometimes when I think about it, or when I see a show like this, or see a heritage scrapbook page.

Maybe someday I will do something about it. Funny enough, my husband is adopted as well. So my daughter is pretty much in the same boat that we are! Not sure if there would be a way of doing it, without disturbing my birth family. I'll have to look into it and get back to you.

If you have time, this is a great show and worth watching. Makes you think about all the wonderful, hardworking, amazing people that made our country so great.

Some of my recent creations

The program I have been using is Photo Shop Elements. There are many wonderful sites online with tutorials and wonderful digital scrapbooking goodies for sale. My favorite site to shop at is Scrap Matters. My shopping cart is always full there. OH, did I say digital scrapbooking was more cost effective then old school scrapbooking? I didn't think so!! My favorite site to hang out is Mousescrappers. It's mostly Disney themed scrapbooking and they have some great challenges that always get me motivated. Share some of your favorite sites with me!

Well hello there!

Time to dust off the cobwebs, and update the old blog!! We have been busy moving as of the first of the year and adjusting to our new schedules and our new digs. I do miss our old house, it was so pretty, but I do like living in our new town much better. The children are doing really well in school and I've been busy working the phones for the Mouse and being Mom's Taxi. Honestly I'm thinking of painting our car yellow and putting a meter in it!

I hope to be posting more photos as I am trying to be more diligent with my photography. I'm feeling like time is moving so fast sometimes, that life is passing me by (thank you Ferris) and I need to stop enjoy the little things, which include photos of my life..and yes, even me.

Since the move I've scaled down my scrapbooking stash. I still enjoy it from time to time, but I find myself enjoying digital scrapbooking more. Less mess, I can do it anywhere, and it doesn't take up so much space. I thought I would share just a few of my latest layouts.