The Frozen Mouse Has Returned

Yes, the Frozen Mouse (FM) has returned from a 7 day vacation to Walt Disney World.  Let me say, first off, that I will NEVER make another trip to Florida in September again!!!  The heat and humidity were almost unbearable for this FM, who doesn't handle the heat well to begin with.

Our first day began with a 7:00 am flight, which arrived in Orlando at 9:00 am.  Our twin daughters took Magical Express with all our bags, and my Mr. Mouse and I headed to pick up our rental car.  It was a Ford Taurus, a hybrid.  Our personal car is a Ford C-Max which is also a hybrid.  We had not been notified that our room was ready, so we headed to Magic Kingdom to meet up with another of our daughters and her family.  FM has really bad knees, and uses her own personal scooter, also known as an ECV.  It was the first problem of the day.  Although we knew that the scooter was fully charged, it had no power.  As my granny would say, it's "get up and go had got up and went".  I've never liked the TTC; but when Mr. Mouse has to push the scooter to get it up the ramps, it makes me irritable.  We had a pleasant day with the three girls, the two grandkids, and Jimmy (the son-in-law who is a natural born comedian.  No matter what the problem, Jimmy finds a way to brighten the day. We all had lunch together at Columbia Harbour House, one of my favorite places to eat in Magic Kingdom.  We visited the Hall of Presidents, air conditioned and as the girls say, a great day to take a a nap.  And then we walked across the street to the handicapped viewing area to watch the 3:00 parade.  We met Gaston, posed for photos and got autographs. We went to see Philharmagic, one of my favorite shows.  As I'm writing this, I just realized that I didn't get to the Big Top Souvenir store, another of my favorites. Not only do they have great souvenirs, but they sell incredible caramel apples and fudge.

Mr. Mouse, the twins and I had reservations for dinner at Be Our Guest.  Usually when we eat there, we are seated in the West Wing, but this year we ate for the first time in the grand ballroom.

We were seated down near the windows at the end of the room, and you could sit and watch it snowing in the windows.  It was very beautiful, but also very noisy.  We didn't eat too much because we were scheduled for the Wishes Fireworks Dessert Party.  We arrived around 8 p.m. and were welcomed with a champagne flute of apple cider.  So far, so good.  The tables were beautiful -

but they were soo close together.  Once I was at the table, Mr. Mouse had to move my scooter out of the way, and my chair was tight against the rope that separated the dining area from the food restocking area.  In order for the people at the table next to us to get up to go to the buffet, Mr. Mouse had to stand up and slide his chair in to give them room to pass.  The desserts were mediocre at best.  The cannoli were soggy on the bottom, the chocolate covered strawberries were mushy in the middle, and the canteloupe was hard. Without the scooter, I had to depend on the rest of my party to get my desserts.  The selection of beverages were also limited.  I chose milk, because I couldn't see having hot chocolate in 90 degree weather.  And for this we paid $50/person!  The view of the fireworks was amazing, but I don't think it was worth the $200 for the four of us.  The dessert party was probably the biggest disappointment of our trip.  

We had reserved a room with a roll in shower.  We got back to our room after the dessert party to find that our room did not have a roll in shower. We had been up since 3:15 that morning, and I didn't feel like fighting for a shower, so I adapted the Scarlett O'Hara attitude. I'll think about it tomorrow.

Tomorrow - Day 2

Getting Closer

As of today, we are 29 days out from our next trip to Walt Disney World.  I'm getting more excited by the day, but I have so much to get done in the next month.

I've been working on designing tip envelopes for Mousekeeping. and am pleased with what I have so far.  I think I've done a total of 10 envelopes, although I only need six.  I also decided to do some cast member thank you cards.  These are examples of two that I've done.

I've also been sewing, and have finished two new wristlets - One themed Beauty and the Beast, and the other is a Bright Pink Floral with Minnie Mouse.  After a quick clean up of my sewing area, I've going to start a couple of cross-body bags with a Disney theme.  Check out the shop.

What a Mom Won't Do For Her Kids

Daughter Mary and her family are huge fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Jimmy jokes that he's caught more baseballs at games than he has caught fish in his lifetime.  We're talking serious fans here!

When Mary discovered that MLB had released approved fabrics for the teams she asked if I would make her a wristlet (she would order the fabric).  I said sure, I've made dozens of the wristlets that you see in my Etsy shop and figured it wouldn't take much time at all.  The fabric is really impressive. And before I had a chance to start on the wristlet, Mary looked at me with her big brown eyes and in her sweetest voice said, "What I'd really like to have is a cross body hipster similar to my Vera Bradley one."  How does a mom say no?   I've yet to figure that out.  I had a pattern for a cross body hipster that I bought from Dog Under My Desk, but always figured it was to difficult.  But for my daughter . . . .  So I printed out the pattern, and started working on the bag.  I spent one day just cutting out the pattern, the main fabric, the lining, and the interfacing.  Tuesday, I fused all the interfacings onto the fabric, and double checked that I had all the pieces.  I also hunted out the zippers and prepared them for the bag.  Today I started to sew the bag.  I have the outside done and it's ready to attach the straps.  Tomorrow, I will make the lining and hopefully finished the bag.

I don't think it looks too bad for my first try.  The second bag will most likely be less difficult and go faster.  It's been interesting, and I have to admit, it's been fun.  But don't tell Mary, I want her to think it was a difficult task of love!

Some of My Favorite Disney Food . . . Ooh It's So Good!

Since I'm not a roller coaster fan, I spend most of my time at the shows around the park and thinking about the food.  One of our must-do places to eat on every trip is the Kona Cafe located in the Polynesian Resort.  Most of the people in our party love the steaks there, but I'm more of a chicken person.

On the one occasion that we had lunch there, I got the Polynesian Plate lunch.  It was coconut chicken with sticky rice and macaroni salad.  I loved the macaroni salad and the chicken, but didn't eat the rice.  When we go for dinner, I have to order the pork pot stickers, and I do get the steak for dinner. The pot stickers are served with a ginger sauce, and although I'm not a big fan of ginger, I like this sauce.  And the banana-chocolate creme brulee is to die for.  

Another of our favorite places to eat is the Captain's Grille at the Yacht Club Resort.  On our last visit, I ordered their gnocchi appetizer. They are house made potato-cheese gnocchi served with toasted walnuts, julienne pears and truffle butter.  I thought it was food for the gods!

For my entree, I chose the snow crab legs served with new potatoes and corn on the cob.  The crab legs nearly covered the plate, and that was OK by me.  

So there you have my selections from two of our favorite dining places.  More picks in another post.

Beating the Heat

We are preparing for our next Disney vacation, which will be in September.  September is certainly NOT my favorite month to travel to Florida, but we got preferred rooms at Riverside with free dining. So it was a no-brainer that we would go then.  We plan to leave the day before Labor Day, so Rod will only have to use 4 days vacation as we return home Saturday evening.  Now I just have to figure out some ways to beat the heat.

Let me just say that I have never been in a pool at Walt Disney World.  Because of my weight, I am embarrassed to be seen in a bathing suit.  I do have one, I just never pack it.  The twins have tried to convince me that this year, since I will probably never see the people who see me at the pool, I need to pack that suit.  I'm thinking on that.  I do have to admit though, that it would be nice to relax in some clear, cool water in the afternoon heat.  So, maybe,

I've made some neck coolers, which I may put on my Etsy site.  They are made of cotton and are filled with polymer crystals.  You soak them in water overnight, and the polymer crystals swell and when you put them around your neck, they really do help to keep you cool.

 I also want to purchase a cooling mist fan - it's a spray bottle with a fan attached.  This one is available at Walmart.  I'm thinking that I might need to figure out a pattern for a holder that I can hang on the handles of my scooter.

My favorite way to keep cool in the parks is to visit the indoor shows that are air conditioned.  In Magic Kingdom, it's that Hall of Presidents; in EPCOT, it's the American Adventure. Both of these are great places to sit and cool off, and Rod and the twins can attest that they are both great places to catch a short nap.  I know that a lot of people don't care for the Living with the Land ride in EPCOT, but I love it.  Not only is it a nice cool boat ride, but you get a chance to see some really innovative ways that Disney is growing vegetables.

Have a great weekend, and keep cool.

Sometimes Revisions Must Be Made

I was so proud of the Busy Buddies that I had made and listed on my Etsy shop.  But after my grandkids played with them, I felt that they just weren't what I wanted. The pencils kept falling out, and my grandson had trouble with the loop and button.  So I searched for other ideas and modified them to fit what I wanted.  Now, the new ones, which I call Crayon Wallets are in the shop.  They are more compact, and there is room for a 6" ruler in addition to the crayons, notepad and pencil that were in the former ones.

I'm more pleased with them, and they are "grand kid approved".

I want to make 4 quilt blocks for the quilt along that I joined, and then I'll get on to my next project.

It's a Newsy Day

Today is a news day.  First of all, I'm doing a happy dance today.  After one month with my Fitbit, I am down 9 pounds.  I wish it were more, but they always say that losing slow is better.  So, I'll take it.

I think you know that I have a fabric addiction.  This past week, I've been working to restock some of the wristlets that have been out of stock on my Etsy site.   Saturday I finished two Dumbo wristlets that have been out of stock since January and re-listed them.  I also finished two Winnie the Pooh wristlets which will be listed as soon as the zipper pull charms that I ordered arrive.  And today, I'm working on Tinkerbell and Alice in Wonderland wristlets.  I've always loved the Cheshire Cat, and will be making one of these for myself.

But last week I also received new fabrics for Bambi, Lady and the Tramp, Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, Peter Pan and Captain Hook, and the Seven Dwarfs (really cute). Sew much sewing, Sew little time.  Keep watching my Etsy Store for more new items.

May The Force Be With You

My daughter, Kristin,and her family are huge Star Wars fans, and especially love everything Darth Vader.   So when her family decided to go to Walt Disney World with us on our last trip, we knew that we had to get the kids signed up for the Jedi Training Academy.  The morning we were doing Hollywood Studios and wanted the kids to do the Academy, Kristin and the kids arrived at the park for rope drop and headed straight for the Jedi Training Academy.  The spots fill up quickly, and there was quite a line already.  But they were registered and given a time to return. They took a Memory Maker photo op with the speeders in the Star Wars area, and toured the park while waiting for their return time.

When they returned at their given time, they were fitted for Jedi robes, and then marched as a group to the stage.  There they were introduced to the Jedi Master, who presented them with their light sabers and instructed on how to use them.  Each trainee was given the opportunity to practice with the master.  You have to be 4 years old to participate, and Jake had turned 4 only five days before.  He had a little trouble with his light saber getting stuck, and in this photo the Master is asking him if Mommy had instructed him to say he was four.  Jake told him that he had just had a birthday.  After practicing with the Master, each trainee was given the opportunity to battle Darth Vader.  Here is Izzy "taking down" Darth Vader.

The kids had a great time, and Kristin commented that she wished she could have participated.  Jake still talks about fighting Darth Vader.  With the Memory Package, you have the opportunity to take your photos and add borders.  I made Star Wars cards for both the kids.

If you are looking for something special for your kids to do in Hollywood Studios, check out the Jedi Training Academy.  You will have a great memory, and so will the kids.

Make Cooking More Fun

Before our last trip to Disney, my oldest daughter decided that she wanted to do her kitchen in Mickey Mouse.  She had purchased a few items, and for her birthday Rod and I bought her Mickey salt and pepper grinders and a Mickey glove spoon rest.  Mary is a great cook, but has an uncanny knack for burning herself.  I knew she needed some pot holders to go with her Mickey kitchen.  I found a pattern for Pot Pinchers.  Both my husband and I have a difficult time controlling large pot holders - they always seem to end up in the food.  The pot pinchers seemed like a perfect solution for all of us.  We love them, and Rod hides his to make sure that he always knows where they are.  I added some Disney ones to The Frozen Mouse Etsy site yesterday, and am working on some non-Disney ones to add to the site.

Check out the new items.  You might just find something you like.  

Success . . . Finally

After any hours of internet surfing, copying and pasting, sewing, unsewing, and adjusting dimensions, I finally have my project completed to my satisfaction.  

I call them Busy Buddies. I figure that this buddy will provide lots of entertainment for little ones in church, in a restaurant, on a plane, in a car, or just waiting for an appointment.  It comes complete with a small notebook, a click pencil, and an 8-count box of Crayola crayons.  It’s all put together in a small book, which is easy for little fingers to open and close with the elastic loop and large button.  The back is the same fabric as the pockets.

I'm really pleased with how they turned out.  I have different designs, some are Disney themed and some are not. Now I have to get the items put inside and get them packed and ready to mail when an order is placed.  I think they would make great Valentine gifts or to stuff in an Easter basket.  

Now to move on to something else.

Some Days You Should Just Rest

This week I've been battling a head cold.  A cold always knocks the stuffin' out of me, and this one is no exception.  Yesterday, although I didn't feel so great, I pushed myself to sew.  What I should have done was just rest.

I've been working on a new project that I call Busy Buddies.  The outside will be machine embroidered.  The back will be a relevant fabric, Frozen in this case.

And inside, there will be a notepad, a click pencil and an 8 count box of crayolas. I think they will be a big help to Moms at a restaurant, in church, in a car, on a plane, or just waiting in a doctor's office.   The idea that I based mine on called for fusible batting.  In an effort to cut the cost and the bulk, I used fusible interfacing.  The result isn't good.  The Busy Buddy is flimsy and the pockets are too large.  I should have just rested, but I didn't.  I managed to finish 4 of the Buddies, all but the buttons.  I decided to start with 3 for my youngest grandkids and 4 for my friend Cindy's grandkids, So at least I only have to tear out 4 - I can be thankful for that.  Today I will un-sew those 4 and then rest.  Tomorrow, I will start fresh with the fusible batting and see how it goes after only one.

After reviewing my statistics for the two Etsy stores, my daughter (the former accountant) advised me to close the Linda B's store.  So this week, I have been combining it with The Frozen Mouse.  It involves removing each listing from Linda B's and re-listing it on The Frozen Mouse.  It is quite time consuming, and I've been working on it in the evenings.  I should finish that up tonight.

Maybe while I'm resting, I'll look for more new ideas for the stores.  Stay warm.

Frustration! and Success

The last few days have been a little frustrating.  I've felt like Goldilocks at the house of the Three Bears.  Let me explain.  Currently I'm working on a new item for the Etsy store.  I wanted to make part of it with an embroidery design.  I found a Betamax design that I loved, so I paid for my order and downloaded it.  I put it onto a zip drive, and stuck that zip drive into the embroidery machine, and selected the design.  I get an error message "exceeds sewing area".  So I email the seller and tell her the problem I'm having.  She was very patient, sent me a smaller design, and still I got the same message,  After an hour or two, I decided to give up.  Without my even asking, the seller refunded my money.  Yes, Goldilocks, design was too big!  Aaaaaah!

So I move onto Doc McStuffins.  Same deal.  This seller seems a bit annoyed when I email her, but sends me a different file.  Still same message.  I've given up on this seller - I have enough frustration at this point.  So, Goldilocks, this design is still not for you!  I find another and it fits.  I feel like Rocky climbing the stairs.  But when I stitch it out, there are two white areas above her eyebrows, and a white spot above her head, and another at her side. What's up with that! Oh, I could just scream.
I find another through a Pinterest site (a long way around, I know) and it looks ok, so I buy and download it.

 I stitched it out this morning, and I have success!

I buy a Batman logo, and although it shows in the file on the laptop, it won't show on the zip drive!  By now, Goldilocks is becoming more frustrated. Seems that the porridge has disappeared,  So I quit for a while.

Last night I found a Betamax design, a Doc McStuffins, and a Batman logo.  I also found a Darth Vader design that I absolutely loved.  Some of them were from international sellers, but they worked fine. Two of the designs were from an Etsy seller, and they are stunning - simple yet perfect. The Three Bears have not only arrived home, but invited Goldilocks to stay for dinner.

Right now I have a dozen embroidered blocks to use for the covers, and want to start putting the project together over the weekend.  I'll post photos when they are ready.  Stay warm!

AARRRGH!

On our most recent trip to Walt Disney World, all four grandchildren and their families were with us. I wanted to to something special for them to remember, so  Pappy and I treated them to The Pirate's League.  There are several packages from which to choose.  Kristina (age 14) and Izzy (age 7) both chose the Mermaid Package.  The cost for this package is $39.95, which to some may seem a little high.  But included in this package was their mermaid makeup, and they got to keep the kit.  Their hair was styled and held in place with a color-changing hair clip.  They also received a mermaid necklace, a sash, and the nail polish that was used to paint their nails.  And they got to participate in the Pirate's League Parade later that afternoon.

James (age 11) decided to take the First Mate Package (cost $34.95).  It included the face make-up, a reversible bandana, an earring and eye patch, a sword and sheath, a pirate necklace, and a temporary tattoo.

Jake (age 4) of course, wanted to be Jake from the Neverland Pirates.  His package was also $34.95 and included a Jake and the Neverland Pirate Bandana with faux hair, Jake facial makeup, a sword and sheath, a Pirate League Bag and a Pirate Coin.  Both the boys also got to participate in the Pirate's League Parade.  Jake even had the pirate face down pat!

And James got to lead the parade.  That night when we got back to our resort, I received a text from son-in-law Jimmy thanking me for the experience.  He said it's something James will never forget . . . and he was just a regular kid pirate!

If you're looking for a special memory that will last a lifetime for your kids, give the Pirate's League a look.  You'll need to call ahead of time to make an appointment, but it's worth the time and money.

The Frozen Mouse Loves Fabric

As you can see from the weather icon on the sidebar, it's frigid here in Pennsylvania today.  So I truly am a Frozen Mouse.  But I'm also a fabric-aholic!  And when the weather gets cold, the Mouse goes online shopping.  I have a couple of new projects that I'm working on for the Etsy store, and I needed to shop for some new fabrics.

First I was looking for something new, and secondly I was searching for something suitable for kids (big and small).  I haven't seen the Big Hero Six movie yet, but my grandkids thought it was amazing.  I was tickled when I found Big Hero Six fabric and an embroidery design for Baymax.  I also purchased some new fabric featuring Anna, Elsa, and Olaf. I already had embroidery designs for them.  (Are you curious, yet?) I'm hoping to start the new item tomorrow.

Over the holidays, I sold out of some of my wristlets and was looking for some new fabrics for them.  The cartoon fabric with Mickey and Minnie was a big hit, but look what I found while shopping:

These are the Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse that I remember from my childhood.  I fell in love with this fabric the minute I saw it.  I probably should have bought more of it than I did since it's no longer available from the website from which I bought it.

I also bought some non-Disney fabrics, some Paw Patrol and Skylanders (although I have no idea what Skylanders are).  

I hope your holidays were safe and full of love and hapiness.  May the New Year bring you all the good things that life has to offer.