B'Deetie Boutique

Bye for now...

2008-02-06T14:34:00.001-08:00

After giving it much thought... I have decided to move on somewhere else with my new creations.

I've become tired of monotony, and ignorant people, and have many great plans for new things in a new place. I'll not be posting much here anymore. Or on my site.

Jimmy and I are also 'starting anew', so to speak. ;) We've decided to start spending more time with each other, and do more things together that we've always wanted to do... Start getting to mark things off our 'Wish' Lists... Travel more, find some fun local activities to get involved in, participate in and attend more craft and art shows, music shows, start a garden, get a small replica of our wedding cake made from the local bakery... lol Things like that. Fun things. Things that don't involve so much of the internet, and computers.

I'm looking forward to it! I feel like a whole new person already!

Not much time!

2008-01-29T15:45:00.000-08:00

Not a lot of time to post right now!

I just wanted to make sure you guys kept an eye out for my Valentine's Day lollipop charms, along with several other Valentine's Day treats!

I may also do a sneak peek of some of my summer goodies, too! We'll have to see how some of my other plans are going when the time comes! ;) Lots of exciting things going on around here!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far!

New Chocolate Cookies!

2008-01-27T12:38:00.000-08:00

These are going fast! If you want one, get it soon!

In other news... Jimmy and I are really excited about his new freelance job!!! He's going to be writing music for Scripps cable!!! He's done a few things for them before, and has songs on Animal Planet, USA, HGTV, and a couple of other networks. They called him a couple of weeks ago to see if he would like to 'officially' work for them! He goes in for training tomorrow. They're going to start him out part-time, then when a full-time position opens, he will most likely have the option to switch over!! Needless to say, we are NOT going to be moving to Nashville now! lol He's also going to have a song on a new Xbox 360 game soundtrack! I think it's supposed to be out in May... I'll post a link when it's out! I am so SO proud of him! He has such talent, and now people are starting to recognize it on a much larger scale!

And for my exciting news... The local boutique that I sell my items in has had to move to a larger shop! I am so excited about this! Their grand opening is February 1st, and I've got some special Valentine's Day goodies to take to her for that! :) . My sister-in-law is trying to see about getting a spot in the fashion show that day! I'm super excited about it, because that means more people will also be able to see my goodies in person! I've gotten some great customers, and met some wonderful people through the shop!

On a side note... One of my suppliers sent me a pack of each of all 34 colors of the new Studio by Sculpey clay to test out, along with some of the new tools. I'm really loving it all so far! And the color names of the clay are awesome! Buttercream, Raspberry Smoothie, and Wasabi to name a few! I'm definitely going to be getting the rest of the tools in this line. The ones they sent me are so easy and useful!

Oh! And I also have another Disney World guidebook that I'm going to be reviewing soon, so check back for that!

I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Valentine's Day Bake Sale!

2008-01-25T15:36:00.000-08:00

After deciding not to get the super-duper-large box of Valentine's Day cookies at the store; I came home and made my own! Valentine's Day Cookie Necklaces! Each cookie is right at 1" tall, and strung on matching ribbon with silver findings. Tie closure. $16 each plus shipping. I only have these three available, so if you want one, get yours now!

Cloverfield & Updates!

2008-01-19T10:06:00.000-08:00

So... I went last night with some friends to see Cloverfield... And we all really enjoyed it! I was really expecting it to be awful after all the hype, but I wasn't disappointed at all! I'm not going to say anything else about it, so that I don't spoil anything! I know a bunch of people have said it was terrible, but even on Rotten Tomatoes it has a 77%, which is pretty high for that site! Woohoo!

In other news... January is going by super fast! I have some Valentine's Day goodies that I may be posting next week. Here is a sneak peek:

It's some of my little hand-stitched hearts! I've got a bunch of Valentine colors, and some sweet scented ones, too! Right now they're only $10! Let me know if you would like one (or more!). P.S. - the red one is Red Hot Cinnamon scented! ;)

I'm also taking orders on beaded items - cakes, cake slices, flowers, castles, etc. If you want anything, get your order in soon!

Well... I've got many things to do over this long 4-day weekend, so I'm going to go get started!

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Yum yum beaded cupcake!

2008-01-06T11:06:00.000-08:00

This little beaded cupcake totally needed his own post! Note the sweet little pink sprinkles and the cherry on top! I just love doing these! I've even started doing scented ones! Woohoo!

I'm currently working on a tiny little version. Look for her sometime near Valentine's Day! <3 <3

Happy Thursday!

2008-01-03T11:37:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone is having a wonderful 2008 so far! Mine has been super busy!

I've got many new things for the shop finished! I will most likely start posting some goodies next week! Don't look for everything all at once though! I'll be posting bits here and there all throughout the year, so as not to overwhelm everyone! (And myself! lol)

For now... I've got a couple of extra necklaces! Ready to ship!

Sweet Sundae Necklace - $16 plus shipping. Seed bead colors: Marshmallow, Raspberry Ice, and Frosty Rootbeer. Be sure to let me know the length of chain you would like!

Mermaid Lagoon Necklace - $18 plus shipping. Seed bead colors: Blueberry Sorbet, Turquoise, and Arctic Spearmint. Again... Let me know the length of chain!

Both necklaces are made of high-quality silver plated wire, glass seed beads, and lots of love! Beaded pendants are around 5/8 - 3/4" tall, and beaded on both sides.

I'm not going to be taking custom orders for these, so if you see one you want, you better snap it up! Click here to order yours!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Helloooo!

2007-12-26T11:00:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Mine was super awesome! Even Jimmy said it was probably one of the best and most fun Christmases he had ever had! Wow! (I wonder if it was the matching red flannel pajama pants that my Mom gave to everyone and had us wear while opening presents? Yep; Mom, Dad, Jacob, Tessi, Jimmy and I... Oh! And even baby Taigen! Allll were wearing matching pajamas! I LOVED it! :D Mom said it was so it would feel like Christmas morning, even though we were doing it on Christmas Eve night. Hehe... I just love my Mom! lol I think it's going to be a new tradition!)

My birthday was wonderful, too! It was a 'cupcake' birthday! Hehe... I think Mom and Dad bought one of each cupcake-related and themed thing they could find in town! lol Books, dishes, stickers, stamps, papers, tote bags, clothes, craft supplies... All with a cupcake theme... Honestly, I don't know where she finds all this cool stuff! lol I'll have to post a picture! (If I don't forget! lol)

I'm not going to type much more right now... I want to go play with all my new 'toys'! Hehe! And, I just can't even believe all the ideas I've got right now that I want to try out! I have a new 5-subject cupcake notebook - courtesy of Mom - that I've been writing/drawing everything down in... And when I look over it... I don't know where to start! lol

It's a good thing I have two weeks off work to experiment! Woohoo!

Later!

And so it begins...

2007-12-22T17:53:00.000-08:00

...Christmas Vacation!!! I've had the theme song from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation going through my head for about 3 days now! lol And it's finally here! Yippy!

Two and a half weeks to do whatever I want! Woohoo! lol Well, actually, most of this first week is already booked up, but the second week... I should have some really nifty things to add to my shop after the new year! I'm debating on whether or not to keep some of the things for just my DB Girls. We'll see. ;)

Last night was the first 'Christmas' of the year. lol Jimmy and I celebrate Christmas with three different families. His family was last night since most of them have to go back home on Monday, my immediate family is Monday (my birthday!) and then all of my family on Christmas. I love having three different Christmases! lol Oh! And I can't forget mine and Jimmy's Christmas! With our little four foot tree! Hehehe... lol (Yea, yea... We haven't gotten around to getting a 'real' tree yet! And it's a good thing, too, since Bi-Zu has knocked over TWICE now! :P)

After our Christmas last night, I just feel so happy and blessed. I've got so much to be thankful for; so many wonderful people in my life, my little business is doing so well right now and the ideas for new things are constantly flowing, I have a wonderful husband who is so sweet and such a hard worker, I have a wonderful job that allows me to have a lot of extra time for other important things. Just so many things... I'm not saying that I never have problems or that my life is perfect. I just feel like whatever comes my way, I know that I will be able to handle it.

And all these petty little things... They just don't matter! These people who have tried to bring me down in the 'recent past' (These are people from online; people I've never met and will most likely never meet... Shocking, right? lol) they've wasted their time! And I almost feel sorry for them that they have nothing better to do than pick on people through the internet! lol

I'm also so incredibly thankful that I still have a little brother. We just came so close to losing him. It is a real honest-to-goodness miracle that he is still here with us. Maybe sometime I'll post pictures of what was left of the car...

Hmm... I feel so mushy mushy right now! lol But I'm just so happy! And I know where it's coming from. ^ ;) I think I might go turn some cartwheels!

So, now tell me... What are you thankful for?

Tuesday

2007-12-18T16:45:00.000-08:00

For lack of a cuter title... :D

So, today I come into work, and one of the little boys from last night asks me if the Dust Bunny food is still piled in the floor around the couch.

"I don't know. Have you looked?" I craned my neck to get a better look at the floor.

The food was gone!

"They came out! Did you see 'em, Ms. Amanda???"

"No, I had to leave. I missed them!"

So I guess the Dust Bunnies waited until everyone had left, and then ventured from under the couch to munch out on paper dots and sequins!

Either that or it all got vacuumed up. lol

I just love those kids!

Speaking of kids... I just found out that I get to see my little Cousin Crystal in a couple of weeks! They're all coming in from Florida after Christmas. We're going to do some after Christmas shopping in Pigeon Forge, work on some crafts together... It will be great!

At first we thought they weren't going to be able to come in. My Aunt and Uncle both work at the Kennedy Space Center and when the shuttle launch didn't happen a few weeks ago, they were afraid it would cause everyone at the KSC to have to go right back to work after Christmas. Plus, my Aunt has to be there when the shuttle goes off, so there was going to be no way to get out of it. Luckily things worked out, and they'll be here around the 27th!

I decided to take off work tomorrow so that I could go Christmas shopping with a friend. I can't wait! I just love shopping for gifts! And we're eating at one of my favorite Italian restaurants for lunch! Yum!

Well... I got a bunch of seed beads in the mail today as a gift from one of my favorite suppliers, so I just have to go and make a few little beaded Mickey ears with some of the new colors! lol

Have a lovely night!

Dots and Sequins and Dust Bunnies, Oh my!

2007-12-17T15:59:00.000-08:00

So... I don't think I talk nearly enough about how much I LOVE my job. It's gotten to the point where I feel sorry for people who are stuck at a desk, staring at a computer all day. I did that for a while... Never again! lol

Now I get to color pictures; jump rope; play Candyland; watch movies and eat popcorn; have tea parties; and swing through the air. And there are some wonderful kids there. Sometimes I just get so excited thinking about going to work! How many people can say that? lol

Why, just today, me and two little boys, both in kindergarten, had the most wonderful adventure!

They were playing in the floor with some Legos, and were getting quite rowdy. I was getting kinda bored since most of the kids were gone already, so...

"Shh!" I hissed.

They both stopped what they were doing at looked at me like I was crazy.

"Did you guys hear that?" I was talking so quietly that they could barely hear me. I held my hand up to my ear, and squinted at the couch next to where they were playing. I pretended to be listening really hard...

"No. What was it?" Now they were whispering, too.

"I'm not sure..."

I walked closer to the couch, and then gave a startled jump when I 'heard' the noise again.

"What is it Ms. Amanda???" They were both veeerrry interested now. Both of them had, by this time, crawled closer to the couch so they could help me figure out what the noise was.

We all continued to 'hear' noises for a minute or two. Coming from the couch. I finally declared that it had to be Dust Bunnies playing under the couch!

"What are those, Ms. Amanda???"

"Yea, what is a Dust Bunny?" I could barely hear what they were saying now!

Their eyes were wide as they listened to me explain about the Dust Bunnies.

"Well, they live under this couch here, and they don't like loud noises. At all. And if you get too close, or too loud, they might even bite!" I was whispering and sitting very still, until I got to the last word, then I popped up out of my seat and made a biting motion with my hands.

"What should we do???" They wanted to know.

"First of all, we have to keep being super quiet. And don't get too close to the couch." I pulled up a couple of chairs from the art table. "We should be safe right here. If you are really quiet and still, you might even see one poke his ears out from under the couch!"

We sat in the chairs, and just gaaaazed under the couch.

"There's one right there!" I almost shouted, as I jumped to my feet and pointed to a random spot under the couch.

"SSSHHH!! Ms. Amanda, you have to be quiet!! Remember???"

Just a few seconds later, the other little boy points to a different spot and whispers excitedly, "There's another one!"

After a few minutes of running around the couch, catching only glimpses of these elusive dust bunnies, I notice a bunch of paper dots and sequins in the floor at the art table.

"Look!" I pointed. "It's Dust Bunny food! How lucky are we???" I started picking up some of the dots and sequins. "This is GREAT! We can just put little piles of this food around the couch, and they're sure to come out so we can see them!"

And so, they began cleaning the floor around the art tab... Er... I mean... They began collecting Dust Bunny food with me. ;) (I can only imagine how the three of us looked, crawling around in the floor! lol)

When we felt that we had gathered a substantial amount of food for the bunnies, we put it all in neat little piles around the couch.

"Now, let's hide over here at the cubbies, and wait for them to come out and eat", I whispered.

We then carefully, and ever so quietly, tip-toed over to the cubbies to wait.

At this time their Mom arrived to pick them up. All three of us were quite disappointed.

Perhaps tomorrow we can finish our adventure! (I know you're just sitting on the edge of your seat!) lol

This story is only one of the reasons why I love my job so very much. There are so many adventures to be had there! Bonds to be made! How could I ever even think of doing anything else???

The truth is, at the beginning of the school year, I was seriously debating on whether or not to just work on my business full time, and not actually work a regular job. But, as it happens, the director needed a sub for the first week, so she called to see if I would do it. That was it! After that week, I knew I couldn't leave! I have actually worked there for over 5 years now! The other people who work there are like my family, the director is just about the nicest, most thoughtful lady ever, the kids are like my kids; I love them all so much! And I am so thankful that I have them all in my life! I realize that it's a very special place, and that I am very lucky to have such a special job.

And it's a job that allows me to work on my business, too! With all the time off I get, I've easily been able to keep my business growing. (And growing! lol) I can't wait to see where it will be this time next year! If I keep expanding, and doing as many Disney Wedding favors and gifts as I've been doing, we may just have to move to Orlando! lol

Those are probably my favorite things to do; the Disney Weddings orders. I love to sit and imagine my pink beaded Mickey Mouseketeer ears, sitting atop shimmery menus, at fancy place settings in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. Or my tiny little beaded mice, traveling all over the world, attached to Cinderella themed Save-the-Dates. There’s also the glittery polymer clay castle necklaces that usually end up being a special gift for young flower girls. Oh! And let’s not forget the handmade and scented Mickey head-shaped sachets that go in most Welcome Bags! I’ve also got some super fabulous Mad Hatter Tea Party favors that I’m working on right now, for a Mad Hatter Tea Party in June! (Including a special mini beaded version of the bride’s Mad Hatter Cake! So yea, I had to get a head start on this one! lol)

*Sigh*

Good stuff, it is.

So much to be excited about and thankful for... Everything is going so great right now. I just love warm fuzzies!

Wow! Looks like I’m very typetive tonight! lol Probably ‘cause Jimmy is out of town. He and a friend went to the Utah Jazz game in Atlanta.

I think I might go make myself a cup of hot chocolate and watch a movie.

I hope you guys have a lovely night, too!

Baggallini Messenger Bagg Review

2007-12-16T10:48:00.000-08:00

After 13 trips to WDW, I have learned that it is one of those places where you simply must have a good way to carry around all your goodies. I mean important things... Like a poncho, sunglasses, money, Key to the World cards, FASTPASSES, maps, etc. It's one of those things that could make or break your trip!

Here's a great place to figure out what you should take along with you.

Personally, here's what you could find in my Baggallini messenger on our last trip to WDW:

-Cash
-Coins for Penny Presses
-Poncho
-iPod
-Gum and some peppermint Lifesavers
-Key to the World Card, Driver's License, Debit Card, AAA Discount Card
-Chapstick
-Passpockets from my WDW Passporter (Sometimes I would carry the whole book)
-Official maps for all parks
-Pen and pad of paper
-A small binder that had menus for all counter service and snack locations, DDP snack list, souvenir/shopping list, Penny Press checklist and a bunch of other stuff printed off
-Cell phone
-My lovely WDW bucket hat :)

I'm sure there was more at some point, and less at some point, but those are the standard things that I think are important.

And all that fit easily into my purple Bagglinni Messenger Bag. I'm debating on getting a black one, too. Or maybe the pink one! I dunno...

Anyway, on to the review!
[This is taken from my post on... A certain site whose name I don't care to mention. Dated 12/2006]

"I had originally bought mine (after reading these boards and getting a great discount!) back at the beginning of summer, and was going to 'put it away' for our next Disney World trip. But I couldn't stand it! I had to take it with me when we went to Williamsburg/Busch Gardens back in July. I loved carrying it! Now every time we go on a trip of any kind I take my Baggallini. It's perfect for in the car, and for when we actually get to our destination. You see, I am a collector. When I see brochures, maps, freebies of any sort, I simply MUST pick them up to add to my 'collection'. So I have to carry some type of bag to make it easier on DH - since he would be the one carrying all of my new additions. Plus, I like to have my iPod, some candy/gum/snacks, lip gloss, sunglasses, phone, money/change, important cards, pens, a small notebook to journal in, a guidebook of where ever we're going, etc. And there's a place for everything - no digging around to find lip gloss, or some change for a coin press. I also like the way it looks. It makes me feel like I'm going on an adventure! Another reason why I like the Baggallini is because the 'water-proof' ones are REALLY water-proof! I know this from experience! While on our way to Nashville a couple of weeks ago, we had stopped at a rest stop to potty and get some snacks - we were already tired of the ones we had brought! Anyway, I had carried my Baggallini in the rest area with me. While we were choosing our snacks from the machine, an absolute downpour started. We were going to wait it out, but after about 10 minutes, we decided to just go ahead and get back on the road. Even though we weren't parked very far away, we still got absolutely SOAKED on our way back to the car. I mean we were drenched! It looked like we had fallen into a swimming pool with our clothes on! So, to make a long story a little bit shorter , when I opened my Baggallini to get my journal out, everything inside was completely dry. Not even a drop of water got in. I think that's great for rides like Splash Mt. I don't know how well it would do on something like Kali - if you were on the side that gets 'the big one', but for all the other rides, no worries.

So that is my very long review of the Baggallini. I would definitely buy it again. I've had no problems with it at all. In fact, I do plan on getting another one, in a different color!"

So that was before Disney World.... And after Disney World??? I'll never shop for another WDW bag again. This is it. It held everything I needed.

And the little pocket on the strap is just genius! I used it to carry my Key to the World card, FASTPASSES, and my sun-glasses clip when we went inside an attraction. I never had to dig around for my KTTWC when we were getting a FASTPASS, and I didn't have to dig around for my FASTPASS when it was time to use it. I just unzipped the zipper, pulled out what I needed, and ta da! I didn't even have to turn the bag around or off my shoulder! Perfect!

Speaking of my shoulder... My shoulder never got sore, and I'm always the one who carried it. And I liked carrying it, too! It made me feel like I was going off on some wonderful adventure all the time! lol (And at WDW, I really was!)

I also made some little Mickey charms to put on my zippers. So I had everything I needed, and my bag looked super cute at the same time!

So yea... If you don't have one yet... Go get one! What are you waiting for???

Brr!!

2007-12-16T10:07:00.000-08:00

I just looked at TWC, and it says the temperature is only 35° right now! Holy cow!

I would love to be here right now:

It's the Hippy Dippy pool at Disney's Pop Century Resort! Actually, this picture is of the kidde area. But I think it's a neat shot with all the palm trees. Here's a really great shot of the main flower pool from Deb's site.

Since I can't be there right now, I'll settle for being at home relaxing! lol Today has been just as wonderful as yesterday so far! I'm glad I went ahead and got all my orders finished and shipped out last week! It has given me time to do whatever I want this weekend! lol

Jimmy cooked breakfast for us this morning - cheesy scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, and toast. Yum! He's really good at fixing scrambles eggs. His and my Mom's are the only ones I can/will eat!

After breakfast, I worked on a search-a-word puzzle thingie. lol I just love those! Then I finished up some experiments with some new scented items. They actually are going very well! (And my studio smells like a candy shop!)

I also have some ideas for some new themed, scented charms for Valentine's Day. I can't wait to have those finished, in some scrumptious new Valentine's Day scents! Hehe...

And now I must go! I have a bunch of other ideas that I simply must go work on right this minute! lol You know how that is... ;)

More later!

My day, and a book review!

2007-12-15T17:17:00.000-08:00

So... Today was quite the productive day! Jimmy and I went to a friend's graduation this morning, and then I came home and worked on some of my new things until lunch. And they are coming along quite nicely! ;) I'm 'sew' proud of them! Hehe...

Mom came over around 2:30 to drop off some goodies, and see what I had been working on. I send her pics, but she likes to see them in person. :) We had a nice visit and she showed me some tricks with my sewing machine!

Then I spent some time on my DisBrides boards, watched a movie while I worked on some scented Mickey charms, made a cherry dump cake (YUM!) and wrote a book review!

Whew! What a wonderful, busy day!

Oh! And last night Jimmy and I went and saw 'I Am Legend'! What a great movie! I really enjoyed it! Will Smith is such a great actor! I would love to meet him; he seems like he would be really nice!

And now... On to my book review!!

The Complete Walt Disney World
By Julie and Mike Neal

Okay, I admit it… I bought this guidebook solely for the pictures. I really did. I’m Disney-crazy like that. But then, as I carried the book around with me, I started actually reading all the cool little stories and snippets, tips and secrets… I’m going to be buying the 2008 version for the awesome info… And the super-wonderful pictures, of course!

While most guidebooks just tell you the basics, like… Height requirements, prices, locations of FASTPASS attractions, etc… The Complete Walt Disney World makes you think you are actually there! Each attraction has a wonderful description, along with Fun Finds and Fun Facts! I’ve learned about sooo many cool things at WDW after reading this book! There’s also little tips scattered throughout the book. And, yes, it does have all the ‘basic’ info, too!

And the pictures… Oh the pictures! So, so many wonderful pictures! As you’re reading about the different attractions, you can glance [or in my case just stare] at the pictures, and start imagining you are there! I love the rainy day picture, the Blizzard Beach Snow Ball picture, the Stormalong Bay picture… And I could keep going on… There’s not a bad picture in the entire book, in my opinion. I like that they’re not the normal, everyday shots that everyone has seen a million times, too.

A few of my other favorite things in this book… The 10-page animal guide in the Animal Kingdom section, the two pages devoted to resort pools, the shopping pages, the ginormous Hidden Mickey’s list (along with some PICTURES!!) and 11 pages on special events. And there’s so much more in this book; but I can’t tell you everything! lol

The only thing I was disappointed in was the lack of info for the resorts. But, it seems that the 2008 version has remedied that! They now have 2 pages dedicated to each resort, along with some resort pictures! Yeah!!

They’ve also got a new restaurants section that has reviews and information on even the most recent restaurants and changes, like Yak and Yeti and Tusker House.

I’ve also read that it has info about the updated Haunted Mansion, Spaceship Earth, and even the new Toy Story Mania! How cool is that?? That's some very up-to-date information on my favorite place in the world!

Honestly, this is the WDW guidebook that I carry around with me all the time so that I can actually show people Disney World. And they’re always excited to see it! These pictures have gotten all the kids at work excited, and my boss is all the time asking "What is this ride like?" and "Which ride is that?" I just whip out this guidebook, and I can show her while I explain it to her!

This book is also printed on that lovely, glossy, sort of thick, magazine-like paper. A real plus with all those super pictures! The book is also a great size, and has a nice feel as you're flipping through the pages.

I believe this book is a wonderful supplement to the Disney World Passporter! (Along with a couple other Disney World guidebooks that I’ll review soon!) It's fun to look through all the great pictures, and read all the great little secrets and histories in the Complete WDW as you are planning in the Passporter.

Fun stuff!

Not much to report today. :)

2007-12-14T09:25:00.000-08:00

I would like to get in the habit of posting here at least once a day. Even if nothing is going on. Like today! I do have some new things I'm working on for my shop, but I can't tell too much about those until they're finished. ;)

Bi-Zu was helping me get some pictures this morning:

Oh... Wait... No, actually... This is when she was trying to eat my ribbon! Oops! lol Silly kitty!

I was trying to get some pictures of these pretty purple fabric squares:

I've developed a huge obsession with fabric over the last couple of weeks. I think it's because of what I mentioned earlier - I'm moving away from polymer clay. I still love polymer clay! I've just found a different way for me to make cool jewelry! ;) And other accessories! Which will be up in my shop in a couple of weeks. Hehe... I like the thought of trying new mediums. :)

Oh, and I finally got my Pampered Chef hostess pack in the mail! Woohoo! I can't wait! I'm going to have a PC party in January, and I'm so excited!!! I have to wait a couple of weeks before we finalize the menu, but I'm ready to do that now! lol

And now I must go... The sewing machine is calling my name! lol (Weird how it does that...)

One final picture before I go:

A section of the lobby at Disney's Wilderness Lodge. I would love to be here right now! It has finally started to get cold here in TN, and I'm dreaming of comfy warmness. lol I can just imagine myself wandering around the lobby at the Lodge. With a cup of warm cinnamon cocoa in my hands... I would settle down into one of the big rocking chairs in front of the 80 foot tall fireplace... And just relaaaax... Ah... Care to join me?

Walt Disney World Passporter Review

2007-12-13T08:37:00.000-08:00

So... Anyone who knows me is aware of the fact that I am in love with Disney World. I love everything about it. The parks, the resorts, the magic! Oh yea... There's real magic there alright. You know that adults can actually pretend while they are there??? Really! I wore a princess crown to dinner on our first night back in January. And everyone was bowing down to me, calling me 'your highness'... And I ate it up! lol It was absolutely magical! That could never happen here at home! And the whole trip... I did so many cool things while I was there! I talked to sea turtles (and they talked back!) went on an African safari, drove a race car, flew in a hang-glider over California, battled pirates, went shopping around the world, and I even took a spaceship to Mars!

I've been to Disney World 13 times now. And I can't wait to go back! There is so much to see and do... 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, over 20 resorts to explore, Downtown Disney, golf, mini golf, Disney's Wide World of Sports, and the list goes on.

How do I plan it all? The Disney World Passporter! This is more than just another guide book. This is the guidebook! And while I do use it in conjunction with a few other guidebooks, this is the one I recommend to everyone. And here's why:

This is the cover for this year. I LOVE this new cover. It really pops out at you more... Like, instead of "I'm going to Disney World", this cover says, "YEA!!! I'M ON MY WAY TO DISNEY WORLD, BABY!" It's like that. I like the castle picture, too. With all the lights on inside... I can just imagine Cinderella running around getting ready for a grand ball. :)

This is an open page from the Pop Century section. We just love our Pop Century! Although this time we're splitting our stay between Pop Century and the Polynesian, Pop will always have a special place in our hearts. Note the awesome rating charts, and transportation time chart. These are VERY helpful in the 'deciding where to stay' process. There's also a map for each resort, too. Along with tips on the best/quietest/most convenient rooms, etc. So that after you have completed the 'deciding where to stay' process, you can then tackle the 'where to stay at where I'm staying' process a bit easier as well. ;) (Come on, you guys know what I'm talking about!)

The best guide book maps I have ever seen for WDW. Really. They fold out, so they're at least twice as big as other guidebook maps. And they have these handy little guides that tell you about how much time it will take to get from place to place in the parks. Nice! Plus, they're in color, which is also very nice!

Fun stickers! To... You know... Stick in different places! Seriously, these are great for marking special places, noting special celebrations, and not to mention making you look more organized!

Okay... Get ready for this...

Passpockets! The most unique guide book planning tool ever! EVER!

Yes, they really are pockets for storing maps, receipts, tickets, and any other memorabilia you collect on your adventures! Oh! And let's not forget that on each Passpocket is a place for you to write all the information you could possibly need about your trip.

There are 14 of these little puppies in the Passporter. The first one is titled, 'Our Journey'. You can write your departure and arrival times, flight numbers, reservations numbers, rental car info, to do lists... And more! Yeah, 'cause that's just the FRONT of the journey Passpocket! On the pack are places for you to write about your memories, pictures, meals, budget and notes for your journey! Wait! It doesn't stop there! After the journey Passpocket is one titled 'Our Rooms', where you can write everything you'll need (and want!) to remember about your resort! Resort name, reservation number, special requests, phone number, the room number and location that you actually get at check-in... Whew! The back of the rooms Passpocket is similar to the journey Passpocket; filling out memories, pictures, meals, etc. The rooms Passpocket is followed by the 'Our First Day' Passpocket. There are ten of these, going all the way up to 'Our Tenth Day'. On the front of each of these, you can fill in your schedule for each day, including dining plans and reservation numbers, things to do, and notes. The back is reserved for you to write your memories, weather for the day, photos, budget, meals, and more notes. Trust me, you can never have enough notes for/about your trip!

After those AWESOME little Passpockets, is a blank Passpocket! "Blank?", you're asking. Yep. This Passpocket is reserved for you to journal about whatever you want! A special meal, a memorable show, the time your friend almost drowned in Shark Reef, special events like Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, or maybe even just use as an extra day. It's up to you!

And last, but certainly not least, is the Magical Memories Passpocket. On the front you can fill in all your most magical experiences, from meals to attractions, your most magical day, and other special memories. The back is for you to make a little mini trip report. When you went, who went with you, what you would do again, what you wouldn't do again, etc. Alllllll THIS... And I haven't even mentioned half the stuff in this wonderful guidebook. There are worksheets for everything - resorts, dining, budget planning, etc. - to fill out and help you with your trip planning. Tips and magical memories scattered throughout; and these are so much fun to read! There's info on all the attractions, restaurants, shows, resorts, dinner shows... And the list goes on. There are two pages explaining the new dining plan options, a two page packing list, information on special tours and activities, and even suggested touring plans for each park.

The Passporter pictured is the Deluxe version - which I LOVE! It comes in an awesome little binder, with lots of little places to put papers, cards, tickets, reservation papers, maps, etc. And I love that you can add your own things to the book! I always print off a bunch of menus from this awesome, wonderful site to add to my Passporter. And the times and information from this other wonderful site. Each year I can just order the refill, and I'm good to go! The refill includes the cover, all the guidebook pages, and the stickers and Passpockets - everything except the binder. If you don't have the binder yet, you should get the Deluxe Starter Set. I've also seen it suggested that you take things out of the Deluxe Passporter to make it lighter if you carry it to the parks with you (I do!) Like taking out all the resort pages of the resorts that you're not staying at. But I could never do that! I want all that wonderful info right there at my fingertips! Plus, we like visiting the other resorts, so we like having the maps and such for each place. And... You never know what you might want to do! So it's good to have all the pages!

If you're even just thinking of getting a Passporter... STOP. Stop thinking about it and go get one! You won't regret it! It's a wonderful planning tool, and a great keepsake to have after your trip! We'll never go back to WDW without one!

And so now I'm back here!

2007-12-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

Hehe... After much pondering on the subject, I have decided to start blogging here more regularly. About all kinds of stuff! But mostly about my little business. I've tried LiveJournal, and a couple of others, and even on my own site, but I think I'm really liking the simplicity and layout of this blog. Most likely I will still post occasionally on the other blogs, but this will be the main one. ;)

And now for the first bit of exciting news... One of Jimmy's songs (the one he wrote for me!) may be in a movie! He's working out the details with... Whoever does that ;) Hopefully everything will be finalized in the spring!! Very exciting! I'm so proud of him!

I've also got some great things in the works! Keep checking back for some very special one-of-a-kind goodies and sets! It seems that I've been drifting farther and farther away from polymer clay these days, as more and more people have started selling their polyclay charms and such online. Don't get me wrong, I still work on polymer clay orders all the time. And I do enjoy it! It's just that lately, I've started experimenting in some different media on my own time. Now, for me anyway, it's all about glittery resins and festive papers and do-die-for fabrics and yummy threads! Oh, and let's not forget the beads... Mountains and mountains of all sorts of delicious little seed beads! *giggle* Sometimes I think I'm not even going to use them; that I'm just going to leave them here in their little tubes and bags and just stare at them! *giggle* And yea... I'm still all about making the jewelry and accessories. I've just found some different ways to do it! ;)

So keep checking back!

Also, I'm not taking any more orders of any kind until after Christmas. I've got several parties and other holiday events planned, and I want to have lots and lots of time to spend doing other things!

I do still have things in my Etsy shop, so if you want something right now, just go there! Most likely I will be also adding a few things there soon, too!

I'll let you guys know when I'm taking orders again!

I'm also going to take some better pictures of my Disney World Passporter, and post the review here, too!

Sugar Rush

2007-06-15T09:06:00.001-07:00

Mmm... Lots of tasty treats can be found on my site now! I've got several different shops with all sorts of goodies available!

B'Deetie Boutique

Summer sweets!

2007-06-09T22:42:00.000-07:00

I've posted lots of new summer sweets at my website!

Here's a little preview:

B'Deetie Boutique

Visit the Ice Cream Parlour for details!

Hello! And welcome!

2007-04-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

So, this is going to be another blog for my site:

http://www.freewebs.com/amandahinson/index.htm

It's still under a bit of construction right now. I still need to do action shots, more detailed descriptions, and add the shopping cart. You can still order though! Just send me an e-mail with items you would like!

And now... On to the new items!

I just posted about these on my site, but I wanted to share them here, too!

They're sweet little 3D beaded cupcake charms! I'm working on setting up something that will allow my customers to customize their own beaded cupcakes! They will chose the cake flavor, icing flavor, toppings such as sprinkles, candle, cherry, etc. I'm really excited about these! I made up the cupcake pattern myself as I went along, so it's a very unique, one-of-a-kind item! I'm also going to offer seasonal and limited edition beaded cupcakes as well. I also have 2D cupcake zipper charms already available! Check them out in my bakery!

I'll definitely have some more updates soon, so keep checking back!