"Honey, Remember To Tip Cogsworth!"

I'm starting to get excited for my trip to Disney! Yes, it is in October. Why do you ask?

Yeah, I know, Thomas and I have both been to Disney more times than we can count (seriously. I have no idea how many times we've each visited), but it's our favorite vacation destination. Of course we do Disney on the cheap, so it's a rare treat to get to a hotel in the park. In fact, we've never stayed on property together, and I've only stayed on property a handful of times, myself. When I had to go to Disney on business (I know, poor, pitiful me. Best. Business. Trip. Ever.) I was put up at Coronado Springs, which was gorgeous, and I highly recommend it, should money be no object. My high school Senior Trip boarded the class, dorm-style, at the All-Star Sports Resort, but the trip was so jam-packed and harried, I barely remember sleeping. In fact, I'm not entirely sure I did...

Anyhoo, the only other time I stayed at a Disney resort was as a kid. I was about fourteen, and my parents booked a cruise on the (now-defunct) Big Red Boat, with a trip to Disney World following. It was, by far, the most extravagant family vacation we ever took. Honestly, I don't know what my parents were thinking. We're not week-long vacation people. We're omigod-I-just-found-leftover-days-on-our-tickets-from-last-year-so-let's-hop-in-the-car-and-camp-at-the-KOA-for-a-weekend people. (This is where I learned to do Disney cheap, folks. I was taught by the best.) But I digress. The package included a stay at the Port Orleans Resort. Naturally, living so near the real French Quarter, we were interested to see the Disney version, and it didn't disappoint. The grounds were the perfect blend of Louisiana architecture and that magical Disney veneer of cleanliness and fantasy. It was beautiful, and I couldn't imagine a more wonderful place to stay.

Had I seen the new Royal Guest Rooms, I'd have likely flipped my sh--you know.

These just came to my attention today (and I seem to be the last to know, of course), and run about $189 per night, which is not bad by Disney resort standards. Not bad, at all. More than I want to pay, of course. (We're not staying here. We're staying at a hotel near Downtown Disney. I can't remember the name, but we found it online for practically nothing. The inside is surprisingly posh, but the outside is beyond tacky, and I've nicknamed it "The Pineapple Under the Sea".)

Now, before I start in on pictures or video, let me tell you the story behind the decor. According to legend (or the hotel management. Whichever), New Orleans-native Princess Tiana (from The Princess and the Frog) has hosted all of the other Disney princesses at this hotel. Being proper guests, they've each gifted Tiana with special momentos, which she has used to decorate your hotel room. See how many you can spot!


Video: zannaland.com

Cute. Very, very cute. Now, for the actual room details. The rooms are decorated in a golds, burgundies, and blues, with "royal" touches throughout. The comforters have a crown motif, with nods to each of the princesses. The Magic Carpet lies on the floor. The Beast's enchanted ottoman is ready for your tired tootsies...you get the idea. Sweet vacation "snapshots" of the princesses having fun are framed around the room, while official-looking silhouettes of the princes hang on the wall. Grownups will enjoy the flat-screen TV, coffee pot, and fridge, and the kiddies will love the Duffy the Disney Bear: Mickey’s New Friend bedtime story that the hotel televises on a loop from 6-10pm. All ages should get a kick out of the fiber-optic "firework" show that "magically" appears on your headboard. There's even a welcome message from Tiana waiting for you when you arrive!

Photo Credit: Mousesteps

All in all, I think this is a ridiculously adorable idea. Is the room tacky as all get-out? Oh, my, yes. Would I ever stay in it? In a heartbeat. It's silly and sweet, and terribly faux-castle-Fantasyland-chic. As a kid, I would have given my right arm to stay there. As an adult, I think it would be a hoot. You don't go to Disney for its sophisticated charm. You go because it makes you feel like a kid. For just a little while, you get to be a Princess, Prince, or Pirate. A 32-year old woman doesn't look weird in a light-up tiara; she looks weird without one. A 29-year old man should be wearing cartoons on his t-shirt and an Indiana Jones fedora on his head. Dinner can come in the form of a Mickey-shaped ice cream, or be served in a restaurant that's been taken over by dinosaurs or computer-generated rats who also happen to be gourmet chefs. Why not let that childhood wonderment carry over into your hotel room? I mean, if you're already paying to stay at Disney, you should be able to stay at Disney.

Now, does anyone know where I can get a royal coupon?

I Believe

Again, I know, I'm off. Whatevs. Thomas found this today, and it was so sweet, I couldn't not share it. See, in Ireland in 1911, a little brother and sister, 7 year-old Fred and 10 year-old Hannah, wrote a letter to Santa Claus. One can only assume that 13 year-old big sister Lily was in her non-believer phase.

Photo Credit: Irish Times

Like most children, Fred and Hannah had a few specific items in mind. They politely asked Santa to please leave a babydoll, a "waterproof" (raincoat) with a hood, gloves, and sweets. They also hoped for a shiny penny and sixpence. The children placed the letter, along with some drawings and a good luck message, on a shelf inside their chimney.

The letter was found in 1992.

Understandably, Santa would have had to have left the letter behind, as his sleigh is pretty well packed on Christmas Eve. I'm sure he enjoyed the letter very much, though. What's amazing is the fact that the letter was found almost entirely intact, and only barely singed after being subjected to 81 years of wintertime fires. It stands now as a symbol of the innocence and wonder of childhood. I like to think a little North Pole magic helped it survive all those decades.

Speaking of the magic of being a child at Christmas, I'd like to leave you today with one of my favorite Santa letters--one that was not addressed to Santa, but to the editor of the New York Sun. The world is so "me"-oriented these days, and the real spirit of the season--kindness, love, and generosity--is more often than not overlooked in the pursuit of that perfect toy, or that fantastic deal. Sometimes, we need to step back, take a breath, and remind ourselves what really matters. As long as we can remember that simple adage, "'Tis Better To Give Than To Receive," then yes, Virginia, there will be a Santa Claus.

Photo Credit: Newseum.org

By the way, the Macy's Believe campaign, where for every Santa letter dropped off at a Macy's store or Macy's online, one dollar was donated to the Make-A-Wish foundation, reached their goal of one million dollars. That, right there, is reason to believe in Santa, in magic, and in miracles. Merry Christmas, everyone!

The Cutest Halloween Makeup Tutorial. Ever.

To me, the most fun part of Halloween has always been dressing up. When I was tiny, it meant putting on something princessy that my mom either made from scratch, or put together using that year's ballet costume and more determination than any human should ever have to. I'm sure that determination was helped along by the little tyrant standing next to her, demanding her to, "Sew good, Mama. Sew good." But I digress. Anyway, Halloween meant sparkly dresses and--the cherry on top, to a five year-old--digging through Mama's makeup. Afterall, you can't expect a princess to be seen without her blue eyeshadow and pink lipstick. I mean, come on.

When I was little, there was nothing more fun in the world than playing with Mama's makeup. Every now and then, she'd replace something or decide a shade didn't work for her, and it could go in my dress-up drawer. For as much joy as that brought me, you'd have thought she'd given me a million dollars. Of course, this was just for me to play with. I was never allowed to leave the house wearing makeup (not until I was much, much older, anyway), but I could play with it as much as I wanted.

I remember babysitting my two year-old cousin one day, just a few years ago, and her looking up at me, holding out her hand, and simply saying, "Fingernails pink." Next thing I knew, I was knelt down beside her, making her fingernails pink. I think silver glitter may have been involved, too, but I did draw the line at letting her make my fingernails pink. That sort of seemed like a disaster waiting to happen.

Little girls and dress-up go hand in hand. I mean, look at the success of places like the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, or all those spa tea party places that keep popping up (or is that just a local thing? I swear, there's got to be one on every corner around here). As long as it's just good, old-fashioned, innocent fun, I think there's nothing more adorable. Now, it can get out of hand, but I'm in too good of a mood right now to spoil it by going off on a rant about skanky baby clothes, that French child model, Toddlers and Tiaras, or the way-too-goshdarned-early sexualization of girls today. I'd prefer to keep to the positive, and introduce you to Madison.

Madison is five years-old, and she loves makeup. Even more, she loves "complete looks", with hair styles, costumes, props, and anything else she can think of. She's also more than happy to show off how she creates her looks through remarkably articulate YouTube tutorials, which, at last count, have more than 11,000 subscribers (of which I am now one). Madison's not super picky about her brands, either, other than her sponsor-supplied brushes. She seems to prefer MAC, but utilizes everything from CoverGirl and E.L.F. on up. (Honestly, I get the feeling it's whatever Mom happened to have lying around.) When she really likes something, she'll even tell you to buy it or she'll be sad, but she says it with a grin.

This is a child who is having fun. Dear God, there aren't enough of those around these days. She's not expertly applying makeup to accentuate her features or play up her sex appeal; she's playing around with colors and putting on what she wants, simply because she wants to. She's not bad, either. Her technique's not great (little baby hands weren't built for brushes), but she understands swatching, colors, what brushes are used for, and can toss off well thought out opinions, reviews, and advice, such as, "I really love this eyeshadow for a highlighter." You don't see a lot of foundation, because Mommy won't let her wear it. I've been through several of her (at writing) 43 videos, and have yet to see mascara. This is just a sweet baby playing dress-up on camera, and it's heartwarming. Her exuberance is infectious. When she bursts into fits of giggles at the "pet spider" prop shimmying up and down his web, I chuckled along with her. You cannot watch this precious, precocious child and stay in a bad mood. I'm also highly impressed with her parents. They're fostering creativity, allowing her to enjoy her childhood as a child, and, if you compare early entries with her latest, her vocabulary and public speaking skills have improved exponentially.

Madison's latest tutorials are all Halloween-centric, with instructions for a sunflower, ladybug, kitty, clown, and (my favorite) a vampire princess. This is Halloween, folks. This is the joy of childhood innocence and imagination. Meet Madison. You'll be glad you did.