It's National Melissa Day ✨💖✨

Happy National Melissa Day!!!  ✨💖✨ 

Yup, that’s right… apparently my fellow Melissas and I have our own day!?! 🤣 Honestly, I didn't believe it at first.  I had randomly stumbled across a Facebook post that said "Happy National Melissa Day" a day after it had passed last year.  At the time, I looked it up online... and lo and behold, there it was.  It was a real thing!  So now that I know this random holiday exists... I intend to make sure that I remember to celebrate!!! 💕👑✨

I knew that the day was off to a good start when Eliot brought inside our mail before leaving for work.  The personalized Baublebar necklace that I'd bought a few weeks ago during their spring sale had arrived... a gold bubble necklace with my name and Mickey.

And since today is literally all about celebrating the Melissas in our lives, I decided that I would celebrate me by taking the day off from doing normal stuff. 💕 Things here have kind of been a hot mess lately... and I'm usually desperately trying to make it through my never ending to do list.  Instead of stressing about checking things off... I tried to spend some time this afternoon doing a few creative things I’ve been putting off. 🎨 

I've bought a lot of new beads and jewelry making supplies over the past few months, so I took a little bit of time today to sit down to organize them and put them all together into a bucket.  Then, I cracked open the colorful letter beads and strung together a few words and phrases to make into bracelets- including my name... because it is National Melissa Day after all. 😉 I had visions of actually making the friendship bracelets today, but I'll probably need to put the beads into containers before I can tackle that.  Still, this afternoon was very relaxing and creatively gratifying for me.

Hopefully I can carve out some more creative time for myself in the near future.  I see a lot of creativity, happiness and new friendship bracelets in my future… °o°

Happy First Day of Spring! 🌸

Happy First Day of Spring!!! 🌸🌿🌼🌐🌸🌳

I can't believe that it's already been a month since my last post.  I had no intention of waiting so long to visit back here, but things suddenly got very busy very quickly.  

Thankfully, it's been good things for the most part.  Between hockey season and tucking in a few ski trips for Eliot, the past month has flown right by us!  I actually had a few merchandise posts that I've been wanting to post for weeks... At this point, they seem kind of pointless but I might share them anyways since they were important to me.

Anyways, I wanted to drop by for a quick visit in honor of the first day of spring!  The snow in our yard has disappeared quickly over the last week, with days regularly in the 40's and 50's.  I'm looking forward to everything turning green again.  We've still got a bit of time before that happens, but I'm sure it'll be here before I know it!

In the meantime, Eliot and I will be busy with spring cleaning and organizing in the house.  We've also got a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes with the businesses.  But once more of that is done, we can get some things done outside!  I'm definitely looking forward to warmer days, sunshine, flowers and spending time outside!

Happy Spring Everyone!!!  °o°

Cinderella's 75th Anniversary ✨

Today is the 75th Anniversary of Disney's Cinderella!!! 💖  

As many of you already know, Cinderella has meant so much to me through the years.  It's the first thing I think of when someone talks about your classic fairytale.  It's a story filled with wishes, dreams and ends with a fairytale romance.  Disney has produced many classic stories... but none of them have impacted me as much as Cinderella.

Fairy Godmother will forever remind me of my Nana and I'm not even sure why.  Nana meant so much to me.  She was like a second mother, but somewhere in my mind, that equated to a fairy godmother.  She was there when I needed her.  She listened when I needed someone to talk to.  She always knew how to make my day a bit brighter.  So maybe the reason they're the same in my mind is that my Nana was magic to me.

One of the main reasons that I always wanted to learn how to sew was from the scene with Cinderella's mice and bird friends making her pink dress.  I remember being in awe when my Nana showed me her sewing basket filled with stuff just like in the movie.  One day, my Grammie gave me my very own sewing basket filled with my first sewing supplies taken right off the store shelves of Dad's family's store.  I treasured that box... and to this day I've never used the supplies in it because they're so special.  Flash forward to today where both Eliot and I are taking adult ed sewing classes together.  I still haven't made myself a dress (yet) but it's on the list!  Hopefully someday... 

Eliot's and my Disney Wedding is obviously the pillar of my Cinderella dreams.  Our Disney Fairy Tale Wedding was literally that... a storybook fairytale come true.  There were so many little touches that we pulled from Cinderella- riding in the carriage, Major Domo with our wedding rings in the slipper, the pumpkin coach graphic, glass slipper place card holders, taking photos at Cinderella Castle... the entire thing was so magical and I’m forever grateful to have experienced my very own real life fairytale. ✨🏰✨ 

Finally, most recently 'A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes' has been extra special to me... especially the part where it says, "Have faith in your dreams and someday, Your rainbow will come smiling through. No matter how your heart is grieving, If you keep on believing, The dream that you wish will come true." 🌈  It's no secret that the past few years haven't been that easy on me.  But this passage of the lyrics reminds me of all the hopes and dreams that I had as a little girl and all the ones I still have.  On the harder days, it always gives me the strength to keep dreaming and believing.

Happy 75th Cinderella.  Thank you for being so special to me.  °o°

Small Shop Saturday: Seam Boat Willie Festival of the Arts Collection 🎨

Happy Saturday Everyone!  

Today I'm bringing back another blog segment.  It's been forever since I've done a Small Shop Saturday post.  These complication posts can take so much time between finding the products, writing and adding links to everything... but it's so satisfying once it's finished!  However, instead of doing the giant Valentine's Day drop with multiple shops that I was originally planning on doing, I've decided to focus on one small shop and the collection they just had available to order.

I've been following Seam Boat Willie for a few years now.  Casey and Chris make the most amazing jewelry in small batches.  They 3D model and cast their pieces in sterling silver at their studio in Utah.  Most of their products are released as part of a small themed collection.  Then the jewelry is made to order and will ship in a few weeks.

I'm so excited that I just placed my first order a few days ago!  I've been waiting very patiently for the Festival of the Arts collection to make it's return.  After two years, it was finally back and I knew I had to grab a few pieces!  Art and jewelry are both so special to me... so I knew I had to order a few special pieces while they were available!

Let's take a look at the Seam Boat Willie Festival of the Arts collection!

First up, we have these Festival of the Arts charms... I love all of them and how well they coordinate with each other!!!  And look at those details!!! 🌐🌈💡🎨🖌️

Returning this year were the 1982 Necklaces textured like our Spaceship Earth.  I love these and how simple they are... only a Disney fan would immediately spot it. 🌐

The 1982 Ring also made it's return and I had to get one! 🌐

The Fig Necklace is modeled after our favorite purple pigmented dragon Figment!  The details on this design are absolutely insane... it's incredible! 💡

There's also Fig Ring for people who want to carry one little spark everywhere. 💡

There's an Imagination Necklace for those of us hoping to light that little spark! 🌈

Here's the Paint Palette Necklace that I've been dreaming about for over two years! 🎨 And I'm not joking... I totally kicked myself when I missed this last time around.  I'm obsessed with Mickey paint palettes and this is something I would wear all the time.  (Thankfully, this time I bought it, and it will be on it's way home to be with me soon!)

Naturally, I also had to have a Paintbrush Necklace to go with my paint palette! 🖌️

This Paintbrush Ring also needed a loving home... so I was happy to provide it one! 🖌️ But in all seriousness, this was another design I was kicking myself over not getting last time.  I love this ring and I'm obsessed with how it swirls around your finger.

And that's all for the Festival of the Arts collection for this year!  Unfortunately, it's been another rough week... so by the time this is posting, the collection will have returned to the vault.  But there's so much more!  If art isn't your thing, Seam Boat Willie also makes jewelry for Disney foods, Star Wars and they have a huge Halloween collection!

If you're interested in following Seam Boat Willie, check out their website, or follow them on their Facebook page or Instagram.  I love to watch their stories to see what they're working on behind the scenes and how the jewelry is made.  It's so fascinating to me!

I cannot wait for my jewelry to arrive!  I've wanted these for so long and I'm so excited about adding these special pieces to my collection!  I'm a little sad that they didn't have the Mickey paint palette ring again this drop, but I'm hopeful that I'll have one someday!  In the meantime, I'll definitely be cherishing these special pieces!  °o°

Please Note: Eliot and I are not affiliated with any of the shops I share (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.  I just wanted to spread a little bit of magical good will by sharing some stuff that I love!  I know how much it means to small shops for their stuff to be shared.

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

Magical Merchandise: Disney American Girl Dolls

Happy Monday Friends!  It has been SO long since I've done a post about Disney merchandise.  Although I've saved photos of products here and there over the past year and a half, there's absolutely no way that I'll ever get "caught up" with them.  But I would like to get back into posting about merchandise more regularly.  So today I've made a special selection to get back into my Magical Merchandise Monday blog segment.

I believe I've briefly told you about my obsession with American Girl Dolls when I was younger.  Felicity was my absolute favorite, but I also had Samantha and a doll that looked like me.  I would spend hours pouring over the catalog when it arrived in the mail.  I always loved the little miniature foods and accessories.  Even as I grew older, my American Girl Dolls were very special to me, and I've taken extra care of them.

So you can imagine my surprise when one day, I opened my email inbox to discover that American Girl was making Disney Princess dolls!  It's like a dream come true!

In July of 2023, AG released three limited edition American Girl Doll Collector Series dolls to coincide with Disney's 100th anniversary celebration.  (I had every intention of posting about the dolls on here... and then a few weeks later my world came crashing down.)  The first three dolls released were Rapunzel, Belle and Jasmine.  Swarovski partnered with AG for the collector dolls and they had tons of sparkle and details on their outfits.  The dolls were limited to 4,000 of each design and they retailed for $300.

At the time, I remember thinking that $300 was a little more expensive than what I would want to spend on one of them.  But looking back, I wish I had splurged and gotten Rapunzel.  The intricate details on her dress are absolutely stunning!

But thankfully, I didn't totally miss out as this was only the beginning of the Disney and American Girl collaboration.  Since the original collector series, AG has also made more standard play dolls for little girls.  So when I saw these... I knew I had to get them.

In February of 2024, they released the first general dolls: Tiana, Ariel and Cinderella... along with other outfits and accessory packs (with sidekicks!) for each of them.

In July of 2024, they released limited edition versions of Anna and Elsa as part of their Frozen American Girl Doll Collector Series dolls.

In August 2024, I was pleased to see that Rapunzel was back, but it was a simpler version of the doll instead of the Swarovski collector design.  However, I didn't care because I knew she would be mine someday.  She also had accessories with her release.  The only disappointing part of her release is that Rapunzel didn't come with another dress option like the original three general dolls did.

Back in November they released Moana to coincide with the release of Moana 2 in theaters.  The doll is beautiful, but Pua and Hei Hei really steal the show!

And this was where I thought today's posts about new Disney American Girl Dolls was going to end... but I happened to check my email less than 5 minutes before I had this post scheduled to go live at 2:30 PM and they have literally just released a general Belle doll.  (Talk about some good timing!)  So after a few quick adjustments and additions to my post, here's what the Belle doll released today looks like!

Aren't these adorable?!?!?  I'm obsessed... and I'm confident that American Girl will be releasing more of the Disney Princesses as time passes.  I can't wait to see who is next and what other outfits, accessories and side kicks she'll have available!

The reason I picked this for my first Magical Merchandise Monday post back, is that I am now the very proud owner of two of these Disney dolls.  For Christmas this year, I asked Santa for a lot of smaller paints and crafting supplies... but my "big items" were Rapunzel and Cinderella.  So Christmas morning, I was transported back in time 30 years as I delicately opened Rapunzel (from my Mom) and Cinderella (from Jeremy).

The dolls are so beautiful.  I won't lie, even though I knew what they were when I was opening them, it still made me a little bit teary eyed.  It brought me back to being a kid and feeling all of the wonder when I first opened Felicity and Samantha.  And the two accessory packs I got took my breath away.  Rapunzel's little paint set is perfection, and Cinderella's pink dress tugged at my heartstrings.  That scene of the mice and birds making her pink dress will always remind me of my Nana.

It's safe the say that American Girl has knocked it out of the park on these Disney dolls.  I am so happy they have partnered with Disney to bring these dolls to the current generation of little girls... and to those of us "big girls" who are still young at heart.  °o°

All photos are from the American Girl website, their facebook page or from marketing emails they sent me.  For more information, please visit their website.  (I also used American Girl Fandom Wiki to research information in this post.)

February Focus ✨

Happy February Everyone! 💕

The first month of 2025 is in the books... and as usual, it flew right by me.

This week started out a little shaky... literally.  (Maine had a 3.8 magnitude earthquake on Monday that I definitely felt!)  But thankfully, it's taken a turn for the better.  I started the week feeling completely defeated and now I feel like I could take on the world. 

This year, I've definitely got my goal getter cap on and it feels like I'm a woman on a mission.  However if I'm going to get anything done, I've gotta get working on smaller goals in order to achieve the bigger things that I've got my sights set on.

Some of those smaller goals started this past week.  It's no secret that Eliot and I have been working behind the scenes on new business ideas.  This week, the groundwork for one of my newer ideas was laid out.  Accounts have been set up, the design process has started, supply lists have been made, and most exciting for me, product and sample brainstorming has begun!  I see a lot of fun happening over the coming weeks. 💖

I also see a lot of cleaning and organizing (both mentally and physically) in my future.  There are gonna be a lot of lists... and there's probably not going to be as much time for other things.  I'm committed to my 2025 goals and what I want for myself this year.  However, I want to assure you that I am still planning to continue posting on here more often.  I'm just not sure how often and how in depth the posts will be.  But I've already got 5 posts up for January and today will be post six.  Considering that I only had 12 posts for all of last year, I'm already halfway to that number and off to a good start!

That makes me feel really good, because my January was kind of a hot mess and all over the place.  I'm in that weird place where I simultaneously feel like I got a ton of stuff done, and also nothing done.  So I'll be trying to take February to re-focus and get myself set up for the rest of the year. ✨ 

It's time to get my February Focus on!  °o°

Inspire Your Heart With Art 🎨

Today is Inspire Your Heart With Art Day! 🎨 🖌 🖼

One of my biggest goals this year is to paint more often.  I've felt this overwhelming urge to paint lately.  I'm not sure if it's all of the emotions that I've been navigating, but I just feel this nagging desire to put paint on a canvas and to explore what happens.

In the past, I've done some paint night classes and I've had a blast at those.  I'm so bummed out that the studio closest to us closed shortly after Eliot and I started going.  (There's still one in Portland though, so I'm still planning to go visit at some point!)  

And those of you who have been here from the beginning know I've painted plenty of craft projects.  I've made signs, various home decor, tons of holiday decor, and of course the painted flower pots that are still my most viewed blog post of all time!

But more recently, I feel as if this urge is to break free from things that I've done before.

I've actually signed up for a few online abstract art classes.  And there's another one coming up that I'll be signing up for as well... if I haven't already done so by the time this post goes live!  These classes have really excited me.  I just need to sit down and go through the supply lists so I can get supplies and dive in!

Another medium that's really intrigued me for awhile is textured art.  I've also bought an online guide to doing that... and I'm planning to purchase supplies for that soon as well.

I would also like to get back into paint pouring.  You probably remember that I took some adult education classes for that a few years ago.  Unfortunately, our instructor stopped teaching the class, and my plans to get into that more got derailed with the pandemic.  But I've already purchased pouring paints, and I just got a special mat to use for Christmas.  I also recently dug out a few blank DIY Vinylmation Mickey figures (that I've had since before Eliot's and my wedding) to experiment with.  And I just noticed that Michael's has paint pour kits for vinyl figures when I saw them in store for the first time just a few days ago.  So I'm very excited that this particular painting technique is probably one that will come together for me to do sooner than later!

One thing is for sure, and that's the fact that my overwhelming urge to create things is going to win out.  I'm dying to get my hands on craft supplies... almost to the point of being ravenous about it.  This is an itch that needs to be scratched.  And who knows... maybe I'll discover a whole new world and inspire my heart by creating art... °o°

Creating Magic For the Magic Maker

It's now been four years since I embraced my destiny as a Magic Maker.  Since then, I've cherished the fact that I know creating things, making magic and giving joy to others is not only my purpose, but what truly what lights me up inside. ✨

And I'm glad I have that to fall into when the going gets tough... because after the past few years, there have been some pretty dark days when I've needed that knowledge.

During some of my hardest days, spending some time scrolling through Pinterest and getting ideas for projects has lifted me.  I've always had lists of creative ideas and even lists of my lists.  There's no way that I'll ever be able to make all of the things I've thought of... but it's the ideas, imagination and creativity that are most important to me.

This year, I'm hoping to expand upon products for Happily Ever Hatter and Snowblade Creations.  I've had a lot of ideas that Eliot and I haven't been able to dive into for one reason or another.  And I've got pretty solid ideas for a few more businesses... it's just a matter of making time, setting aside money for supplies and making the products.  So I'm sure that I'll find a way to keep myself busy making more magic! 💖

But what excites me most, is the promise to myself that I'll take more time for myself to create things for me.  After gifting myself a magical vacation for my 40th birthday, it's apparent to me that I need to make sure I'm also making magic for myself.  Even the Magic Maker needs some pixie dust sprinkled their way every once in a while. ✨

So cheers to many more years of bringing my magic into the world!!!  °o°

A Fond Farewell... ✨🌎🔑✨

I've got some sad news to share today.  

For starters, it's the two year anniversary of the day we lost my Nana, so it's a sad day to begin with.  And since today is also the 4th of the month, I figure it's appropriate to post this news today.  After much deliberation back and forth (at least 100 times), I've decided to resign from being a travel agent with Key to the World Travel.

It certainly wasn't an easy decision.  I've been with the company for over a decade... ever since they first hired me back on October 4th of 2013.  That was just over a year after Eliot and I got married.  We had moved up to Maine for his new job and I was still trying to figure out what my next steps were.  I'd started blogging that May, but I still wasn't working at a "real job" quite yet.  So becoming a travel agent who could plan Disney vacations for people just seemed like the next logical step at the time!

And I've absolutely loved it. ✨💙💛🌎🔑🌍💛💙✨ 

It has been really hard to let go... especially when this job has meant so much to me for such a long time.  I've been pretty involved over the years too.  

Through the years there have been so many highlights and magical memories... many of which I've written about on here.  (Search "Key to the World" and you'll see all of them.)  And there's probably a few things that I haven't written about.  Like how a few times, I was a "guest professor" and I wrote a few blog posts when we were using "Theme Park Professor" for our agency.  

Eliot and I have also made tons of mouse ears for my co-workers.  One of the highlights was definitely designing special mouse ears with our company logo.  It was also a huge honor when Jeff asked me to make some for KeyCon at Disneyland.

And KeyCons... those are extra special to me.  I've written a bunch about those through the years, so I won't get into it too much.  But I will say that they were my favorite part of being an agent with Key to the World Travel.  Having the opportunity to gather together to meet each other in person, learn and network was an invaluable experience. 

Finally... the friends are what I'll miss the most.  Honestly, the people are the reason that I held on for as long as I did.  And that is what made it so hard to finalize this decision.

On the last day of 2024, I made it official with the owners of the company as I sent them my official resignation.  It wasn't easy to write, but I was very happy with the final letter.  Eliot and I have a lot going on right at the moment, and at the end of the day, I just don't have the time and energy to put into it that I used to.

Jeff and Heather have been wonderful to work for.  I've been so amazed watching the incredible growth of the company over the past 10+ years.  We went from only a few of us when I first joined, to hundreds.  We have a bunch of agents who are mentors, some who help with training, as well as some in charge of niches like inclusion, groups or destination weddings.  It's really impressive and I'm so proud that our company cares enough to make sure we're all getting the education we need to succeed in the industry.

In my letter, I made sure to tell them that if things change and I ever decide to get back into travel, I know who my first call will be.

Thank you again to Heather, Jeff and my entire KTTW family for making the past 11+ years with the company so wonderful.  It really did become a family to me.  °o°

✨💙💛🌎🔑🌍💛💙✨ 

2025 Disney Goals

It's 2025... what a great time to feel alive!!!  

Today I'm back with one of my favorite annual traditions... setting goals.  I'm not super into resolutions, but goals I can get behind.  Each year, I write a bunch down and set out to accomplish as many of them as I can.  It's usually a pretty tall order, but I enjoy having some direction when the new year begins.

This year, I've decided to switch things up a little since I last posted my goals on here back in 2022.  Back then, I was still putting most of my goals on one list... and since then, I've expanded my lists.  I now have a Disney goal list, as well as a personal list and a blog list.  I'm not going to share the personal list because it's personal, and the blog list is pretty boring.  But I've made my Disney list more concise with goals to make everyday a little more magical.  So let's dive in to the fun stuff!

Melissa's Disney Goals for 2025

1.) Design a Miniature Scene

2.) Hang Disney Artwork and Pictures in Upstairs Hallway

3.) Beverage Station/Bar Set Up
4.) Decorate the House for the Holidays
5.) Paint Disney Nails

6.) Make Disney Home Decor for the House

7.) Use My Disney Planner
8.) Make Decor for the Holidays
9.) Make Disney Accessories
10.) Watch All of the Classic Disney Animated Movies
11.) Have Disney Board Game Nights
12.) Wear More Disneybound/Themed Outfits

13.) Watch All of the Marvel Movies
14.) Put Together a Disney Puzzle
15.) Design an Imagineering Project
16.) Watch All of the Live Action Disney Movies (Classic Re-Makes)
17.) Paint Disney Art
18.) Decorate House with Disney Touches
19.) Launch New Business Ideas
20.) Make Donkey Costumes and/or Outfits

21.) Read Disney Books

22.) Watch All of the Pixar Animated Movies

23.) Customize Clothing with Embellishments

24.) Finish Bathrooms

25.) Watch All of the Star Wars Movies

I'm pretty excited about this list!  Most of them are creative goals, and I really need to get some personal creativity time back into my life.  Eliot and I love our businesses, but sometimes I feel more like a production line than a designer.  So I want to make time to make things for me... simply because I love making and creating things.

As you all know, I'm into home decor and interior design, so those are obviously some pretty big ones for me.  I'm also hoping to work on more costumes and fashion designs this year.  It's been a while since I've watched most of the animated Disney and Pixar movies.  I haven't seen Star Wars in a very long time... and I've never seen most of the Marvel movies.  (One of my personal goals was to get more steps in... so I figure I can crush that while watching some of these movies!)

I've decided that my 2025 Word of the Year is ABUNDANCE.  It suddenly came to me a few weeks ago, and I just felt very connected to it.  It feels like the past few years have been filled with an abundance of sadness, change and uncertainty.  So this year, I'm manifesting an abundance of wonderful things like joy, peace, productivity, money, creativity, happiness, and magic.

I'm really hoping that I can cross a good portion of these off this year... 

It's time to thrive... let's do this 2025. °o°

Photos taken from the Disney Store's website from items in their 2025 collection.