Rapunzel Archives - Journeys Are My Diary

Wednesday Wishlist – Rings and things…

May 11, 2016 by Bel 2 Comments

I may have forgotten to publish this yesterday (oops!)

So recently I’ve found myself looking at rings. And yes, I guess they could be looked at as engagement rings but they are also just pretty rings right? These are some beauties that I’ve picked out which are really spectacular and some that are much more affordable. No surprise that they are Disney themed!

Disney Rings

Majority of these really nice rings are from places like Etsy or custom design jewellery websites. However some are from places like Hot Topic, Disney Couture and TruffleShuffle. Can you spot which ring is which character, in the case of Ursula, Maleficent, Ariel, Elsa, Rapunzel and the Evil Queen?

My favourite of them all is definitely the Ursula themed ring (black ones on the bottom line) as these are just so unusual. I love the idea of a black ring instead of something silver/gold. A shop called Lakewood Treasures on Etsy is definitely the place to check out if you have a fair bit of cash and want something really beautiful and unique. Other favourites come from Disney Engagement Ring, Gemvara and Razo’s Ring Shop.

While gold isn’t really my colour, I do love the Belle rose ring too but that’s more because I love anything Beauty and the Beast. I also used to own the Believe ring pictured, but sadly it wore down to the actual metal because I wore it so much!

What would be your dream ring, Disney or otherwise?

The Disney Princess Tag

April 12, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

Everyone loves a tag every now and again and sometimes I’m too busy when I get tagged or other times I’m just not that interested in the tag itself! However Amy over at Cocktails in Teacups tagged me in “The Disney Princess Tag” and I definitely couldn’t resist. If you would like to read her answers, you can see them here – but here are mine! (remember it’s just Disney Princess movies, nothing else).

1. Which Princess do you like the least?

I don’t really dislike any of the princesses, but I guess Snow White, Aurora and Tiana would be my least favourite. Snow White because her voice is so high pitched and annoying in the movie. Aurora because she’s sort of nothingy and Tiana just because I’m not really a big fan of the movie as a whole.

2. Which Princess do you adore the most?

Belle is and always has been my favourite princess. We share a name for a start (though hers is spelt nicer than mine), we both have brown hair and brown eyes, plus she has one of the coolest stories. I also love Ariel and Rapunzel though.

3. Which Princess do you relate to the most?

I think it’s pretty hard to relate to a princess when you’re not one, so those who start off as princesses like Ariel, Jasmine, Merida and to some extent Aurora. While they might have it tough or even lonely, they are still princesses at the end of the day. There are parts of everyone’s stories that I guess I can identify with but probably Belle the most.

4. Which sidekick do you wish you had?

Possibly because Beauty and the Beast is my absolute favourite anyway, but I would love both Cogsworth and Lumiere as sidekicks. They’re so incredibly loveable, even in their strange ways. I would also the genie – both for his sense of humour and of course his magic. (If Mulan was a princess, I’d say Mushu to).

5. Which best friend(s) would you like to hang out with?

To me this question is sort of like the sidekicks one, as in most cases the characters have animals or unusual characters as their best friends. If we’re talking people then definitely Lottie from The Princess and the Frog. However again, Genie (he’s Aladdin’s BFF for sure) and if Hercules was allowed (which sadly it isn’t), Pegasus would be up there too.

6. Which Prince would love you?

I don’t know about which would love me, but I hope “Beast”, as it all fits with my love of Beauty and the Beast. However I adore Flynn and Prince Eric, so I would happily have either of them too.

7. Which parents would raise you?

This is a toughie as you don’t see a lot of parent action in some of the movies, or if you do then it’s often one parent. I think perhaps my dad is most like King Tritton. He was always pretty strict but under it all he had such a big heart. He also had some qualities of Zeus (again not allowed) but he was loud and larger than life. My mum is probably most like Queen Elinor from Brave. She also reminds me somewhat of Rapunzel’s mum and (if it was allowed) Mrs Darling.

8. Which castle do you want to live in?

I would happily live in any castle – I’m not fussy! No surprise though that I love the Beast’s castle – both before and after the transformation. Rapunzel’s castle would also be great, especially on the nights with lanterns.

9. Which dress do you wish to own?

Rapunzel’s wedding dress would be my all time favourite pick, but I love her other pink/purple dresses too. After that it would have to be Belle’s green dress. Cinderella’s blue dress from the action movie would be awesome as well, so would her wedding dress though. Honestly though, I’d rather be a villain than a princess.

10. Which voice do you wish you had?

To sound like, or to sing? To be honest this is something I have never really thought about. I guess Belle or maybe Rapunzel? Just to sing and have animals clean would be good though right?

11. Which two Princesses would be best friends?

I always think of Ariel and Belle being friends, perhaps because I identify with Belle and consider Amy to be Ariel. However I also thing their desire for more in their lives, is also something that would bond them. I also think Rapunzel would easily fit into their friendship group.

12. Which two Princesses do you think would hate one another?

I don’t think Disney Princesses hate, isn’t that sort of their main quality? However I imagine Snow White’s voice would grate on everyone (and if it were allowed – Mulan is a bit tom boyish, so may struggle to fit in).

13. Which two sidekicks would make a good duo?

Pascal and Abu for sure. They don’t speak but they would just give each other those looks. Mushu (if allowed) and the Genie would make a great duo too.

14. Which two Princes would be best buds?

I think Flynn and Eric are pretty similar. They’re both light-hearted, energetic, (handsome) guys. I always imagine the original princes (Prince Charming, Prince Phillip and Snow White’s “Prince”) would be good friends.

15. Which scene makes you cry?

Without a shadow of a doubt, when the Beast “dies” in Beauty and the Beast, I always cry – it doesn’t matter how many times I see it, or even if its Disney on Ice, or Disney Live at WDW. Also the lantern scene and Flynn “dying” in Tangled. To be honest, there is pretty much something in every movie that makes me cry or at least get a lump in my throat.

16. What scene makes you cheer?

I love when Kristoff realises he loves Anna and heads back to the castle to save her. I also love when the Beast transforms and Belle says “it is you” as she looks into his eyes. When Mother Gothel falls out of the window (that’s a bit morbid.. oops).

17. Which movie is your favourite soundtrack?

This is UNFAIR as my favourite is Hercules and it’s not allowed *poutyface*. However playing by the rules, I love Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid. I also love loads of the songs from Pocahontas which is a surprise really as it’s fairly low on my list of favourite movies.

18. Which scene makes you cringe the most?

I honestly can’t think of anything really, because Disney isn’t designed to make you cringe! I’m pretty sick of Frozen these days though so simply the mention of it can make me cringe, especially Let it Go.

19. Which story do you wish was your life?

I think I would be happy to have any princess story really, because who wouldn’t love to experience the life at least once. However again, no surprise, but I would pick Belle’s. I’d also happily take Rapunzel’s, Ariel’s or maybe surprisingly again, Cinderella’s.

20. Which movie do you love the most?

I think all my answers have made this choice really obvious but Beauty and the Beast is by far my all time favourite, second place is tied between The Little Mermaid and Tangled.

I don’t tag anyone to take this tag, but if you want to then please feel free and by all means leave your links in my comments as I’d love to read your answers!

Pop Funko Collection

August 19, 2015 by Bel Leave a Comment

Though I could quite easily have made this post a wish list – the truth of the matter is, I’d pretty much like every Pop Funko in the world. Disney is obviously my main collection, but I have one from Harry Potter (and want the rest), one from The Walking Dead (and would probably like a few more) and definitely definitely would like any Marvel and DC comic ones. However instead I decided just to share with you my current Pop Funko collection, as it grew somewhat over this last weekend!

So this is my main Disney collection of Pop Funkos. It all started with Belle in her yellow dress (which Amy bought for me and is now near on impossible to get), along with the Beast that Amy bought for Chris and it just sort of became mine! Over time, the collection has grown to include Lumiere, Cogsworth and Belle in her blue dress (just like I cosplayed at the weekend). Tinker Bell came from Hot Topic when we went to Florida, as did Ariel in her town dress (though that was via mail). Gus in the Glass Slipper, Rapunzel and Ariel (as a mermaid) came from SFCC, this weekend just gone. Maleficent was a gift, Groot came from a Loot Crate and Judge Doom belongs to Chris.

However this isn’t all we have between us, there is more!

While not all these are Pop Funkos of course (its just a geek hole really), there is Jigsaw who belongs to Chris, as does Jason. There is Stan Lee (an LFCC special) still in its box, who is probably my most expensive purchase. There are then mini Pop Funkos (or pocket as I think they are called) in the form of Elsa, Anna and Olaf, then Maleficent and Evil Queen too who are a tiny bit bigger. Again, not funko but there is Olaf, Pooh and Anna on keyrings, along with a random collection of blind box figures!

Harry Potter is from Hot Topic and he’s an exclusive. Instead of the regular Harry Potter, who comes with a wand, this Harry comes with the sword of Gryffindor. I’m still undecided as to whether or not I want to get regular Harry, but I do know I want Voldemort next. He’s amazing.

Finally my last Pop Funko has just found a new home in my glass cabinet. He’s Daryl Dixon from TWD and he’s on a motorbike. He was my second most expensive Pop Funko and I’ve wanted him for so long that at MCM Comic Con in May, I treated myself.

With several more conventions in the works, I’m sure my Pop Funko collection will continue to steadily grow. When I got my first ever, I couldn’t possibly believe I would end up collecting them. But here I am!

Wednesday Wishlist – Hot Topic

April 15, 2015 by Bel 6 Comments

As you know, I’m in Florida!! Now, instead of gazing hopelessly at a computer screen and wanting all the Hot Topic products, I can actually go and get them! Today I’m sharing my Hot Topic Wish List with you and you’ll just have to wait and see if I come back with them all!

A. Dumbo scarf – ever since buying my Princess Quotes scarf and my Doctor Who one, I’ve realised just how much I like wearing a scarf. This Dumbo scarf is a little different to the ones I have, as its an infinity (loop) scarf instead. The print is so cute though and I think I’d genuinely get a lot of wear from it.

B. Belle compact mirror – I’m a huge fan of this more grown up style of sketch and as Belle is my favourite princess, this mirror really appeals to me, even though I’d barely use it I’m sure. It’s neat and stylish though and it would make a great edition to my handbag.

C. Anna and Elsa Pocket Pop Funko – I mentioned in my wishlist post last week, that Megan and Lily already own the Pop Funko figures of Anna and Elsa, but that they stay in their room, rather than with my collection. I’d love to get these pocket figures, just to sit with my collection and represent!

D. Once Upon a Time’s “Evil isn’t born, it’s made” vest/tank top – as yet, I haven’t bought any vest tops from Hot Topic, largely because I really went off them as an item of clothes, due to my fat upper arms. However as summer comes around again and now I’ve lost a little weight, I’ll be looking forward to embracing them again. This t-shirt is just amazing and it would definitely be one of my “must-haves”. There are loads more though, to be honest.

E. Alice in Wonderland/The Little Mermaid tights – If you read my shopping post a few weeks ago, you’ll know that in preparation for this holiday, I bought myself some new dresses. One of those was Alice in Wonderland and the other was The Little Mermaid. Obviously in Florida it will be far too warm for tights but when I come back I’d love to keep on wearing my dresses. As such these cute tights would couple nicely with each dress, to make an awesome colder weather outfit.

F. Daryl Dixon’s Chopper – I’m going to ignore the innuendo in the title of this product and just point out that it’s a Pop Funko figure of Daryl Dixon on his motorbike. While majority of my Pop Funko wants are Disney related, this is one of the few that isn’t. Daryl is a character from The Walking Dead and has long been my favourite character. I’d love to get this figure to add to my collection, just as he’s so awesome.

G. Beauty and the Beast/Rapunzel hairbrush – these hairbrushes first arrived on the site before Christmas and I really wanted one for the girls but honestly we don’t really need them. However I love the Beauty and the Beast one and would happily throw out my current one, in order to replace it with that. For the girls I’d like the Tangled one as it just makes sense – Rapunzel has long hair that needs brushing, so what better choice is there?

H. Rapunzel umbrella – I honestly do not need another umbrella. My first ever brolly was Sylvester and Tweety Pie and I still have it to this day. Just before Christmas I bought myself an Alice in Wonderland one from BHS and I think I’ve only used it twice. However I do love the lantern scene from Rapunzel and that makes this umbrella almost irresistible to me!

I. Villains backpack – for a long time I fancied the Beauty and the Beast stained glass window backpack, but really it was just a little “loud” in colour for me. However when this Villains one came along, I was sold. Anyone who knows me, knows I have such a soft spot for Disney Villains. That makes this backpack straight out cold – regardless of the fact I so rarely use a backpack!

J. TWD Crossbow keychain – I definitely don’t need another keyring and yet I want one. This keyring is Daryl’s crossbow (from Walking Dead) and a tag that reads “Fight the Dead, Fear the Living”. Mostly I want it because of Daryl, but it’s cool and it’s about time I had something to represent my Walking Dead fandom.

So right now, these are the things I have my eyes on! Look out for a Hot Topic haul post when I return from my Florida trip!

Thursday is Tag Day – Disney

April 2, 2015 by Bel 2 Comments

I found this tag while searching the internet and saved it for this period of time while I’m away. Right now I’m on my flight to Florida and I seriously can’t wait. We will arrive late tonight and while tomorrow is going to be a fairly quiet day, I’m so excited to throw myself into the holiday. Just my blog posts this month, majority of my holiday will be Disney themed and as such the first tag I wanted to share with you is also Disney themed. I haven’t specifically tagged anyone to take part but if you’d like to do it, then please do!

1. A scene in in any Disney movie you wish you could experience.

There are so many beautiful scenes in Disney movies, that it makes it hard to decide. Flying on a magic carpet with Jasmine and Aladdin, the amazing Ballroom in Beauty and the Beast, listening to “kiss the girl” in a boat with Prince Eric and Ariel etc. etc. However if I had to pick just one place to experience, it would most definitely be the lantern scene in Tangled, with Flynn and Rapunzel. The actual scene itself is so beautifully drawn and I would imagine that moment would be pure romance. That would just be such a magical moment to be a part of.

2. An unforgettable experience moment you’ve had at the Parks.

I’ve only ever been to Disneyland Paris, prior to this current trip to Florida. The first time was very rushed, trying to cram both parks into one day, after a 6 hour drive to get there and with a 6 hour drive to get back. The second was February 2013 and while we definitely had more time, it was still only three days. However at this present time, my most unforgettable moment was definitely the girls meeting Snow White. It was a picture perfect moment and one that will stay in my heart forever.

3. What non-Disney song(s) reminds you or brings back memories of Disney and/or the Parks?

This is sort of a cheat answer, because the song is from The Nightmare Before Christmas which when originally released, was under the Touchstone Pictures studio. It has since been reissued by Walt Disney Pictures though. The song “This is Halloween” will forever remind me of Disneyland Paris, because of the parade we saw the first time we visited (it was October). Whenever I hear the song, I automatically connect with the parade. It was awesome.

4. When was the first time you went to a Disney Park?

October 2009 was my first time. We were actually staying in the Dordogne on holiday and randomly we just decided to drive 6 hours to get to Disneyland Paris. The girls were both really young and when we visited again in 2013, Megan barely remembered it at all and Lily really didn’t. Now they are a bit older I’m hoping they’ll remember Florida better.

5. If you could choose any of the characters to be your best friend, who would you choose?

Since we only get a quick snap of what the princesses are like, in their hour and a half movie, its hard to really say which ones you’d get along with and which would make good friends. However I’d quite like to hang out with Belle, Rapunzel and Ariel – see which one I’d like the most. Probably it would be Belle, but who knows?

6. Who are your favourite Disney princesses?

Belle is by far my favourite princess and always has been. Partly its because she has dark hair, but she also seems one of the most level headed and easy to identify with. That said I have also liked Ariel for almost as long and Rapunzel ever since Tangled was released. Though she isn’t a princess, Megara definitely has to get a mention as she’s a totally awesome female lead character.

7. Name a scene/moment in a Disney movie that never fails to make you cry.

Just recently, while doing our Disney Countdown, I’ve re-watched a lot of Disney movies. While doing so, I’ve actually been surprised by some of the moments that made me cry, even though I might have seen them hundreds of times. There are three that I can really think of -the first being when it seems like the Beast is dying and Belle tells him she loves him. This always touches my heart. The second is in Tangled, when it seems that Flynn is dead and Rapunzel weaps for him. As with Beauty and the Beast, even though I know they’re not dead, it still brings me to tears. Finally, and the moment I’m picking, has got to be Monsters Inc. When Sully has to say goodbye to Boo, its completely heartbreaking. I always cry. Not only that but when Mike gives Sully the broken door at the end, only short of the missing piece that Sully has, I can’t help but burst into tears all over again.

8. What is the first Disney movie you remember seeing?

I don’t know if it was actually the first one I saw, but my first memory of seeing one, was Oliver and Company at the cinema. Having watched the movie since, I didn’t really enjoy it all that much. However at the time I know I really did like it. Funny how things change when you get older.

9. What is your favourite Disney movie?

Like with my princesses, the same applies with my movies. Beauty and the Beast always sits in my mind at the top, but its definitely joint favourite along with The Little Mermaid and Hercules. Most recently I’ve added Tangled, Wreck It Ralph and Big Hero 6 to the mix though. It’s hard to pick just one!

10. Share a video or image that shows your love of Disney.

As I mentioned on Number 2 my most magical moment was when the girls met Snow White. This was my favourite picture from the whole trip and I will treasure it always.

Week 10 – Monday Round-up

March 9, 2015 by Bel Leave a Comment

Well it’s been a busy week, I can tell you! I can’t quite believe it’s gone past already! Anyway, here is my brief run down of the week – as I remember it!

Monday to Friday was school and work for the girls and Chris. I don’t honestly remember what I did most days but I’ll give it a bash when something sticks out! I do remember that I won a competition on Twitter on Monday, with BooHoo.com – getting me an outfit worth £100 that arrived later in the week. Otherwise I think it was probably just a day of housework and blogging. The girls had singing stars after school and so it was late when we all got home and had dinner. The girls and I made a Queen of Hearts bow before Lily had to go to bed and Megan and I worked on her cake. We’d started it on Sunday but knowing we only had a couple of hours each day, meant we had to do a little bit every day.

On Tuesday again the girls were at school and when they got home we had to fit in two Disney tasks as they were busy the following night. We watched The Princess Diaries and read some of the new Never Girls book, all before Lily went to bed. After she did, Megan and I worked on Lily’s cake again. Next day Chris was off work and the girls were going to their dad’s after school. This meant a really leisurely day because I didn’t really need to be anywhere at any particular time. I don’t remember an awful lot of what we did but I do know we were naughty and had takeaway for dinner, just before the kids came home! Again, after Lily was in bed, Megan and I worked on her cake. We got it finished and I was really proud of it!

Megan wrapped Lily’s presents and then headed to bed, while I also wrapped Lily’s presents and wrote her card. For once I felt pretty organised which is a nice change these days! Thursday was Lily’s birthday and she woke us all at 6.30am. We opened presents in bed before getting up and having breakfast, then getting ready for school. The girls were both going dressed up for World Book Day and they were also both going as Harry Potter characters. Megan was Luna Lovegood and had Ravenclaw robes, while Lily was Hermione Granger and had Gryffindor robes. From what I can gather they had a good day! After school I picked them both up and we went for dinner at Pizza Express. The food was delicious but the girls were tired and I wasn’t feeling very well, so there was definitely a disappointing vibe.

After that we went to Sainsbury’s though and the girls had their savings with them and I’d emptied out my weightloss savings box in order to change the money into dollars. We all did ours individually – Megan having the most, Lily next and then me (no surprise!). We then headed home and Nat arrived for a visit just a little while later. I let Lily stay up so she could open her present and then both girls went to bed. Nat stayed for quite a while but not too late as I was feeling a bit rough and was dying to go to sleep!

On Friday neither girl really wanted to go to school but I packed them off, knowing it was only one more day to get through. At midday I took Chris to work, called at Morrisons and then went to see my mum. She had been away in Israel for a week and a half so it was really nice to see her. I picked the girls up from school but we all had dinner with mum before heading home. When we got back there were quite a lot of parcels waiting for us which was pretty exciting. One of them was my BooHoo delivery which was my outfit worth £100. There was a dress, a handbag, some shoes and a shirt. The next day was Saturday and we had a trip to Leeds and X Factor planned, but in the morning we tidied the girls room and sorted out some more packing for Florida. Another parcel arrived from BooHoo which also went with my parcel from the day before, this time a pair of black trousers. Over lunch we watched Sleeping Beauty and then we got ready for going out. We finally left the house around 4pm but we needed to call at Tesco and also get some petrol. We had a fairly uneventful journey to Leeds and got there around 6pm. However traffic was horrendous and it took half an hour just to do 3 miles. We eventually parked, found McDonalds and had something to eat. Afterwards we made our way to First Direct Arena and settled in for the show.

At first I think it was a bit loud for the girls but they soon settled in and began enjoying themselves. Lily spent most of the second half stood up and dancing so that was lovely to see. It was 10pm by the time we left and we rushed back to the car as we’d been warned it could be a long wait afterwards. Unfortunately we didn’t miss the queues and instead sat still in the car for almost an hour, without even moving an inch. Finally at around 11pm we got out of the car park and headed home. I missed a few turnings and sadly put about 10 minutes on our journey and it was 12.20am before we got back. The girls went straight to bed and Chris and I sat for a while before we did too.

On Sunday we managed a bit of a lie-in but I also had to get up and get on as I was spending the day at mum’s. Chris needed to be at work for 12pm and as there are no trains back in time, I arranged to stay at mum’s and wait for him, while the girls went to bed there too. As such we needed everything to occupy us for the afternoon, along with school clothes etc for the next day. It was a pretty hectic morning making sure we had everything and then we needed to leave around 11.30am. Mum wasn’t in when we first got there but eventually she turned up and we had lunch. The afternoon was spent with Megan doing her homework and Megan and Lily making a Lego Rapunzel tower with mum – all while I dozed on the sofa. Later Lily had a bath while mum made dinner and then we all sat down to a roast chicken dinner. Afterwards Megan had a shower and I put Lily to bed. Megan went to bed about an hour later and it wasn’t long after that before I headed out to get Chris. Together we headed home, watched some TV together and then I blogged while he went on his Xbox. We eventually headed to bed at just gone 12am.

It’s been a good week but its gone by so fast. As of today it’s 23 days until we go to Florida and I honestly don’t even know where the time is going! This coming week and the next are going to be busy so I apologise in advance if my blog posts are lacking!

Disney Countdown – Days 37 to 31

March 1, 2015 by Bel Leave a Comment

Monday (37) – Feb 23rd – Play a Disney game
Tuesday (36) – Feb 24th – Read Disney
Wednesday (35) – Feb 25th – Watch Tarzan
Thursday (34) – Feb 26th – Make or draw Disney
Friday (33) – Feb 27th – Watch random Disney movie – Aristocats
Saturday (32) – Feb 28th – Paint Rapunzel peg-doll
Sunday (31) – March 1st – Watch Cinderella

Despite the kids going back to school this week, the Disney tasks don’t seem to have been too much of a hassle. On Monday we had play a Disney game, which to be honest is most days anyway. Both girls and certainly me too, played on Disney Tsum Tsum at least once and on top of that, Lily is obsessed with the new stuffed toys being sold at Clintons. On Tuesday it was read Disney which is a fairly safe bet for a Tuesday as the girls usually go to their dads. We read Chapters 7 and 8 of the Never Girls third book, as we’re trying to finish one each month. On Wednesday we down for watching Tarzan. I actually hadn’t seen the movie myself for years and years, the girls never having seen it at all. The three of us all enjoyed it and I’m so glad we added it to the “to watch” list. Thursday was make or draw Disney but the girls had school disco after school and it made for a busy evening. Luckily I spent all day working on my Florida planner, which is for the most part Disney, so we used that as our make Disney task. On Friday it was watch a random movie and after some debate we settled on Aristocats. Lily has started loving Marie (I’m sure its to do with buying the Tsum Tsum) so she was keen to re-watch Aristocats again and Megan agreed. Saturday’s task was paint Rapunzel and Megan got her done with very little grumble this week. I believe she found her particularly easy, especially with the amount of yellow for her hair. Finally came Sunday and the task was to watch Cinderella. I have to admit I quite like this routine we seem to of had for the last few weeks, settling down to watch a Disney movie on a Sunday afternoon.

We’ve now hit the 1 month mark and not including today, we’ve only got 30 more days left of Disney tasks. I personally will be quite glad to see them finish as they’re dominating our life a little, but I think certainly Megan feels an element of disappointment at the thought of not doing them any more. I’m really glad I came up with the idea of this Disney Countdown as its had exactly the effect I wanted and I seriously can’t wait for 30 more days to pass!

Movie Review: Into the Woods

January 22, 2015 by Bel 4 Comments

As I mentioned last week, during the first 2 weeks of January, I was lucky enough to see both Big Hero 6 and Into the Woods, within the space of seven days. I reviewed Big Hero 6 last week and now I want to talk about Into the Woods. However as with all reviews I make (movies, books etc.) I don’t want to spoil any plot so my review will be of what I enjoyed and what I thought, with no spoiling of plot.

From what I can gather, Into the Woods, is a musical that is usually on at the theatre. I actually hadn’t heard of it before it was made into a movie and I think that’s a shame as I’d actually like to go and see it on Broadway or the West End. However a) it was Disney and b) I’d heard good things, so when c) the trailer looked good – I was booking tickets for the opening weekend!

The movie itself was actually really good. I didn’t know what to expect at all, but basically its a mash-up of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood. It’s set largely around “the woods” and of course the storyline is musically lead. As I mentioned, I hadn’t heard of the actual show, so all I can judge is the movie and to me it was pretty good. As always, Johnny Depp was weird and wonderful in his role as the Wolf. Sadly though, he wasn’t in it for long enough – for my liking. The Baker and his wife were great (I loved both James Corden and Emily Blunt) as was Anna Kendrick as Cinderella (no surprise there). Jack and Little Red were fairly annoying, but perhaps deliberately so and also it didn’t especially matter. Meryl Streep as the Witch was AMAZING but by far my favourite was Chris Pine, but I’ll explain why in a minute. Rapunzel and her Prince were pretty much a waste of time and I was quite annoyed their storyline wasn’t properly tied up. The rest of the cast were pretty good too.

The music… well I’m not sure. A part of me loved it, while a part of me hated it. I can’t deny, majority of it was terribly catchy, though that’s not always a good thing is it? I came out with a feeling that you could sing any words to the same tune, add “into the woods” and you had majority of the songs that were sung. That said “Stay With Me” stood out especially as a song to be enjoyed – even though its a little sad.

The movie was good but the pacing was a little off at times. I enjoyed the first half and as is often the case, I lost all track of time. As such, I began to think the movie was ending, in a part that turned out to only be the middle. After that, some of the movie dragged and while the pacing was on and off, I found myself struggling to get to the end. Plot-wise there are elements that are predictable and others that weren’t. There were sad bits and there were funny bits and overall I would recommend it to see – though nothing would be lost if that was on DVD rather than the cinema.

Without a shadow of a doubt, my favourite part was the one pictures above. There is a scene, where both Princes (they are brothers) come together and discuss their love issues. They both end up singing, one trying to outdo the other and its actually hilarious. The Princes are, for the most part, pompous idiots – but because they are supposed to be, its okay. It was actually quite scary how much Chris Pine reminded me of William Shatner, in his early role as Captain Kirk. He was suave, charming and completely up his own ass. It was wonderful! It actually made me realise why they probably cast Chris Pine as Kirk in the new Star Trek movies.

Anyway, don’t be put off by my review! Sat in the comfort of my own lounge, perhaps I would enjoy the movie more. Like I said, I knew nothing of the plot and after thinking it was almost finished – only to find it was about half way – I probably caused my own decline! I’ll actually definitely be buying it on DVD and I will absolutely be watching it again. Try it out for yourself but don’t feel the need to see it at the cinema – would be my advise.

Hot Topic – Haul #4

December 12, 2014 by Bel 1 Comment

Yes… yes I did. I know… I’m terrible. But at the same time, you all want to know what I got, right? Here it is! (All my other Hot Topic posts can be found here)

This is Hot Topic Haul, number 4 and for the first time, there was actually lots of stuff for me. I’ll break it down into smaller sections, so you can see what I got.

First up was some underwear.

These bra and pants come as separates, but I’m a sucker for matching sets. It’s been a long time since I treated myself to some nice underwear and as these were Disney, I thought “why not?” You may also have seen on Instagram that I got myself some Tinker Bell and Bambi matching sets from Primark too. I now have four nice pairs of underwear.

Next there is a new scarf – this time Doctor Who. I love my Disney Script one so much and I wear it all the time. This one has a nice pop of colour though, whilst still being beautiful big, soft and long. As well as the bra sets above, I got this pants set which is Harry Potter themed. I loved this pack specifically because it has one pair of Hogwarts pants, then one for Gryffindor and one for Slytherin. As I mentioned in my recent Magical Orlando Tag, I can never truly pick between the houses so I loved the idea of this pack of pants. Finally there is a little mermaid bracelet. It’s a simple metal one that reminds me of one I bought from Black Tied some time ago. Since I get a lot of wear out of that, I’m hoping the same will be said for this new one.

Finally there are some Olaf bits and pieces! And some headphones for Chris.

The Batman earbuds, as I mentioned, are for Chris – to go in his stocking. He loves Batman, DC etc and always listens to his phone on the way to and from work. As for the Olaf bits, well there’s some Sticky Notes, a lanyard and a sunglasses case. The sticky notes are either for me or my mum – to go in a stocking. The lanyard is for my mum as previously I only got her a HP lanyard and this is her Disney one. The sunglasses case is for me – for the sunglasses I got in a previous Hot Topic haul. I just loved the fact they are Olaf sunbathing, such an iconic part of his character.

So that rounds up my latest haul post and believe me when I tell you I have a whole load more stuff in my basket ready to get next time! I’m seriously addicted to Hot Topic and I really wish they’d open up over here in the UK!

120 Days till Disney – and counting!!

December 2, 2014 by Bel 3 Comments

I’ve mentioned recently that the girls and I have had a TOP SECRET Disney project going on and this is it!

Over the last month we have been making our very own Countdown to Disney, in the form of Paperchain Princesses, each with a Disney activity inside of their loop. Our countdown started yesterday, which was actually 121 days till we go to Florida, but since we won’t be doing anything on the day before we fly either, its out 120 Day Countdown.

December is Elsa, January is Tinkerbell, Rapunzel is February and Anna is March. The girls made the top parts themselves, but I’ve helped with the writing on the chains and sticking it all together. It’s been quite a big project but we got there in the end!

Over the next four months, we’re going to be going even more Disney crazy than ever. We have all sorts of activities planned from reading Disney stories, to dressing up in Disney costumes. We’re going to make Disney inspired food and also do Disney themed crafts. On top of that we plan to watch every Disney movie we own – and maybe even some we don’t! It’s going to be a huge big Disneyfest and I’ll be updating weekly to let you know what we’ve been up to. You can also follow along on Instagram, where every day I will be posting our Disney task of the day!