Random Photoshoot

Awhile back. (Last year actually!) I was hanging out with my awesome friend Emily. We were running around, walking through the woods, and decided to do a spontaneous photo shoot. Go Em!

I went on a Disney Cruise (The Magic) a week ago. Of course, being Disney, there were Disney characters on board.

In all honesty I had more fun with the characters now than I did when I was a kid.  I guess I'm more outgoing and interacted with them more than my younger, shyer 9-11 year old self.

So, If you ever have the opportunity, ask the characters questions. Like, what's your favorite part about flying? Or, I really liked your dancing the other night, can you show me part of it again? (The characters did dance parties) Or, what's your favorite story/book. Where's so and so?  Do you still have your glass slipper? Has Hook given you any trouble lately? Are you enjoying the cruise? You can ask the furry characters yes or no questions, and the face characters anything. Though most of them don't get technology. (with exception to cameras of course) There was a couple getting characters to sign on their ipad digitally and the characters acted in amazement at the "clever devise".

It's really fun, because they stay in character completely, so why not interact with them as though they are that character? Some of them really know there stuff!

Ran into Aurora in the hall after dinner.
Nothing to do with the character but I love my dress in this photo. I got it at a thrift store, did a little altering and it fits perfectly. :D Plus it's practically new.

Later in the week I got Aurora to sign an ornament for one of my friends.
Doesn't she look near identical in both pictures?

My favorite show was hands down,  Disney Dreams. I got to see it twice!
It's not as cool as seeing it live, but you can see a video of it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRqFIWWY-P0&sns=em
It's pretty much the same cast, though a few script things have changed.

 I got a picture with Anne Marie and Peter Pan, they were the two main characters in Disney Dreams.
Possibly my favorite Disney Character picture!

Peter Pan is one of my favorite childhood characters and he kindly signed a photograph for me.
On the floor 'cause I didn't have a hard book or anything for him to sign on.

Never was a huge princess person. (Mulan apparently doesn't count) but if asked who my favorite Disney Princess was, I always said Belle. (she reads)
(However, now it would be Rapunzel, as not only does she read, but she paints, plays guitar, and has a frying pan for a weapon.)

______________________________________________________

Alrighty!

Now you've made it to the bonus character zone!
On the day we were to disembark there was an eight hour delay because of fog. Therefore, bonus cruise day!
These following photos are from that last day, there were 0 lines because it wasn't suppose to happen. Everyone who wanted photos had gotten them.

Pluto! The crew members were so nice, they kept smiling faces even though the delay intruded on the little break they get at ports.

Silly Chip! Giving Walt Disney a mustache...

Chip and Dale were awesome, second favorite character pair I met after Peter and Anne Marie

I was able to get a lot of the characters to sign my bag

The characters were fun, I enjoyed seeing how they were able to give each character a personality through their actions.

My favorite characters were definitely Peter Pan, Anne Marie, Chip and Dale. They were the most "playful". Chip and Dale gave us hugs and "kisses", pretended to draw on Walt's face with my marker (You can see it in the Goofy pics.), and pretty much goofed around. Peter Pan threw paper airplanes at kids in the lobby, was in general very cheerful (asked me if I would ever grow up, I told him of course not.) and both he and Anne Marie gave me a hug before saying goodbye and telling me we'd have to go on an adventure next time.

So, it was fun. Got a couple chuckles from people since I treated everyone as their character. But in turn the characters interacted with me more than a quick greeting and a picture.

I'd do it again, and I don't think I'll ever be to old for Disney. :)

Pink

 I've been sporting pink.

Realizing my problems are small compared to the world's

Trying to be a cheerful light to all I meet

Growing everyday

Missing Africa

Thinking about my friend's accent challenge

Learning to deal with frustration

Tired of "growing up"

Taking time to play with the kids

Realizing how I take my marvelous, amazing and loving family for granted

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them.
-- Desmond Tutu

My Aunt has surgery today.

December 27

She's an amazing cook. 

Helps so many people.

One of the most cheerful people I know.  

Caring. 

Funny.

A role model. 

A friend. 

An important part of my Family.

 And so much more. 

We had fun yesterday, spraying pink in our hair to demonstrate our support for my Aunt. (Middle)
It should stay in for a few washings, so I'm going to keep the pink for as long as I can. (Probably can't get away with it on Sunday...)

Puppy Love

 A little over a week ago we were puppy sitting for one of my friends. (Her unknown Christmas present) He's a 9 week old (at that point 8) Poodle Maltese mix. Adorable little rascal. Most of the time he just sat in my lap while I worked on projects.

Loved to sit on shoulders and watch Andrew play Minecraft

I'd put him on the ground and he'd play "tag" chasing after me as I ran around the living room/kitchen/dinning room. He's fast for a little guy! 

Happy Boxing Day!

Latest Project

For the girl who has hardly sewn anything in her entire life that wasn't all straight lines and right angles, I am really proud of how my latest project has turned out. :D For those of you who don't know, it's Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon. He's made of fleece, and has a magnetic fish he can "pick up".  This took a long, long time. I thought twenty-eight hours over three weeks and my mom thought more like forty. I completed my goal though, to learn new sewing techniques. (Something I felt I should/need to know but really didn't care to learn.) So I present Toothless, the semi flawed stuffed dragon plush. :)

Fly!

His prosthetic tail has a buckle and is removable

There is a magnet in both Toothless' mouth and in the fish

He's over 3 feet long and his "paws" are weighted w/polly pellets

His eyes are sculpted from clay, hand painted, then sealed.

Change of Plans

Change of plans for this blog, any unrelated posts about Africa will be moved to my blog In Process of Me. (My personal/art blog) I'll be uploading posts restricted strictly to Africa related topics here. :)

A Few Photos From Africa

I've never seen such a vivid flower! (Zambia)

I was waiting for the bus, and noticed the above two flowers.(Zambia)

Reserve in Botswana

It's taking me forever to get my (literally thousands of) Africa photo's organized!!There's a bunch of (basically) the same photo, and a bunch of miss shots. (My foot, a random person, a blur.)

Reserve in Botswana

Oh, and as a side note. At some point prints of select photos will be available to purchase. A (undermentioned) percentage of the profit will go towards a (yet undetermined) African organization. The rest of the profit will go towards my college tuition.

The leopard kindly posed for us. (Botswana)

Can you spot the tiny elephants?