There's Magic in Store

It's been months since we last went to the Disney Store.  Ever since the coronavirus pandemic reached the US, Eliot and I haven't strayed too far from home.  In October, I reached the point where I needed to do something, so Eliot and I took a day trip down to Massachusetts to go to a few of our favorite stores.  A week ago, it was time for another trip so last Sunday we drove down to Massachusetts once again.

Technically, Massachusetts still has their ban in place for everyone coming from another state.  I was a little bit hesitant to go, but at the same time, we had a lot of things on our side.  The main reason for our trip was actually to deliver ears to one of our customers.  Since "work" is exempt from this rule, Eliot and I decided we were in the clear.  But, if anyone questioned us, I was prepared to bring up the fact that no one has exactly followed those rules to begin with... including their own residents.  Plus, I wasn't too impressed over the summer when visitors from MA were on all of our local news stations telling everyone that they weren't following our COVID protocols.  

Anyways... last Sunday morning, Eliot and I got up, showered and got ready to travel down to the Disney Store in Burlington.  It was the perfect place to meet since that's where we first met our customer in person while waiting for the Frozen 2 dolls.  We were planning to meet her at 1:00, and after getting stuck in a little bit of traffic, we arrive at the mall around 1:20.  She was already inside shopping while Eliot and I waited our turn to enter the store.  I caught her attention and waved while we waited.

Finally, we were allowed inside.  Eliot and I went to find her and we talked for a few minutes.  She had her 4 year old daughter with her and she was dressed in her Elsa dress from Olaf's Frozen Adventure.  She was really excited about their upcoming trip to Walt Disney World.  Our customer introduced us to her Mom and we talked for a few minutes before she went to the check out and we wished her a wonderful trip.  

Eliot and I wandered through the store waiting for my brother Jeremy to arrive.  (He was planning to meet us there as well.)  He arrived a few minutes later and I waved to him while he waited in line to get inside.  In the meantime, I was so excited when I found some of the Ink and Paint Collection merchandise on display.  I'd heard a lot of items from the collection were making their way to Disney Stores and Disney Outlets so I was anxious to see if our stores got anything.  I had asked for a few items of the collection for Christmas; unfortunately, by the time my parents went to order it, a lot had sold out online.  Thankfully, they had most of the stuff that I was missing... and the best part was that it was all on sale!!!  

Eliot and I grabbed the dessert plate set we were missing, plus an extra set of both plate sets.  They also had the ceramic paint palette serving platter that I wanted.  I actually had wanted three, and they had 4 of them.  We picked the three best plates and also bought those.  They also had some of the drinking glasses and the large dinner plates, but I decided we didn't really need those for our dining set.

However, we found a few other treasures.  Eliot and I bought the rest of the little Ink and Paint Sorcerer Mickeys on display since they were more than half off.  Plus, the cast members had unboxed them so we knew what colors we were getting.  The pink, purple and mint will all live in my office.  Then, I'm putting another mint one on my vanity in our master bedroom.  (He'll match perfectly!)  We also got a few new keys for our collection, as well as a few Christmas face masks that were on sale for only one dollar!  Finally, we ended up buying an Ink and Paint tote bag to put the dessert plates in since the normal Disney Store bags weren't as sturdy.  After we checked out, we took all of our new treasures out to our car to safely pack them in.

We walked back into the mall and headed toward Build-A-Bear.  Since it was closed during our last trip, we really wanted to go there this time.  We wandered around checking out all of the new Harry Potter stuff and Valentine's Day items.  We found a few cute plush snowmen that were on clearance so we decided to buy them to add to our holiday and winter decorations.  (I love snowmen since I leave them up all winter!)

Next, we walked over to Newbury Comics.  We were able to go right in.  Eliot and I browsed the Funko Pops for a few minutes.  We weren't planning to get any, but we found a few that we added to our collection.  Eliot got a Pokemon and Toothless.  We also bought the holiday versions of Flash, Wonder Woman and Superman to add to our Christmas collection.  Finally, I found a Minnie Witch for Halloween.

We stopped by the Disney Store one last time before leaving the mall.  Eliot had realized that we accidentally got charged for two of the reusable bags but we only got one.  (Our fault, not the cast members since we added the Ink and Paint bag after in it's place.)  We realized we forgot to buy our Genie Wishable so we grabbed him, a Donald Wishable for Eliot's office and the reusable bag.  Then, I bid farewell to the store, silently promising to come back to the magic as soon as I'm safely able to.

Once we got back to our cars, Jeremy ordered our take out from the Friendly's by his condo.  We parted ways on the trip up to New Hampshire.  Eliot and I went over to Friendly's to pick up the food while Jeremy went to his condo to grab my new Disney tree skirt that he'd forgotten to bring up to Mom and Dad's house at Christmas.  (He had bought it at the store for our parents since it was sold out online.)  We met back up with Jeremy at the Merrimack outlets, parked next to each other, rolled down the car windows and enjoyed our meal in the parking lot.  After, we finished our food, we got bundled back up and headed to the Disney Store Outlet.  

We found all sorts of fun goodies at the Disney Outlet.  Usually, we don't really find anything that exciting, but it was packed with treasures this time!  They had a bunch of merchandise from the parks that was all on clearance.  We got a Mickey Pumpkin Halloween Votive Candle Holder which was sold out online and going for a ton of money on eBay.  I'm so excited to have one!  I also found the sold out Minnie Candy Corn Witch Coffee Mug that I'd liked from the Halloween collection.  

Eliot and I also found the Mickey and Minnie house ornaments we'd liked when we saw them at the parks.  Eliot bought himself a Matterhorn Bobsled Funko Pop- which has also been sold out.  I found the Tinker Bell holiday shirt that I thought was cute, but never bought.  Finally, Jeremy and I found the new Valentine's Day merchandise and I fell head over heals in love with the new Forky and Karen Valentine's Day plush.

We checked out with our new goodies and headed back to the car.  Jeremy had some extra bubble wrap in his trunk, so we carefully wrapped up our breakable items.  After that, Eliot and I said goodbye to Jeremy.  Then, we hopped in the car and made our way over to the Manchester Mall.  We really wanted to go to BoxLunch since we hadn't had time during our previous trip.  This time, we paid more attention to the clock!

Eliot and I made it to the mall about 30 minutes before closing and went straight to BoxLunch.  We spent about 20 minutes checking out the new store before making our final selections.  Eliot bought a few different things that he'd had his eye on.  I found the Disney Thanksgiving shirt that had sold out online before I could buy it.  I also grabbed a set of Toy Story Alien scrunchies.  I didn't buy any Loungefly bags, but I loved seeing which ones they had on display.

After checking out, we told the employees how excited we were to have a store closer to us than the one at the Holyoke Mall in western MA.  We also said we still needed one in Maine.  The girl we spoke to said they were hoping to expand their market, so fingers crossed that we'll get one at the Portland Mall soon!

After that, we got back into our car and made our way home to Maine.  It was a quick trip down to Massachusetts and New Hampshire, but it was so nice to get out and do something.  Eliot and I enjoyed spending a little bit of time with Jeremy.  Plus, it was so nice to meet up with our customer and to talk to someone else in person other than my immediate family!  I'm sure our trips down to the Disney Store will still be numbered while the pandemic rages on, but we're happy to have the opportunities when they come.  Safety is still the first priority, but I'll take the magic when and where I can.  °o°

Happy 7th Birthday Happily Ever Hatter

It's Happily Ever Hatter's 7th Birthday and it's also National Hat Day!!!

I can't believe it's been seven years since I decided to take the plunge into starting a business and opening an Etsy shop.  At the time, it was long overdue, but I was so afraid of failure.  I put it off for quite a while before I gained the confidence to jump in without a safety net.  But looking back seven years later, I'm so glad that I did.

A lot has happened in seven years.  I wish that I could say it's all been rainbows and unicorns but running a business is hard.  I've had so many experiences that have made it amazing.  And there have been a few experiences with customers and other small shops that have made me wonder why I put myself and my creativity out into the world.  But overall, it has been a magical, wonderful and rewarding experience.

It's hard to believe that this all started because I wanted customized ear hats for Eliot's and my Disney honeymoon in March of 2013.  I made us custom bride and groom ear hats that we wore during our trip.  People loved them and wanted to know where they could get them.  I had a mini photoshoot of them at the Wedding Pavilion.  At the time, I had no idea that my new business was born.  A year later, I took the plunge to open my shop in January and February of 2014, and I haven't looked back since.

In honor of HEH's birthday, here are seven of my favorite memories through the years:

1.) I've really enjoyed making ears for our family and friends.  I love making something special for them.  One of the first custom mouse ears I made were actually for our friend BJ to celebrate his 30th birthday!  I also made a mouse ear hat for my cousin Kaitlin's son Isaac to celebrate his 1st birthday.

2.) Something I'm really proud of is that Eliot and I first created our 3D printed mouse ears, our IllusionEars, in the spring of 2015.  At the time, we were the only Etsy shop selling them and it remained that way for quite a while.  By 2017, they became popular when another shop started selling them.  But as far as we know, Eliot and I were the original 3D printed mouse ears and I'm very proud of that fact.

3.) In February of 2017, Eliot and I were able to meet up with one of our customers who I've since become friends with and keep in touch with.  Our Walt Disney World trips overlapped and we spent a few hours talking with Corey at Hollywood Studios.

4.) Eliot and I have also seen a few of our ears out "in the wild" while on vacation and it's always a thrill.  There are three times that I remember most.  The first time we ran into a customer was when we saw our D23 ears at the 2017 D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA.  Another time, we ran into a customer who had bought football ears for her son while we were walking around the Africa section of Animal Kingdom.  Finally, we've run into two customers wearing our Sharks ears while we were visiting Eliot's Dad and attending a few home San Jose Sharks hockey games!

5.) Over the years, we have had a few popular Disney bloggers and some Instagram "influencers" ask us to make them ears.  It's always a thrill to be recognized by them!

6.) We have also gotten compliments from multiple cast members over the years.  I always feel wonderful when anyone compliments our ears, but it's extra special when a cast member acknowledges how cool they are.  One time, we even got a compliment from Larry Dotson, one of Eliot's and my favorite Disney artists.

7.) Finally, one of my favorite part of making mouse ears has been the fun character interactions we've had.  Eliot and I have had a lot of them, but my absolute favorite memory was when I wore my Minnie Mouse Disneyland 65th Diamond Celebration outfit with my matching custom ear hat.  Minnie saw me when she came out to greet guests, and she grabbed my hand and I got to run along side her to her location.  I've always loved the commercials when the kids are skipping hand in hand with their favorite Disney characters and I never dreamed that would be me one day.

There have been so many other wonderful moments over the past seven years.  I've loved making ears for my travel agent friends.  Every time they post a photo wearing ears that we've created it makes me smile.  I've loved making connections with my customers.  I've love talking to them and creating relationships with them.  I've loved the endless hours of work spent at our dining room table, where I've created most, if not all, of these designs.  And I love how I still use thread that I've inherited from both of my grandmothers to create my ear hat designs.

Happily Ever Hatter has come so far in seven years.  I'm just shy of 1500 sales on Etsy- which doesn't include all of the orders I've taken from my friends and family through PayPal.  We have 3,098 people who like and follow our shop on Etsy and we get new additions all the time.  Our social media accounts aren't as high as I'd like them to be, but I'm happy that we have many quality followers who genuinely want to see what we're posting.  I have no idea how many ear hats, hair clips and 3D printed mouse ears we've made through the years, but it's safe to say that it's been a lot!

There's so much for me to be proud of.  When I take a beat and really think about it, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for where I am.  If there's one thing that I'm most proud of, it's that Eliot and I have worked so hard with our businesses that I was able to leave my "real job" to stay at home running our businesses full-time.  It has always been my dream to work from home doing something creative.  And thanks to the success of Happily Ever Hatter, that dream has become a reality.

This past year has been really rough with the pandemic.  I'd be lying if I said it's been easy.  Our sales were down a lot last year, as was to be expected while Disneyland remains closed and when most people aren't traveling to theme parks.  But I'm still optimistic that things will pick up.  We had an increase of orders over the holidays, and I'm positive that things will bounce back once people are able to travel safely again.

The future for Happily Ever Hatter is bright.  Eliot and I are always working on new 3D printed ear designs.  I've got at least 40 samples of designs that I'm currently working on.  I'm also working on a few new products that I'm hoping to release later on this year.  We've got a lot of ideas and I'm still thinking of new ones.  I'd like to get back to making ear hats again eventually, but we'll see where things take us.

Finally, there's one thing that really resonates with me looking back at these past seven years.  I am overwhelmingly grateful to everyone who has bought something from me over the past seven years.  It's truly humbling to be able to create handmade products that bring a little extra magic into someone's life.  I am also thankful for every like, heart, follow, comment, post, and share we get on social media.  Thank you so much to everyone who has supported our business over the last seven years.  From the bottom of my heart, I am truly grateful.  Because of you, my dream has come true.  °o°

Hindsight is 20/20

Exactly one week ago, Eliot and I were innocently going to the Maine Mall to have our eye appointments.  I'd been putting it off for far too long- first because of our crazy travel schedule at the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020, and then because of the coronavirus.  I'm desperately in need of new glasses.  With the NHL season starting today, I knew it was time to go get my eyes checked.  (This past season, I had a hard time distinguishing the players' numbers and the puck was pretty much non-existent.)

January 6th was a quiet winter day.  Eliot got up and went to work early so he could take time off in the afternoon for our eye appointments.  I drove into town and met him at the park and ride so we could ride up to Portland together.  Aside from the extra precautions and procedures due to the coronavirus, everything was pretty normal.

I was scheduled to go in first, and just as I suspected, I definitely needed a stronger prescription.  I left the appointment feeling good about getting that checked off of my to do list.  Eliot went in after me while I sat in the waiting room.  I ended up talking with another lady in the waiting room while she waited for her appointment.  She was retired and since I work from home, it was a perfect way to get some human interaction after being isolated for so long.  We talked about the pandemic and joked about Eliot getting cookies while I was in my appointment.  We also talked about how volatile people have become online and how we wished people would be civil to one another again.  A few minutes later, she was called into her appointment and Eliot was finished.  We parted ways and I left feeling good- like I wasn't the only one longing for a return to kindness.

Meanwhile, as I was engaged in a kind, honest, civil and respectful conversation with a complete stranger, all hell was breaking loose in our nation's capital.

We left the eye doctor and walked back to our car.  Once settled, Eliot took his phone out to start our online Chipotle order and he was greeted with news of the riots.  He started to read the article, but neither of us had realized how bad it was.  We both assumed that things could get heated, so at the time it didn't alarm me.  We ordered our food and I drove us over to the restaurant.  Eliot went into Chipotle to wait for our order, while I sat in the car and opened up my Facebook newsfeed.  And that's the moment when I realized what was actually happening.

I was greeted with numerous status messages from friends who were enraged about the events unfolding in Washington.  Friends were saying that if you were ok with what was happening in D.C., that you should unfriend them.  I immediately knew things were bad and it was all overwhelming.  I desperately searched for answers.  Since Eliot and I were still out, I wasn't really aware of the extent.  Eventually, one of our friends shared a link to a live NBC News video of the coverage.  It all came into focus quickly.  There were civilians on the floor of the house.  The Capitol building had been breached.

Eliot came back to the car and I told him what was happening.  We watched the video for a few minutes before eating our lunch.  After, we talked about it on the way back to the park and ride.  Both of us were unsettled, but neither of us knew the depths of what had happened.  I dropped him off at his car so he could go back to work for a few more hours.  Then, I immediately called my mother to get more information.  I knew she would have the television on and know what was going on.

As my mother gave me the overview of how everything unfolded, I could tell how angry she was.  I grew increasingly angry as she recounted the days' events.  We spoke for most of my ride home.  As soon as I entered our house, I immediately turned the television on and settled into the couch to soak in as much information as I could.  I was glued to the tv all evening as I tried to digest what happened in our country.

As the days since have unfolded, I've watched in horror as I've learned new details of the riots in the Capitol.  There were bombs planted, guns were inside of a restricted area, a noose was erected, people were wearing Auschwitz shirts, rioters beat police officers, the Confederate flag was inside of the Capitol building and multiple people died.  This makes me sick to my stomach.  How is this the America that I know and love?  How could this possibly happen here? 

This event has hurt me to my core.  I long for the country that I know and love.  I wish I still had faith in the American Dream.  Right now, all I see is hate.  I'm hurt, and I'm scared.  I've been afraid to say anything.  Eliot and I have friends and family on both sides of the aisle.  After last week, I'm afraid to say anything political to anyone other than my immediate family.  (And that doesn't matter since we're all in agreement about everything.)  Just yesterday, one of Eliot's work colleagues made a joke about Jews and he didn't even realize that Eliot is Jewish.  Some people are so blinded by hate that they've forgotten that these people are their neighbors, family and friends.  There were people in the Capitol riots wearing Auschwitz shirts.  At this point in time, I am literally afraid for our safety... so I've sat in silence until now.

The fact that this unfolded while Eliot and I were having our eyes checked was not lost on me.  The saying "hindsight is 20/20" has been on my mind a lot after the tumultuous year we just put in.  After 2020, a lot of things have come into focus for me.  You can't deny that hindsight is 20/20- perfect vision- and you can see the seeds of hatred that have been growing in our country for years.  All last year, you could feel the tension across the country growing.  After we appeared to come together to face the COVID-19 pandemic, we turned against each other just as quickly.  Even wearing a mask became political.  Now that this act of violence has happened, I can't say that I didn't see it coming.  I mean... didn't we all see it, and feel it, coming?

Now, it's a week later.  After endless days of watching way too much news, the House of Representatives officially impeached the president this afternoon at 4:22 pm.  I took in the news as I was making myself some candy apple slices- a recipe that I'd seen online that reminded me of my favorite Disney treat.  How I've longed for the magic I find at Walt Disney World and Disneyland this past week.  They're my happy places amid a world of chaos.  Somehow, those little candy apple slices of caramel, chocolate and rainbow sprinkles gave me comfort in this turbulent time.

Looking ahead, we have one more week until Inauguration Day.  I've been looking forward to that day with a renewed sense of hope.  I long for unity in our country, although, I fear that it is going to take a long time for that to happen... if it ever does.  I want us to be the role model of democracy.  I want us to be the land of the American Dream.  I want us to be the beacon of hope that we've become to so many across the world.  I want us to live up to that expectation.  We're supposed to be the "greatest" country in the world, and I really wish we'd act like it.  We're better than this.

As we move forward from the horrific events that unfolded on January 6th, and as we try to reconcile the divide in our country, I keep coming back to the same thought.  My one and only hope for our country is that we all remember how to be kind- both to ourselves and to each other.  The world needs more kindness.  °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°

A Colorful 2021

Most people are taking their Christmas trees down this time of year.  Yesterday, for the first time in like four years, Eliot took ours down too.  And then he put up our new one.

He's been waiting over a week to put the new one up, and I insisted that we give the old tree one last Christmas and New Year's hoorah.  We're not getting rid of the other one, but after four straight years of service, it's temporarily retired and is resting inside of a nice tree bag.  (We're planning to use that one in our bedroom seasonally.) 

Our new Twinkly tree has it's own LED light shows that are controlled by an app on our phones.  It's a lot like our outdoor Christmas lights where we can control them... so we keep them up all year.  Who doesn't love twinkling lights?  This new tree has settings for single colors, patterns, twinkles, shimmers, other holiday presets... and it even has a way to make customized designs.  Eliot's already designed one for Halloween.  Last night before bed we made one with San Jose Sharks colors for when they play.

The best part was that it was totally meant to be ours.  Eliot and I have been talking about getting another one, if we found it after Christmas when it was on sale.  (We also have the first generation of a Twinkly tree that we got 2 years ago.)  This one was on sale for only $108 when we happened across the display model at our local Walmart a few days before Christmas.  This was a steal considering it was usually $289.  Eliot immediately went to find the nearest associate, who allowed Eliot to take it apart and put it in a tree bag that we also purchased.  It was our Christmas present to ourselves after a tumultuous 2020 and a year of hard work with both of our businesses.

My favorite part of our new tree is that it has a rainbow fade setting.  Now, I can watch rainbows reflecting off of our walls every night.  It's going to be a colorful 2021.  °o°

2021 Disney Goals

Welcome 2021.  I am so glad to finally have you here.

The past few years have been an adventure.  After adjusting to self-employment in 2019, and the rollercoaster that was 2020, I'm hoping that things will settle in down for me a bit in 2021.  I've had a lot of goals that I've wanted to accomplish and I've taken a lot of good steps in order to get there.  Here's hoping that this will be the year I can reach the finish line and check more things off of my lists.

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I've always enjoyed setting goals for myself.  (I guess you can call me a bit of a high achiever.)  Each year, I make a list of goals as part of my New Years tradition.  It's never a huge disappointment when I don't accomplish all of them.  I like to make a lot of goals to give myself some direction.  When I started this blog, I began a tradition of making Disney goals and posting them on here.  Each year, it's something that I really look forward to.  (You can read all of my past Disney goal blog posts: 2014 goals, 2014 recap, 2015 goals, 2015 recap, 2016 goals, 2016 recap, 2017 goals, 2019 goals, 2019 recap, 2020 goals and 2020 recap.)

Much like the past two years, I'm sticking with the basics.  In fact, I've kept most of the same goals as last year and 2019.  The biggest difference is that I've taken off the goals that require traveling.  After last year and the pandemic, I'm going into 2021 planning to stick close to home.  We're going to continue to make magic in our daily lives.  I've even gotten optimistic and added an extra goal.  So let's do this 2021...

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Melissa's Blog and Disney Goals for 2021

1.) Celebrate Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary- Going to Walt Disney World is my first goal of every new year.  Walt Disney World is my happy place, and it's always my goal to go back there!  However, this year, I'm not sure if we'll be able to go.  Eliot and I had plans to celebrate the 50th Anniversary in person, but due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, I'm not sure if that'll be an option for us.  We both really don't want to go if there aren't parades, shows, character meet and greets and fireworks... those are the things that make Disney magical for us.  (Time will tell.)  Regardless of where we are, we're planning to celebrate the 50th birthday as magically as we can!

2.) Get Two Puppies and Give Them Disney Names- Eliot and I have wanted to get a puppy for years now.  After much deliberation, we've settled on the fact that we want to get two.  We're almost at the point where we'll be ready!  The house is nearly there and we're really excited to add two four legged furry friends to the family!  We've even got a few of our top names picked out!

3.) Work on Disney Scrapbooks- I absolutely love traditional paper scrapbooking and I haven't made new pages since we lived in Massachusetts back before Eliot and I were married.  I really want to go through my supplies and to organize them so I can start working on new pages this year.

4.) Decorate the House for the Holidays- I love celebrating the holidays.  We've been living in so much chaos that Eliot and I haven't really decorated in years. (The last time I remember fully decorating was for Halloween 2013.)  We've put a few inflatables out in the yard, but it's not the same.  I really want to get our decorations organized so we can at least decorate for both Halloween and Christmas this year!  If we've gotten the puppies, we might not be able to get everything out, but I'd like to decorate more!

5.) Rebrand Blog and Social Media- This has been a goal for a while now.  I've got a lot of ideas and I'm hoping I can make time to finally do it, and do it justice, this year!

6.) Make Disney Home Decor for the House- I have a goal to decorate the house with Disney touches, but I'd also like to make some handmade decor for our house.  In my mind, it's basically the same thing, but it really isn't.  I've got a ton of ideas (and a ton of lists) and I'm planning to get to work on these soon!

7.) Use My New Disney Princess Planners and Journals- This is a new goal for this year.  I've been wanting to start using a paper planner for a few years now.  I got a new Disney Princess mini planner and journal from my brother for Christmas.  Eliot and I also bought a few more items from the collection.  Now, I've got a huge array of Disney Princess Planner items and no excuses to not be organized.  Hopefully, 2021 will allow me the opportunity to use these calendars in a way 2020 never would have!

8.) Make Disney Decor for the Holidays- I love making holiday decorations; it's always been something I've enjoyed since I was little.  I've got a list that's very long and it only keeps growing.  I'd like to make a few decorations for our house this year!

9.) Make Disney Accessories- I also really enjoying creating accessories that I can wear.  It's like having a little piece of handmade art that I can keep with me.  This year, I'd like to learn to make infinity scarves in my sewing class.  If time permits, I'd also like to work on dresses, skirts, hair accessories and more tote bags!  There are also a few jewelry items that I'm dying to make... so I guess we'll see where this goes!

10.) Have Disney Movie Nights- I haven't really spent that much time on our Disney+ account.  I'd love to go re-watch all of the animated Disney movies.  I'm also hoping to watch a lot of the old DCOMs (Disney Channel Original Movies).  Eliot had the idea to watch the 100 original DCOMs... so maybe we'll do that this year!

11.) Have Disney Board Game Nights- Eliot and I have so many board games that we love playing.  This year, I'm hoping we can unpack them, get them organized and put them on display in our basement so it'll be easy to break a few out to play!

12.) Disneybound/Themed Outfit Challenge- In past years, I've had a goal to wear 25 character or attraction Disneybound or themed outfits, and I'm going to do that again this year.  I'm finally starting to get my clothing organized, and I have a plan to start getting my jewelry out from storage and put away soon too!  I'd really like to incorporate more of my Disney clothes in everyday wear!  Hopefully I'll have a reason to get dressed up and to leave the house this year.

13.) Have a Disney Themed Party- I love having parties and get togethers.  This year, I'm hoping that Eliot and I will get the house finished so we can finally have everyone over for a housewarming party!  It's only taken 5 years... 

14.) Take an Online Class- This goal keeps getting rolled over into the next year.  Last year, I finally signed up for a bunch of classes.  Now, I just need to make time in my schedule to do it!  (Those Disney Princess planners will come in handy!)

15.) Design an Imagineering Project- Eliot and I have always loved brainstorming about new Disney attractions, restaurants, stores, parade floats, shows, and hotel resorts.  This year, I'd like to start doing design work on a fantasy Imagineering project, even if it's just a small one!

16.) Read Disney Books- I have tons of wonderful books- Imagineering books, Disney art books, Disney leadership books and Disney fiction books.  I'd really like to take time to read some of them this year.

17.) Paint Disney Art- I have so many ideas!  I'd like to make a few pieces, especially since we're trying to focus on getting our house finished and decorated!  I've got plans for artwork in our open kitchen, living and dining room area, the bedrooms, and all four of the bathrooms.  I better get to work!

18.) Decorate House with Disney Touches- Eliot's and my main goal (besides our never-ending business goals) of 2021 is to finally get our house finished.  Along with artwork and holiday decor, I'd like to add Disney touches throughout our house.  We've bought a bunch of Disney decor items to display, and I've also got some handmade designs in mind.  (See goal #6.)  Hopefully, we'll be able to get our house painted and get things unpacked and organized so I can work on this!

19.) Launch My Clothing Line- This year, I'm launching my clothing and accessory line!  It's been a dream of mine for years and in 2021, I'm going to make it happen!

20.) Launch Our Home Decor Business- This year, Eliot and I are also launching our new home decor line.  We've been talking about this for over three years and we've got a lot of ideas and the lists keep growing.  Now that we've added a new maker tool to our repertoire, we're getting closer to that dream!  

21.) Create New Products for Happily Ever Hatter- Finally, I'm adding one more goal to my list this year.  I'd like to make new products for Happily Ever Hatter.  We're doing really well with the 3D printed ears.  Last year, we added the 3D printed hair clips to our shop.  This year, I'd like to make some products that don't require the 3D printers or Eliot's time creating the 3D designs and code.  I've got a few new products in the works.  Hopefully I'll have samples of those sometime this winter or spring!

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And that's my goal list for 2021!  As always, I've got my work cut out for me.  Even after the disaster that was 2020, I'm still optimistic that things will work out in 2021.  I love the beginning of a new year and and new chapter filled with possibilities.  

Unlike last year, I'm not going to claim that 2021 is going to be my year.  (I did that last year and it ended up being a hot mess, dumpster fire of a disaster.)  This year, I am going to work hard to make it the best I can- no matter what outside circumstances I have thrown at me.  If 2020 taught me anything, it's that some things are completely out of my control.  So instead, I'm focusing on what I can control.

Since I started to publish these Disney goals for on my blog, I've also started to make a word of the year to go along with those goals.  In the past, my words have been create, growth, blossom, dream, imagination, and conquer.  Last year's word was positivity and I can't tell you how many times I went back to that concept in order to make it through some of those hard days of uncertainty.

With all of that in mind, I've decided that my 2021 word of the year is PURPOSE.  I bounced around a lot of ideas for this word of the year: organization, gratitude, focus, perseverance, magic, happiness... but in the end, I settled on purpose.  The word purpose has two meanings.  As a noun, it means "the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists."  As a verb, it means "one's intention or objective."  Both of those speak to me and this word has a special meaning to me.  I won't go too much into it right now, but this is the word that fills me up when I think of it.

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So with purpose, I move forward into 2021.  Here's to another year of possibilities, growth, learning, achievements, challenges and adventures.  Bring it on 2021.  I'm ready to make some magic and make more of my dreams come true.  °o°

Happy New Year!!!

Hello 2021... may you be infinitely better than your predecessor.

Well friends, we did it.  We survived 2020 and made it into the new year.  Hopefully, 2021 will be much kinder to us than last year was.  I'm feeling optimistic about this fresh start.  We're at the beginning of another chapter that's yet to be written.

If you're here looking for my free calendars, I'm still working on it.  The copy/paste fix I thought might be the solution isn't going to work.  Eliot and I are trying to get my old laptop to start up, but our efforts may be futile.  This might be the end of the calendars until I can get new software to re-create them from scratch.

But I'm not going to let that get me down.  It's a new year and it's time to focus on the positive!  We're gearing up for a busy weekend working on house projects and I'm excited to say out with the old and in with the new!

Happy New Year!!!  °o°