July 2014 Calendar

How is tomorrow the first day of July?  I feel like I was just posting my calendar for June! Anyways... here's my July 2014 Mickey and Minnie Free Printable Calendar!  

The monthly calendar is repeatedly one of my most popular posts!  I also get more requests each month for the advance PDFs.  (See note below.)  I'm so honored that you guys love it!  I am pretty proud of it!

Here's the link to download the July 2014 PDF version of the printable.

Feel free to link this post up to Pinterest or Facebook so your friends and family can have a fun Mickey and Minnie calendar too!  Let's spread the Disney Magic!!!  :-)

Enjoy!   °o°

Note: A lot of you leave me comments asking where future months are.  I've already gone ahead with making them in InDesign.  (I'm currently up to March of 2015.) However, I don't post the links on my blog until the beginning of each month.  If you're looking for a particular month and would like me to email it to you ahead of my post going live, you can send my blog an email at mydisneylifeblog[at]gmail.com.  Then, I'll send you the PDFs directly.  :-)

Mickey and Minnie 4th of July Printables

After the popularity of my other Mickey and Minnie decorative printables, I've decided to make some for the 4th of July!

I used the Mickey 4th of July Candy Box and the Minnie Statue of Liberty Papercraft printables from Spoonful.

The original Spoonful projects.

I modified the files by enlarging their faces and taking a screen shot.  I used Photoshop to get rid of the extra stuff in the background.  Next, I printed them and cut them both out on sturdy cardstock.  Then, I added some Scotch tape to the back and viola!  I created simple Mickey and Minnie 4th of July cupboard decorations!  (Usually I would post a photo, but my printer is acting up and I'm going to re-print Mickey without streaks tomorrow!  I'll update with a photo too!)

If you'd like to make your own, but don't feel like going through the steps I did, I've posted my modified files below.  I do not take any credit for creating these!  They are property of Disney and Spoonful.  I just modified them to fit my needs!  Ok?  Got it?  Good.  :-) 

Mickey Uncle Sam Printable

Minnie Statue of Liberty Printable

These large sized printables would make a fun project for kids to make their own masks! Or, if you're going to Disney for the 4th of July, you could print them on magnetic paper and put them on your Disney Resort door!

Medium Mickey and Minnie Printable

I made a medium size for smaller cupboards or window decorations.  You can also make them into paper garland, postcard style cards or note cards!

Small Mickey and Minnie Printable

I made a smaller size because I wanted something that would work for scrapbooking or card making.  I'm going to use these for a 4th of July page layout!  They could also be used for 4th of July treat tags.

Tiny Mickey Printable

Tiny Minnie Printable

I couldn't stop myself and I shrank them down one more time!  (Honey, I can't stop shrinking the files!!!  Haha.)  These "tiny" sized Mickey and Minnies would also be perfect for scrapbooking, or as cupcake toppers if you glue them to toothpicks!

As you can see, the possibilities with these are endless.  Enjoy!!!  °o°

Happy 4th of July!!!  °o°

Disney Pixar Blog Hop June 28th - Mickey Welcome Sign

Welcome to the Disney Pixar Blog Hop!

If you love Disney Pixar and crafting, you came to the right place!  We have been sharing Disney or Pixar inspired projects ALL MONTH.   If you missed the first three weekends, you can still go back and see all of those projects too.  Just click HERE to see the projects from the first weekend, and click HERE to see the projects from the second weekend and click HERE to see the projects from the third weekend.  

If you came here from Bobbi Jo's blog, then you are in the right place.  If you just happened upon this Blog Hop, make sure to head over to Shawn's blog so that you see the full hop from the very beginning.  

For my project, I made Mickey Mouse signs for our entryway!  I made a Mickey and Minnie Mouse themed sign for our bathroom and I loved it so much that I had to make a few more!  They're really easy to make and they add the perfect touch of Disney magic to your house!  Here's how I made my Mickey signs:

Supplies

Wood Mickey Shapes (I bought mine in a custom size from LaserBird on Etsy)

Small Wood Letters (make sure they'll fit on your Mickey shapes)

Acrylic Paint and Brush

1/4" Ribbon

Hot Glue Gun

Acrylic Sealant (optional- but recommended if you're going to put your sign outside)

First, paint your Mickey and letter shapes in your selected paint colors.  (You'll probably have to do two coats of paint for the best coverage.)  If you'd like to, paint the backs of the Mickey shapes as well.  Once they're dry, use your hot glue gun to attach the letters to the Mickeys.  Optional: Seal the paint with your acrylic sealant so your sign won't get damaged if you leave it outside.  Make sure that you're in a well ventilated area!

Lay your Mickey shapes out so they're stacked vertically in the correct arrangement. Pull a length of ribbon a little bit longer than the Mickeys and then double it.  The "center" of the ribbon will be the top part of the sign that you use to hang it up.  (Leave enough space to hang it with a push pin, screw, or wreath hook.)

Arrange the Mickeys along the paths of ribbon.  Leave a little bit of room between the Mickey shapes.  I arranged mine so the ears would be attached to each pathway of ribbon. Finally, hot glue your Mickeys to the ribbon once you're happy with your layout. (My welcome signs are about 30" long.)  If there's any ribbon left over, cut it off at the bottom of your last Mickey.  You're done!  Hang it up and enjoy your new Mickey sign!

Before you go, make sure to sign up to win some AMAZING PRIZES from our sponsors! Our sponsors for this hop include 

DCWV

The Buckle Boutique

Rowlux Illusion Film

Scrap n'Easel

Westcott

a Rafflecopter giveaway
(winners must live in the Continental United States due to shipping)

This weekend is our last . . . at least for THIS time around.  We are such big Disney fans that you KNOW we will do this again.  Some of us have been doing this Disney Pixar Hop for over three years.  If you want to stay in the loop for future hops, be sure to like Shawn's Disney Pixar Blog Hop Facebook Page.

I am the last stop on the hop this week.  Thanks for joining us!

Here is the full line up in case you get lost along the way

Shawn
Niki
Beth
Lori
Bobbi Jo
Melissa

Free Mickey Flag Printable

Hey Everyone!  I have a patriotic printable that I wanted to share with you!  The 4th of July is right around the corner, so I decided to make some Mickey Mouse flags!

I made three different versions of the flag: 

- one that's an actual American flag with 50 Mickeys

- one with 13 Mickeys to represent the original 13 colonies

- one with a single white Mickey Mouse to represent our country united as one

Mickey American Flag- I personally love the actual American flag with 50 Mickeys.

13 Colonies and Single Mickey Flags- But I've uploaded both files of all three flags so you can choose which one you like best based on your project!

These designs can be used for anything.  I printed the flags and cut them out using my paper cutter for scrapbooking.  Then, I used Scotch tape to hang a few up on our cupboards to get into the patriotic spirit!  It's a quick and inexpensive way of decorating!

A few other ideas that I had are:

Scrapbooking- these are fun cut outs for any 4th of July celebration!

Paper Garland -cut out the flags and tape or glue them to a string or a piece of ribbon and hang it anywhere!

Stick on a Window, Door or Garage Door Decor -if you print these on magnetic "paper", they should stick to your metal doors!  Or laminate them and glue magnets on!

Gift Tags or Small Greeting Cards -great for 4th of July Treat Bags or to send someone a special message in the mail.

Decorating your Resort Hotel or Disney Cruise Line Door -print on magnetic "paper" and stick them to your door!

And you can use them for anything else you can think of! 

I'm planning to make some smaller flags to put in my scrapbook after the 4th!  Please let me know how you all plan to use them in the comments!  Enjoy! 

Happy 4th of July!!!  °o°

Disney Scrapbook Group

Are there any scrapbooking fans out there?  

I'm a huge fan of scrapbooking.  In fact, I probably have thousands of dollars invested in my supplies that I've collected since high school.  It probably comes as no surprise to you that I've got quite a bit of Disney scrapbooking supplies.

This is our (current 6/26/14) group photo. Find this and you've found us!

At the beginning of April, I stumbled across a group on Facebook dedicated to people who share the love of Disney and scrapbooking!  Being a member of the group is a lot of fun so wanted to share the information with all of you!  The group is called Disney Scrapbookers.  It's a closed Facebook group, so you'll have to request to join.  (The admins are quick so you won't be waiting long!)

There are so many things that make the group fun!  We share photos of our scrapbook pages to get ideas and inspiration from others.  It's also a great way to show off your layouts!  (Which we all spend lots of time on; why not show off our hard work to people who appreciate it?)  There are also giveaways, challenges, and swaps!

The admins do giveaways every time the group hits a membership milestone.  This morning we hit 250 members and we're having another giveaway!  In addition, some members also giveaway extra supplies or die cuts that they've made.  Usually, you simply have to comment on that thread and then a random winner will be selected!

I actually won the membership giveaway the day after I joined the group back in April!  I never win contests so I was really excited about this!  One of the admins sent me a wonderful prize package of handmade Disney World map coasters, a Disney scrapbook kit, and 2 packs of Disney washi tape!

One of my favorite parts of the group is trading layouts and cards.  We just started the sign up for the Christmas in July Card Swap.  Basically we will make one card for each member who signs up for the swap.  That means that each participant will end up with a ton of new cards!  And if getting a ton of cards wasn't awesome enough, you'll get ideas of new ways to make your own cards in the future!  Woo-hoo!!!

I recently participated in my first layout swap.  I was really excited about it.  My partner wanted a Princess Tiana design, and it was a little bit of a challenge to find things for the page.  I finally settled on using a few die cuts that I found at my local JoAnn Fabrics store.  Then, I found co-ordinating colors for the paper.  I also decided to make some (hand cut) die cuts of ponds, lilies and lily pads, and cattails.  I even used fuzzy paper for the cattails!  I absolutely love how my layout turned out!

My absolute favorite part of this group is the inspiration that I get from it.  I've had a lot of scrapbook supplies sitting in my closet for years now.  I'm so busy that I have barely looked at them.  But now, I'm going through them, organizing my supplies, contemplating new layout ideas and most importantly, I'm excited about it again.

In fact, I recently ordered two new Cricut cartridges from Cricut Machine: Happily Ever After and Dreams Come True.  Both feature the princesses, and they'll be perfect for scrapbooking our Disney Wedding and the New Fantasyland additions!  The cartridges were even on sale when I got them- for more than half off!  And I never would have known if another member of our group hadn't posted the link to the sale.

I also ordered supplies from Scrap Your Trip, which is the ultimate place to go to look for Disney supplies!  (Or for any scrapbooking supplies- they've got everything!!!)  I got paper and die cuts for our half marathon, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, the monorail, meeting Anna and Elsa, Chef Mickey's and Be Our Guest.  Once again, these were on sale when I ordered them (20% off) and I found out because someone mentioned it in our group!  I noticed today that they've added new designs... Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach scrapbooking here I come!!!

As you can see, this is a great group to be a part of if you love scrapbooking and Disney! You can even invite your friends to get in on the fun.  I invited Eliot's sister Elissa to the group and she and I have had a lot of fun shopping for supplies together while she's visiting!  I really can't wait to break out all of these supplies and to get to work!  °o°

Exciting News!!!

Hi Friends!  I've got some exciting news for you!  This Saturday, I will be taking part in my first ever Blog Hop!!!  I've wanted to participate in one for a while now, but I wasn't really sure how to do it.  Then this opportunity presented itself a few days ago!  I'm very excited to be taking part in his hop!

Each Saturday in June, there has been a new line up of crafters with Disney Pixar inspired projects!  I'm incredibly honored to be included with this group of bloggers!  

Check out the links below to catch up on the past few weeks of fun:

• June 7th Disney Pixar Blog Hop
• June 14th Disney Pixar Blog Hop
• June 21st Disney Pixar Blog Hop

To join the fun this Saturday, add the Facebook event page here!  I will be the last stop on the hop, so if you join the event page you can get the direct link for the entire hop!

I hope you guys will check out the blog hop on Saturday!!!  °o°

Color Run 2014

This past Sunday was The Color Run in South Portland!  Eliot, Elissa and I were joined by all of our BBQ friends!  For most of us, it was our first color run.    

We'd been planning to do the race together for a few months now.  My best friend Katie approached me with the idea to form a team, and I came up with a team name: Colors of the Wind.  (I'm a Disney minded creative genius!)  We're Disney fans, so it only seemed appropriate to go with it.  Shortly after naming and creating our team, I designed a team t-shirt concept.  I came up with the slogan "Paint Me All the Colors of the Wind."

We really got into the Pocahontas themed spirit!  Katie and Jenn wore awesome feather earrings and Katie, Jenn and Kathleen cut the sleeves of their shirts to look like fringe and they braided their hair!  We made sure to take a team photo pre-race.

While waiting for the race to begin, a few members of our group joined the Zumba warm up routine.  We posed for a few Pocahontas themed photos.  (We're pretending to shoot arrows if you're confused.)  We also took some photos with the "runicorn" mascot of The Color Run.  I also took some photos of the crowds of people in white shirts everywhere!

We made our way over to the start line around 8:30.  The race started at 9:00 so we spent a few minutes hanging out in the shade under some trees.  Part of our team decided to do a human knot.  Then we headed over to the start line shoot.

While waiting in the shoot, we passed the time taking "selfies" pre-race and still clean. 

Before we knew it, our corral was at the front of the shoot and we counted down for the group in front of us!  We watched the "runicorn" dancing around and a few minutes later, it was our turn... 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... and we're off!!!

The race itself was so much fun!  Katie, BJ and Eliot wanted to run it, while the rest of us girls decided to walk the 5K route.  We got a lot more color than they did since we walked through the 4 color stations.  I didn't get too much green, but the little boy at the end of the yellow section pelted the back of my neck as I passed him.  I tried to even out my color when I passed through pink on the right side and purple on the left.  As the race progressed, we gradually got more coated in it.

Sooner than expected, we were already at the finish area.  (We later found out that the course was actually only 2.5 miles.)  Eliot, Katie, BJ, Dani and my parents greeted Jenn, Katie, Elissa, Kathleen and me.  We were also given some extra colored powder!

We took a lot of colorful post-race photos.  We did our own powder toss in the field next to the post-race party area.

We took some colorful selfies.

BJ and I decided we were both turning into the Wicked Witches of the West.  I dubbed him Zeleno when I saw how green his face was turning.  (It really reminded me of Zelena from Once Upon A Time.)

We didn't spend much time at the post race party, but it was fun to watch all of the colored powder being tossed into the air!

Eventually, it was time to head home from our colorful morning fun!  Katie and I had a good laugh when we saw Elissa and Eliot trying to keep their powder off of Katie's car.

The Color Run was a lot of fun and it is a great way to train for our runDisney events.  I can't wait to do it again next year!  I wish every run as as fun at this one!  °o°

Note: Most of these photos are ones I took myself.  But I would like to say a special thank you to Dani, Katie and Kathleen for the photos that I stole from your Facebook pages.  Thank you ladies!!!  ;-)

Disney Side BBQ Party

As you all know, this past Saturday was our "Show Your Disney Side" BBQ Party!!!

Saturday morning we were busy making final preparations: buying the food, decorating, setting up and preparing the food!  Thankfully, my parents came down for the weekend to help us out!  Eliot, Elissa, Mom, Dad and I divided and conquered.  

Eliot and Dad ran errands while Mom, Elissa and I bought the food.  Mom and I started the cooking and food prep.  Meanwhile, Elissa decorated the house with streamers and made the cupcakes.  Before we knew it, we were ready for the party to begin!

I was so excited to finally have the party with all of our friends!  The food was delicious. We had hamburgers and hot dogs from the grill.  (Thank you to BJ for manning the grill!) We also had my pasta salad, Mom's potato salad and a delicious summer salad that Katie made.  We had plenty of snacks, crackers, veggies and fruits set out in my Mickey Mouse bowls.  (That's the best way to serve food to Disney fans, right?)

For dessert, we had the Mickey and Minnie Mouse cupcakes that Elissa made.  (The frosting and food coloring didn't play nice with us.  The frosting was as red as we could get it.)  We found the white pearls in the baking section of Wal-Mart and they were delicious.  We had planned to make chocolate covered Mickey oreos, but we ran out of time.  But we're going to try to make them sometime over the next few weeks instead!

We went to the dollar store for all of the serving supplies.  The only thing we didn't get there were the yellow plastic cups.  We found those at Wal-Mart.  The dollar store only had black and red serving items and we wanted to have some yellow!  We used Mickey Mouse glasses from the Disney Store to hold the silverware and napkins.  (Ha, I just noticed that the plates and bowls form a hidden Mickey.  That was not intentional.)

We all enjoyed the food on our deck while talking about our favorite Disney rides and memories.  We were having such a good time laughing and having fun that I completely forgot to take photos.  (It's probably just as well; it was nice to be in the moment and not feel like I was missing out being too busy taking photos!)

After talking and relaxing for a bit, we decided to play with some of our games.  We had set up our volleyball net and some toss games to play.  We took turns playing badminton since we only have two racquets.  Eliot and I played with the bean bag toss for a bit.  Eliot and Elissa made the Mickey bean bag toss for our party.  We ran out of time to paint it, but we're planning to do it once they finish the second one!

After badminton, we decided to play a game of volleyball.  I was on a team with Elissa and Dani.  Eliot and BJ were playing against us while Katie and Jenn were the line judges.  Kathleen and my Dad kept score and cheered us on.  (Daddy also took some photos for us.) It was pretty lopsided since all three of us girls played, or are currently playing, volleyball in high school.  We played two sets to 25 and Team Girls won both of them.  But the guys put in a great effort considering they never played volleyball.  And we all got a few good laughs in at some of our not-so-smooth moves.

The party started to wind down after that since it was getting later in the evening and the (party crasher) mosquitoes started to come out.  Plus, we were all going to the Color Run early the next morning and we needed some sleep!  But before everyone left, we took a group photo of all of us Showing Our Disney Side!

We also made sure that our guests all took some party favors home with them!  I made extra Mickey parts soap when I was working on that order for Eliot while he was away.

After our guests headed home, Eliot, Elissa and I took everything down pretty quickly. We knew we had another busy day ahead of us with the Color Run on Sunday! Although we were exhausted, it was definitely a great day with our friends and my parents! 

In fact, it was so much fun that we're already planning on having another "Show Your Disney Side" BBQ Party next year!  Maybe we'll make it an annual event!!!  °o°