#tbt Putting Together My Dapper Day Outfit

I don't know about the rest of you, but I could use a distraction for all things COVID-19 and quarantine.  I've had a busy week working on my quarantine boredom busting blog series and I needed a break to write something fun.  Thus, I've decided it's time for another installment of my #tbt series.  This time, we're traveling back to Anaheim, CA in May of 2016 when I attended the Spring 2016 Dapper Day at Disneyland during the resort's 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration.

I should start by saying that it was a happy coinsidence that I got to attend Dapper Day.  I went to Disneyland for an extended weekend girls trip with two of my travel agent girlfriends.  We were going to another event, Pearls in the Park, that our travel agency was co-hosting.  I wasn't planning on staying at Disneyland the extra day, but when I found out Dapper Day was that weekend, I had to go!

I had always dreamed of going to a Dapper Day at Disneyland, so I wanted to have a special outfit for my first time at the event.  It didn't take me long to come up with my outfit inspiration.  I was obsessed with all things Disneyland 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration and I wanted to honor that with my Dapper Day outfit... so I decided to dress like Disneyland 60th Minnie Mouse!

Minnie's special Diamond Celebration costume was a red dress with sparkly silver polka dots.  She also had a sparkling red bow, red shoes and a turquoise belt as an accent.  All of the other main characters were also dressed in combinations of red, turquoise, silver and royal blue so they would all be coordinated with each other.  

Dapper Day is all about the photo ops; I knew having an outfit that matched and/or coordinated with Disneyland's decorations and characters was going to be perfect!

The Makings of a Dapper Day Outfit

Skirt- The first thing I needed was a red shirt and skirt or a dress.  I decided to go the skirt route since I thought it would be easier to find, and more comfortable.  I ordered my skirt from Damsel Designed on Etsy and it came out perfectly!  I added a black petticoat that I got off of Amazon to add a bit of volume and make it more "poofy".

Shirt- This was a generic red t-shirt that I found on eBay that didn't cost much. 

Ribbon "Belt"- I bought turquoise ribbon at the local craft store, cut it down to size so that it would be long enough to tie into a bow on the back, and it was done!  I wanted to add a little rhinestone detail to the front center like Minnie had, but I ran out of time.

Shoes- I already had my red shoes from Payless.  They weren't the most comfortable for walking, but it was worth it for the photos!  I also had my sneakers with me so I wore those and changed into the dress shoes.  (For me, comfort always comes first!)

Disneyland "D" Brooch- I ordered my turquoise glitter "D" brooch from a shop on Etsy.  Unfortunately, the seller closed her shop and doesn't sell them anymore.  I have a large collection of brooches from this shop and I love them!

Fascinator- I ordered this from Hat and Mouse on Etsy.  She made a special design to match Minnie's Diamond Celebration outfit and I knew it would be perfect to wear!

Jewelry- Unfortunately, I wasn't able to pull anything together for jewelry.  I ordered red and turquoise rhinestone buttons and a few other items to make matching jewelry, but by the time they arrived it was too late to make anything.  They would have tied the entire Minnie Mouse look together so well!  (Note to self: Start earlier next time.)

I had such a great experience at my first Disneyland Dapper Day.  I hope I'm able to do it again someday with the addition of Eliot being there as well!  Next time, I'll be sure to plan out my outfit farther in advance, and I'll probably be more detailed with the jewelry and accessories!  Nevertheless, I still think this was a great outfit for my first time.

I was also able to wear my Dapper Day outfit a second time when Eliot and I dressed up as Diamond Anniversary Mickey and Minnie a few weeks later!  (The second time, I wore a custom Minnie ear hat that I made myself instead of the fascinator.)  Minnie, Mickey and all of the other characters loved our outfits and we had great interactions with them!  It's totally worth taking the extra time to put a special outfit together!  °o°

Leap Year Day 2020

Happy Leap Year Day!!!  February 29th only comes around every four years.  To me, that makes it a special day like a holiday.  How did you spend your "bonus" day?

Four years ago, I told you all that I was spending my extra day of the year working on stuff that I had been putting off.  Nowadays, that feels like every day, so I took a totally different approach this time around- I simply lived in the moment.

This morning, Eliot and I got up really early to drive the 2 hours down to Burlington, MA to meet my brother Jeremy at our closest Disney Store.  (Please bring one back to Portland and Maine!)  As I've said, we're collecting the Disney Store keys.  Today, they released a Tigger key for the Leap Year!  Of course, Tigger is one of my favorite Disney characters, so here we are!  I love that they made a Tigger key!

All three of us ended up buying things from the new Disney Eats ice cream collection in order to meet the $15 minimum to get the free key.  I was really excited to add a few items to our kitchen collection!  After we left the Disney Store, we headed over to the Lego Store to check out the new Disney and Harry Potter Lego sets.  Then, we went to the food court for slices of pizza since none of us had eaten breakfast.  After that, we walked out to our car, said goodbye to Jeremy and headed back to Maine.  It was a quick trip down, but it was nice to visit with Jeremy- even if it was only for a little bit!

Of course, I like to dress up for holidays, but instead of going all out in orange and stripes to channel Tigger, I decided to take my cue from another one of my favorite characters.  Since we're celebrating having an extra magical day of the year, I decided to dress in casual Sorcerer Mickey Disneybound style!!!  

I really love how my outfit turned out!  I wore my comfy black leggings with a red long sleeve shirt.  Over that I wore my red buffalo plaid shirt.  Then, I added my Cakeworthy Sorcerer Mickey hat that I bought years ago.  It's a low-key, casual Disneybound, but I had fun wearing it.  But, I have to admit I'm shocked that no one said anything about my hat when I wore it at the Disney Store.  I figured Disney fans crazy enough to line up ahead of the mall opening for a key would recognize my hat!  Oh well; I loved it!

Eliot and I definitely had a great day!  I wore a fun outfit and ended the day with new Disney ice cream bowls and matching spoons, and three Tigger keys!  No matter how you spent it, I hope you had a wonderful and magical Leap Year day!!!  °o°

Fun Find: The Dress Shop

Hi friends!  I'm sorry I haven't been around.  Eliot and I been so busy lately!  (I'll fill you in soon!)  I've had at least 5 posts planned since my last one and I never ended up having time to start and/or finish any of them.  I'm trying to get back into the flow... hopefully I'll be able to post more often next month!

I have something I wanted to share with you for Fun Find Friday.  If you follow the Disney Parks Blog, you've probably heard the news, but if not then I've got a treat for you!  As of this morning, the newest store opened at Disney Springs.  Disney parks favorites meet Disney style in the newest merchandise addition: The Dress Shop.

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The Dress Shop is a new collection of apparel and accessories, mainly vintage and retro inspired dresses.  The cool part is that they're all designed around a Disney character, movie or attraction.  It's a great way to add a little bit of Disney style to your everyday life, or to dress up in something a little bit more stylish at the parks.

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Honestly, I'm surprised that it took Disney this long to come out with their own line of dresses.  With events like Dapper Day, and the popularity of Disneybounding, it was only a matter of time.  (I'm really glad that time is now!  Finally!!!)  I'm so excited for this new addition to official Disney parks merchandise. 

From what I've seen of the collection, it's perfection.  The dresses currently range in prices from about $98-$119 and sizes are from XS-3X.  You can see more photos from the collection on DisneyLifeStylers Facebook page here.

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I think my favorite dresses are the Orange Bird, Small World and Tiki Room.  Although, I really love the Minnie Mouse, Tea Cups and Tower of Terror dresses too.  Plus, the matching handbags are super cute!  I hope this collection does well and that they release more designs!  I can't wait to get my hands on one (or more!) of these dresses!

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The collection is currently on sale at the Marketplace Co-Op in Disney Springs and a few of the items are also available at Vault 28 in Disneyland.

So, which one is your favorite?  Will you be adding any of these to your closet?  °o°

My 32nd Birthday Outfit

Happy Tangled Tuesday!!!  I'm really trying to get caught up on some of my blog posts, and this is one that I've been dying to write up for months now!  My 32nd birthday was a ton of fun.  One of the aspects that made it extra fun was my Rapunzel/Tangled themed outfit.  I showed you a few pictures back in November, but I wanted to share where I got everything!  It was definitely a day filled with small shop love!

I purchased my "I'm So Glad I Left My Tower" Rapunzel Raglan by Happily Ever Tees a few months before my birthday.  This particular color scheme was a limited edition, and I knew it would be perfect!  It definitely brought my whole outfit together!

I treated myself to my Rapunzel Tiara by Fairytale Wigs.  It was half off, and I literally ordered it for myself as a birthday present.  It's so sparkly!

I've had this Rapunzel Bow by Mad Hatter Bows for a few years now.  Since Elissa braided my hair, I didn't end up wearing it or the tiara on my birthday.  But, I'm definitely going to wear it with my other Tangled accessories in the future!

I've been waiting for the perfect occasion to debut my super cute Pascal Brooch by Hungry Designs!  Now I can't wait to wear it again!

I love my Rapunzel Necklace by Le Petit Mouse.  Not only is the Mickey Mouse charm with her tiara really cute, but the Tangled sun was a great addition to my outfit!

Of course, I had to wear my "Best Day Ever" Rapunzel Button by Parkbound Buttons!

I've also been waiting for the perfect occasion to debut my rose gold Rapunzel Tiara ring by AOS Design.  I had it since last Valentine's Day, and I wanted to wear it sometime special.  I absolutely love the rose gold limited edition version of it!

Of course, this was also the perfect day to wear some of my charms on my arms!  Eliot got me the Rapunzel Charm from Pandora whole ago, and it's adorable.  I'm a sucker for the princess dress charms!  I added my Rapunzel bracelet from Alex and Ani as an afterthought (it's not pictured in the top photo) to create this super cute look!

I absolutely love how my Rapunzel/Tangled inspired outfit came out!  I had so much fun wearing it.  I definitely want to try to do more Disney looks at home!  I am so happy with all of these purchases from small shops!  They really made my outfit unique! °o°

Fun Find: WDW Spring Dapper Day 2016

As you know, I'm counting down the days to my trip to Disneyland... and waiting for your Disney vacation is literally like waiting for paint to dry.  (Only 6 more days!!!)  To tide myself over, I've decided to do a fun find that fits the stylish theme of my upcoming trip!  Here are a few photos from the Walt Disney World Spring Dapper Day event!

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I love all of the Disneybounding looks fans put together!  They've definitely channeled their favorite Disney characters, rides and attractions!  Here are a few of my favorites!

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 Ariel and Flounder are a great combo!  I also love this Bing Bong inspired look!

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This Evil Queen look is complete with matching accessories!

Photo Source (Original Source: @DisneyJunkie75)

 Sally and Jack are joined by Zero.

Photo Source (Original Source: @peppermeg)

It's the first bunny cop- Judy Hopps!

Photo Source (Original Source: @the.teal.princess)

The Mickey Mouse Club enjoyed Dapper Day.

Photo Source (Original Source: @DisneyJunkie75)

 @olliemei makes a perfect Snow White!

Photo Source (Original Source: @olliemei)

 It's a Tower of Terror Bellhop and Haunted Mansion Maid!  Love it!

Photo Source (Original Source: @merricatonthemoon)

I really love this Rapunzel look, complete with the perfect background!

Photo Source (Original Source: @brianamatopoeia)

For even more WDW Spring 2016 Dapper Day looks, check out these websites:

Inside the Magic
Pop Sugar
Huffington Post
Disney Style

I admit, these photos make me really excited for Disneyland's Dapper Day!  I've put together a Disneybound look for my outfit too!  I'm very excited and I think it's definitely appropriate for the occasion!  Speaking of which, I've got to get to work on the finishing touches for my outfit and my accessories so I can step out in Disney style!  °o°

Minnie Rocks the Dots

Today is National Polka Dot Day!!!  What better way to celebrate than to channel our favorite polka dot style icon: Minnie Mouse!  I've always loved polka dot patterns- probably because some part of my subconscious always associated them with Minnie.

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Minnie has been a fashion icon for decades, and her polka dots are becoming a style movement of their own.  Minnie's style has an Instagram page for all things Minnie inspired.  The page has a collection of images from polka dot dresses, to teacups, mouse ears, finger nails, handbags and images of Minnie Mouse herself!  Users are encouraged to use #MinnieStyle in their own Instagram photos!

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In addition to that, there is going to be a Minnie Mouse inspired art installation in Los Angeles.  Disney and Refinery29 have partnered up to bring a "Minnie Rocks the Dots" exhibit complete with her outfits around the world, a photo gallery, color-by-number art and a shop with limited edition Minnie merchandise.

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Of course, you can always "rock the dots" when you're at the Disney parks.  There are numerous Minnie Mouse inspired items on sale at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.  I've always been a huge fan of the Minnie items.  Some of my favorites are the scarves, jewelry, handbags, t-shirts and the Pandora bracelets!  I love being able to incorporate a little bit of Disney into my everyday wardrobe!

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Finally, if a trip to the Disney parks isn't in your future, you can still rock some Minnie inspired style a little closer to home.  Kohl's and Lauren Conrad have released another Minnie Mouse inspired collection for Minnie Rocks the Dots.  This time, there are some designs for children along with the juniors sizes.  I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of the collection available at our local Kohl's store!  (Don't worry, I behaved... for now.)

Wherever you are today, don't be afraid to channel your inner Minnie and proudly wear your polka dots!  I'm off to see what I can come up with to rock the dots!  °o°

Making My Own Magic

Hello friends!  I've got to admit, it's been a really busy and stressful week.  Eliot and I are working against the clock to get our house ready for the big move.  The universe seems to be against us and it can get frustrating at times.  I'm trying to relax and stay positive, but it's proving to be easier said than done.  Hopefully we'll be able to get more done over the weekend and next week!  I keep telling myself that once it's done, it's going to be done and it'll totally be worth all of our hard work these past few weeks!

In order to distract myself from things I can't control, I've tried to sprinkle pixie dust and make my own magic.  I've found simple things to distract from the crazy.  Oddly, one of the most relaxing things I've found to do is to go on Instagram.  It's my favorite form of social media right now.  It's simple, easy to use and I can lay in bed while scrolling through my photos to relax.  I find it incredibly inspiring and I've found a lot of cool crafters and artists through it.  I've also found out about a few awesome sales!

Photo Source: Cakeworthy

I was on Instagram the other day when I realized that one of my favorite t-shirt and accessory shops, Cakeworthy, was having a pre-order for some of the new items from their Wicked Ones collection.  I've seen a few of the items and I'd been thinking about getting them but they keep selling out.  I decided to look into the pre-order.

Photo Source: Cakeworthy

I ended up ordering the Sorcerer Mickey inspired Sorcerer Beanie.  Then, I decided to treat myself by ordering one of the shirts I've been admiring since it was released, the Hitchhiking Ghost Flannel.  They won't be ready for 6-8 weeks, and then they have to be shipped to me, but I'm excited to have the order in so I know I'll get them!

One of my favorite Instagram finds has been Enchanted Candy Carousel.  April makes the cutest Disney treat inspired accessories.  She has an Etsy shop as well as an Instagram account.  I've been admiring her creations for a while now.  The other day she had a ready to ship Instagram sale and I fell in love with one of her Candy Poisoned Apple Brooches.  I had to get it and I'm so glad I did!  I absolutely love it!

Eliot and I also received a package from Disneyland the other day.  Although we knew what was inside it, but it was still fun to open it up.  We had asked Eliot's Mom to get us some of the merchandise we didn't get while we were out there.  Our big splurge were the Haunted Mansion Stretching Portrait figures.  She also found the nearly impossible to find Disneyland Attraction Posters that match our WDW ones!  We also got our Halloween plush.  (The Disneyland passholder discount is a lot better than WDW's so we decided we'd have her get them instead of buying them in Florida.)  Finally, we got our Disneyland 60th t-shirts and she surprised us with a 60th anniversary print!

These items have definitely brought a smile to my face.  I love receiving a little pixie dust in the mail.  Plus, I can't complain about the extra boxes being delivered to our doorstep.  All the extra packing material has proven quite useful.  Ha ha!

I'm sure I've got another interesting week ahead of me, but I'm going to try to take it all in stride!  After all, all it takes is a little faith, trust and pixie dust!  °o°

Happily Ever Hatter is Open!

After many months (actually 2+ years) of researching, designing and dreaming... 

Happily Ever Hatter is officially OPEN!!!  Yay!!!

Ok, so it's officially been "open" on Etsy for over a month at this point.  I decided to open the store on January 15th, which was National Hat Day.  (Perfect timing for a store "birthday" right?)  I had it in vacation mode for awhile so I could work on getting item descriptions and photos together.  But, this past Friday, I finally listed what I know everyone was waiting for: my Anna and Elsa custom ear hat designs!

I'm working on another version of both Anna and Elsa.  I want to see what Anna would look like with smaller pom poms.  I think the bodice design would stand out more.  As for Elsa, I bought another fabric a few weeks ago that resembles her skirt better!

I also have a very special friend whose birthday is coming up!  (You know who you are!) I've been making a few sketches of the design.  I'm really excited about that too!  It was supposed to be a surprise, but nothing gets past him.  No sneak peeksies yet though.  I can't ruin the surprise of the hat reveal for him!

Easter is also on it's way.  I've been scouring the local craft stores for supplies and inspiration.  I've got a few things up my sleeve that you'll see soon!  I'm looking forward to working with spring colors!

I'm so excited about the response I've gotten thus far.  This whole adventure simply started out as a means to make wedding ear hats for Eliot's and my Disney wedding.  I couldn't find something that was more personalized than the standard bride and groom ears, so I decided to make my own!  Then the ideas kept piling up for more hat designs: characters, rides, etc.  I knew then and there that I had to make it happen!

And my sketchbook is full of more ideas.  As soon as I can hunt down and gather the supplies I'll need, without breaking the bank, I'll be working on more designs!  Yay!!!  °o°

Pre-Trip Projects

Hey Everyone!  I thought that I'd say hello really quick before we leave for Walt Disney World later on this afternoon!

Yesterday was really busy.  I ended up working on a few accessory projects that I wanted to wear during our trip!  I spent a good portion of yesterday working on them.  I still have a few things I'm trying to get done before we leave this evening, but I'll give you guys a quick sneak peek!  I haven't even started to pack!  Ahh... gotta get to work!

Here's the Custom Minnie Mouse Headband that I've been working on.  I finally finished it yesterday by adding a bright yellow bow!

Here's one of the projects that took me most of yesterday.  I spent all evening designing this and putting it together!  It's my Custom Elsa Ear Hat!  

I'm really happy with how it came out!  You can't even see all of the amazing details from this photo.  It's so sparkly and glittery.  The veil on the back is 3 layers and one of them even has snowflakes on it!

Finally, here's a quick concept sketch of another project.  I still have to go put the rest of this one together, but here's a sneak peek.  Can you guess what it's going to be?

Do you want one of these for yourself?  All of these items will eventually make their way to my Happily Ever Hatter shop on Etsy that I plan to open later on this month!  In the meantime, become a fan on Facebook to find out when the shop will make it's debut!

Well, I better go finish my projects, packing and make sure that everything is ready to go! I don't want to forget anything!  I'll try to check in here and there during our trip!  If you'd like to follow along on my WDW journey, please check out the My Disney Life Facebook Page.  I'll be posting pictures over there throughout the trip!  And maybe I'll even post a few during the half marathon!

I'm off to Walt Disney World!!!!  Stay magical friends!!!  °o°

Christmas 2013

Hey Everyone!  Wow, it's been quite a while since I visited my blog!  (About a week and a half!  Ouch!)  You know how it goes: the holidays sneak up on you, then they're here, and you're scurrying around like crazy trying to get everything done!  But, now I'm back!  

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Our 2013 Christmas Card!

Our Christmas was really nice this year.  Eliot and I went to my parents' house to join them, my grandparents and my brother for our Christmas celebrations!  Eliot had quite a few days off from work so we actually got to drive up Saturday and come back later Christmas Day!  It was nice to get away for a few days!

On our drive up Saturday, we stopped by my Mom's side of the family's Christmas Party! We were starting to get another winter storm so my parents and grandparents actually stayed home.  Eliot and I stopped to get the presents since it was on our way home anyways.  My Aunt Sherrie graciously fed us while we were there.  (Yum!)  And we did get to visit with a few of my relatives before we had to leave.

While we were there, we gave my little cousin Emery (our ringbearer) one of his gifts.  He loves Jake and the Neverland Pirates, especially Captain Hook.  Eliot and I found him a Captain Hook ornament!  He was so excited!  He tried to stuff it in his pocket, which was hilarious.  (I wish I'd video taped it!)  Eventually, Captain Hook made it onto the tree!

Sunday and Monday, "Downeast" Maine got a major ice storm and we were basically stuck inside both days.  We had plenty of food and a wood stove if necessary, so there was no reason to go out in the storm. The rain froze on contact and everything was covered in ice.  The tree branches bent over and a lot of trees fell over onto the power lines.  We lost power a few times during the storm.  During one outage, we started to get a little bored staring into the darkness.  To liven things up, I had Eeyore wave around a flashlight "light saber" for a few minutes.

  
Monday I decided that I better finish up my Christmas presents just in case we completely lost power.  I had planned to make a wreath for Mom and Dad as well as Nana and Papa.  It was my first attempt at making a wire mesh wreath, but they came out pretty good!  I really love how Mom and Dad's Chip and Dale Candy Cane Wreath turned out!  (Now I need to make one for Eliot and me!)  Later that night, Dad drove us into town so we could have dinner and visit with Katie.

On Tuesday, Christmas Eve Day, Eliot and I decided that we were going to finally go see Frozen.  (We had wanted to Monday, but the ice storm spoiled those plans.)  My brother Jeremy still hadn't seen it so he came with us too.  I even wore my new Elsa t-shirt, my snowflake earrings and the snowflake hair clips that I made!

We ended up getting to the theater just in time for the 3D show!  It was so amazing.  I'm bummed out that it took us so long to see it!  The music was incredible.  I'm still humming "Let It Go" over and over in my head.  The animation was also superb!  I want an ice palace like the one Elsa made!  And I'd love to live in Arendelle.  And I want a dress like Anna's coronation dress... and Elsa's ice dress.  And Olaf was hilarious!  And how cute were baby Sven and Kristoff?  It was so great; I wanna go again!

While watching the movie, I even saw a few of the hidden Easter Eggs!  They were really quick, but I did catch Rapunzel as well as the chocolates from Wreck it Ralph.  I pointed them out really quick, but the guys both missed what I was pointing at.  (I think Eliot was too busy trying to pet baby Sven in 3D.)  I was so entranced by the movie that I totally forgot to look for Mickey Mouse!  Maybe next time!

Photos from Disney's Frozen.

We thought it would be pretty funny to bring Eeyore to see Frozen.  He "snuck" into the theater inside of Eliot's drawstring backpack.  Eliot even found some 3D glasses for him! He was pretty cute with his giant glasses on.

After seeing Frozen, we did a few last minute Christmas errands.  I took a lot of picture of the ice from the storm.  Check out how much ice is on those trees!  It's like Elsa made her return! I'm a total dork and I also took a picture of Eeyore in the snow (ice) making snow donkeys.  

We spent Christmas Eve hanging out in the living room.  Mom and Dad finally kicked us out around 11:00 so Santa would come.  We made sure to "hang" our stockings up first!  I even found a small one for Eeyore!  (Jeremy also bought me a small Bumble one!)

Christmas morning we came down to many presents from Santa!  We all opened our stockings and took turns with opening presents.  I'm so excited!  Santa brought me the tabletop easel that I really wanted.  I also got the silk paint set that I've been looking at for about 2 years!  (Stay tuned for lots of crafty stuff!)  Jeremy got Eliot and me a ton of Disney Infinity figures.  (Now I just need to learn how to play Infinity!)  And Mom and Dad got me the Minnie Mouse Build-A-Bear that I'd asked for.  She has pink and lime pajamas for our wedding colors!!!

We also got Eeyore a few "gifts".  Ok, they're actually Build-A-Bear items, but they'll work for Eeyore and for our family's ever growing BAB collection.  I had gotten him a Santa hat to wear for Christmas, and we thought it was time he have a hockey stick and puck to go with his Sharks jersey.  We also found a Red Sox hat and shirt, some sunglasses and a basketball and hoop.  Jeremy even bought him a Patriots outfit!  (And it actually fits!  Dad squeezed him into the pants.  See photos above!)

Of course, no Christmas Day is complete without the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade!  This year was even the 30th anniversary of the parade.  (I'm 29, so it's been on television as long as I can remember!)  Unfortunately, our cable was not working correctly due to the ice storm.  We missed the first hour and when the second hour started, it fuzzed in and out the remainder of the parade. 

This is the first time that I've ever missed the parade Christmas morning.  However, I was really thankful that we had power to begin with.  A lot of people in the area didn't even have that for Christmas.  Plus, Eliot and I were DVR-ing the parade back at our house... so I could watch it when we got home anyways!  (On a side note, some of the people without power still won't get power until this Wednesday!  It'll have been out for a week and half!  Yikes!!!)

Christmas afternoon we ended up watching our Disney Wedding DVD with my family. None of my grandparents had seen the DVD yet, and neither had my Dad and brother. Even Mom had only seen bits and pieces of it.  It was a lot of fun to re-live the memories with all of them together.  We really did have an incredible wedding at Disney!

Around 2:00, we ended up losing our power.  We had literally stopped the Wedding DVD about 5 minutes prior.  After a few hours, it was apparent that it wasn't going to turn back on anytime soon, so Eliot, Jeremy and I packed up our stuff before it got too dark out. When Eliot and I left Mom and Dad's house, they still didn't have power.  Luckily, they called us about an hour after we left to say that it had turned back on!  Once Eliot and I got home, we unpacked the car and watched the part of the parade that we missed!

We had a great Christmas and are incredibly thankful to have spent some time with family and friends!  Now we're shifting our focus to New Year's Eve and going to Walt Disney World for the Half Marathon!  It's going to be another few busy weeks!  °o°