Here is a short tour of inside of the apartment:

My side of the bedroom that Katie and I share


Vanity area



Teeny tiny kitchen



Living room area

And chocolates because our apartment was above and beyond clean for inspection. That's right, once every month and a half the apartment is inspected for cleanliness. Beds must be made, floors must be swept, clothes must be put away, and dishes must not be piled a mile high in the sink. At least we got chocolate for it.




Less than a month until my family comes to visit. I can't wait to see everyone! Mike is also planning to visit in mid-November. Spending time with the roommates is fun but it's just not the same as family.

Rumor has it that Johnny Depp was in the Magic Kingdom yesterday and today. Apparently he chose to speak to the only girl in the Emporium that did not know who he was (of course my roommates who work there were nowhere to be found while he was in the store). Tonight was one of the runnings of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and another rumor is going around that when Johnny Depp (I have to say the whole name- it's too personal calling him "Johnny") visits the parks he is willing to dress up as Jack Sparrow during events when Jack is present. The Halloween Party features a special float in the Boo to You parade with Jack and Barbosa, so I wonder if it was him riding around on it tonight. A girl that I work with knows a lot of the people in entertainment, so I will ask her the next time I see her.

I conquered Everest, from the base to the summit, all 17+ flights of stairs, and 4,403 feet of track at just after sunrise yesterday morning. It was definitely worth getting up at 5 am to be able to see the Yeti of the mountain (Betty, as she is affectionately called) up close and personal. I will not disclose the secrets I was told about Everest on here because we were entrusted to "protect the magic". However, I will post a couple of pictures that I snapped from the mountain top as the blazing sun rose to greet the group.

Things are still going well here in Orlando. The roommates are getting along well (except for one who I won't waste my time talking about) and we are becoming a tight-knit group. I am slowly beginning to feel more comfortable in my workplace and getting to know my coworkers. Many of them are also college program (CP) students and are very nice. There are several cast members, however, who need to step back and recharge their pixie dust. Why on earth someone would be allowed to deal with guests onstage when they are nasty to everyone around them and never smile is something I don't understand at all. I am tired of receiving dirty looks and being yelled at (in FRONT of guests) by a couple of uptight old bitties who have been working for the Mouse for a few too many years. Hakuna Matata, right?

The apartment

I don't think I have even mentioned what I am doing down here yet. I work merchandise in the Oasis in Animal Kingdom. I rotate between different locations in the very front of the park, including stroller and wheelchair rental, The Outpost Shop, and Garden Gate Gifts. I really enjoy talking to the guests, especially little kids. It's fun to hear them talk about being chased by dinosaurs or being ten feet away from a giraffe or even being in The Festival of the Lion King show. The really young ones make me miss Laura and look forward to her visit in October.

On my days off I tend to wander around the parks if it is not too horribly hot. Unfortunately it has been at or above 93 for the last several weeks with only a few exceptions so outside activities are kept to a minimum for now unless they involve water. Typhoon Lagoon has become one of my favorite getaways (I really can't believe it either) because it is so relaxing. Cabanas, the lazy river, and snorkeling in a salt water pool with sting rays and sharks call my name when I am not working. Magic Kingdom is another place that I am trying to frequent whenever possible to try and find the hidden Mickeys within the attractions. It's not as easy as you might think.

I was lucky enough to attend a cast preview of Mickey's Boo to You Halloween Parade in MK a few nights ago, which is only run during Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (a special event that you have to buy tickets to get into). It was one of the best parades I have ever seen! The headless horseman rides down Main Street, the hitchhiking ghosts from Haunted Mansion have their own float, gravediggers send sparks flying as they scrape their shovels down the street, and the characters are dressed up in their Halloween costumes. There were so many great floats and fun characters that are rarely seen, such as Captains Barbosa and Jack Sparrow. I nearly screamed myself hoarse trying to get Barbosa to come over to me. Several of the roommates and I were so excited every time a float turned the corner at the end of Main Street to come towards us, you would have thought there were true celebrities there. It was so much fun and I am really mad at myself for forgetting my camera!

(Photo found on Flickr)

At least I get to see the decorations, even if I don't go to the party itself

It's official: I am a Walt Disney World Cast Member!

Check it out


I am loving it here, although I could use a little more sleep. The roommates are so sweet and always make me laugh. There are eight (yes, 8) of us total... crazy, I know. There's Katie (my roomie) from Seattle, Ashley from Portland, Jessica from Oklahoma, Jenny from Pennsylvania, Val from Long Island, Heather from upstate New York, and Allison from South Carolina. More pictures and stories to come. I am exhausted from my first real day of work- 8 and a half hours on the job. How do people do this on a daily basis?

And is it ever HOT! I have never sweated so much in my life. At least there is a great pool here at the apartment complex. And I'm already getting a nice tan too. But don't worry, I slather on the sunscreen almost every time I walk out the door.

I finished my second Birdie Sling bag several days ago. It took a while (due to frustration) but my mom kept me motivated ("When will you finish my purse? Are you almost done making my purse?") to finally finish it. I haven't taken pictures of the finished product yet, but I will share soon.

I do have a picture to share that I find funny though...

...my recent obsessions- Jon and Kate plus 8 and sitting behind the sewing machine. So for Memorial Day weekend, I combined the two. I set up shop on the couch with my mom's Birdie Sling in front of me while I watched bits and pieces of the Jon and Kate plus 8 marathon on TLC. As much of an annoying media frenzy as they cause, I do love the show and will undoubtedly watch it until the very end.

I just finished watching the season finale of The Office and I just want to say that I am in love with Jim and Pam. I have to say that they kind of remind me a little of myself and Mike... I watch them and always end up laughing and going "Awww!"

You should watch it if you aren't already.


In other news, I have graduated from college. It's a little weird. And I am now the proud owner of a Sony Alpha 100! (Thanks Dad, Mom, Jeff, Megan, and Britt!)

The countdown is on until I leave for Florida- August 8th is the beginning of the 1,228 mile journey to see The Mouse and move in to my apartment. Mike and I will be making several stops on the way, including the Smokey Mountains and several spots along the coast. I'm very nervous/excited. A little sad, too, since I won't be with my family for Thanksgiving or Christmas...I'll try not to cry too much since I'll be looking at this:

I have been so busy for the last week, and I have lots of share.

I found out that I was accepted into the Disney College Program as a merchandising cast member! I will be in Florida from August 12 until January 2. I don't know where I will be working until I arrive and move into my apartment but I am kind of hoping for Animal Kingdom or Magic Kingdom (not that it really matters). I am very, very excited to have such a great opportunity to experience working for such a reputable company! I will share more information as I get it.



Jeff, Brittany, and Laura came for a visit on Saturday and are staying at my parents' house all this week. It has been fun spending time with them and I will hate to see them leave. Laura does a lot of eating, sleeping, and crying (you know, baby stuff). It's amazing to see my brother being a dad, and he is doing a great job. Brittany is a natural at being a mom too. Here are some pictures from the weekend:

Laura with Daddy, Grandpa, and Great-Grandmother

Laura with Daddy, Mommy, Grandma, Great-Mamaw and Great-Papaw

Smiling for her daddy

A quiet moment...

I turned 23 on Monday and had a delicious dinner at home. Check out this yummy cake- cinnamon pecan!

And I finally finished my Birdie Sling bag! It took a while, and it's definitely not perfect but I got through my very first pattern and that's something to be proud of. My mom likes mine so much that she has picked out fabric for me to use to make her one too.



Whew...it's been a whirlwind for the last seven or so days, and there is still more to come. Graduation is creeping up with exactly a month to go but now I am not nearly as nervous about it since I will be participating in the DCP. Now I just have to worry about the seven papers I have to write before the semester is through.

I made Mike a cake for his birthday last week and here is how it turned out...


Red velvet, his favorite. I will admit that I used a box mix but it's only because the last time I attempted red velvet cupcakes from scratch I used a whole tube of red food coloring and they were definitely not red. I don't think box mixes work well with Ener-G egg replacer, FYI. It was definitely a dense cake. Oh well. The frosting recipe I used came from here and it was extremely light and fluffy and delicious.



I want to share a couple of pictures of Ben's new puppy, Dot. She and Maverick love each other and are now best buds- in the beginning he wasn't too sure what to think of her, as you can see.


But now they're inseparable. More pictures to come soon.

Things of Interest

Here are a couple of things that I have recently discovered and really like...


Pyrex dishes- "Friendship" pattern





Vintage cookie cutters


Amy Butler fabric


I have been very inspired to be crafty lately and am currently in the middle of several projects (Amy Butler's Birdie Sling Bag pattern, some pot holders and kitchen towel sets, and a couple of other small things). Currently I don't have my own sewing machine so these projects are being completed a little bit at a time whenever I go home and am able to use my mom's machine.
I love the vintage cookie cutters that I have been looking at on Ebay, not only for cookie use to but make salt dough ornaments and crafts with too.

No word yet about the Disney internship...

M-I-C-K-E-Y...

Tomorrow the representatives for the Disney College Program will be on campus. I'm really hoping to get an internship with them from August through January. I have been to Disney World so many times and am in love with the place, so what could be better than working there for a few months? Great name on my resume, warm weather, and it's a chance to maybe do some networking and give me some time to stall on getting a career-job while the economy pulls itself out of the toilet.
I applied to the Teach for America program and was kind of crushed when I wasn't even invited to have a phone interview after jumping through hoops to send my resume, letter of intent, and an essay about a challenge that I have overcome. It was a let-down, but that just means I will find something better in the future.

My Disney-fied family... (Mom, Jeff and Britt, Megan, me, and Dad)













Keep your fingers crossed for me, my interview will be in the next couple of days.

Hello World

I guess my first post should be about why I decided to create a blog for the world to see. I am hoping to document the whirlwind that is about to be the newest chapter in my life and I want my friends and family to have access to it. I am graduating from college in May. I am looking for my first real job. I am (hopefully) going to be living on my own like a big girl. I want someplace where I can share stories and pictures with the people I care about and I also just want to remember the little things for later on. I am making this sound much deeper and more profound than it is- there's going to be plenty of meaningless stuff on here as well.

On that note...
Here's a link to an artist that I really like:
http://www.toddlundeen.com/
He's got some really great photography and I'm excited to have met him at Bowling Green's Black Swamp Arts Festival last September. Seeing the images online doesn't even compare to seeing them in person. I'm proud to have one of his photographs displayed on my wall, although I can't remember the title and it's not on his web site.