Sunday, July 31, 2022

A Sizzling Hot Weekend

Whew, it's been a crazy week!  Now that we've finished with Christmas in July week, I wanted to write up a quick recap of Eliot's and my time in Bar Harbor last weekend!

Thursday was a crazy day trying to get everything done before we were away for a long weekend.  Then, we had to drive up to Bangor to attend the Backstreet Boys Concert that night.  It was totally worth it though since we had an amazing day and an incredible time at the concert!  (You can read an in-depth review of that day here.)

After our late night and crazy Thursday, Eliot and I slept in on Friday.  It was still really hot out, so we didn't really want to do anything outside.  Instead, we decided that we'd spend the hot hours of the afternoon shopping in Ellsworth.  First, we went to check out TJ Maxx.  I wanted to see if they had any Halloween stuff yet.  They didn't have many fun spooky items; however, Eliot did find the Patriotic Mickey we'd spotted over the 4th of July in the clearance section.  Needless to say, he came home with us!

Next, we went to Dairy Queen to get some food.  We ate in the air conditioned Jeep, then took a ride around the sheds in the adjacent parking lot getting ideas.  (I'd love to have my own craft she-shed someday!)  I added a few mental notes to my list!

Eliot wanted to go to Home Depot so we went there next.  I was wandering around inside with him when I started to feel sick.  My stomach hasn't been doing great in the heat.  After that, I decided that I'd stay in the Jeep soaking in the air conditioning.  He made another quick stop over at the Marden's while I sat out in the car.  Eventually, I started to feel a little better while I sat there so I took a few selfies with Mickey.

We returned home and relaxed while trying to stay cool.  Later that night, we went back up to Ellsworth to go to Walmart to pick up a few things for dinner and to snack on.  We also picked up a few summer toys so we'd have them!

We were a little disappointed that we didn't really do anything exciting, but it was so stinking hot out that we barely wanted to move, let alone go into Acadia.  Instead, Eliot and I spent a quiet evening at home with Mom, Dad and Nana trying not to melt!

Saturday, I was determined to do something even if the weather was still hot.  We showered and got dressed before heading onto Mt. Desert island.  I decided to take Eliot to Sieur de Monts Spring and the Wild Gardens of Acadia.  He had never been there before, and I remembered it being mostly in the shade.  I figured that was at least something we could do in Acadia National Park while staying cool!

We pulled into the Sieur de Monts Spring and it was apparent that there weren't too many other people there.  The parking lot was probably only 1/3 of the way full, and most of the people there all parked on the side with the shade.  I found a fully shaded spot and pulled our Jeep into it.  Eliot and I made our way over to the Nature Center building and went inside to check it out.  It was air conditioned and cool.  We wandered around for a few minutes looking at the merchandise and educational displays.

Then, we went back outside and were planning to head over to the spring house.  We had to wait a minute since there was a bride and groom taking wedding photos on the bridge.  I congratulated them when they walked by and the bride thanked me.  Then, we made our way over.  The scenery was absolutely beautiful, just as I remembered it, but the spring house was a mess inside.  It looked like algae had grown over the top of the water.  At least I got some good photos of the stream!

After that, Eliot and I made our way over to the Wild Gardens of Acadia.  There are a bunch of short hiking trails around the area, but it was too darn hot and humid to do those.  We thought wandering around the mostly shaded gardens made more sense.  

We enjoyed walking through the gardens.  It's separated into 13 regions where you'd see these plants in their natural habitats such as mountain, seaside, forest, etc.  I stopped to take photos of a few plants, specifically the wild blueberries along the path.

Near the end of the gardens, there was a pond where Eliot and I could hear frogs.  We stopped to see if we could find them, and sure enough, I spotted one of them.  We stood there for a long time watching and listening.  We ended up finding the other two frogs as well.  Eliot got some really good photos of one with his phone.

We also sat on the bench near the pond.  Eliot went to our car which happened to be parked right outside the exit.  He brought all of our little donkey friends into the garden and we took a few photos of them on our bench.  Eliot sat with them watching the pond while I went to the restroom.  Then, we all sat there for a few minutes enjoying the quiet scenery.  We took a few "family photos" before we packed everyone back up in the car and made our way back out of Acadia.

Afterwards, we decided to take a quick drive around town.  We drove around the main streets and took a loop around the pier.  We stopped on the Bar Harbor Pier for a few minutes to enjoy the view from our air conditioned car.

Next we drove Ellsworth to pick up dinner.  We wanted to have a picnic and we had the whole thing planned out.  I'd get pizza from Pat's Pizza and Eliot would order his from Pizza Hut.  We'd pick up the pizzas and head to our picnic location.  Unfortunately, Pat's closed early due to lack of staff; so instead, we both got pizzas from Pizza Hut.

We took our pizzas for our picnic at Thompson's Island.  It's a quiet picnic area on an island between Trenton and Mt. Desert Island.  Most people don't even know that it's there.  We used to have school picnics there when I was a kid.  It's where a group of us gathered to take our pre-prom photos.  It's also the location of many Brown Family picnics since it was close to home and the perfect place to take our dog Lucky.  He always enjoyed scoping it out once we were done with our food!

I've never taken Eliot there until this year.  We actually drove through it over Memorial Day weekend and I showed him around.  We decided then that we'd have a picnic there before the summer was over, and today was that day!

It was nice and quiet there, with only a few other people eating.  Thankfully, there was one picnic table near the ocean that was also in the shade.  We sat next to each other, with Eliot partly in the sun, trying to keep cool as we ate our pizza and enjoyed the view of the quiet cove.  We met a few friendly seagulls who were very interested in our meal, as well as a few mosquitos who made us their meal.

After we finished with our pizza, Eliot took the leftovers back to the car while I climbed around the rocks.  He came back down to join me and we explored for a little bit.  I took a few photos and then we headed home to cool off.

That evening, we had planned to make s'mores, but we were so stuffed full of pizza that we decided to skip them.  Instead, we spent a quiet evening watching television with Mom, Dad and Nana, including watching the new Hallmark Christmas movie that premiered that night.  Then, we called it a night and headed to bed!

Eliot and I didn't want to stay super late Sunday since we had things we wanted to get done back home.  We slept in a little later than planned, but we still had a little bit of time before we had to pack and leave.  Our main goal of the morning was to play around in the sprinklers in the backyard before leaving.  We figured that we'd cool off, shower, and then pack up and leave.

Daddy got the sprinkler set up while Eliot and I changed into our bathing suits.  Then, Dad joined us and we played around for about 15-20 minutes.  It felt really refreshing and I wish that we'd set it up sooner.  It would have been the perfect way to cool off on Friday and Saturday when it was even hotter and more humid out!

After that, we took turns showering and Eliot packed up the Jeep.  We said goodbye to Mom, Dad and Nana and were on our way around 2:30.  We stopped at Governor's in Ellsworth because I realized I'd forgotten the giant peanut butter cup that Daddy had bought me and I was distraught about it.  But they didn't have any left.

Instead, we continued to Bangor.  We had planned to eat at Chipotle, but they were closed.  At this point, I was getting "hangry" and cranky.  We decided to head over to the Bangor Governor's to see if they had any peanut butter cups there.  I was pretty excited to discover that there was a Homegoods and TJ Maxx behind it.

Eliot and I decided to go to the Homegoods first.  And I'm so glad we did.  Going in there definitely put me back in a good mood.  They had a ton of Disney Halloween stuff... including the Mickey votive holders that I looked for everywhere last year!  They also had the new Mickey pumpkin soap dispenser I'd seen someone post online.  We grabbed those and picked out a few other treasures before checking out.  

Then, we swung by Governor's and Eliot bought my peanut butter cup along with a few other snacks while I used the restroom.  Then, we made a quick stop for food at the McDonald's across the street, jumped back on the highway and were on our way!

We made one more stop on the way home in Augusta.  We started out at the TJ Maxx but unfortunately, they didn't have the any of the exciting treasures that Bangor had, and that was ok.  After we tried to go over to Torrid and Eddie Bauer, but we literally were trying to open the doors at 6pm and both closed early since it was Sunday.  We'd completely lost track of time and had no idea it was so late!

We piled back into the car and made one more quick stop at Barnes and Noble.  Eliot picked up a few hockey cards and we opened them in the car.  Then, he started the car up and we drove the rest of the way home arriving before it got dark out.  We went inside and immediately turned all of our air conditioners and fans on since the house was hot!  And we waited until the house cooled off before heading to bed.

It was a whirlwind of a weekend, and a sizzling hot one at that.  But Eliot and I enjoyed our time in Trenton, Bar Harbor and visiting with my family!  °o°

Saturday, July 30, 2022

Small Shop Saturday: Christmas in July 2022

We're ending our Christmas in July themed week celebration with a bang!  Today, I thought we'd look at some holiday items from small shops.  I did another post like this for Christmas in July 2021 and I enjoyed it so much that I figured I would do it again!

If you are planning a trip "home" for the holidays, now is the perfect time to start preparing for it!  I've got a bunch of festive things that will make your trip extra magical!

We're starting off with t-shirts like usual.  First up, we have these adorable Christmas Lights Shirts by NoveNichols.  These are perfect for matching couple shirts!

I also like this cute Christmas on Main Street Snowmen Shirt by Faithfully Fairytale.


If you need something long sleeved to keep warm at night, these super cute Mickey and Minnie Reindeer Shirts by B Custom Image are what the doctor ordered.  These would be super cute to wear at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party!


I absolutely love this It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas Shirt by Polka Dot Pixie Shop.  I love red and green, but I'm a big fan of the pastel Christmas vibe too!

Finally, I had to include one of the Mickey head scatter shirts that I'm always attracted to.  This Christmas Vibes Shirt by Lovelee Day Shop is adorable and super fun!


Next, we're moving onto jewelry to help accessorize your outfit with a little bit of extra pixie dust.  Speaking of pixie dust, these Mickey and Minnie Gingerbread Pom Pom Earrings by Pom Poms and Pixie Dust are giving me life.  I've wanted these for over a year and the shop owner took a break.  (Time for me to scoop some up while I can!)


I also really love these little Mickey Light Earrings by Bella Notte Magic!


These Minnie Wreath Earrings by Magical Main Street USA are super detailed and super adorable.  I love polymer clay earrings and they're totally in right now too!


These Mickey Balloon Earrings by Superfluous Design are a bit different and I love the bright, airy feel to the design!  They really look like they're floating!


Now that we've covered accessories for our ears, it's time to look at ears of the mouse variety!  (A park outfit isn't complete without mouse ears!)  My favorite Christmas ears on Etsy are these 
Gingerbread Mouse Ears by Luby and Lola.  I'm 100% obsessed with Mickey and Minnie Gingerbread and you all know how much I love pink!


The other holiday ears that I've had my eye on for some time are these adorable Santa Sequin Mouse Ears by Play it By Ears.  Aren't they cute?

The only thing better than those sequin ears are these White Santa Sequin Mouse Ears also made by Play it By Ears.  I really love the white and green version!!!


Of course, I can't show you mouse ears without a few seamless plugs for our Etsy shop.  Eliot and I have made a bunch of Christmas mouse ears, but I wanted to share a few of my favorite designs that are more unique.  First up, we have these Sugared Santa Candy Apples Mouse Ears by yours truly at Happily Ever Hatter.


One of our newer Happily Ever Hatter mouse ear designs is Santa Orange Bird.


One of my favorite designs that we've done for Happily Ever Hatter are these Mickey Cocoa Mug Mouse Ears.  I use faux Mickey sprinkles on the whipped cream to give it an extra pop.  We're also planning to make a deluxe version with more 3D effects!


If you're not heading to the theme parks for the Christmas season, there's still plenty of festive holiday fun to be had at home!  You can decorate your own castle to bring some holiday magic into your daily life.  This Believe in the Magic of Christmas Sign by Next Step Design Shop would be a perfect addition!

I am obsessed with this Christmas Garland by Happy Hearts By Lizette.  (I've shared a few of these garlands before, and I'll keep doing it because they're amazing!)

I absolutely adore this Christmas Tree Farm Sign by Janell's Treasures.

This Gingerbread Tumbler by Designs By Brandi would go with my pastel holiday vibe!

I love Mickey Balloons and this ornament by We Are Disco Yeti would look perfect on the Christmas tree.  What better way to bring a little Main Street magic home?

I love this little scene of Mickey in Santa's Sleigh in front of Cinderella Castle by The Fandom Hallows.  It's simple, yet delicate and would look great on display!

I think this Minnie Gingerbread Company Sign by The Little White Barn Co would look great in the kitchen!  You all know how much I love my sweets and treats... 

I love this Welcome Sign by Simply Sawdust Studio.  Eliot and I have been planning to make our own version of a Welcome Sign like this for our porch... hopefully someday!

Before I wrap this post up, I've got to share a few things from Eliot's and my other shop, Snowblade Creations.  We don't have as many holiday designs in this shop yet, but I am working on a bunch of ideas behind the scenes!  My favorite Christmas piece that we have made so far is this Personalized Disneyland Retro Sign Trinket Tray.

The other Snowblade Creations Christmas items that I love are these Minnie Mouse Trinket Trays.  We made them in red and green versions and I don't know which one I like more!  These would be perfect on a vanity for jewelry, or as a cute way to hold those little wrapped peppermint candies!

And there you have it... tons of festive and fun items from small shops!  I hope you enjoyed this post- as well as my first ever Themed Week!  It's been a merry week celebrating all things holly and jolly during the summer.  This week didn't quite go as planned, and a few of these posts got posted later than scheduled, but we made it despite the unplanned obstacles.  I really enjoyed doing a week of themed posts!  I look forward to having many more Themed Weeks in the future!  °o°

Please Note: Eliot and I are not affiliated with any of these shops (other than our own Happily Ever Hatter and Snowblade Creations Etsy shops) and we will not earn anything if you purchase something from this post (unless you buy an item directly from our shops).  I just wanted to spread a little bit of magical good will by sharing some stuff that I love from Etsy!  I know how much it means to small shops for their stuff to be shared.  All of these items are literally things that I picked off of my own Etsy favorites list!  

All of these photos belong to the shop in which I've shared them from.  If you link them from this post, please attach them to their corresponding Etsy shop!

Friday, July 29, 2022

Fun Find: DIY Disney Christmas Decor Video

It's Fri-Yay and we're almost through our Christmas in July Week!  Today, I'm popping in super quick with a fun DIY video to share with you.  

Photo Source

When I first planned out my Themed Week, I wanted to do a DIY project for it.  But, due to circumstances out of my control, that wasn't going to happen at this point in time.  So instead of making a DIY, I decided that I'd check a few videos out online.  I happened to stumble across this one, and it not only combined my idea for a DIY, but it also had a wreath- which was something I had wanted to make!  Check it out!

I thought this video tutorial was a great compromise for my Themed Week DIY.  I might not be able to make anything right now, but I can watch someone else do it!  I want to make a felt Mickey wreath for our house.  It would make a great gift for my Mom too... 

Thankfully, there's plenty of time between now and Christmas!  So I still have plenty of time to get my holiday DIY craftiness on!  Enjoy your weekend friends!!!  °o°