Fun Find: San Jose Sharks Pixar Night

Hello again everyone and happy Friday!!!  (Two posts in one week... who dis?)  I just couldn't help myself, I had to pop in again quickly.  I haven't done a Fun Find Friday post in forever... but I had something that I couldn't help but share with you all.

This past Sunday Night, two of our worlds collided when the San Jose Sharks had an official "Pixar Night" during their home game against the Colorado Avalanche!

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Naturally, you're all probably assuming that we went to it... but sadly we didn't.  Eliot and I both really wish we could have gone out to San Jose for it, but with my big birthday trip coming up, it wasn't in the cards.  However, because of how much we both love Disney, Pixar and the San Jose Sharks, I still wanted to share the details with you!

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You're probably wondering why the Sharks had a Pixar Night.  (To my knowledge, the Sharks are the only NHL team hosting one.)  It appears that the evening was officially sponsored by Disney and Pixar as an Inside Out 2 Promotional event to coincide with the release of the movie on Disney+.  Since hockey plays such an integral roll in Riley's world, it seems fitting that they chose an NHL game to host this promotion!

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As if all that wasn't already cool enough, one of Eliot's and my all time favorite Disney artists, Jerrod Maruyama, created all of the artwork and marketing for the evening!

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For most of the marketing, they used an Inside Out Pixar poster with the nine emotions.  But if you look closely, you'll also notice a re-design of Sharkie!

Note: As soon as I saw the Sharks email about Pixar Night, I remember thinking that the artwork style looked familiar... I think my intuition had put two and two together that it was designed by Jerrod but my cognitive thoughts hadn't gotten there quite yet. 

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Jerrod even dropped the puck for the ceremonial puck toss before the game!

They also created Sharkie Pins with his artwork.  Apparently, the lines to get the pin were ridiculously long, but Eliot's parents were able to get us one!

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I also have to share a fun fact about why I think it was appropriate that the Sharks were the NHL team who hosted the event.  Our very own Sharks announcer, Randy Hahn, has made a cameo in both Inside Out and Inside Out 2 as a hockey announcer!  In addition to that, Kendall Coyne Schofield (a professional women's hockey player who plays for Team USA) is also in Inside Out 2 as a hockey announcer and she has worked on the Sharks network along with Randy!  How cool is that?!?!  

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Throughout the evening, I enjoyed hearing Pixar music on the broadcast.  We obviously didn't get the full game experience, so I missed whatever they did during commercial breaks or intermission, but it was fun to hear it sprinkled in during short stoppages in play.  I caught three definite Pixar songs, Un Poco Loco (from Coco), You've Got a Friend in Me (from Toy Story), and Nobody Like U (from Turning Red).

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After the event was over, Eliot and I noticed Sharkie had posted more images of himself as all of the emotions!  (I didn't think this night could get any cooler... but it did.)

It looks like it was a really fun night!  Hopefully, this will be the first of many official Pixar Nights at the Shark Tank!  Eliot and I would love to attend one!  °o°

Happy 15 Years Ratatouille

Happy 15th Anniversary to Disney Pixar's Ratatouille!!! 

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Ratatouille is one of my favorite Pixar movies... although I love most of them.  When I first saw the movie, I was obsessed with it.  As you know, I am currently working to re-learn French and I also studied it in high school.  My junior year of high school, I went to France as part of a school trip, and I fell completely in love with Europe.  I've only been overseas once since then, and I'm dying to go back someday.

Ratatouille brought back a lot of memories of Paris and France for me.  I practically begged for the movie for my birthday that year.  (I was so happy when I got it!)  You probably also recall that Eliot and I have a few Remy Plushes for our kitchen.

And I'm so excited to see the new ride in Epcot at Walt Disney World.  Eliot and I haven't been to Walt Disney World since it opened.  Hopefully we can go on it this fall.

I also have the Disney Dress Shop Dress.  I'm hoping to wear it to Disney as some point to take some photos outside of the ride.  And I really can't wait to see all of the Remy and Ratatouille merchandise in the parks!  I'd love to get a Gusteau's "Anyone Can Cook" cookbook journal to display in our kitchen as if it was a real cookbook!

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I'm so happy that Ratatouille is getting a bit more love now.  I've always felt like it was hard to find stuff for it.  Now, between the ride and the Food and Wine Festival each fall, it's finally getting the recognition it deserves!  Hopefully, that continues!

Happy 15th Anniversary Little Chef!!!  °o°

Magical Merchandise: An Uplifting Harveys Collection

Today, I'm doing something a bit different for my magical merchandise post; instead of telling you about products that just dropped, this is more of a flashback of merchandise that was released a year ago.  I wanted to write about it back then, but Eliot and I were really busy last year at this time as Disneyland was finally re-opening and we had a ton of mouse ear orders to make.  So I'll tell you all about it now!  Plus, the anniversary of this film was yesterday... and I thought this was a great way to celebrate it!

A little over a year ago, I was preparing for the Harveys release that I've been waiting years for... Disney Pixar's Up.  As my wallet quivered in fear, I practically shook with excitement and anticipation.  This new Harveys seatbelt handbag collection was stunning, and as we'd later find out, the release was so large that it had to be done over two separate releases!  (Part 1 was on March 19th and Part 2 on April 15th.)

Like many other Harveys fans, I've patiently waited years for the Up collection to make it's debut.  The past few years, Harveys has usually released a Pixar collection in the spring.  (In 2019 it was Toy Story and in 2020 it was Monsters Inc.)  I'm a huge fan of Pixar movies and their storytelling.  These Pixar Harveys collections are usually the ones where I've bought multiple items in each release.

As soon as I saw the teasers from Harveys... I knew my wallet was doomed.

Up is one of my all time favorite Disney Pixar films... it might even be my favorite.  I've always loved the story, the imagery, and all of the things you can pull from the movie.  I wanted to do an Up themed room in our house, but we were running out of rooms!  For now, I've decided to make an Up Section of our living room.  Whenever I see any Up merchandise, I usually grab it for the house.  I also have a pretty large collection of Up clothing and accessories.  It's another weakness of mine!

Thankfully, Harveys did this movie right and the collections were stunning!  Let's take a look at some of my favorite items from both releases!

Part 1 Release (March 19, 2021)

Skinny Scarf- I love this!  It's perfect to tie in your hair or on a handbag handle!

Wilderness Explorer Lanyard- Eliot and I both got one of these!  He wants to use his for his ID at work and I thought it would be good to wear to the parks!

Up Pins- I love these pins and how they match the all over print.  Harveys always puts their pin sets in super cute packaging ready to display too!

Up Balloon House Coin Purse- This coin purse is so bright and adorable!

Up Shirt- I bought Eliot and I these matching t-shirts.  Not only will they match my Harveys handbags, but they're really cute and fun to wear to the parks!

Balloon Click and Carry- I thought this was perfect for the Up handbags as well as a fun addition to other bags!  It would be perfect to wear around my birthday!

Up Convertible Crossbody- This bag is so cute!  I love how it's the perfect size!

Up Streamline Tote- This is the larger version of the all over print!

Russell Park Hopper- I absolutely love this bag.  I love the Wilderness Explorer outfit and this bag is so much fun!  I love the badge pattern on the backpack straps too!

Kevin Vacation Tote- This was "the" popular bag during the first release.  Eliot agreed to be in charge of getting one for me and it worked!  It definitely sold out quickly!  The colors in this bag are absolutely gorgeous!  I'm in love!!!

Part 2 Release (April 15, 2021)

Grape Soda Headband- The second release had a bunch of Grape Soda bottle cap items.  The first was this headband with a bow.

Grape Soda Shopper Tote- This reusable bag is made from the bag liner material!

Grape Soda Coin Purse- I love this coin purse!  It's both fun and practical.

Up Click and Carry- I love this strap that matches the all over print bags!

Adventure Book Foldover Crossbody- This bag was one that I absolutely had to get; it's a smaller bag, but it packs a punch in how adorable it is!

Up Wanderlust Tote Bag- This was "the" popular bag of the second release.  It's giant and absolutely amazing.  And the colors in it are gorgeous!

Thankfully, I have a very supportive husband and an incredible brother.  Eliot knew that I've been waiting for an Up Harveys collection so he didn't even bat an eye when I said I wanted most of it.  I knew it would be hard to get all of the items since it was going to be popular.  That's where Jeremy comes in.  I enlisted Jeremy to help us, and we all came up with a plan for both releases in order to get everything I wanted.  It takes a village, and thanks to both Jeremy and Eliot's help, we were able to get everything!

And while it cost me a pretty penny, I have absolutely no regrets.  Of all my Harveys bags, these are my favorites.  My Harveys Up bags are bright, colorful and so much fun!  They are everything I could have ever wanted and so much more.  Whenever I'm having a bad day, they always cheer me up!  They're my own little collection of uplifting cheerfulness.  I can't help but smile whenever I see them!

I hope you enjoyed my trip down memory lane!  And another big thank you to Eliot and Jeremy for helping me with this release.  I truly treasure my Harveys Up collection!  

Happy 13th Birthday to Disney Pixar's Up!!!  °o°

Happy Birthday Up!

It's been a long week friends.  I'm still feeling a bit overwhelmed about everything that has been happening... so today, I thought I'd try to lighten the mood a little bit.  In an effort to try and cheer myself up, I wanted to swing by with a fun, light-hearted post.

Today is actually the 13th birthday of Disney Pixar's Up!  I've said it before, but I'll say it again.  Pixar movies are the best and Up is definitely one of my top favorites!  I love the storyline, the imagery, the icons, the music and the characters.

Thus, my love of the movie Up has created another personal weakness of mine... Up merchandise.  I've got my hands on as much home decor, clothing and accessories as possible.  I have quite a collection of Pixar Up Loungefly bags.  (At one point, I actually had almost all of the ones that the've made.  But since they keep churning Up bags out, I've toned it down... though I still have a pretty big collection.)  Plus, I've got another post scheduled for tomorrow with a few of my other treasures!

There are a few in park experiences available at Walt Disney World for Up.  My favorite is the Russell and Dug meet and greet at Animal Kingdom.  Eliot and I have done that a few times and it always puts a giant grin on my face!

If you're lucky, you might also run into Kevin while wandering around the park!

There used to be statues of Dug and Russell outside the bird show at Animal Kingdom, but I think they closed that experience.  I'm not sure if the statues are still there or not!

The most interactive Up activity at the parks is where you become a Wilderness Explorer and earn badges.  There are up to 25 badges that you can earn in the park! 

Unfortunately, Disneyland doesn't offer much love to Up at the moment.  You can see the characters on the Pixar Pal Around (ferris wheel) and there are a limited amount of Up products available to purchase in the stores, but that's pretty much all Eliot and I saw last trip.  (I was sad that I couldn't even get the Russell cake pop I wanted.)

Eliot and I have a few Up items in both of our shops.  Happily Ever Hatter has our Wilderness Explorer mouse ears as well as Grape Soda ears.  Then, Eliot translated both of those ear designs into trinket trays for Snowblade Creations.  I've got a few other ideas up my sleeves, so hopefully we'll have more Up inspired items soon!

I'm really hoping that we can get the Up section of our living room decorated at some point sooner rather than later.  I just love this movie so much!  I've got a few other fun and creative ideas to do in the future too... so stay tuned!!!

One thing is certain, my love for Pixar's Up isn't going to fade anytime soon!

Happy 13th Anniversary Up!  °o°

Magical Merchandise: Love is An Adventure

As you know, I'm a sucker for cute Disney merchandise.  This morning, I woke up and immediately checked the Shop Disney website expecting to find the remaining items from the Disney dogs collection.  Instead, I was both surprised and incredibly excited to see all of the new Valentine's merchandise.  In addition to that, there was also a new collection all about love.  Carl and Ellie in Pixar's Up share one of the most popular love stories in the entire Disney franchise.  (The first few minutes of the movie always make me tear up.)  They're the perfect couple to feature around Valentine's Day.

I've always loved the movie Up- so much so that I recently decided to make a section of our living room decorated in all Up themed items.  The imagery of Up has always captivated me.  There are so many symbols of the movie: Carl and Ellie's mailbox, the house floating with balloons, the Grape Soda pin, the Adventure Book, the Wilderness Explorer logo and Russell's outfit, Dug, Kevin, Paradise Falls, and so much more.

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A few days ago, social media went crazy with the release of a few new Up items in stores at Downton Disney in Disneyland.  I knew I had to get a few of them for my growing Up collection and I put my brother on alert in case these items showed up at the local Disney Store.  Lucky for me, everything I was looking for, and more, was available online this morning.  I immediately put everything I thought might sell out into my cart, I checked out and as of this afternoon, I've even got a shipping notification that most of my order has shipped!  Here are a few of the new Up items available:  

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Up House Countdown Calendar- This was the item making major waves on social media.  I love countdown calendars and this one counts down to Disney, Christmas, a birthday and to Paradise Falls!  It's so cute and I can't wait for it to arrive!

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Paradise Falls Money Jar- I've been wanting to make one of these Paradise Falls money jars for Eliot and me.  When I saw this, I immediately put it in my cart.  I love how it has the stickers on the back as well!

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Up House Pencil Holder- This is so cute and I immediately bought two of them this morning.  Ironically, this was also the next idea I had on Eliot's list to design for Snowblade Creations.  (I even wanted to make the balloons for the pencils!)  We could never make something quite this detailed though- so I'm happy Disney made one!

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Pixar Up Pillow- This is so cute!  I didn't buy it, but I love the cute pom pom balloons!

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Up House Succulent Pot- I've been hoping we'd get this design!  It was available in the UK Disney Store a while ago and I've been watching them on eBay but I hadn't bought one yet.  Today, I got 2 of them for less than I would have paid for one on eBay!

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Carl and Ellie Throw- This is also really cute.  I didn't get it because we have so many blankets, but I love how it shows young Carl and Ellie on their picnic.

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Grape Soda Coffee Cup- This is a fun design!  I like how it has the Grape Soda can topper as a lid.  It's also available at Downtown Disney and in some Disney Stores.

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Paradise Falls Welcome Mat- I love this welcome mat!  I didn't buy one, but I am debating getting one to put in the entryway to our living room.

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Ellie and Carl Plush- These have actually been online for a few days now, but I had to add them to this list.  They go so well with this collection!

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Grape Soda Pin- I love this little pin!  Disney has sold them in the past and I've never gotten one.  Today, I decided to grab one for our display.

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Up Desk Mailbox and Stationery Set- I love this little mailbox!  I was thinking about making one for our display, but instead I think I'll use the mailbox from this set in our display.  Then, I can use the stationery products in my office!

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Up Dug Quote Baseball Hat- I absolutely love this hat.  I didn't buy one yet, but I'm thinking about getting one to wear when we finally get our puppies.

This is one of my favorite merchandise releases to date!  I can't wait to add these items to my growing Up collection.  My little Up section of our living room is going to be so bright, fun and happy!  I'm so excited to put it all together!  I hope Disney continues to make more merchandise collections from different movies.  °o°