Saturday, December 31, 2016

2016 Year In Review

As the final hours of 2016 wind down, I thought I'd take a look back at my year and all that we accomplished.  Compared to my 2015, 2016 was a breath of fresh air.  I really got into the creative flow and it never stopped flowing!  Eliot and I made a lot of steps forward with both of our businesses and our house, and I'm very thankful for that!


2016 Year In Review:

January- Eliot and I had a slow start to the year.  At first, it was depressing as Disney got rid of a bunch of their attractions the week after the holidays.  The first wave of celebrity deaths happened, and I tried to do my best to "find the fun" like Joy would say.  But things looked up as Eliot and I jumped back into working on the house, and I started to work on a few of my craft projects.  A little retail therapy also helped.



February- Things started to perk up in February.  Although, Eliot and I both spent part of the month sick and on medications.  However, we celebrated Valentine's Day and our dating anniversary.  We really enjoyed watching the Disneyland 60th television special.  And, I received some great news, that Cinderella was going to the ball.


March- The end of February and beginning of March was a little rough on me.  It was the one year anniversary of losing Papa, and then his birthday was at the beginning of March.  I moved forward as best as I could.  We got more stuff done around the house; I met up with some of my Key to the World girlfriends.  We celebrated Easter.  And, at the end of the month, my family finally booked our first Disney Cruise.


April- In April, things started to get busy.  I officially announced that I was going to Disneyland with a few KTTW girlfriends at the end of the month and that I was going to be there for Dapper Day!!!  Of course, time sped forward from there.  Elissa and Eliot's Dad Rick came out to visit UNE.  Eliot and I got a new car.  I was extremely busy making ears and making my Disneyland trip goals.  Then, I was off for a mini vacation!


May- May started out wonderful as I celebrated my first ever Dapper Day!  Right after I returned from my trip, I celebrated my three year blogiversary!  I recalled all the fun of my quick Disneyland trip.  I tried to get all caught up before our next trip to California in June.  Meanwhile, Eliot and I were barely even sleeping as we kept watching his team, the San Jose Sharks, advance to the Stanley Cup Finals!!!


June- June had barely started before we were off to California for Elissa's graduation and a week at Disneyland!  We had an amazing time at Disneyland, graduation, the Walt Disney Family Museum and watching the San Jose Sharks in the finals at the Shark Tank!!!  Upon returning home, we sent love to Orlando.  We celebrated the opening of Shanghai Disney Resort.  We saw Finding Dory and we participated in the Color Run.  Elissa came to visit for a few days and for her college orientation at UNE. 


July- Eliot and I went to celebrate the 4th of July in Bar Harbor.  Our friends BJ and Katie celebrated their 5th wedding anniversary.  Disneyland had it's 61st birthday and we officially got our tickets for the 2017 D23 Expo!  We worked around our house, helped Mom and Dad with Nana's and Papa's camp, and kept ourselves really busy!


August- August didn't start out so great since my Disney Store order got messed up, but things turned around.  Eliot and I went north for Isaac's Olaf birthday party.  Then, we tried to enjoy our summer in between working on ears, soap and watching the Olympics.  Before we knew it, Elissa was here and we spent a fun weekend together before moving her into college!  Then, it finally sunk in that we were going on our first Disney Cruise in a month!


September- Eliot and I started September by flying out to California for our friends Ryan and Katherine's wedding.  Then, it was full speed ahead with ear orders for our WDW, cruise and KeyCon trip.  In between that, I was still prepping for our trip.  We celebrated the one year anniversary of buying our house, as well as our 4 year wedding anniversary.  We worked overtime to finalize the last sets of ears until it was time to leave for our trip.  I attended KeyCon before we set sail on the Dream.


October- October started off with us out to sea on our Disney Cruise and then enjoying a few days at Walt Disney World!  Hurricane Matthew almost kept us in Florida for a few extra days, but we made it home safely.  After having such a great time, re-entry was hard.  However, Eliot and I dove right back into making and releasing new IllusionEars and that kept us busy.  Before we knew it, it was Halloween!


November- I ended up avoiding the internet for most of the first half of November.  It wasn't planned, but the election made the internet a bit too toxic for my taste.  Plus, Eliot and I were busy as we started working on the house again.  We celebrated Mickey and Minnie's birthday, then we celebrated my 32nd birthday!  Eliot's sisters Sara and Elissa visited with us for a week and we enjoyed our Thanksgiving.  We saw Moana and it was absolutely incredible!!!


December- December flew right by.  I spent a lot of time at the beginning of the month making hats.  But it wasn't all work and no play; we did make time to go see Moana again.  Mid-December, I got some really exciting news!  Then, before I knew it, it was time to drive up to my parents' house for the holidays.  Eliot and I celebrated Hanukkah and Christmas up in Bar Harbor with my family.  And we've ended the year with a few more heartbreaking celebrity deaths- totaling more than I've never seen before.


Which brings us to 2017... 

What's next for Eliot and me in 2017?  We'll be spending our New Years Eve down in New Hampshire with my brother, parents and Nana.  Then, Eliot and I will continue to be busy working on new designs for our businesses.  We're also gearing up for the Princess Half Marathon weekend and our trip to Walt Disney World in February!  In the not so immediate future, we're hoping to get settled into our house this year.  We'll also be making a few appearances at Disneyland!  I'm pretty excited for what's in store!


So, there you have it!  It's been quite the ride 2016.  I know a lot of people are ready to say goodbye to you, but I had a pretty good year personally.  I'm thankful that I do yearly reviews because I'd forgotten about half the things I did this year!  Sometimes, we're so busy that it's easy to forget all of the small things that make up the year.  As far as years go, mine was pretty good!  We have a lot of great memories from 2016.


Cheers to another wonderful year.  Now, I'm ready to say goodbye to the old, and to say hello to the new memories we'll make next year.  Goodbye 2016!  Hello 2017!!!  °o°
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Friday, December 30, 2016

Final Recap of 2016 Goals

Another year is coming to a close.  I've got to admit, 2016 has been quite a rollercoaster.  For me, it's actually been a pretty good year overall.  But I think it's safe to say the world is ready for a do-over.  Thankfully, we only have a few more hours until we can start anew!

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As always, I set some goals for myself this year.  I posted my 2016 Disney and Blog Goals on January 2nd.  Now, as the year winds down, the time has come to recap the results of those goals.  I've never actually completed a full list, (spoiler alert: that hasn't changed!) but it's something to aspire to.  I love making goals for each year and seeing how many of them I can achieve!  The past few years, I've made a new tradition to publicly post some of my blog and Disney goals here for you all to read!  (You can read my other goal posts at these links: 2014 goals2014 recap2015 goals2015 recap.)

For those of you who are new, or for those who need a refresh, here is a short version:

Melissa's Blog and Disney Goals for 2016

1.)  Go to Walt Disney World
2.)  Go to Disneyland
3.)  Go on my first Disney Cruise
4.)  Sign Up and Train for the 2017 Princess and Tinker Bell Half Marathons
5.)  Participate in a few Blog Hops
6.)  Achieve Monthly Blog Goals
7.)  Make Disney Décor for the Holidays
8.)  Have a Few Friends as Guest Bloggers
9.)  Make Disney Accessories
10.)  Have Disney Movie Nights and Disney Board Game Nights
11.)  Disneybound Themed Outfit Challenge
12.)  Continue Happily Ever Hatter's Growth
13.)  Have a Disney Themed Party
14.)  Take an Online Storyboard Class, Online Art Class
15.)  Design an Imagineering Project
16.)  Read Disney Books
17.)  Paint Disney Art
18.)  Prep for D23 Expo 2017
19.)  Design a Miniature Scene
20.)  Work on Top Secret Blog Ideas

I think it was a pretty impressive list.  I added five more goals than I had for 2015.  And I knew when I made it that it was a pretty lofty list of goals.  But, I like a challenge.  So, without further ado, here's how the results of my 2016 goals stacked up:

1.)  Go to Walt Disney World- Goal Met
This is always one of my main goals every single year.  I'm pleased to report that I went to Walt Disney World in September/October and I had a marvelous time at my happy place!!!

2.)  Go to Disneyland- Goal Met
Last year, we went to Disneyland for the 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration and my goal was to go one more time before it ended this year.  Not only did I get to go once for Elissa's graduation, but I got to go with two of my girl friends for a mini vacation weekend!

3.)  Go on my first Disney Cruise- Goal Met 
This was a new addition to my goal list, although it's always been a goal of mine.  2016 was finally the year I was able to cross this off my personal bucket list!!!  Our Disney Cruise was amazing and I can't wait to go on another one!!!  I think it's safe to say I'm addicted!!!

4.)  Sign Up/Train for the 2017 Princess and Tinker Bell Half Marathons- Goal Met
This goal has plagued me for a few years.  In 2014, I didn't complete the WDW half, and in 2015 I had severe foot problems and was unable to complete the WDW 10K.  Eliot and I have signed up for both Princess and Tinker Bell.  I haven't trained for Princess as much as I'd hoped to, but that's basically my #1 goal between now and then.

5.)  Participate in a few Blog Hops- Goal Met
Before this year, I'd only participated in one blog hop in 2014, and then I didn't do any in 2015.  This year, I participated in every single Disney Pixar Blog Hop that was hosted!  Not only did I have a blast, but I'm very proud of all of the projects I created too!  Here they are:

Blog Hops

6.)  Achieve Monthly Blog Goals- Goal Met

This has always been a difficult goal for me.  It's hard to set aside enough time to complete these tasks each month.  This year, my goal was to do at least one tutorial each month, one fun find a month, and to have 150 blog posts for the year.  While I didn't get 12 DIY tutorials done each month, I did more than I have in any other year and I'm so proud of that.  Plus, I crushed my fun find goal and finished the year with 160+ posts!!!  Cross this one off of the list... this goal is (finally!) outta here!!!  But before I move on, here's a recap of my fun finds:

Fun Find Fridays

Genie's Jokes from Aladdin
Disney Medley
Wonderful World of Disney- Disneyland 60
Share Your Ears
Disneyland Paris St. Patrick's Day
March Magic
Retro Disney Easter Parade Videos
WDW Spring Dapper Day 2016
The Little Mermaid Live in Concert
Brian Hull
Grand Opening of Shanghai Disney Resort
Elephant & Mouse
Disney Puppies Video
Walt Disney Family Museum
Shop Disney Parks App
Black Friday Deals
Disney Magic Holiday

7.)  Make Disney Décor for the Holidays- Goal Met

As you know, I absolutely love the holidays.  I have a list a mile long of Disney holiday decorations to create.  This year, I tried to focus on getting a few done for our house!  I didn't make as many as I'd originally hoped to, but I'm so proud of all the ones I did make: 

DIY Projects

Mickey Candy Heart Valentine's Day Sign
Gimme Tsum Lovin' Wreath
Mickey Button Flower Vase
Tinker Bell Fairy Garden Lantern
Olaf's Winter Snow Sign

8.)  Have a Few Friends as Guest Bloggers- Goal Not Met

I didn't have any guest bloggers this year, and I am a little bummed out about it.  I really need to get a few more friends and family members on board for some posts.  Everyone is always so busy, but I'm determined.  Plus, I think it's time you heard from Eliot again!

9.)  Make Disney Accessories- Goal Met
I had a ton of ideas for Disney inspired accessories that I wanted to make.  While I wasn't able to tackle circle skirts or infinity scarves, I did get a few other things done.  (Plus, I bought way too much fabric for future scarves...)  I'm really proud of my original dress designs.  I can't wait to make more of them.  Plus, I did tackle a few in the form of DIY projects: 

DIY Projects

Tinker Bell Pop Purse Charm
Pink Polka Dot Minnie Mouse Sun Hat

10.)  Have Disney Movie Nights and Disney Board Game Nights- Goal (sort of) Met
I absolutely love watching Disney movies.  Lately, Eliot and I have been trying to watch more of them- especially the ones we haven't watched in forever.  I'm happy to report that we watched a ton of Disney movies this year.  We didn't have specific movie nights, but we still were able to watch Aladdin, Hercules, Mulan, Big Hero 6, Brave, The Little Mermaid and more.  I even got him to watch all of Tangled without falling asleep (finally!!!).  On the board game front, we still haven't even unpacked them.  So, we'll have to do that next year!

11.)  Disneybound Themed Outfit Challege- Goal Met

This is a new goal for my Disney list, but I had a ton of fun with it so it stays!  I originally wanted to do more Disneybounds, but I need to work on my single color wardrobe pieces for that.  However, I definitely had at least 25 Disney themed outfits throughout the year.  I always wear Disney outfits to the theme parks, and I've started to wear more of them at home.  My favorite of all my outfits was definitely my Diamond Celebration Minnie outfit from Spring Dapper Day at Disneyland!

12.)  Continue Happily Ever Hatter's Growth- Goal Met
This year, I really focused on getting some new designs done.  I've been working on a few of them for years now, and I'm so happy to have brought them to life!  Eliot also dove head first into the world of ear making.  He's been obsessed with creating tons of new designs for our IllusionEars line.  We nailed this goal!  (Now we just have to finish listing them on Etsy!)

13.)  Have a Disney Themed Party- Goal Not Met
This is a goal of mine every year.  I love having friends and family over to visit.  This year, we had planned to have a housewarming party in the spring, but then the house wasn't ready.  I thought we'd still be able to pull off my birthday party, but we were so busy making mouse ears all fall, that didn't go as planned.  However, I'm not too upset about it.  I've got awesome ideas for our housewarming party, so hopefully, it'll happen in spring/summer 2017!

14.)  Take an Online Storyboard Class, Online Art Class- 
Goal Not Met

I'd love to learn how to storyboard and I've been dying to take a storyboarding class online for a few years now.  (It's been a goal of mine since I started writing these on my blog.)  I still haven't done it.  2017, I'm making time no matter what.  And, I also have a few other art classes I'd like to take.  I'm determined to cross this off in 2017!!!

15.)  Design an Imagineering Project- 
Goal Not Met
Eliot and I talk about Disney Imagineering projects like we're actual Imagineers.  We love to brainstorm designs for new rides, restaurants, hotels, stores, and hotel resorts.  I'd really like to actually draw something out, make some renderings or even (gasp!) make a model like I did in college.  Now that I'm out of school, not doing it for a grade and on my own time, it sounds like it'd be fun.  So stay tuned...

16.)  Read Disney Books- Goal Not Met
I have so many wonderful books.  I have a large collection of Imagineering books.  Last Christmas, my parents bought us four Art of Disney books and Eliot and I got another one for Christmas this year.  I also have a ton of other Disney books.  And I didn't read a single one this year.  Next year, I'm cracking open some books.

17.)  Paint Disney Art- 
Goal Not Met

This is also a continuing goal of mine.  I still haven't checked it off the list, and I'm actually glad about that.  We're still finishing our house, but I have started to decide where I'd like to have some artwork.  So hopefully, next year I'll be able to show you some of my own art displayed throughout our house!

18.)  Prep for D23 Expo 2017- Goal Met

Well, I didn't have too many high hopes for this goal.  It was mostly brainstorming.  But, the most important thing is that we have tickets to the D23 Expo next year.  Now, the real fun of finalizing my outfit and making it begins!

19.)  Design a Miniature Scene- Goal (sort of) Met
I specifically kept this goal general since I didn't know what I'd want to make.  In the end, I finished one of the designs I've had floating around in my head for a while now.  My DIY Tinker Bell Fairy Garden Lantern has finally come to life and I'm so happy with how it turned out.  Now, I want to make more of them for different seasons.  And I'm also really inspired to make more complex mini scenes!

20.)  Work on Top Secret Blog Ideas- Goal Met
This is a continuation from my goals from last year.  I have so many business, blog and design ideas that it's insane.  But, the world is competitive and I don't want to spill them all here.  Thankfully, I was able to start checking some of them off the list in the form of completed DIY projects and tutorials, taking the leap and making my customized dresses and making some of the mouse ears I've been wanting to.  There's a lot more in store.  I'm not going to keep this an "official" goal, but you're still going to reap the rewards!

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So, there you have it!  Overall, I think I did pretty good considering how crazy busy Eliot and I have been.  Most of these have made appearances on my 2014 and 2015 lists.  (This is the most blue I have ever seen!!!)  Honestly, I'm ready to set some of these goals aside and to conquer new things... and to finally cross a few more of these fun, creative goals off in 2017!  

2016's word of the year was BLOSSOM and I think I achieved that.  I worked really hard on my blog and my business ideas and I also dove into a few new projects.  Everything was received really well and I definitely felt like I blossomed more as a person too!

Thank you 2016, for the lessons you've taught me and for the growth.  Bring on 2017!!!  °o°
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Thursday, December 29, 2016

Exciting News!

I don't know about you, but I could use a pick me up right about now.  Fortunately, I have some really exciting news I've been dying to share with you!  I actually found out about two weeks ago, but I wanted to wait until it was ok to announce it before I spilled the beans... I'm going to be a brand representative for Oh Sew Magical!


As you may recall, Oh Sew Magical is one of the stores I talked about in my Small Business Saturday Shop Small blog post a few weeks ago.  I'm a big fan of Linsay's designs.  I already have three of her skirts, one set of capri leggings and an autograph shirt.  (And I also have three more skirts on order or on their way to me!) 


About a week or so ago, Linsay posted on her Instagram that she was looking for brand reps.  Of course, I immediately thought that I had to sign up for it.  She was looking for people with annual passes, who would be willing to take high quality pictures of themselves wearing her designs in the parks!


That Friday morning, I made a collage of myself with Minnie Mouse- surrounded by some of the patterns I have Linsay's designs in.  Then, I posted that picture to my Instagram along with why I thought I'd be a good Oh Sew Magical brand rep.


Sunday evening, I received a private message from Linsay telling me that she had selected me to be a brand representative for Oh Sew Magical!  I literally squealed with glee.  (Eliot wondered what the heck was going on.)  I told him, and then proceeded to dance around the house grinning like an idiot for the remainder of the evening.


I'm so excited to represent a small shop like Oh Sew Magical!  Stay tuned for lots of pictures with me wearing my skirts, leggings and shirts.  (And you'll probably see a few posts of yours truly over on Oh Sew Magical's Instagram page too!)  I'm definitely planning to order many more of Linsay's designs!  Yay!!! °o°

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Two Lost Stars

Hi friends, I hope you had a wonderful holiday.  Eliot and I had an amazing time visiting with my family at my parents' house.  I was going to write up a Christmas recap and to show you some of the Disney stuff we got, but I'm not feeling up to it tonight.  Instead, I'm counting my blessings and extra thankful for the time I spent with loved ones.

I'm sure you've heard, the world lost Carrie Fisher, aka Princess Leia, yesterday.  My Facebook and Instagram feeds were filled with sadness and sorrow over the loss of our beloved princess.  But Carrie was so much more than that, she broke barriers for women, spoke out about mental illness and she was an incredible woman.

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A few minutes ago, I learned that her mother, Debbie Reynolds passed away earlier today.  I'm completely devastated for that family... to lose two family members in less than 48 hours is incomprehensible.  I can't even begin to wrap my head around it.  I feel so awful for Carrie's daughter, Billie.  My mother and Nana are two of the most important people in my entire life.  I can't even fathom losing them both.

Of course, the Disney and Star Wars family mourns the loss of these two amazing women too.  I'm not a diehard Star Wars fan, but I enjoy the movies and I was planning to re-watch them all in 2017.  (Someone really needs to get her Star Wars timeline straightened out.)  And the Halloweentown movies were always a favorite of mine growing up.  It doesn't feel like Halloween until I've watched at least one of the movies.

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It feels like 2016 has been cruel to celebrities... or maybe I'm just getting older and now I actually know who more of these people are.  Nevertheless, I'm hoping that 2017 will be kinder to all of us.  Rest in peace Carrie and Debbie.  Thank you for sharing your talents with the world.  You will not be forgotten.  May the force be with you both. °o°

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas!  I hope you had a joyous day with your loved ones!  Eliot and I have had a wonderful Christmas.  We've had a relaxing day, we've enjoyed spending time with my family and Santa completely spoiled us, as always.


And I kind of gave a Christmas present to my blog... yesterday was my 500th post!  I had actually planned for this to be my 500th post, but apparently I lost track along the way!  That's ok!  I'm proud of my little blog and so happy to celebrate this milestone! 

It's been a great day, but I'm totally exhausted.  We're getting ready for bed since we had a late night last night.  Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!!!! °o°

Saturday, December 24, 2016

Happy Hanukkah!

Happy Hanukkah!  Eliot and I are spending the first night of Hanukkah and Christmas Eve with my family gathered in the living room around the Christmas tree.  Eliot's electric menorah is lit, and Daddy's Christmas lights are twinkling along to the music outside.  (It's our own spectacle of dancing lights.)  This is as close to perfect as we can get.  All is well.  It's a beautiful night no matter what you celebrate.


I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday weekend with your loved ones!  Wishing you a Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!! °o°

Friday, December 23, 2016

Flashback Friday: Chrismukkah Edition

Happy Chrismukkah!  Eliot and I love to celebrate both of our holidays, and this year it truly will be "Chrismukkah" as Hanukkah starts on Christmas Eve.  In honor of them colliding, I thought I'd do a special Flashback Friday.  Since we're still getting our house situated, we didn't get a changed to decorate.  (Boo!)  I wanted to share pictures of our decorations from the past so you can see what's in store when we finally can decorate.


These pictures are from my apartment in Marlborough, MA.  This was from Christmas 2008, my first few months out of college, when I was unemployed and when I lived alone in a one bedroom apartment.  I had plenty of time to decorate.  And I had a blast!


Wall-E was Eliot's and my big obsession back in 2008.  Eliot got the large robot and I found a few smaller ones.  I made a Hanukkah display with one Wall-E holding the blue Christmas lights and the other one getting ready to light the menorah.


I also decorated my kitchen.  I made the decorations for my cupboards.  If you look closely you can also spot a "little chef" near the stove!!!


This gingerbread Mickey and Minnie snow globe was my gift from Eliot.  This was our first Christmas dating and wanted to get me something special.  I absolutely love it!


Finally, Tinker Bell in a Santa style dress used to be my Christmas tree topper.  I was so excited to get her from the Disney Store.  She still works, but since she's made with fiber optics, we don't light her up as often.  I don't want the fiber optics in her to die!


These next pictures are all from Eliot's and my apartment in Woburn, MA.  We moved in together when Eliot was finishing up college and we had a beautiful two bedroom apartment with a loft.  These pictures are all from Hanukkah/Christmas 2010. 


This is the first year I went all out with Hanukkah decorations.  I had a lot of them, and we had them everywhere.  I had window clings on all of the windows.  I found Winnie the Pooh with a dreidel at a local craft fair.  Of course, I had to get him!


These little Mickey, Minnie, Stitch and Eeyore snowballs were cute to add to the blue and silver Hanukkah vibe.  I love the Mickey Hanukkah banner that I found on eBay.


I got snowflake Tigger from the Disney Store.  Then, Build-A-Bear had the kippah (or yarmulke) and the tallit as a set.  I bought a few of them and was thrilled when it fit! 


Then, when it was time for Christmas a few weeks later... it looked like Christmas exploded in our apartment.  It was great!  Our bright red couch fit right in...


We put a ton of our Disney Christmas plush on it.  Most of these are the ones that Eliot bought himself.  He loves Eeyore and Stitch!  I really love how I had the idea to put our Grumpy and Tinker Bell Santa hats on the throw pillows!


Of course, we always have plenty of Mickey and Minnie plushies around!


This is Eliot's little table of Christmas Eeyore plush.


Here's our Christmas tree of mostly Disney ornaments.  On the counter, you can see my Cinderella Castle figure and the singing Tigger Jeremy got me one year.


This is our side table.  I love the little Mickey and Minnie plush.  This is the only time I've put up my Toontown Christmas Village.  It took me for-ev-er to track all the pieces down on eBay, and I paid a pretty penny for it.  I'm looking forward to it making it's grand re-appearance next year!


We added a little pizazz to the television area with a bunch of my Tigger plush.


Then, the rest of my Christmas Tiggers were placed on the stairway to the loft.


Here's a better view of our light up Disney lamp post.


I really loved having the open stairway to decorate!  I had so much fun hanging all of the stockings!  Plus, at the top of the stairs, I put Santa and his reindeer on display on the half wall of the loft.  (Eliot bought me all 9 of them for Christmas one year.)


Finally, here's my Mickey Wreath advent calendar that we bought at Walt Disney World years ago.  I'm so excited to countdown to Christmas next year!!!


As you can see, we have a lot of fun holiday stuff!  (And this isn't even all of it...)  Yet, another year goes by without having any of our holiday decorations out.  I won't lie, I'm a bit bummed out.  But, that only makes me more motivated to finish unpacking and painting the house!  I'm really hoping we can go all out next year!  It will be our own Chrismukkah Disney Winter Wonderland!!!  °o°