Memorial Day

In honor of those who serve, please take a moment today to thank the members of our military, both past and present for the sacrifices they make to keep us safe. Many members of my family have served and continue to serve today. I am grateful for all that they do to protect our freedoms. As Walt Disney once said, "Tomorrow will be better for as long as America keeps alive the ideals of freedom and a better life."

Thank you to our military for keeping those ideals alive.

POP! Vinyl

Have you heard about the new POP! Vinyl debuting tomorrow at Disney Stores? They are a unique collection of vinyl dolls that are too cute! There will be several series of Pop! Vinyl, with Series 1 including: Mickey Mouse, Buzz Lightyear & Woody from Toy Story, Mike & Sully from Monsters INC, Jiminy Cricket & Pinocchio, Snow White, Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, Tinker Bell, Cruella DeVil from 101 Dalmations, and Stitch. They will be available exclusively at Disney Stores and DisneyStore.com. They cost $12.50 each, or you can purchase all of Series 1 together for $150. The next set, Series 2, will include: Belle & the Beast, Boo from Monsters INC, Jack Skellington from Nightmare Before Christmas, Minnie Mouse, The Incredibles, and Lotso Bear from Toy Story.

The Muppets

Is anyone else excited to see the new Muppets movie? I loved watching the Muppets when I was growing up. We watched the Muppet movies, Muppet babies cartoon, Fraggle Rock, and later, Jim Henson's Storyteller series. My favorite was always Kermit the Frog. I just saw a preview for The Muppets when I went to the movie theater to see Pirates of the Caribbean 4. At first, I thought it was just a romantic comedy starring Amy Adams and Jason Segel. And then they revealed that it was a Muppet movie as well, so now I really want to see it. As usual, this movie has a huge cast of stars including: Selena Gomez, Neil Patrick Harris, Jack Black, Emily Blunt, Ricky Gervais, Katy Perry, Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, and Liza Minelli! The plot follows the Muppets, with the help of three of their fans, as they reunite to attempt to save their old studio from the clutches of a greedy oil tycoon. The Muppets have turned reuniting to save something they hold dear into an art form, but each time, its fun and new. I have loved all of the Muppet's movies and can't wait until November 23 when the new movie will be released in theaters nationwide.

Let the Memories Begin

Disney

Disney has rolled out a new experience for fans of Walt Disney World. It's called the Let the Memories Begin Tour. This is a chance for everyone to experience the magic of Disney World without going to Florida.

Disney

By visiting one of the tour locations, guests can take virtual in-park photos that they can share. Photos are provided by Snapfish. Cast members will spread a little pixie dust at each stop, making this tour a magical experience. The tour kicks off in Chicago this weekend and travels around the country, ending in Puerto Rico in September. Here's a list of tour dates and cities.

5/30 - 5/31 Chicago, IL
6/5 - 6/6 Boston, MA
6/10 - 6/12 New York, NY
6/18 - 6/19 Washington, DC
6/24 - 6/25 Atlanta, GA
7/8 - 7/9 Dallas, TX
7/12 - 7/13 Houston, TX
7/19 - 7/20 Phoenix, AZ
7/26 - 7/27 Denver, CO
7/30 - 7/31 Salt Lake City, UT
8/5 - 8/6 San Francisco, CA
8/16 - 8/17 Portland, OR
8/20 - 8/21 Seattle, WA
8/26 - 8/27 Calgary, Canada
9/2 - 9/3 Toronto, Canada
9/23 - 9/24 Puerto Rico

A recent nationwide survey of U.S. and Canadian families found that vacation memories hold a special place in family history. Nine out of 10 parents said they planned vacations with the hope that they would result in a lasting family memory. In 2011, Disney Parks launched “Let the Memories Begin,” a year-long celebration of the family vacation memories created in Disney theme parks every day. You can view my previous post about this celebration here.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

I just saw the new Pirates of the Caribbean tonight and I have to say, I LOVED it! I have been waiting for months, hoping that the new film would live up to the promise of the previous three and, while there was less action than in At World's End, it was still a great addition to the Pirates of the Caribbean stories. Without revealing any spoilers, here's the basics of the story. Captain Jack is up to his usual tricks and his usual trouble. He is still searching for the fountain of youth, but once again, he needs a ship and a crew. Along the way, he meets up with Gibbs and Barbossa, who has turned Privateer for King George. He also runs into Angelica, an old flame who may or may not be Blackbeard's daughter. After being shanghaied onto Blackbeard's ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, Jack must find his way to the fabled fountain of youth, beating everyone else to it's miraculous waters. The story is great, full of characters new and old. They've kept with the supernatural feel of the earlier films, introducing mermaids, zombies, and a ship that may be possessed. Overall, I think it's a worthy addition to the Pirates' world. And don't forget to stay until the very end of the credits. As with the first three films, there is a bonus scene that is quite funny.

Bath & Body Works myPocketBac Contest

Have you seen the myPocketBac contest from Bath & Body Works? You can design your own PocketBac label and then vote for your favorite designs. It's a lot of fun to create a label and some of the entries are a lot of fun. Check out this one I created for the Marshmallow scent. If you like it, please click on the image and you can vote. Be sure to make one of your own while you're there. The grand prize is a $500 gift card to Bath & Body Works and use of your label on a limited edition PocketBac, so it's well worth it.

Mousescrappers weekend and a Freebie

In honor of Mousescrappers 2nd Anniversary, I've made some primary colored Mickeys for use on your scrapbooking layouts. I used this Mickey on my layout about the hopscotch design we found in EPCOT at the United Kingdom pavilion. This is the first design I've decided to share, but I hope to have more soon. So for now, enjoy! And don't forget to stop by Mousescrappers this weekend for some fun and games.

Just click on the image to download.

Star Tours Starspeeder

Have you ever wanted a model of the Starspeeder 1000 that attempted to take guests to Endor on the Star Tours ride? If so, you're in luck. Disney recently released a set of 6 paper Starspeeder models that can be printed from your home computer. The models include the Starspeeder 1000, Air Alderaan, Bespin Direct, Tatooine Transit, Dantooine Express, and Naboo Spacelines. Each model can easily be created at home and only requires a little cutting and gluing for assembly. The models are highly detailed and look fantastic when completed. So check out the entire Starspeeder Fleet. And while you're waiting for the new Star Tours to open, check out the official website.

May the Force be with you.

Is anybody out there?

Have you ever noticed that some of your favorite blogs may have thousands of visitors, but very few followers? I wonder why that is. I've recently started digital scrapbooking and have been considering creating a few freebies and kits of my own. Unfortunately, I'm not sure anyone would ever find them, as I only have 3 followers. So, I'd like to know what everyone else thinks. If I offered a few Disney accents, would you be interested enough to follow my blog? Would you comment and "leave love" if you downloaded? Please let me know. I'll put my first freebie up sometime this month, so keep an eye out and you may find something fun!

Happy Mother's Day!

Disney

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there. I'm grateful for my own mom every day, but usually only remember to really tell her once a year on Mother's Day. So don't forget to show your mom how much you appreciate her and all she's done for you. After all, if your kids see you showing your appreciation, maybe they'll remember in the future when it's their turn to say thank you.

Happy Mother's Day!

The Captain Jack Sparrow Handbook

I received an awesome new book in the mail the other day. It's called The Captain Jack Sparrow Handbook: A Swashbuckler's Guide from Pirates of the Caribbean by Jason Heller. I must say, this book is absolutely hilarious and a must have for any fan of Pirates of the Caribbean and especially Captain Jack. With a brand new Pirates movie soon to be released in theaters around the world, Pirate mania is at an all time high.

The book begins with this disclaimer:
Ahoy, All Ye Would-Be Pirates, Take Heed: This book is a work of entertainment. The publisher and author hereby disclaim any liability from an injury that may result from the use, proper or improper, of the information contained in this book. We do not guarantee that this information is safe, complete, or wholly accurate, nor should it be considered a substitute for a reader's good judgement and common sense.

Then the fun begins. This book provides insights into the pirate lifestyle, covering everything from the basics of How to Sail a Ship, to more complex issues such as How to Fight Six Angry Men in a Tavern! (In true Captain Jack fashion, the books recommends that you 1. Deflect the blame, 2. Get out of the way, and 3. Don't stick around!) This book features several full color pictures both from previous Pirates of the Caribbean films, as well as a few new photos from On Stranger Tides. There are six chapters full of piratical skills and an appendix of Piratical Lingo.

Chapter One: Piracy 101 - This chapter covers the basics of what a pirate should know about being a pirate, including a section on how to dress the part.

Chapter Two: Maritime Skills - Useful skills such as how to fire a cannon, the many types of Jolly Rogers, and the names for the parts of a ship

Chapter Three: People Skills - From the expected section on how to recruit a crew, to the unexpected on invoking parlay and a list of pirate insults and their meanings.

Chapter Four: Acquiring Booty - Topics include how to acquire treasure as well as how to hide it so that you may keep it.

Chapter Five: Cheating Death - My favorites from this chapter include How to Survive Being Marooned and The Fine Art of Being Somewhere Else!

Chapter Six: Mysteries of the Deep - This last chapter involves dealing with sea monsters, mermaids, curses and Davy Jones.

Appendix: Piratical Lingo - Learn the meaning of common pirate words as well as some that seem more exotic, such as salmagundi: "A makeshift British "recipe" popular among pirates: meat, seafood, vegetables, fruits, roots, nuts, leaves, flowers, oils, vinegars, sauces - just throw in what you've got."

In all, this is a fantastic book full of wonderful illustrations and great ideas for living the pirate lifestyle. Hopefully, with the help of the Captain Jack Sparrow Handbook, you can avoid Jack's mistakes and learn to be a highly successful pirate, perhaps, even the most famous pirate in the Caribbean!

I was provided with a copy of this book by Quirk Books for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

Pirates Fans First

I received an email from Disney a few weeks ago. They asked me to take a survey to see if I was a true Pirates fan. The survey was fairly involved, but fun. Today, I got another email saying that I had been chosen as one of a select group of Pirate fans who will be kept up to date on the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow as well as receiving a bit of plunder to show my allegiance. When I accepted and went to the new site, they offered me a Captain Jack poster, free! My sister thinks it's crazy, but I was super excited. The poster was from Disney Movie Rewards. I love the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, so this is the perfect Fan Club for me. I'll share the news whenever I receive updates. So keep a weather eye open!

Happy Star Wars Day

Well, once again, it's May 4th. Known to some of us as Star Wars Day. At Disney World, they're gearing up for the grand re-opening, or as they say re-imagining, of Star Tours. The re-opening coincides with this years Star Wars Weekends, starting May 20th. I would love to go. Star Tours is Bean's favorite ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios. We've probably ridden it 100 times. To celebrate, Disney created a new Facebook app. You can use the app to make your own Star Wars passport. You simply select a photo, type in a few details and the app does the rest. Print it out, fold and glue and you've got an official looking passport to keep track of your trips to Star Tours new destinations. Make yours today and take it with you on your next trip to Disney World. There's a place on the back where you can get it stamped at Star Tours. You can also share your Star Tours itinerary on Facebook.

So, Happy Star Wars Day, May the Fourth Be With You!!

Mousescrappers 2nd Anniversary

Mousescrappers

Mousescrappers is celebrating their second anniversary this month. They are hosting several scrapbook challenges during the month of May including Speed Scraps, Cake Decorating, Hide & Seek and a Scavenger Hunt. I only recently joined Mousescrappers and am still learning how to digital scrapbook. I've been creating traditional paper scrapbooks for about 15 years, but don't have much experience with the new digital programs. I have been having a blast with the new challenges, learning about both the Mousescrappers site and digital creation. The layout above was my Cake Decorating Challenge creation. So whether you're a traditional scrapbooker or digital scrapbooker, check them out. You might just learn something new!