Here is a project that I was inspired to try after seeing so many great posts over at Design*Sponge in their before & after section. This end table came from Mike's apartment. He and his roommate were moving out and this little guy was going to end up at the curb when I saved it. It had originally held their TV and I had never noticed it because the tube sat on the shelf that was extended all the way out. Anyway, I immediately claimed it and shoved it in my car to take home and turn in to my very first furniture makeover project. Here is what it looked like when it was doomed for the curb:







The table on its side in the background is a Goodwill find. It was originally an unstained color and I decided that it should be a dark brown. So I idiotically spray painted it, not realizing that I really wanted a stained effect, not an opaque brown effect. It was horrible. So while I worked on revamping this table, Mike was wonderful enough to work (and work and work and work) on fixing that one. It is now a nice deep shade of brown and is being used in my sister's room as a night stand.

Here is the after:






Not bad for a first timer, if I do say so myself. I decided to keep the drawer pull because I really liked it. Took out the shelf because it seemed too crowded with it in. I attached the fabric to some very stiff interfacing and simply gorilla glued it to the back panel of the table. I didn't read any other blogs on how to do this sort of thing so I don't know if this is the right technique or not but it seems to work just fine. I think this is something I definitely would like to do again.

And in case you are wondering, the picture of the little peanut in the bath tub is my niece Laura. :o)

Yikes, my poor blog has been completely neglected! I promise I will try to do better.

I have finished my program at Disney World and am now back at home. I really meant to upload lots of pictures and stories while I was there but I was super busy. And when I wasn't super busy, I was super tired. But it was such a great experience and I miss it and my roommates already. It was such a different culture being a cast member that a lot of the habits that were ingrained into me I still can't stop doing. Examples:

Knocking on a closed door twice before walking through it (a safety issue so we weren't running in to each other)
Using the "Disney Point"- instead of pointing with just the index finger (considered rude by some), we point with the first and second finger together or gesture using an open hand (think of all five fingers extended, but glued together)
Smiling at everyone at all times no matter where I am or what I'm doing (that one is starting to wear off...)
Referring to customers as Guests
Referring to a work uniform as a costume

And the list goes on. I do miss the Disney way of life, sort of.


So what's next? Mike and I are working hard to find grown-up jobs so we can move somewhere together. Austin, Chicago, Portland, and Bristol (CT, not TN) have all been nominated for different reasons. It's still tough out there, though. The plan is basically for Mike to find his job first since his is a much more specific field than mine (film production). Wherever he gets a job, we go and I will get work too. LA and New York have been ruled out due to high cost and no desire to go there at the moment.

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.