beauty and the beast Archives - Journeys Are My Diary

Monthly Round-up – March

April 14, 2017 by Bel Leave a Comment

Watching: Given that it’s mid-April before I write this, I have very little recollection of what I watched, other than what I made a note of in my phone. I watched several Netflix series including; The OA, Friends with Better Lives,
Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23, and Iron Fist but I don’t remember which others. I watched the newest Annie movie. I also re-watched Cinderella and Guardians of the Galaxy. As well as keeping up with Bones, Holby City, Casualty, Riverdale, Grimm, New Girl etc. I saw Beauty and the Beast at the cinema.
Sewing & Making (for Closet Geek): March was pretty crazy for orders, always seeming like I had a few more than I could cope with. However I managed to get through them and that’s what counts! I announced a Wonderland Giveaway for the monthly box, plus made LOADS of ears and bows, along with a Belle dress, two Briar Rose dresses, a Boys Woody top and waistcoat and a girls Woody dress. There was also a huge wave of orders for Infinity scarves after Roisin from Disneyfind, shared the scarf I sent her. I think I made 15 in one week and since then the orders dribble in still! Of course there was a technicolour dreamcoat and a pharaoh costume too which you can read more about below! Finally with the upcoming 25th Anniversary for DLP, I designed some ears which have proved very popular too!

And in other news…
– One of the first things that happened this month was Lily’s birthday, when she turned 9. We had a very calm day, making lego in the morning, Pizza Hut for lunch and then chilling out when we got home until bedtime.
– World Book Day was also at the beginning of this month and since last year Lily had gone as Harley Quinn, before it was super popular to be Harley Quinn, this year she went as Dr Harleen Quinzel. She looked absolutely fabulous. Megan didn’t get to dress up now she’s at secondary school, which is sad!

– Megan broke up with her boyfriend – her choice. It wasn’t especially dramatic but she did feel pretty bad afterwards so us three girls went shopping and I taught the girls about retail therapy ;)
– One of the most life changing things that happened this month is that we finally got an offer on the house. March 13th. After having the house on the market for almost a year, and after living here for almost 4 years when we only intended it to be 1 or 2. Fingers crossed it’s all proceeding well as we have accepted the offer since then, the “sold” sign went up on 20th, we had the survey done and started to complete the forms. More info to follow!
– Lily and I went on her school trip, to Cadbury World near Birmingham. It’s always really nice to share school trips with the girls but this time it was especially nice as Lily and I even sat together on the coach. It was a long and tiring day, especially as Lily was full of cold but we both enjoyed ourselves.
– Amy and Liv came to visit for the weekend and although we didn’t do a lot, we seemed to keep busy. We didn’t pick them up till fairly late on Friday so all we did was drink and catch up, but then Saturday we saw Beauty and the Beast, plus went to Meadowhall and had Five Guys. On Sunday we just hung out while I got some work done, until eventually I took them back to the station.
– Chris’ birthday was the 20th and it was nice to spend the day together, even though the girls weren’t around to enjoy it at all. We went into Lincoln in the morning to do some shopping but it threw it down with rain all day so we cut it short and came home. In the evening we met with friends and went to Frankie and Benny’s for dinner and then did an “Escape the Room” game which was amazing. Hopefully I will post about that soon!
– Not really a big fan of Red Nose Day (or Children in Need for that matter) but always happy to donate £1 to non-uniform and a red nose etc. However I did love that there was a “Red Nose Day Actually” short, like an update to Love Actually – and I cried and found it amazing too.
– Then came Mother’s Day. The girls made a mistake with my gift and ended up upset but it really didn’t matter as it was lovely to spend the day with them and then with my own mum too at lunch time. We went out to a restaurant called Meat Inc. that does amazing burgers and I was really hoping to review but completely forgot to take pics! Maybe next time we visit I will remember.
– I can’t remember if I mentioned this last month or not but Lily was given the part of Pharaoh in her school play – Joseph and his technicolour dreamcoat. She was really excited (and nervous) as it was a big part but I knew she would be amazing (AND SHE WAS!). I offered to make the technicolour dreamcoat for school and Lily’s Pharaoh costume too. I was the last of the family to see her play (with everyone else seeing it Monday and Tuesday, and Megan and I waiting till Wednesday) but it was pretty decent. I got embarrassed at the end however as I got given a bunch of flowers and a very public thank you, for helping with the costumes.
– One of the last things we did in March was have some friends around for socialising. We played Jackbox all night and it was a lot of fun. I’m really glad we’re finding more time to do that, although I do wonder if moving will effect these nights!

Looking forward to in April:
– Easter Holidays! I love love LOVE having the girls off school – not just for having them around, but also for saving myself three hours in a car for the school run. We don’t have too much planned but you never know!
– We have tickets to see Joseph and his technicolour dreamcoat at Skegness on Easter Weekend. After it was announced that Lily’s school would be doing the play, she took such an interest that I suggested booking tickets. I’m so glad I did as she was then given a great part and really loved the play. I can’t wait for her to see it done on a big stage.
– Mum’s birthday is in April. We probably won’t do much but I’ve already bought her present and no doubt we’ll all go out for lunch.

Movies to look out for in 2017

January 13, 2017 by Bel Leave a Comment

After seeing Star Wars: Rogue One the other day, which technically is a 2016 movie, I decided it might be exciting to look at what is being released in 2017. As you probably know, I absolutely love movies. I try hard to keep up with new releases at the cinema but unfortunately being a mum and working for myself, often get in the way. While there wasn’t as many movies to look forward to as I expected, here’s what I found.

January

A Monster Calls is by far the movie to look out for at the beginning of the year, to stream it, visit 123gomovies. I have to admit it wasn’t even on my radar until Megan told me she was reading the book at school, then I noticed there was a film release by the same name. When we went to the cinema to see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, I saw a trailer and I was sold. I have to say, I still don’t know an awful lot about the storyline but I’d definitely like to see it. Otherwise, I don’t know anything about the other movies being released in January though I have seen previous XXX movies and I’m not fussed about Underworld.

February

Another quiet month is February, with the only movie we’re likely to see being The LEGO Batman movie. Again I don’t know a huge amount about the movie and I wasn’t even a massive fan of the Lego Movie, but Lily is massively into Batman right now and Chris always has been so I have a feeling we’ll be squeezing that into our half term. Fifty Shades Darker is also another major movie out that month but it doesn’t hold any interest for me.

March

Maybe I’m just not very up on new movies but March also seems quiet for movies I want to see. My top pick by far is Beauty and the Beast, even though I’m skeptical about the Live Action version. Disney’s animated version is my absolute favourite movie and so while I may hold my breath whilst watching, I still can’t wait to see it. Also on the list for March is Logan as a possibility. I do love Hugh Jackman, especially as Wolverine so this will be a consideration. There is a Power Rangers movie out that I’m sure will be popular, as might Ghost in the Shell but again, no interest.

April

Just in time for Easter holidays, is yet another Smurf movie. This is called Smurfs: The Lost Village and while I did enjoy the other two movies, there is no Neil Patrick Harris in these so I’m not sold yet. Sadly there is nothing else that grabs me for April either! There is yet another Fast and the Furious movie out this month but sadly I gave up watching them some time ago.

May

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 is out in May and this could well be the only movie I want to see in May. I loved the first Guardians of the Galaxy and I am a huge superhero movie fan (especially Marvel) so this will be a must. I have no idea what it will be like but fingers crossed it will be good and not a terrible sequel. I notice also that there is an Alien movie – Alien: Covenant – but I’ve heard nothing about that and can only assume it’s connected somehow to the Alien movies by it’s title. There is also another PotC movie out, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales but I have to admit I haven’t even seen the last one yet, despite liking the first couple. There is a Baywatch movie too but… well no comment.

June

Wonder Woman is out in June and while I haven’t seen Batman Vs Superman yet (nor am I in any rush) from what I can understand, Wonder Woman stood out as much as Spider Man did in Captain America: Civil War. Lily is massively into the DC girls at the moment so depending on it’s rating, we may see it with the kids. However Chris has also always been into DC more than Marvel so I’m sure we’ll be going no matter what. Chris mentioned seeing The Mummy but I don’t really understand it as a movie. Is it a re-make of the first one or just a movie by the same name? Also Tom Cruise is in it so…
Cars 3 is also out in June but I haven’t seen Cars 2 yet, despite owning it on DVD! I’m definitely not as into the Cars/Planes movies for Pixar as I am some of their others but no doubt Cars 3 will get seen, even if its not at the movies. June is clearly THE month for movies, even if not great ones. Despicable Me 3 is also out, as is Transformers: The Last Knight. I liked Despicable Me (the first one) but not so much 2 and I’ve always been a Transformers fan but I didn’t see the last one at the cinema and so I doubt I will see this one there either.

July

As I mentioned in June about Wonder Woman, the new Spider Man definitely stood out in his role in CA:CW. I loved Tobey Maguire as Spider Man and while I had mixed feelings about re-casting, I liked Andrew Garfield too (though I still haven’t seen The Amazing Spider Man 2). I’m really hoping this new Spider Man: Homecoming movie will be great, but even if not there will be a few minutes of Robert Downey Jr and so that’s a win. Apparently there is an Untitled Disney Movie set for this month too (Live Action) so I’m sure that’s something we’ll be keeping an eye out for!

August

There is absolutely nothing scheduled for August that grabs me as a must-see movie, or even a maybe see movie. In fact, something called The Emoji Movie is coming out and that just makes me roll my eyes.

September

There is nothing in September either, though an Untitled Sony Animation vaguely has my interest. There seems to be a Flatliners remake and I’m not sure how I feel about that either.

October

Despite not thinking there would be another Saw movie out, Saw: Legacy is being released in October. That said, I never have and never will see a Saw movie at the cinema, despite loving them, as I’d be too scared about freaking out. Instead we will likely wait for it to arrive on DVD. Nothing else grabs me, especially Blade Runner and Cloverfield sequels (or remakes?). There is a My Little Pony movie which, if desperate, we may see with the kids.

November

Thor: Ragnarok is out in November and since he didn’t star in the most recent Captain America movie, I’m definitely having Thor withdrawal. That said, I didn’t see Thor 2 for ages after it was released and November can be a little busy so I guess we’ll have to see. Also out in November is Justice League and while I really want to love it (and see it of course), I have huge concerns as to the quality of some of the more recent DC movies, namely Man of Steel and Batman Vs Superman.

December

Not a huge Star Wars fan but Star Wars VIII is out and we are bound to go see it as Chris loves Star Wars. Pitch Perfect 3 is out too and I LOVE the Pitch Perfect movies. December is a little unfortunate in timing as we’re always busy but hopefully we’ll make time. I believe there is also an Untitled WB movie due out in December but no doubt more will be released about that nearer the time. There is also Jumanji which I’m sure will be popular generally but probably won’t be something we see.

If anyone has any recommendations, about any I haven’t mentioned, I would love to know. I don’t keep as up to date on movies as I would like to at the moment so I’m always happy to learn more!

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Wednesday Wishlist – Disney Store (of course)

August 24, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

Disney Store wishlist

I tend to find that when I make a wishlist, I babble on about what the things are I want and why I want them. The truth is, I want them because they’re pretty and because they’re Disney. However I’m trying to be really good with money right now and so I’m not buying anything. Some of these items appeared on my last wishlist post and some are new. It’s probably not even everything I’d like. However they are a combination of Beauty and the Beast items (my favourite) and Christmas decorations.

Wednesday Wishlist – Disney Style Books

May 18, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

I have to admit that I’m super excited about this week’s wishlist, because I’ve been working on it for absolutely ages! I don’t read half as much as I’d like to as I’m always busy sewing or blogging, but if I did, I would read ALL these books I have listed and many more. This week I wanted to show off some of the many Disney/Fairytale style books that I’ve come across over the last few months. Some I’d never heard of before and others being sequels to books I already own or have read.

Disney style books

Disney is one of my favourite topics ever but I love a good spin on it too. Nearly all of these books follow that idea and so hopefully if you’re the same, you’ll like the sound of a lot of these books.

Starting off with Poor Unfortunate Souls, this book has been on my wishlist for a while now. When we visited Florida last year I discovered Fairest of All and The Beast Within, both of which I regretted not buying. However for my birthday the following month, I was lucky enough to get bought both. This third book is about Ursula and honestly she is pretty much my Villain spirit animal. It’s not released yet but I would love to own this book and add it to my collection.

As Old as Time is a similar story, it’s pre-order and not released yet. However I’ve had my eye on Once Upon a Dream and A Whole New World (Chris just bought me this a few days ago) in hardback for a while (they just got released in paperback) and now spotted this Beauty and the Beast Twisted Tale coming out soon. I have yet to read any, but I plan to start AWNW this week!

The next couple of books, Unhooked and Never Never, are both Peter Pan/Hook themed books. They both appeal to me to read, though I’ve heard nothing about them other than reading the information on Amazon. There is one on the next line down called Wendy Darling (and its a Part 1 I believe) and this is the same sort of thing. They all just sound like good books. Finally on this line is a book called Fairest and its part of The Lunar Chronicles series. I currently own Cinder which is by the same author and while I haven’t read it yet, I’m told it’s really good.

On the middle line is a book called Once Again, its by the same as the Twisted Tales but I think it’s co-written. From what I can gather its two stories in one, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. Since I mentioned Wendy Darling above, I’ll skip on to Kingdom Keepers. This is a series that I only recently discovered and have to admit I’m thoroughly enjoying. The first book, Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark, I actually bought for Megan for her birthday, but Lily and I ended up reading as a bedtime story. Once we’d finished, I moved onto Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dawn. Since we only read one chapter a night, it does take quite some time to work our way through, however Lily was lucky enough to get bought the next 3-4 books for her birthday so we should have enough to keep us going for a while. This particular book I listed is a sort of spin-off series I believe, called Kingdom Keepers: The Return. Obviously we will be finishing our current series, before heading off into that one though.

Finally on the middle line is another book which I believe is co-written, by Riley Pearson (the author of The Kingdom Keepers) and Dave Barry. There are several books in this series too and again I haven’t read any of them, but given that they are by the author of The Kingdom Keepers, I would definitely give it a try.

Finally on the bottom row is a couple of cheeky additions. Return to the Isle of the Lost is a sequel book to The Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel. All I really know of the Descendants is the Disney movie that was on TV last year, which I watched with the kids, but I did buy this book for Lily and we haven’t got around to reading it yet. Given that the first book is good, then we’d probably want the sequel too! My next cheeky addition is actually Once Upon a Time (OUAT) related and though there were several to choose from, this one is my top pick. OUAT isn’t technically Disney but it’s pretty damn close so any book connected to the series is something I want to read.

Finally that leaves three books which I only found today as I was searching for last minute additions. I honestly know nothing about the three picks but the blurbs appealed so I threw them on. Disneylanders and The Disneyland Quest, remind me somewhat of the Kingdom Keepers style book. The last one, is Fairy Godmother themed and is part of a series, some of which Megan owns but hasn’t read yet (The Snow Queen and The Sleeping Beauty). The series is called Five Hundred Kingdoms and from what I can gather, all the books can be read independently.

So these are some of my treasure finds but I’d love to know if you have any other suggestions!

Tsum Tsum Tag

May 12, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

1.How many Tsum Tsum’s have you got?

Lots, far too many to be honest! I think close to 200 though.

2. What was your first?

Our first official Tsum Tsum was bought in Florida. I’m pretty sure it was the Cinderella collection, though we bought so many during the holiday, that I can’t be sure (there were some Toy Story ones from Disney Store and a few from Target). However unofficially I bought Anna and Elsa from Ebay, not realising they were “fan made”, even before we went to Florida.

3. Do you have a full set?

Yes, lots actually. If I like a set, I tend to buy them all as it’s hard not to. However in some cases I will just grab the main characters.

4. What is your favourite set?

When it’s released, Beauty and the Beast will be I’m sure. However in the meantime it’s probably The Little Mermaid or Tangled sets.

5. Who is your most wanted Tsum Tsum?

Belle from BatB when it’s released, but otherwise Hiro and Honey Lemon as we missed them very early on and need them to collect our BH6 collection.

6. What set do you want them to make?

I think Sleeping Beauty would be pretty great, just to get the Fairies and of course Maleficent. Or maybe a Tinker Bell collection that featured her fairy friends. To be honest, once the Beauty and the Beast collection is released, I’ll be happy. (After thought – Hercules!!! I would love that)

7. Do you collect just Disney or do you collect the Star Wars and Marvel ones?

I’m not at all interested in the Star Wars ones and neither are the kids. However I did pick up a few for Chris. He has Boba Fett, Darth Vader, Darth Maul and a Storm Trooper. He also has Venom from the Marvel ones. We do have several of the Marvel ones, especially the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, but not all.

8. Do you have any ones from Clintons/Target/Other non Disney Store shops?

I prefer to get them from the Disney Store but our nearest one is over an hour away and postage online can be frustrating. We live 2 minutes away from a Clintons though so often we do grab them there, especially if we missed them at the Disney Store.

9. Do you dislike any Tsum Tsums?

I wouldn’t say I dislike any but I’m less fussed about several. I haven’t got any of the Jungle Book ones, I barely picked up any Nightmare Before Christmas ones and since I haven’t seen Zootropolis yet, I haven’t bought any of those yet either.

10. Who do you think they should have release with previous sets?

Not that I can think of! Thought honestly a part of me wishes there were 101 different dalmatians released. I might actually have been tempted to get them all (even though I definitely can’t afford that!) I do think it’s a shame we don’t always get the whole sets in the UK (King of Hearts from Alice being an example) and also the variants like Halloween versions or whatever else.

Birthday List Countdown – One Month to Go!

April 28, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

Today marks one month until my birthday and I thought I would celebrate by sharing a few bits and pieces I would love to receive! Over the next month you might see one or two more of these, as and when I find other things I like. However for now, these are my (off the) top (of my head) items.

Birthday Wishlist – Disney Style

It’s probably no great surprise, that everything on my list is Disney. That’s not to say it’s the only thing I like, but its one of the few I’m passionate enough to want to own or collect. Another amusing thing about my list is that it’s pretty much half villains and half Beauty and the Beast!

While I’m not going to explain each and every thing (the list is done on Polyvore so if you click on each item it will tell you where to get it from), I will explain some bits. For a start the Beauty and the Beast traditions ornaments. These Mrs Potts, Cogsworth and Lumiere are all new and I love them all. As you can tell, Beauty and the Beast is my favourite so I would love these to join my collection. The “Belle” necklace is because “Bel” is what I go by so I would actually love this for a duel reason and the cushion, makeup bags etc are just because I like them.

For the villains side, I would really love Regina to add to my Pop Funkos (but I’m pretty sure Lily knows this so fingers crossed this year), also I have the Evil Queen in small but I would like her in the regular size. There are loads of other Funkos I like though so its hard to pick. The Ursula cover book, is the third in a series that I have the other two of. The villains bag I’ve wanted for ages and the colouring book is pretty new and I haven’t spotted it before. Recently I treated myself to the QoH plush and I seriously regret not getting Ursula when she was in store – so connected to that is this old hag plush which I don’t think is technically Disney but I’d like her. Finally that leaves a book called Never Never that’s been on my wishlist for ages (but is still too expensive to buy myself) and some DVDs which I’m still missing from my collection.

I’ll be keeping an eye on other things over the next month so keep any eye out!

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 mother of the bride dresses 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!

My Christmas Wishlist 2015

November 13, 2015 by Bel Leave a Comment

Over the next few weeks I’m going to be sharing some of my ideas for gift guides, including “for him”, “for her”, “for kids” etc. However I wanted to start off with a wish list of my own! This is my Christmas Wishlist 2015.

Christmas Wishlist 2015

As you will see, even at a glance, my wishlist is almost entirely filled with Disney. This is because Disney is probably my biggest fandom love, followed immediately by Harry Potter (which there are also several items for). Anyway, let’s get started!

On the left hand side of the guide, you will see an Inside Out board game and a Ticket to Ride board game. I absolutely love playing board games, both with my family and with my friends. Though we already own a version of both these games, I would love these versions (just like I would love Disney Villains monopoly still). Inside Out seems like such a great idea for Game of Life and a United Kingdom version of Ticket to Ride sounds fun! On that same side you will also spot two DVDs, Inside Out and Tomorrowland. Inside Out isn’t released yet but Tomorrowland has been for a while, I’d like both to add to my every growing Disney DVD collection. Finally on that side is a Thomas Kinkade Disney calendar. I had the mini version last year but I would love the full size version as my main calendar this year. I love the art work and even better when you’re done with it you could always frame the pages.

On the right hand side I have clothes. The dress is an Alice print dress from Hot Topic which I absolutely love. I have another dress from Hot Topic in this style and its my favourite Disney dress. I also have this exact print in a scarf (which I’m wearing now) and I love it. Not only that it’s black and I know I’d get lots of wear out of it, even in winter paired with a cardigan and tights. Secondly there is a set of PJs and these are Beauty and the Beast from Topshop. Last year I treated myself to a pair of PJs from Topshop and though they had cuff bottoms on the trousers (which I thought I would hate) I loved them and as such would love this pair for this year.

Heading for the middle of the wishlist you can see its basically an array of ornaments and Pop Funko figures. However there is a Harry Potter umbrella in there too. I love the Marauders Map print and I know I would get loads of use out of this – especially living in the UK where rain is our standard. Also not an ornament is the Disney Villains bag. This is from Loungefly and have I loved their stuff for a long time. In this style there is also a Disney Villains wallet but as it doesn’t have card slots I know I wouldn’t use it much. This bag however is amazing and I would love to use it as my every day handbag. Not technically an ornament, this candle is also on my wishlist. It’s available from the Disney Store and comes in a few different colours. I’m not a huge candle fan but I find myself more drawn to them this time of year. Plus it’s Disney. No brainer.

Finally, onto the ornaments in the middle. There are four Disney Traditions/Showcase ornaments and some of these are firm favourites while others are new to my wish list. I have loads of Beauty and the Beast ornaments already but since it’s my favourite, I’d love to have them all. The ornament of Belle with the Beast has been on my wish list since last Christmas so hopefully this year I’ll get lucky and manage to get it. The one of Mrs Potts is new (or at least I haven’t seen it before) and since I have one of Lumiere and Cogsworth together, I’d love to have this too. That then leaves the Villains. Maleficent joined my wishlist over a year ago, for my birthday last year when we watched the new Maleficent movie. I love this figure so much but sadly it went out of stock last Christmas and I ended up with the Evil Queen instead. It’s now back in stock in most places so I’d love to add it to my collection. Then there is the “hag”, who is the Evil Queen from Snow White. I’m not exactly sure what draws me to this ornament as it’s pretty ugly but I love it nonetheless. Next comes the Pop Funko and sure enough one is Disney (sort of) and another is Harry Potter. I started out my collection of Pop Funkos with only Disney and I’ve tried hard to resist branching out into other Fandoms as its a disaster waiting to happen. However we do have several others, including some Harry Potter. I love this Voldemort figure and it would definitely be my next pick to add to the collection, though I would happily take any I do have (which is only Harry and Dumbledore). Regina Mills aka the Evil Queen from Once Upon a Time is another figure I’d love. She is my favourite character by far and I hope to cosplay his exact outfit someday. While OUAT isn’t technically Disney, its definitely a branch of it and therefore adding the OUAT figures to my collection is a must! Finally that leaves Katniss Everdeen. Until a few days ago I didn’t even know Hunger Games existed as Pop Funko figures. Now I know, I sort of want them all. Katniss is available in several different variations but I think this is my favourite – like I said though, I would take them all.

I could have gone on and on but hey, Christmas is about giving not receiving – so instead of concentrating on what I’d like, I’ll soon be moving on to what you can get for others!

Beauty and the Beast Red Rose necklace – Disney Couture

October 13, 2015 by Bel Leave a Comment

You may remember back in May, I made a birthday wishlist. One of the items on my wishlist was a Beauty and the Beast rose necklace, sold by Disney Couture. A few days after my birthday, my brother offered me £20 of Amazon vouchers but instead I asked if I could just have the cash, so I could treat myself to some Disney Couture jewellery. Though there were lots of pieces I would have liked, I went for my original pick – the gold-plated Beauty & the Beast red rose charm and necklace, priced at £29.

Though the full price is £29, Disney Couture’s birthday fell a week after mine and they offered 15% discount. I jumped at this, ordering my necklace while it was cheaper. I placed my order on Friday afternoon, picking the free postage option as I was in no rush. However the following morning, my necklace arrived and it was beautifully presented!

Not only was the presentation beautiful though, the necklace was too. I was so blown away when I opened the little bag, as it was much more spectacular in person, than I had even suspected.

I am completely in love with my new necklace and now I’d like Lumiere and Mrs Potts to go with it. I wore the necklace all day long when it arrived and have worn it several times since. I’m sad that I’ve already had my trip to Florida and didn’t get to wear it when I met Belle in Epcot (or Gaston at his Tavern!) but perhaps I’ll just have to book a trip to Disneyland Paris and wear it there!

If you like beautiful jewellery and you love Disney – definitely have a look at Disney Couture jewellery. You won’t be sorry!

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Wednesday Wish List – Beauty and the Beast

June 3, 2015 by Bel 5 Comments

Last week it was my birthday so I decided to make a Wish List of all the things I was hoping for and didn’t get, or things I’ve discovered I’d really like, having thought of what I might get for my birthday. However as I compiled the list of items, 6 out of the 7 things were all Beauty and the Beast related. As such I scrapped the post-birthday wish list and instead just made a Beauty and the Beast Wish List.

As it is late at night, I’m not going to bother linking to each item and where you can buy it – as majority of the items aren’t easily accessible anyway. I’m just going to run through what there is and why I’d like it.

First up is the Mrs Potts (and Chip) Pop Funko. My Pop Funko collection started some time ago, with Belle in her yellow dress and then the Beast. It has now grown to include Lumiere, Cogsworth and Belle in her blue dress. As I’m not interested in the new “hipster” Belle that’s being released, Mrs Potts would complete my collection. I’m hoping to get her for myself during the next week or two.

Next are two Disney Couture necklaces, which if you’d asked me a year or so ago about, I wouldn’t have wanted as they’re gold. However now I’m trying to be open to new things and these two necklaces really appeal. I’m actually genuinely torn between which I like most, but my brother has given me £20 in TruffleShuffle vouchers so I’ll be making a decision soon.

Last on the top line is Mrs Potts and Chip as salt and pepper pots. When we went to WDW one of the main things I was hoping to look out for was a Disney salt and pepper pot. Sadly I didn’t really find anything I like, but these I would love. I would happily leave them on my dining table and give them almost every day use. I think Hot Topic sold some similar not that long ago but I’ve seen these in a few places.

Next up is a Thomas Kinkade painting. I’m not likely to own an original but it would be nice to have a canvas print at least. Thomas Kinkade is releasing a new wave of Disney paintings and this is his Beauty and the Beast 2. I have the first one so I would love to add this to my wall.

Plushies! Cogsworth, Lumiere and Mrs Potts (and Chip). I’d love them all. Only Mrs Potts is easily available and I would definitely be fussy about the other two (I’ve seen some terrible versions) but it would be nice to have all three. I love Plush toys and I have the Beast already, so it would be nice to give him some friends.

Belle E.L.F. make up brushes. I was really surprised not to be able to find these on Ebay – or many Disney E.L.F. products for that matter. These brushes are so simple and not really even necessarily but I would like to have them for the odd times I actually do wear make up. It’s Belle, what better reason is there?

Lumiere. Gosh. I’m so annoyed at myself for not buying him in Florida when I had the chance. He was $50 and all I worried about was whether or not I’d have room for him. He was £50 in the UK so it was already quite a saving and then he actually went up to £60. Now he’s no longer available on the Disney Store web site (though he has gone and been back once before so he might return) and I’m really wondering how I might get a hold of him. A light up Lumiere. All I’d need then would be a working clock Cogsworth. Apparently they made them once too.

Beauty and the Beast Sugar Pot, from the Mrs Potts tea set. Though I haven’t actually got it yet, Amy bought me Mrs Potts and Chip for my birthday. Having looked around since, I’d really love a few more cups to make it a set, but also the sugar pot to match. Believe it or not, the sugar pot is pretty difficult to find by itself though. I’m going to have to keep my eye out and maybe grab it when I have the chance.

Finally the Be Our Guest dinner set. I wouldn’t say I like 100% of it but I do like the majority. Chris is always telling me we have too many mugs so I could probably skip out on them. I’d definitely love the plates and the wine glass – the bowls would be a good additional extra!