Patience is a Paintbox

Patience is a virtue,

Possess it if you can;

It's rarely in a woman,

And never in a man!

That poem is a family hand-me-down from my grandparents. They probably loved it because the harsh climate they lived in made for very long, rough winters. It is a poem that has stuck with me, because I realize my shortcomings with patience and actively work on it. (Hubbie snorted when he read that, and said, yeah, right!)

This is a story of obtaining an awesome, vintage Disney paintbox for my Disney Husband's Christmas present. It started off innocently enough, I was browsing around one of my favorite thrift stores. This shop is known for being extremely crowded and hard to maneuver around.

I heard a lady ask to see an item in a locked case. I was on the other side of the case and, yes, I was eavesdropping in on their conversation which went something like this, "I'd like to see that Disney paint box, please." My interest piqued. The shop guy, "Of course, you have a good eye, it's really hidden back there!" The lady exclaimed, "Hmm, there's no paint in this? I'm not sure if I want this!" And finally the guy said, "Well, it will be here if you want to look around, or come back."

I was heading up the stairs at that point so as not to arouse any suspicions, and let the other customer make up her mind on her own! When I came back down I made a bee-line for the case where the paint tin was, and miracle or miracles, it was still there! I ran over to the shop guy and asked to see an item in the case and when we walked over to it and he asked me what I wanted to see, I almost burst out laughing, "The paint tin!" He said,  "I just had someone in here who was looking at that," and I said "I know, hehehe!"

I went up to the counter to pay and I was giddy, I told the guy that I thought it was a real bargain even without the paint that originally came with it, as the graphics were lovely, and no rust-and no real dents or dings! I gave the lady half an hour after she left the store to return and buy the tin, so patience on my part paid off this time. If you see something in a charity shop, or thrift store and the price is right, buy it; because you never know who is behind you peering over your shoulder for the exact same thing!

Vinylmation Around the House

 There's only one Vinylmation Orange Bird in the photo. I noticed him while I was taking photos of the Orange Bird collection. Surprise!

As I've stated before, I didn't really understand Disney's Vinylmation, but I'm coming around. For those of you who might not know about Vinylmation yet, the name is an amalgamation of the words animation and vinyl. Vinylmation was first introduced in 2008, and I thought to myself, I wonder whether this will last? Well, it has only grown in popularity each year!

All the figures are three inches (exceptions are nine inch special edition figures and one and a half inch figures) and shaped like Mickey Mouse but are painted up to look quite differently from Mickey. Each figure is sold in sealed packaging in little boxes or collector tins. You don't know which figure you are buying until it is opened. The figures can be purchased singly or by the case. Cases are by theme, such as Muppets, Robots, or Star Wars. There seems to be no end to the themes. There's something for everybody.

Disney allows people to trade one of their Vinylmations for one out of an opaque, numbered mystery box. If you do not like the vinyl from the mystery box, you can keep yours! They also have clear cases that showcase the traders which you can trade. You can participate at most stores throughout Disney World, Disneyland, and in some cases, the Disney stores in your local malls. Just politely ask a cast member whether they do any Vinymation trading at that particular spot or not. Be careful, you just might get caught up in a whole trading marathon with other customers! You'll be buying each other Vinylmations and trading together, and you might even make some life long friendships.

But I digress, this was supposed to be a short post about vinyls showing up, nay, sneaking into the house and quietly insinuating themselves into my life! How long has that cactus vinyl been there?

O.k. I'll admit that my husband asked me to pick out the robot themed Vinylmation box for him when we were in the Disney Store. He got the robot Pooh and proceeded to place him in with my little Pooh collection. There's more! Stay tuned.

The Case for Vinylmation

They have been growing on me! Yes, Disney's vinylmations are starting to appeal to me, and I thought it couldn't happen. Disney has been putting out some really sweet characters, unique sets that are extremely collectible as a series, and pieces that can even be hung on your Christmas tree! Here are two of this year's Jingle Smells that are ornamental, they are supposed to smell like the treat they hold; gingerbread, pie, but they really don't (don't hold that against them).

 

Here are a couple others that have taken hold in my heart: the grey and pink mouse must have been in every trading box because every time the hubby went to make a trade he'd end up with this mouse.

The pink flowery mouse wouldn't take no for a answer from us as its new owners. It decided to become the protector of my phone and the girlfriend of Remy, another favorite. It is always protecting the phone from being lost. What a good mouse. How can you not love that face? They both have a forever home now. Pink mousie will not be traded away!

Even though I have been neglecting this blog, look forward to a couple more posts on exactly how much fun Disney vinylmations are. Of course, you can read all about them from my hubbie's perspective, a guy who embraced them long ago!

Merry Christmas!

Minnie Loves Halloween!

Group Costume Ideas, continued...

 

One hundred and one Dalmations, do-it-yourself fun for the family and great for the extra hot weather that you can run into during the Halloween parties sometimes!

  

Pirates, always a fun and easy way to dress a group up! It's a popular option.

 

Alright, Captain Kirk was walking by himself, all his crew members were either aboard the  Enterprise or possibly shopping for souvenirs. But what a great idea for trekkie fans! Our group split up, most of us were pirates, the rest, well check them out yourself!

k

2012 Halloween Goodies

Halloween is Coming, Are You Ready?

Halloween is coming! The Parks are decorated and Disney's visitors are already celebrating and going to parties and parades. Will you be dressing up this year? Are you the type that dresses up for the holiday or are you too demure? What's more fun than getting together with all your friends and figuring out what the group can dress up together as?! Do you have any great dress up ideas for a group of friends?

What I Love Most About EPCOT

Lee from Disleelandia has been asking fellow Disney bloggers the question: What do you love most about EPCOT? I have been putting off writing this post because really, what's not to love about this park? So pinning down just one specific thing is difficult, but I'll try. (Reading back on this post, I have failed to pin it down to one thing! Now read on at your own risk!)

This photo speaks volumes to what I feel about EPCOT. It's lively, bright, colorful and lush! Don't misunderstand me, I love the other parks too, EPCOT is just so vibrant!

When the hubby and I visit Disney, EPCOT seems to be the park that we gravitate towards the most. Is it the food, the ambiance; is it Figment or Club Cool? I can't seem to pin it down in words, Maybe by going through some of the myriad of photos we have of EPCOT, I will be able to put my finger on it.

EPCOT is the park of color! So much color, in the plantings, in the buildings themselves, everywhere you look there's a feast for the eyes. EPCOT dresses for the seasons, so you'll never see the same landscapes twice.

These seasonal and constantly changing features make EPCOT so exciting. More so than the other parks, or so it seems to me. Every time we go there, it looks like a different park Your photos and mine will never look alike! (unless we vacationed together!)

 

Could it be the food that's offered at EPCOT? The everyday food offerings are wonderful, here's a sampling for you to drool over: school bread, largest rice crispy treat with carmel–ever, cream puff with fresh wild berries, fish and chips, wild berry bread pudding, adult drinks...

 

 Is it the food offered during the Food and Wine Festival held each year? These tapas style plates are amazing and great fun to try with friends! The more the merrier!

Or is EPCOT so near and dear to my heart because we've met so many awesome people there, taken our friends there and have created long lasting and enduring relationships with them? That just might be the real reason why I love EPCOT the best: because of all these people!

Thank you for reading this post. The best part of writing this was searching through all of our photos. I would be smiling from ear to ear and the Disney husband would constantly be asking me, "What are you doing?" and I'd say, "Trying to write a post!" That's just how EPCOT is. A smile from ear to ear.