Super Bowl Sunday 2023

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!!!

As you know, Eliot and I are big sports fans.  We love watching the Super Bowl each year.  I've been blessed to have my team in the big dance many times over the past 2+ decades.  The New England Patriots have been a Super Bowl staple for years.

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Eliot hasn't been so lucky... his Philadelphia Eagles have been three times, and only twice during our lifetimes.  They lost to my Patriots back in Super Bowl XXXIX (39) and then they came back to beat us during Super Bowl LII (52)... so at least we're dead even in Super Bowls against each other.  But I've had many more times to cheer for my team in the championship game.  That's why he's so excited to be able to watch the Eagles play in Super Bowl LVII (57) against the Kansas City Chiefs tonight!

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Disney has already announced that the winners of Super Bowl LVII will be heading a bit farther west to Disneyland for their traditional celebratory parade.  Walt Disney World locals are a bit disappointed that the parade is at Disneyland for the second year in a row.  But the parade seems to be going to whichever park is closer to the location of the Super Bowl... and Arizona is closer to Anaheim.  Next year, the Super Bowl is taking place in Las Vegas, so it is likely that the post game parade celebration will take place at Disneyland next year as well... regardless of who is in the game.

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Speaking of Disney, I do have one more thing that I have to share with you before I close my laptop and sign off for the evening.  Earlier today, Eliot and I both got emails from Bob Iger as part of our D23 membership.  The email spoke about celebrating 100 years of storytelling, and gave us a preview of a commercial that will premiere tonight during the Super Bowl.  I took a minute to watch it, and it definitely brought a few tears.  I'll have to watch it again to really grasp the entire thing, but I'll wait for the premiere during the big game.  If you want to see it, here it is!

I hope you enjoyed this commercial and that you have fun watching all of the ones that premier tonight!  Hopefully it will be a good game too!  For now, it's time for me to get ready for the game!  Eliot is currently on his way over to the supermarket to get stuff to make nachos and other game time snacks.  I've gotta go get the kitchen prepped!

I can't believe that I'm even saying this but... Go Eagles!!!  °o°

Super Bowl 51

These past few days have been some I won't soon forget.  Monday morning I woke up feeling like I'd had the most bizarre (yet incredible) dream.  I don't even know where to begin.  Even after I've had time to let it all sink in, I'm still rendered speechless: The New England Patriots are Super Bowl Champions once again!!!

And what a game it was... I've talked about how much I love the Patriots.  I grew up watching them every Sunday when I was in high school.  I begged my parents for my Tom Brady jersey; the jersey that I faithfully wear to this day.  I'm a born and raised Patriots fan.  And my whole family is.  Where I'm from, it's a way of life.

We weren't always this good.  I was a fan back when we didn't make it to Super Bowls, when we lost in the playoffs (when we made it to them) and when we weren't expected to do anything big.  I was a fan when I'd get the paper copy of the JCPenney catalog (remember those?) and the Patriots would never have any merchandise in it.  I would search high and low, and always come up with nothing.  We weren't good enough.  I was a fan and was devastated when we made it to Super Bowl 31 and lost to the Packers (1996), dreaming of the day we'd finally win a Lombardi trophy of our own.

But things change.  I was a fan when a young Tom Brady took over for Drew Bledsoe when he was injured.  I was a fan when we finally made it back to Super Bowl 36 (2001).  I was a fan when Tom Brady led us down the field and when Adam Vinatieri made that field goal as the game clock ran out.  I was a fan when we finally did it: we won our first Super Bowl.  Everyone rejoiced.  I even made myself a custom pillow to commemorate it.  My parents bought Jeremy and me Super Bowl 36 throw blankets.  I cut out tons of newspaper clippings- photos that are still on the wall of my bedroom at my parents' house to this day.  They still make me smile.

And I was a fan for all the other ones: Super Bowl 38, 39, 49 and now.  Through the wins, and the losses, the highs and the lows.  From the agony of defeat, to the celebration.  To attending the Patriots victory parade and rally on a cold January day in 2004.  To going to my first ever game at Gillette Stadium on a really cold December day in 2012.  To finally having merchandise available for us to purchase.  To my team becoming a football dynasty.  I've been a true fan throughout it all.

On Sunday, I had a pit in my stomach all day.  I was excited, but nervous excited.  I had a bad feeling about this one.  On top of that, I'm incredibly superstitious when it comes to the Patriots.  I've had my Tom Brady jersey laid out, neatly folded in the same location since the AFC Championship game.  That was National Polka Dot day, and I wore my Minnie Mouse brooch.  Do I take it off?  Leave it on?  I hate to admit this, but I've been debating it for the past two weeks since the AFC Championship game.

About an hour before the game, I went upstairs to change into my outfit- the same red pants, a white undershirt and my Tom Brady jersey (still with the Minnie brooch).  I found Duffy's little football costume that I made him years ago.  Since it's delicate and handmade, he only wears it during big games.  I dressed him up in it, and made sure Eeyore and Brother were all set with their jerseys.

I knew it was going to be a long night long before the game even began.  I was super emotional watching the promos before the game.  Then, when President Bush and Barbara Bush came out from behind the flags, I started to cry a little.  I laughed it off, but I knew it was going to be a long, emotional night no matter the outcome.

The first half wasn't pretty.  I'm not going to relive it.  It's not something I want to talk about.  Missed opportunities, bad plays and a series of awful took us into the half with a score of 3-21.  I'm not going to lie, it looked pretty bad.  These were not my Patriots.

I went into overtime feeling a bit dejected.  I perked up at the beginning of the Pepsi Halftime Show; Lady Gaga was a fun choice and I hoped she'd sing some of her older songs.  I've always thought she was an awesome performer.  And she absolutely killed it.  Diving into the stadium, drones, flying, flips, dancing, cool lighting effects, stellar vocals and some poignant subliminal messages.  I loved the show, as did many of my friends judging from their Facebook posts.  (Note to self: add Lady Gaga songs to current playlists.)  This was probably my favorite half time show thus far.

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After that awesome performance, I put my game face on.  "We can do this!"  I went upstairs and the Minnie Mouse brooch came off and was safely tucked back into it's drawer.  I came back downstairs and rearranged our plushies into the order they usually sit on the couch.  (I should have known to put them in their normal order.)  It sounds crazy, but superstitions Melissa won out.  And I felt a lot better afterwards.

The third quarter didn't start how I'd hoped.  The more I saw, the more disappointed, disgusted and deflated (haha, pun totally intended) I got.  This one meant something to us.  It was a chance to prove something.  I'm so sick of all the hate against us.  No, we haven't always played fair, and I'll own that.  The past few years haven't been the easiest with the whole Deflategate and witch hunt nonsense.  (Don't even get me started on that...)  This year was the Revenge Tour.  A lot was at stake, including Tom Brady's place in history as the best quarterback ever.

I started losing a bit of hope.  One by one, I watched my friends Facebook status messages as they went from pre-game elation, to misery.  I know plenty of people who wrote them off and went to bed.  Or they changed the channel.  They couldn't stomach it any longer.  This was supposed to cement our place in history, and it looked like we weren't going to get the outcome we'd hoped for all season.  That golden moment.

A lot of New England fans wrote them off.  Heck, I was tempted a few times.  But I hung on.  I held out hope, even if it was just a small shimmer.  I kept telling myself that they've done crazy things in the past, why should this game be any different?  Still, it seemed impossible and the NFL announcers kept reminding us that it was definitely improbable.  Over and over I told myself that if anyone could do it, it was the Patriots.

And they came back.  The New England Patriots did something that was supposed to be impossible.  They came back and they won.  They scored 31 unanswered points to win Super Bowl 51.  When they tied it to go into overtime, I shed a few tears.  This was impossible wasn't it?  I'm pretty sure I held my breath the entire overtime.  When we got the final touchdown in overtime, I literally didn't believe it.  I waited with baited breath for the call that the ball was over the line.  Then, I promptly burst into tears.

Emotions overcame me as I sat on the couch and sobbed happy tears.  I had just witnessed the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history.  Heck, I think we all witnessed the greatest Super Bowl in history.  In 50 years, it has never gone into overtime.  In 50 years, no one has come back from a deficit that big.  It was one for the history books.

In the end, Super Bowl 51 had 37 records that were broken, set, or tied.  And there were so many firsts: 9 Super Bowl appearances, 4 MVP titles, 5 wins by a coach, 5 wins by a quarterback and so many more.  After this, I think we can all officially agree that Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are the best coach/QB duo ever.  Although, we Patriots fans have known it for awhile.

New England might be the most hated team in the NFL, but they're my team and I'll cheer them on no matter what.  And this one, it really meant something.  This one was a season's worth of work, a whole lot of heart, a task that sometimes seemed impossible, and to be honest, it was a little bit spiteful.  And I'm 100% ok admitting it.

If the Patriots never win another Super Bowl while I'm alive to see it, at least we won this one.  (Although, it should be noted that I'm perfectly ok winning many more...)  The 2016-2017 Revenge Tour is complete.  History has been made.  Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are officially the best this league has ever seen.  The Drive for Five was successful.  We got "One More" and we're bringing another title home to Boston.  And most importantly, my beloved New England Patriots are Champions once again.

Thank you 2016-2017 Patriots for one heck of a ride this season.  I'm thankful to be a part of Patriot Nation.  And as I look back on this game, I'm always going to remember something my Mom taught me growing up: it's never over until it's over.  °o°

An Excused Absence

Hey everyone.  Yesterday, I briefly touched upon my absence from my blog.  Eliot and I have been insanely busy.  If I thought we were busy before, I didn't truly know what busy was.  I've been burning the candle at every end possible, but it's all good.  I've been so busy the past few days, that I haven't even had time to work out.  And since that's one of my main goals right now, that's really saying something!

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder... hopefully you will all look past my unplanned extended absences of late.  I really do miss blogging.  Unfortunately, with the half marathon creeping up on us, I'm going to be training more than ever... possibly daily.  (The 10K is 3 weeks from today... yikes!)  Since showing you photos of me training or hunched over the table working on ears would be pathetically boring, I'll give you an overview of what else has been happening the past few weeks!

A few days after my National Hat Day post, Elissa returned to Maine for her second semester at UNE.  Eliot and I were glad to see her.  We had a night to catch up before she had to return to school.  She even came with a few Disneyland goodies!  Yum!!!

The following weekend, my parents, Nana, Jeremy, Elissa, Eliot and I all got together in Portland to celebrate Jeremy's birthday weekend.  Jer turned 30 last month.  My "little" brother isn't so little anymore!  We went out to dinner at Friendly's, then went to the movie theater.  Dad, Jeremy, Elissa, Eliot and I went to see Passengers and Mom and Nana went to see Hidden Figures.  I really enjoyed the movie, and taking a break!

The next morning, Eliot, Elissa and I went to breakfast, also at Friendly's, before having a quick birthday celebration at the hotel, and then saying goodbye to everyone around noon.  (We all wanted to get home long before the Pats game started.)  I made sure to wear my Minnie polka dot bow brooch, since it was National Polka Dot day!!!

Speaking of the Pats... I'm so incredibly excited that my boys made it to the Super Bowl again!!!  I've watched the New England Patriots since I was little.  I won't lie, this year is especially sweet after everything that's happened.  We're the most hated team in football, and I couldn't care less.  They're my team; I'm so excited for the big game!!!

Of course, Eliot and I have been super busy with ears.  Eliot's designed tons of new IllusionEars.  We've listed a ton of new designs in my shop.  I've been cranking out new headband and ear hat designs.  There are a ton, but I'll try to share those soon!

In the few times I have allowed myself a break, I've either been watching the San Jose Sharks, playing Emoji Blitz, using the new Disney Coloring app, or attempting to relax and watch one of the few television shows I still keep up with.  I've really enjoyed those short breaks, especially since they've been few and far between.

Surprisingly, we haven't had tons of snow.  We were expecting to have a really bad winter and I was gearing up for a snow storm a week.  But, it hasn't been that bad.  We had one storm last week that caused me to have a snow day home from work, but that's been it.  That day, it wasn't really snowing so much as it was icy and hailing.  The roads were horrendous.  I had little tiny balls of ice all over my car the next day!

Finally, we've been gearing up for our trip to Walt Disney World at the end of the month.  It's quickly approaching.  As excited as I am, this is probably the first time I haven't been counting the days down to our trip, mostly because it means the race is coming too!  I'm feeling a little bit better about it though.  Plus, it's hard not to get excited when you open up a package with the brand new Magicband 2.0.

So, there you have it!  We haven't been doing anything out of the ordinary- just working really hard and getting things done!  Like I said before, this month is probably going to be sporadic with the blog posts, but I'm going to cut myself some slack.  There's only one of me and I'm doing all that I can.  I'm calling it my excused absence.  Between work, ears and training, I often don't have time to do anything else.  However, I've got tons of posts that I'm mentally preparing.  I might be here less often right now, but I'll definitely be back full force as soon as I'm able to be!!!  °o°

Super Bowl XLIX Champions

"We are the Champions my friends!!!  And we'll keep on fighting 'til the end!!!"  Congrats to the New England Patriots for winning Super Bowl XLIX!!!

I am so excited!!!  The Pats are my team.  I'm a fan through and through.  I've watched them since middle school.  I remember spending Sundays with my Dad and brother watching the Pats games in our living room.  I'd ask Dad what calls meant and thus, I actually know quite a bit about football.  (I'm not one of those "bandwagon" fans.)

The Pats have gotten a bad rap lately.  I'm not getting into the whole "deflategate" thing.  As far as I'm concerned, you're supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. Nevertheless, that whole debacle makes this win taste that much sweeter.  After all, the Patriots seem to do better when it's them against the world.

Photo Source: No Idea I Saw This Shared on Facebook

I admit, we've gotten a bit spoiled up here in New England.  Over the past 15 years, we've brought home 9 championships between the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics and Bruins.  We New Englanders like to think of Boston as "Title Town" or "Championship City."  We like to think of Tom Brady as the "Lord of the Rings" and now we have one more championship to add to the list.

Photo Source: Red Sox Maniac

Sunday, I spent the day preparing for the big game.  I wanted to make myself some Patriots ears to wear during the game.  I've been planning to make some for a while now, but the Super Bowl called for some special attire.  I love how they came out!

Eliot and I had the idea to dress Duffy up as a football to go with Eeyore's Patriots uniform.  He is small enough to be a football right?  The result is beyond adorable.

Throughout the day, (and the days leading up to the game) I found some funny things in my Facebook newsfeed.  This video and song was a favorite of mine.  I found myself humming it while working on Duffy's costume.  (Note: There is some inappropriate language in here both visually and verbally.  Please do not show this to your children.) 

"We gon' beat the Seahawks... don't believe us just watch..."  Sorry... anyways...

A few minutes before game time I put Duffy in his football costume.  I grabbed my Tom Brady jersey and my ear headband and prepared myself (aka psyched myself up) for the game.  I placed Eeyore and Duffy on the couch with me and was ready for kick off! I enjoyed Idina Menzel singing the National Anthem.  She totally killed it!

Watching the game was not as enjoyable.  I was on the edge of my seat most of the game.  By halftime, I was seriously starting to sweat it out since we were tied.  I did relax long enough to enjoy the halftime show with Katy Perry.  The dancing palm trees and sharks were pretty interesting... those beach balls certainly aren't deflated.

After the halftime show, I settled in for what would be a long second half.  There was a lot of me screaming at the television.  I probably said "I can't watch" about 50 times.  I started to give up somewhere during the 3rd quarter when the Seahawks started to pull away.  In the 4th quarter, I decided to drown my sorrows in a slice of chocolate cake and then we suddenly started to play better.  (Magic cake?)

By the time we scored another touchdown, I was so emotionally invested that I literally started to cry tears of joy.  (I think I completely shocked Eliot with my investment in the game.)  Those last few minutes dragged by like years.  I hid behind my hands on and off the entire time.  I was devastated when Seattle was only yards away from the end zone.  When Butler caught that interception I was in complete shock.  Before I could fully register all of the events of the last few minutes, we had won!!!

WE WON THE SUPER BOWL!!!  Ahh!!!  (I proceeded to walk around the house with a goofy stupid grin on my face for the rest of the evening.)  Of course, I had to watch the trophy ceremony.  The Pats filmed the obligatory "You've just won the Super Bowl, what are you going to do next?" commercial.

Once the Pats return home, they'll be hometown heroes as they ride throughout the streets of Boston in the traditional parade of Duckboats.  I'm thankful the parade has been postponed due to weather.  I'll be able to watch it Wednesday before work!!!

Photo Source: Boston.com Facebook Page

I have to admit that I'm relieved.  After all the naysayers saying crap about the Patriots being washed up, about Tom Brady being too old, they've done it again and proved them wrong.  The Patriots have another Super Bowl win.  Tom Brady has his 4th ring and holds many NFL records.  Bill Belichick and the coaching staff has brought another team to victory.  PatsNation is proud.  We never stopped believing.  "When you wish upon a star your dreams come true."

Go Pats!!! °o°

I've Got The Blues

There's no denying it; I've got the post Walt Disney World trip blues!

We've been back a little over a week and I'm still adjusting back to the "real" world after another magical Disney trip.  It's always a bit of a let down.  The cold Maine weather certainly isn't helping things!  I'm getting back into a normal sleeping pattern after that crazy race schedule.  Things are settling down.  But I'm looking forward to our next trip! I've decided that the best cure for what ails me is to keep the Disney magic alive!

The first Disney thing I did upon our return was to eat the Minnie Mouse candy apple we bought on our last day.  I've brought home an apple a few times now, and I think it's something I'm going to continue to do.  It's nice to have a little piece of Disney World magic to enjoy at home!  Plus, they're delicious!!!

I've been learning a lot at my new chiropractic job.  I have training this weekend and I'm excited to learn more!  I think I'll feel more confident once I learn more terminology. Walt Disney loved to move forward, pave new paths and to learn new things.  I'm definitely stepping out of my design oriented comfort zone, but I'm enjoying it!

Speaking of jobs, my travel agent job is going really well too!  With all of the excitement for our trip I haven't had a chance to make the big announcement: I am excited to announce that Key to the World Travel is now An Authorized Disney Vacation Planner! We were given this special designation by Disney Destinations as a result of our ongoing commitment to planning customized, magical trips to Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort and Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa, vacations on board Disney Cruise Line and incredible journeys with Adventures by Disney.  This is so exciting for our company and I'm really looking forward to what's in store for us in 2015!

When I haven't been working, I've been going to the craft stores to get supplies for Happily Ever Hatter.  (I've had to get supplies for current orders and new designs.)  If there's anything I can count on, it's that I'm going to come back from Walt Disney World with more design ideas.  I sense a lot of design work in my future!

One perk of going to all of the craft stores is that I can also check out the Disney stuff. We've had a few finds over the past few days!  I found a Disney Guess Who Game on sale at ACMoore.  It was on sale for $4.99 (from $6.99).  Then, we had a coupon and we got it for another 20% off!  Woo!!!  

The other night, I found a Thomas Kinkade Disney Calendar while Eliot was at Staples printing something for his Etsy business- Snowblade Creations.  I've been looking for the perfect 2015 calendar and I finally found one!

My favorite find was the Disney Holiday Scrapbook Paper Stacks I found at JoAnn Fabric and Crafts.  I'd heard about these paper stacks though my Disney Scrapbook group on Facebook but I haven't been able to find them.  Our store finally got their shipment!  I found them this week and luckily all scrapbook papers are currently 40% off!  I threw my willpower out the window and completely caved getting the 12" x 12" and 8" x 8" paper stacks.  (My Disney holiday addiction is in a happy place right now.)

Finally, I can't forget the news that's rocking all of New England!  Our beloved Patriots are going to the SuperBowl again!  Yay!  I've always been a huge Pats fan.  I follow football more closely than the Celtics playing basketball or the Red Sox with baseball. The only reason I'm somewhat up on the Bruins is because Eliot's a huge hockey fan. (Even then I know more about his team- the San Jose Sharks.)  The Pats and football are my territory.  I'm pretty excited for the big game in a week!  That'll definitely give me something else to look forward to.

Things are really looking up!  I think I'll be able to rid myself of the post Walt Disney World trip blues.  All it takes is a little bit of faith, trust and pixie dust!!!  °o°

Super Bowl Sunday

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!!!

Now, a lot of you might be wondering why I'm talking about football.  Yes, I'm a girl- and yes I watch football.  I don't watch it as much as I used to.  But I chalk that up to having more responsibilities that take up more of my time.  When I was in high school, I'd watch the New England Patriots every single weekend with my Dad and brother.

Eeyore even has a Patriots outfit!

You can imagine how excited I was when the Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVI back in 2002.  It was my junior year of high school and I was old enough to remember the taste of defeat from Super Bowl XXXI in 1997.  Tom Brady lead the Patriots to victory in the last 2 minutes and it was completely crazy.  I was so excited.  Then, I saw this commercial on the Disney Channel a few days later and I nearly cried.

I still remember how exciting it was to be a New Englander.  My physics teacher spent the entire class period reliving the awesomeness of the game with us.  My Mom and Dad bought Jeremy and me commemorative Super Bowl throw blankets.  (At the time, we never imagined that the Patriots would become as successful as they have.)  I made myself a pillow with the Patriots logo and the Super Bowl date on it to match my blanket. And to this day, I still have countless newspaper clippings taped to my bedroom wall at my parents house from their first Super Bowl victory.  There's even this picture: Tom Brady with Mickey Mouse!

Photo Source: Boston.com

A couple years later, the Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVIII (2004) and again the next year XXXIX (2005).  I went to the celebratory "Duck Boat" parade in 2004 and I'll never forget how much fun I had.  (The laptop with my photos from that day has since bit the dust and I'm still trying to see if I can recover the photos off of the hard drive.)

Photo Source: Walt Disney World News

In Super Bowl XLII (2008) and XLVI (2012), they didn't quite have enough to win against the Giants.  But the Patriots have done well and made it to the playoffs most years.  And let's face it, I really can't complain.  I actually lived in Boston when the Patriots, Celtics, Red Sox and Bruins all won championships.  (The celebratory parades are super fun!) I've experienced it all first hand, and not everyone can say that.  Eliot's favorite team, the San Jose Sharks, haven't made it to the Stanley Cup Finals yet... so no complaints here!

Photo Source: AFGrant

I am a little disappointed the Patriots didn't make it to the Super Bowl this year.  I thought they stood a good chance.  At least they made it to the AFC Championship game!

Eeyore was disappointed with the score during the AFC Championship game.

Anyways- whoever wins this evening, it's sure to be a good game!  Eliot and I are going to watch the game with a few of my cousins so it should be a good time.  Good luck to both the Seahawks and the Broncos!

Oh, and whoever is named the Super Bowl MVP, please tell Mickey that I said hello!  °o°