Disney Scrapbooking from Small World Memories

2008-02-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

One of the best "Holiday Highlights" at Walt Disney World, is the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights, held each year at Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM Studios). Along with many of the other Christmas events at the Disney parks, this is a not-to-be-missed event.

First, let me clear up any misconceptions: this is not THAT Osbourne Family. (It's the most common question asked). This Osborne Family actually originated in Arkansas, and it is their Christmas lights display that was invited by Disney to be part of the Holiday attractions at Hollywood Studios. A number of years have passed since the Osborne Family brought their light display to Walt Disney World, and each year Disney Imagineering manages to add more lights, and more designs. It is breathtaking and unbelievable.

This year Disney added an addition to the light display: several times each hour, the lights were programmed to "dance" to Christmas music. It was great fun and another example of the unlimited imagination of the folks at Disney! If you are ever in Hollywood Studios during the Christmas Season, be sure to put this on your list!!

You can see more pictures at Small World Memories.

Until next time,

Nancy

The Magic of the Magic Kingdom

2008-01-25T17:29:00.000-08:00

Always a "magical" place, the Magic Kingdom takes on a special glow during the Holiday Season. From the huge Christmas tree as you enter the park, to the wreathes and garland that are everywhere, the Christmas spirit is truly evident. If you love the Christmas holidays and Disney, you owe it to yourself to visit once in your lifetime, during this season. We especially enjoyed looking for Disney "themes" in the decorations: sort of like looking for Hidden Mickeys (which by the way, if you have never done this, and if you have older kids, you have to give it a try as it is highly entertaining!)

Daytime is lovely, and nightime is even more beautiful. This year, however, the Imagineers at Walt Disney World had a special treat for their guests, as even

Cinderella's castle was decked out in Christmas lights. I am a Christmas lights junkie, but this took my breath away. Suffice it to say that pictures do not do it justice. What was truly amazing was seeing the Castle at night, and again during the day: those wonderful folks at Disney who don't miss ANY details, used lights on the castle with wires that matched the stone color of the Castle. In other words, during the day, the lights are virtually invisible. At night, when they are turned on, it's truly like "magic". (Note: There is actually a ceremony where the Fairy Godmother turns the lights on each night at dusk. Unfortunately for us, dinner reservations prevented us from seeing this event....Guess that means another Holiday trip??)

If you visit Disney World before Christmas, you have the opportunity to participate in Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, a series of special ticketed events held from Thanksgiving to Christmas. One of the highlights of the party is, of course the parade! But have no fear, if you visit after Christmas, the Very Merry Christmas Party is held every afternoon. It's lots of fun and highly recommended. Be forewarned however: if you really want a good view, be prepared to camp out for an hour or so ahead of time.

The Magic Kingdom folks do a great job of creating the Christmas feeling: music, lights, and even special "Magic Kingdom" snow all add to the atmosphere. But sometimes Mother Nature, I think, has a pretty nifty sense of humor. Remember that fabulous weather I spoke of earlier? Well the day we were at Magic Kingdom for the parade, it was about 88 degrees. Easily the hottest day we had. Even for me. And that's saying aLOT.

So it was a bit humorous to hear the music for the parade, including "Winter Wonderland", see the characters dressed in their best Winter Holiday gear, including scarves and mittens...and have it be nearly 90 degrees. The poor performers in their winter apparel had sweat pouring off them. But, of course, they never stopped smiling! That's the Disney way after all.

We have more photos posted on Small World Memories. You can click here to check them out.

Until next time,

Nancy

Christmas Traditions and New Year's Rain Ponchos at Epcot

2008-01-17T17:43:00.000-08:00

One of the highlights of any Walt Disney World trip during the Christmas holidays has to be all of the incredible decorations at all of the parks. Epcot is a true gem in this regard, as it has all of the countries of World Showcase to decorate, each in keeping with that nation's traditions.

Epcot also has some great Holiday traditions that are "must-sees" as well: the Holiday Storytellers and the Candlelight Processional. The Holiday Storytellers are from each country, each Storyteller sharing some aspect of their country's heritage. On our last visit several years ago, we had the chance to hear Father Christmas in England speak: he was jolly and truly reminscent of Santa Claus! This year I had the chance to hear Pere Noel in France talk about some Christmas traditions in that country. I was enthralled, and truly wish that anyone with children will check out this very interesting way to learn some really fascinating customs from around the world.

An absolute "Not-to-be-Missed" is the Candlelight Processional, a telling of the Christmas Story offered 3 times per night from the day after Thanksgiving until Dec. 30, featuring a guest narrator, orchestra, and huge choir made up primarily of young people from high school choirs around the country (and world!) It is inspiring, it is breathtaking, and it will bring you to tears (at least it does me!). Our guest narrator was Marlee Matalin, the award-winning actress from "Children of a Lesser God" who is deaf and signed the entire narration, while a hearing person read the story. We, along with the entire audience were mesmerized by the emotion she conveyed in her presentation, and she received a standing ovation at the end. It was simply beautiful!

We were fortunate enough to experience all of these things early in our trip, as on Dec. 31, Epcot (along with the rest of the parks) prepares to ring in the New Year. This was our second trip for New Years, so we KNEW to expect huge crowds, long lines...and unbelievable fireworks. We had all that, and then some!!

We planned to celebrate NYE at Epcot for two reasons: we love the park, and it is the biggest (and therefore can handle the crowds best). During these peak times, the parks can (and do) close due to crowds. At Magic Kingdom and MGM it can happen a lot sooner than in Epcot, so we figured we were ok, as it takes ALOT of people for Epcot to close. We arrived around 9:30ish, and while we thought we could probably leave and come back if we got tired (you're talkin' a loooong day here!), still I packed the backpack for the duration, just in case. Good thing that I did!

Around 11 our daughter started feeling like a migraine was coming on, so we thought that a little rest back at the hotel would be helpful for her to make it through the day. Being 17 and leaving for college in a few months, we knew she was certainly capable of taking the bus back to Animal Kingdom Lodge (where we stayed our last 2 nights) and getting back to Epcot in a timely way. But the best plans..........10 minutes later she called from the front of the park to say that the Cast Members were advising guests not to leave, as they would not guarantee them admittance back in later on. Seems Epcot was on target for a closing, as they were getting record crowds at that point of the day! Uh oh. So much for the rest and return option. Plan B had us visiting First Aid instead, where they very kindly allowed her to rest for 45 minutes, which helped a great deal. Later that afternoon we chatted with a Security Guard who confirmed that yes, Epcot was indeed on target at that point to host 70,000 guests! Yikes. Looks like all that fabulous weather we had that week came at a price.

The crowds that afternoon were unbelievable. I took this picture from the interior of the Land pavilion, where I retreated to buy a cup of coffee. Took me 30 minutes to just navigate through the crowd. I have never seen anything like it. There were lines for everything, including the rest rooms. A heavy dose of patience and a reallllly good sense of humor were in order. And for the most part, people seemed to have both. As the afternoon wore on, people just relaxed on a bench, or found a shady spot under a tree and took a nap. No worries.

And then it started to rain. Good gosh, guess what happened to the people? They ALL went inside. ALL of them. Every possible place inside you could think of. (Note: I was so impressed by how fast those Disney shops whipped out the rain ponchos to sell. Within minutes, the ponchos were at the registers, and people just bought them like they were gold. Fascinating to watch such an efficient process in action.)

By this time, it was approaching evening, and we had reservations for dinner in the Mexico pavilion....which happens to be the first INDOOR place you find as you enter World Showcase going clockwise. Ohmygosh I have never experienced ANYTHING in my life like the wall to wall people in there. It must have been a fire marshall's worst nightmare. It was a good thing that we headed that way well before our reservation time, as it took 45 minutes to get in the door, down the ramp and up to the hostess table.

It rained for the better part of the evening, but the good thing was it did clear the park out somewhat. Not that it was empty by any stretch, but a bit more manageble. And guess what? Rain ponchos make great tarps to sit on wet ground and wait for Illuminations.

And what are the NYE Illuminations like? I hear they bring out the "Armageddon" barges for that night, and I do believe it. Illuminations on New Years is a truly memorable experience, and an unbelievable way to ring in a New Year. When all was over, we decided not to immediately fight the crowds to leave, but instead headed over to Soarin' for one last ride. There was a 45 minute wait, but we passed the time with a school group from Canada, played the interactive games, and were nearly the last to ride for the day. It was awesome, and a great way to begin 2008!

You can see more pictures from Epcot here. And coming soon will be pictures and story for Magic Kingdom, MGM (now Disney's Hollywood Studios), and Animal Kingdom.

Until next time,

Nancy

Enjoying Some of Epcot's "Gems"...

2008-01-14T17:15:00.000-08:00

Epcot is truly our favorite park, probably because there is such a variety of things that entertain all of us. When we arrived on the morning of the 27th, with such an early flight, we caught our Magical Express bus to the Boardwalk, checked in, changed out of clothes for the 20 degree temps that we left behind in Maryland, and were walking into the gate at Epcot just after 9:30. Immediately we headed over to Soarin', because we just KNEW that if we wanted any chance of riding our favorite ride that day, we needed to get our FastPasses early....

(Have you ever visited Disney during Christmas/New Year's week? It is alot of fun...and VERY crowded. Fortunately, after a number of trips, we don't have many must-sees, so we manage our time wisely, and make sure that we get those FastPasses first thing in the day. It is not uncommon to have unbelievably long waits later in the afternoons after all the FastPasses for the day are gone. To give you an example, on New Years Eve afternoon, the Standby line for Soarin' was 4 HOURS. FastPasses were gone by 11 a.m. I kid you not. )

Anyway, our FastPass for Soarin' at that time of the day was for 3:30. Since we could not get in our room at Boardwalk until 4, that was fine. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed our time checking out the decorations, as I figured out how to use my new camera.

I honestly feel that times like this are perfect for seeking out those "hidden" gems that often get overlooked as everyone is racing to get to their favorite attractions. We found just such a lovely place, behind the Japan pavilion where we enjoyed a quiet (!) lunch and this peaceful garden. It was a great place to relax, decide where we wanted to go next, and enjoy some pretty decent Japanese food. Highly recommended!

Another of the things we enjoyed that day was a ride on Living with the Land, which so help me, we have not done in nearly 10 years. Now that I have a teen who enjoys science, it was a great time to check it out again. If you enjoy gardening as I do, try to take the time to do this ride. You will truly be inspired by the creative growing techniques! (To see some of the "Mickey" pumpkins they are growing, check out more pictures on our Small World Memories site.)

As we explored Epcot that afternoon, we were thrilled to find out that Spaceship Earth was open to guests. If you have not heard, as part of the refurbishment for Epcot's recent 25 year anniversary, Spaceship Earth has been undergoing a makeover. First the "Mickey hand" and Epcot sign were taken down from the exterior, allowing Epcot's central icon to revert back to it's original state. I must admit that, being used to seeing "something" up there for most of my visits, it took a little getting used to! But from a design perspective, it does look better without the hand: more futuristic and evocative of what Epcot is supposed to be....

In any event, the interior has been undergoing a major refurbishment too, as the ride has been closed to visitors since late summer. In early December they started "soft openings" for guests who were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. As the ride is still undergoing revisions, one never knows when or if it will be open. So we were thrilled to see it was open, and promptly joined the line. I have to say that we really loved it! Dame Judy Dench is the new narrator, with what we felt was a better storyline explaining the history of communication, and much more advanced animatronics. One can truly see how far this artform has come since it's early days! Most of the beginning of the ride is fairly familiar, but the second half is completely new, including an interactive guest element that we thought was alot of fun. I don't want to give away too much to spoil the surprise for you, but we thought it was pretty clever, and is sure to be a big hit with young kids. All in all, we gave the changes a thumbs up!! If you're planning a visit in the next few months, be advised that at this time it seems that the grand re-opening is scheduled for February, and that soft openings will continue until then.

I'll finish our Epcot saga next time, with details about the wonderful Holiday traditions around World Showcase, and share how we celebrated New Year's Eve with 70,000 of our nearest and dearest friends!

Until next time,

Nancy

With Camera in Hand, Small World Visits Disney World

2008-01-10T18:16:00.000-08:00

So I got a new camera for Christmas. This was huge because: a) My last camera is over 4 years old, b)It has been dropped on several occasions, and c)We were traveling to Disney World over Christmas break.

Now I have to say that this is a simple camera, VERY easy to use. My days of fiddling with adjusting lenses are over. I wanted something simple, that takes good pictures, and was SMALL, because we were traveling to Disney World over Christmas break (Did I mention that yet?)

It's a great camera! A simple Kodak Easy Share, has adjustments for dim light and movement (yeah!! I finally got some good night shots of the Castle and fireworks!), and nice quality photos. Not professional quality of course, but for my scrapbooks and the website, it is just super.

So we traveled to Disney World over Christmas break (oh sorry, I think I said that already). We flew out of BWI at 6 a.m. on Thursday the 27th (You should have HEARD the groans from my 17 year old about the time of the flight) and by 9:30 we were at Epcot. And I have to say, we had the BEST weather I have ever experienced while at Florida during the winter. Temps during the day in the 80s, in the evening in the 60s. Heaven for this warm weather lover. We did have some showers New Years Eve, but all that did was to clear the parks out a bit, which is not such a bad thing.

Oh, and I took 218 pictures. That does not count the ones I took on my daughter's camera, and the ones on my cell phone. I know many people take a lot more pictures, but for my 10th visit or so, that's a lot of pictures for me!

I plan to share some of my favorites with you in the coming weeks, along with commentary about our trip. Hopefully you will find the photos of the Disney Christmas decorations as lovely as we did, and our experiences traveling this time of year to be....well....helpful. I will say that visiting Disney during Christmas break is not for the faint of heart!! But with planning, patience, and a big ol' sense of humor, it can be a fabulous trip. And for us, it was a great way to start the New Year!

Here are a couple of my favorite pictures to start:

This is my family in the lobby of Disney's Boardwalk Villas. The Christmas tree and decorations are just lovely, as they are all over Disney's world this time of year. A very kind gentleman offered to take our picture for us: don't you just love how friendly people are during the Holidays, and at Disney? It is truly a magical combination.

We have decided that the Boardwalk may be one of our favorite resorts: convenient to Epcot (our favorite park) it is a short walk, and easy entrance through the International Gateway. And so nice to take the boat if you are too tired to walk back in the evening. There are several great restaurants on the Boardwalk, a fabulous bakery, interesting entertainment, and ESPN Zone was a salvation to my husband and daughter during the end of football regular season.

To the right is a view of the exterior of the Boardwalk. It is amazing to me in the Middle Atlantic, to see poinsettias planted and growing OUTSIDE during December. Knowing them only as potted plants, I am always inspired by how lovely they are as part of a natural planting.

To see more pictures, visit here on our website: Disney's Boardwalk Villas and Epcot.

I will be updating and adding more photos in the days to come, as well as letting you know what new goodies have arrived at Small World Memories, so stay tuned.

Hope all of you have a wonderful 2008!!

Until next time,

Nancy

Another Road on a Scrapbooking Journey

2007-12-13T16:43:00.000-08:00

My first blog in this series was titled "Life's a Journey", and the past few weeks have certainly proved that!! It seems that my journey is about to take another turn, proving what I have always known: part of the joy in life is experiencing all those little unexpected turns that come at you on your Journey.

Small World Memories was born as part of a retail scrapbook store that I own in Eldersburg, Maryland. This store has been an incubator of sorts, providing our little website the chance to grow. It takes time to build an online store, time to build inventory, ideas, and customers. But now, nearly 9 months later, it is time for Small World to go out on it's own, so to speak. It's an exciting time for me, but a little bittersweet as well.

This turn in my Road comes because I am selling my retail store to a wonderful lady who has some really great ideas to make that business grow. But I will continue with Small World Memories, allowing this business to grow more as well. This is an exciting time, as it will provide me with the opportunity to implement a lot of my ideas for this Disney scrapbooking website. I have many plans for Small World Memories, and am truly looking forward to having the chance now to focus just on this!

Yet at the same time, it is also a little sad. I have spent the past two years working with a remarkable group of ladies at our store, and have had the chance to meet some truly wonderful customers! I will miss all of them a great deal. But this is a road I need to take on this Journey, and despite the bumps along the way, it is one that will be wonderful to travel, I am sure!

So to all of you, may you have the Happiest of Holiday Seasons, and may your Journeys in the coming New Year be truly remarkable adventures! I look forward to seeing you around my Small World!

Until next time,
Nancy

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2007-10-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

From the middle of October to the middle of January, for the past 17+ years, my life is one huge blur, as our family experiences the joys of the Holiday Season. Of course, we have the standard Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years celebrations that most people have. However for us, mixed in with everything else, are 4 family events as well. Starting in mid October, my husband and I celebrate our wedding anniversary. Nine days later is my husband's birthday, and while he is not big on celebrating, we do try to make it a special day :) Less than a week later is Halloween, which fortunately now that our daughter is nearly 17, is a little less stressful! A week and a half later is my daughter's birthday, followed 11 days later by Thanksgiving. We are lucky to have a month's "break" until Christmas/New Years, and then wrap up all the festivities with my birthday only two weeks into the New Year. I can promise you, by the time that rolls around, all I really want for my birthday is some peace and quiet, and to not "do" anything LOL!.

With the stress of 8 family celebrations in just 3 months, I have learned to plan ahead. I try to shop for birthdays and Christmas at the same time, and my daughter learned at an early age to submit a wish list to Santa and Mom by the end of October each year! This practice comes in handy now, because no where is "planning ahead"more important than in the creative world!

We all have holiday shopping facing us in the coming months, but with a little planning, you can give some wonderfully special gifts this year. For example, have you thought about sharing a small scrapbook album or special page with your loved ones? Grandparents especially appreciate re-living those wonderful vacation memories and a small album filled with pictures of Grandpa and Minnie, or Grandma with Tigger will generate lots of smiles this Holiday Season.

What about a special scrapbook page, lovingly embellished and framed? I often feel our layouts are too precious to hide in an album: frame them and put them on the wall, or on a table! That perfect photo of your little Princess in front of Cinderells'a Castle can be a wonderful focal point for a lovely gift. Frames don't have to be 12x12: even a small layout designed for an 8 1/2x11 frame can be the perfect gift for Dad's office, a grandparent, or even a special teacher.

The ideas are countless, and Disney provides many incredible photo opportunities that can be shared with those we love. There's still time to give the gift of a magical memory! But don't wait too long to get started....

As for me, it's nearly Halloween: I have birthday presents to buy and wrap, a costume to help assemble, candy to buy, addresses to update, cards to look for........

I think I'll need a little Pixie Dust to get through the next 3 months!!

Until next time,

Nancy

Some Disney and Scrapbooking Treats......not Tricks!

2007-09-21T18:17:00.000-07:00

Fall arrives this weekend (although here in Maryland it is supposed to be in the upper 80's.....not especially fall-like! ) Still, with October just a little over a week away, Disney World gears up, of course, for the International Food and Wine Festival at Epcot, and for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, two pretty awesome events!

So, it's only natural that here at Small World Memories, we are adding products that will be great for those layouts from your special fall trips. More are on the way, but here are a few to start:

Have you been to Disney World at this time of year? If not, I hope you can plan a trip during this great season sometime soon! The weather is great: usually still warm but not hot, and not humid either. And it's fun!! Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom (or MNSSHP for short) is a special ticketed event held on a number of evenings through Oct. 31. Special programs, fireworks, a MNSSHP-only parade, trick or treating and costumes for all are the highlights of this not especially frightening evening. Whether you are young, or simply young at heart, you are certain to have a blast (and I DO speak from experience!)

The other grand event is the International Food and Wine Festival held during this season at Epcot's World Showcase. Lots of fabulous food and drink, with some pretty cool special ticketed events as well. It's the ultimate chance to "eat your way around the world!" (and as I have NOT had the pleasure.....yet.....this is something that I truly look forward to planning in the near future!!)

Until next time,

Nancy

Pirates, and Princesses, and Dinosaurs, Oh My!

2007-09-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

There has been lots of excitement here the past week, as more new boxes of great Disney scrapbooking products have arrived. First came Karen Foster, with some new additions to Pirate Life and a brand new line called Dinosaur! Picturing fabulous pages for Pirates of the Caribbean and adorable layouts for the DinoLand section in Animal Kingdom, we were so exited to get the boxes open and the products out for all to see! Take a peak:

Next came the September EK Success products: oh my! Lots of brand new papers! We loved the new Mickey papers with foil or gloss thermography, and especially liked the fact that some of the papers are in "non traditional" Mickey colors, allowing lots of great creativity. EK Success added some lovely new Princess papers too, with lots of sparkle perfect for every Princess. It's great to see some new designs!

Of course, EK had to add new stickers too! There are many great new products featuring Mickey, Minnie, and friends doing all sorts of fun things: some of our favorites are Minnie and Daisy doing a little "primping". And then the new animal stickers are absolutely adorable and completely perfect for any Animal Kingdom layout. They are so cute, they're flying out of here, but never fear, more are on order!

There will be more new arrivals to come, so stay tuned to see the latest and greatest in the Disney scrapbooking world!

Until next time,

Nancy

New Disney EK Success has Arrived!

2007-08-18T18:12:00.000-07:00

More boxes, more fun! The August EK Success products arrived yesterday, with new Disney scrapbooking items that are FUN! Some of our favorites:

An adorable new 8x8 album featuring Mickey and his Friends!

Complete page kits featuring single-sided assorted pattern treated papers, printed border strips, frame shapes and mixed-media dimensional stickers. They are ready for you to put them together and add your pictures...and are really cute!! This is an 8x8 page kit with Mickey and Minnie:

Very nice accordian albums! This one is perfect for your favorite Princess!

And some fabulous new dimensional stickers! These are a combination of epoxy, paper, and glitter....and we just love them all. And we have Daisy Duck! She is so hard to find, so we were thrilled to see her featured now!

These are just a sampling, there are LOTS more! You can find the rest by checking out EK Success Albums and EK Success Stickers. Have fun!

Until next time,

Nancy

New Disney Scrapbooking Items: So Many Boxes, So Little Time....

2007-08-14T18:08:00.000-07:00

We've been swamped the past several days, as we have been unpacking boxes!! It's that time of year, and the squeals from staff and customers alike make it sound like Christmas morning around here!

For Small World Memories, it means more cool stuff for our Disney scrapbooking website. The fabulous NEW Reminisce line "Wild Things" is in! Peak below at July 18th's blog to see how fun these papers and stickers are!! And to see all our items for this line, visit our new Animal Kingdom category!

Speaking of categories, we are continuing to work to make it easier and quicker to find just what you are looking for! Now, when you visit our Shop Online page, you will see an entire Theme Park category: simply click on the Park of your choice to see lots of great papers, stickers, rub-ons, stamps, and albums that are perfect for that Park!

So what else has just arrived? How about these great stickers for MGM? (Which, by the way, has just been re-named by Disney as Disney's Hollywood Studios, effective January 2008. .....We're ready!!)

And we have also added the Themepark and Waterpark lines from Moxxie! Have you seen them yet? Lots of fun. This is one of my favorites from Themepark. You can see more of this great line on our New Arrivals page.

These are just a few of our favorites. Check back often to see what else has us squealing in the coming weeks!

Until next time,

Nancy

Send us YOUR Disney project ideas!! You could be our next winner!

2007-07-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

One of our family's favorite activities at Disney World has always been getting character autographs. Now that our daughter is older, the autograph book is no longer used, but we still line up for the pictures! Sharing these fun experiences are just one of the reasons that we all love a vacation to Disney World: it makes us feel, no matter our age, like a kid!!

With this in mind, as we continue to add new products and ideas to Small World Memories, we recently provided pictures and instructions for two great projects: a super autograph book and an adorable Mickey card. By clicking on the links, you will find some easy to follow directions for a couple of projects that any Disney fan, large or small, is sure to love!!

We look forward to adding many, many more projects, ideas, and tips, in addition to great new Disney scrapbooking products. With that in mind, we are having an encore of our Gallery contest, but this time with a little twist. This is going to be an ongoing opportunity for you to share your super ideas with us. Each month we will choose one project to receive a $15 gift certificate to Small World Memories, and to be featured on our website! Additional "Honorable Mentions" may also be selected to be added to our gallery. Entries do not have to be layouts, although we would love to see them! Send us your creative ideas for autograph books, mini-albums, party projects, or anything else Disney related! Sharing the creativity of Disney lovers is one of our goals, and we hope you will help!! Email your project ideas to info@smallworldmemories.com to enter!

Until next time,

Nancy

New Disney Scrapbooking Products on the Way!!

2007-07-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

This is such a fun time of year: the Summer CHA show has arrived, and that means lots of great NEW scrapbooking products will soon be here too! We have had a sneak peak at some and are very excited about what we've seen: many great new Disney-themed items from EK Success are on the horizon! But in addition, we're thrilled to see some fabulous new products from a number of vendors that really make us think "magic". Here are a few papers and stickers from Reminisce:

I can almost hear the sounds of Animal Kingdom now, can't you?? These items are all on order for us, and we'll get them up on our site as soon as they arrive and we can get the boxes unpacked!!

As we look at all the latest and greatest, we're also keeping an eye out for scrapbooking products for some of the new categories that we'll be adding in the coming weeks: MGM, more World Showcase items as well as Epcot Future World, and products for the Resort hotels and restaurants. We're also watching for the perfect papers and embellishments for all of your favorite Disney events: Food and Wine Festival, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and many more!!

So stay tuned and check back often. We'll update more in the coming weeks as we see some of the latest and greatest!!

Until next time,

Nancy

Finding Disney "Magic" in the Outer Banks

2007-07-09T16:35:00.000-07:00

My family and I just returned from a wonderful vacation on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. If you have never visited this area, I urge you to do so! After Disney World, it is probably one of my favorite places to visit.....for very different reasons of course! This is a place to relax, unwind, and truly appreciate all the beauty that Nature has to offer! Not exactly what a Disney vacation is...but magical in it's own way.

One of the things that we try to always do is visit the wonderful lighthouses that the Outer Banks are so famous for. Cape Hatteras of course, is probably the most famous, but my favorite may actually be one of the least known, the one on Ocracoke Island. This is a truly unique destination, reached only by ferry, and featuring a slow pace of life that most of us in this electronic age can only dream of. Visit the Outer Banks to see Nature at it's best; visit Ocracoke to learn how to slow down and appreciate it.

So, spending hours relaxing on the beach provided me with a lot of time to think: it's one of those pastimes that we are often too busy for!!! But allowing the Outer Banks to work it's "magic" on me gave me the chance to make some plans for Small World Memories, and to consider the ways that we can continue to grow. The possibilities are endless!! But I would very seriously love to have your help.

What types of Disney scrapbooking supplies would you love to have...if only you could find them? Do you wish there were more options for albums? More character-related stickers? Would you wish for paper in different color schemes? Do you have trouble finding creative ideas for certain rides/activities? I would LOVE to hear from you!! A number of you have e-mailed me with questions about finding certain types of products, or even with park planning questions: I truly enjoy hearing from you! And as we work hard to make Small World Memories the place to visit for all of your Disney scrapbooking needs, we can only achieve this with your help. So tell us what you are looking for....and we'll try to find it! E-mail me at nancy@smallworldmemories.com with your Disney scrapbooking "wish list" and I'll see what I can find.

Enjoy your summer, whatever your plans. And may you find "magic" wherever you travel!

Until next time,

Nancy

Scrapbooking my Way Around the Epcot "World"

2007-06-22T17:33:00.000-07:00

Everyone has their favorite park: mine has to be Epcot without a doubt. While I love the undeniable "magic" of Magic Kingdom, the "Hollywood" atmosphere at MGM, and pure love of nature at Animal Kingdom, it has to be the history, culture, and opportunity for learning at Epcot that really speak to me. The great shopping and eating doesn't hurt either ;)

I also find this to be one of the most picturesque parks, at least the World Showcase section is. Each country surrounding the lagoon is represented so well by pavilions that truly make you think you are in that country! Perhaps it's my design background, but I really appreciate the various types of architecture that are featured, and Disney's typical fabulous attention to detail in each country. I can't seem to make my way around this "world" without taking many, many photos! But each time we try a different twist: nighttime photos, different perspectives, photos with the wonderful Cast Members representing their native country, and once I even took photos of the different countries from the ferry that goes across the lagoon. Probably one of my all time favorites is this one taken from near Japan with Spaceship Earth in the distance. To me it shows the lovely contrast between Walt Disney's two "visions" for Epcot.

With this in mind then, I am excited to be able to start adding additional products to our Small World Memories website for World Showcase in Epcot! It has been alot of fun looking for paper and stickers for the World Showcase countries. (Now I have to warn you: having a little trouble with Morocco........) So far we have added items for Italy, Germany, France, England, and Mexico, with more on the way soon! So be sure to check them out as you scrapbook your World Showcase memories, and enjoy your visit around this lovely "World"!

Until next time,

Nancy

A Scrapbook of Magical Memories

2007-06-15T18:15:00.000-07:00

So you would think that I, as the owner of a scrapbook store and website, would be all caught up with my own scrapbook, right? Think again. Evidently I spend so much time finding all the best Disney scrapbooking products, that I don't have lots of extra time for my own albums!! But I'm working on it....

Right now, I have spread all over my home office, photos from our Disney Western Carribbean cruise last summer. Yes, last summer.... But, while I may be a year behind, I must say it is sooo fun to relive the memories of an awesome vacation, while I work on my book. One thing that is a challenge though, these many months later, is the journaling. How is it possible to remember everything, especially from a Disney vacation where every day is filled with so much fun?

There are several things that I rely on to help with my journaling later. First, I actually have a mini-journal that has all the "vital" details of the trip, and most of it is filled in before we go. Here, on a different page for each day, I note the dates, where we will be (hotel, confirmation #, park, dinner reservation and time, etc.). I also note anything else about the day that I think may be important, such as Early Magic Hours at any of the parks, park hours, parade times, and if it really matters to us, any specific rides that we HAVE to go on. (This was a lot more important to us when our daughter was small, and we wanted to make sure she did not miss her favorites...). I do all this partly to have all trip information in one place, and secondly, it helps me later with some of the details from our trip: what did we do, and when did we do it? My family calls it the Trip Bible, but seriously, it's a huge help.

Second, I keep a folder of sorts, where everything, and I do mean everything, from the trip gets filed. Park maps, parking permits, Key to the World cards, papers from the resort hotel are just a few examples of what ends up in a pretty big folder by the time we get home. We may put in postcards with a few notes jotted down on them too. When I can, I try to note dates, times, and anything that was truly special, like a special Cast Member's name. It all goes in, and then at least I know that when I need the information, it will all be there.

(I do need to add here that there are some super products out there that take this idea a step further, and combine Disney guidebook, place to jot important notes, and pockets to keep your stuff. The Passporter series of guidebooks do this very well, and especially if you are planning your first trip to Disney World, Disneyland, or a Disney Cruise, you will find the books to be invaluable. )

The third thing that I find really helps in my journaling efforts later, is something that we as a family do and we kind of stumbled into it when our daughter was still small. When we visited Disney World the first time, she was just seven...and excited does not even come close to describing how she felt. We arrived at Magic Kingdom that first evening after checking in, and my husband, brand new video camera in hand, stood her on Main Street in front of the Castle, and told her to "Talk".... which she did ... at length ... and in very, great detail. It was great! We all get a kick out of it now, but this many years later, we still actually start each day with a quick video "intro" of the date, where we are, what we plan to do, and anything else that seems important at the time. It makes for hilarious videos later....and really helps me with valuable details for my scrapbook as well.

So we have the pictures, we have the details for the journaling, we have the magical memories...now all we need is the time to put them all together!!! Hope you have better luck with that one than I do at the moment!

Until next time,

Nancy

New Disney Scrapbooking Products from EK Success!

2007-06-08T18:17:00.001-07:00

Visits from vendor reps can be so much fun! It is so exciting to see new products, envision creative uses and ideas for the products, to say nothing of then trying to decide which products to purchase!! Having both a retail storefront as well as our online store presents additional challenges....and additional fun as well!!

This week we were visited by our new EK Success rep, who had some really neat new products that will be launched later this summer and fall. Since EK Success manufactures alot of our Disney albums, paper, and stickers, you can bet that we were looking forward to the visit! And we were not disappointed!

I don't have photos to post yet, but suffice it to say that you are going to love the newest additions to their Disney line! And I am happy to say that Small World Memories will have LOTS of their latest and greatest scrapbooking products....just in time for your scrapbooks from your summer Disney vacations!!

Not to be a tease...well, maybe a little one...here are some of the goodies to come:

New 8x8 page kits with 6 single sided papers, border strips, frame shapes, and dimensional stickers. Themes include Mickey and Princess. They also have a new 12x12 page Mickey page kit as well!
A NEW 8x8 album featuring Mickey Mouse and Friends. It's so great to see a new album design!!
Tons of adorable 6x6 accordian albums, in many themes. We think you will love these as great kid's travel scrapbooks, and even simple autograph books!
Ten NEW dimensional stickers that are fabulous! Featuring, of course, Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and Goofy, they also have Donald and Daisy (so hard to find things with her!!), as well as 4 new Princess stickers. You are going to absolutely love them!!

So, we can't wait, and I'm sure you can't either! They are scheduled to ship in July...and you can be sure that I'll get them up on the website as soon as we can unpack the boxes!!

Until next time,

Nancy

But Planning is Half the Fun!!!

2007-06-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

I am a planner by nature. It drives my family crazy, but spontaneous is just not me. For me, things work best with a plan or goal in mind. Maybe not the most fun way of doing things...or is it??

If you have visited Disney World, then you know how big, how overwhelming, how busy, how noisey, how hot (at times), how crowded, how completely crazy it can be. And how fun it can be. If you plan. Yes, plan! I have found, as thousands of others have, that the key to a successful, and fun trip to Disney World, is careful planning. Deciding what is most important for you to ride, thinking ahead to how long the lines may be at 3 p.m. in July, making reservations at a table service restaurant on New Year's Eve....doing these things make the difference between your family saying "wow, when can we go again" or "I will NEVER go again, it was crazy, and we're all exhausted". A Disney vacation is not inexpensive, so why would you not do all that you can to make it worth it??

I bring all this up because I am excited about the newest feature of our Small World Memories website: Tips for Planning the Perfect Disney Scrapbook. It is the beginning of what I hope will be many many pages of great thoughts, ideas, tips and suggestions for helping to make your Disney scrapbooks a memorable reflection of a magical vacation. Yup, takes a little plannning, but the result will be so worth it!!!

Our goal at Small World Memories is to be the place to go for the best selection of products, and the ultimate source in news, ideas, and help in preserving those memories of the "World". You can help us, and I sincerely hope you will! E-mail us your best tips and ideas to info@smallworldmemories.com and we will feature them on our website, to help others in their scrapbook planning.

Helping others plan....welcome to my World!!

Until next time!
Nancy

A "World" of Creative Inspiration

2007-05-26T16:32:00.000-07:00

I am so inspired by the creativity around me! One of the coolest things about being involved in the scrapbooking world, is how, every day, I see a new idea, a new way of using a product, or sometimes just a new "way of looking at things". It's truly amazing! I sometimes think that, after being in the creative world for nearly 30 years, that there just can't be anything new: well every day I find out differently!! That's the beauty of the creative mind: it is truly infinite in it's possibilities!

And sharing that creative inspiration is one of the things that we at Small World Memories are most excited about!! We know you love Disney, and we know you love scrapbooking! We do too! But all of us need, at one time or another, a fresh idea, a spark, or a boost to those creative juices. That's where our online Gallery comes in. In it, we will be sharing the best, most exciting, and just plain fun ways that you are scrapbooking your Disney vacations! The average Disney vacation has sooooo much to scrapbook....my average # of photos alone is usually in the hundreds....and it can be overwhelming to many people just to know where to start! Our Gallery can be a wonderful source of ideas and inspiration, with all kinds of wonderful ways to chronical those special moments from your Disney vacation.

Over time, we will also be offering lots of tips and strategies to help you in your scrapbooking efforts: many of you are experienced scrapbookers, but many of you may be new to this wonderful world of scrapbooking. No matter whether you are novice or expert, we look forward to sharing a bit of what we have learned........and hopefully, some great ideas that you have learned too!

But for now, take a peak at our online Gallery! (Click on "Gallery" in the left margin)There you will currently find some of the best and most creative Disney pages from our wonderful staff at the Second Floor Scrapbook Store (our "bricks and mortar" mom, so to speak). I am certain you will be as inspired as I was as these pages were created. And remember: we are also looking for YOUR ideas too! Our Disney layout contest runs through the end of May, and we have received a number of fabulous entries already. Visit our home page for details about how to enter your favorite Disney layout, and share with others your wonderful creativity!!

It may be a "small world" but when it comes to creative ideas, the world is enormous!! Thanks for sharing!!!

Summer, Beaches, & Cruises, Oh My!

2007-05-17T19:00:00.001-07:00

I just love summer! Here in Maryland, we are having teases of warm summer days now, and combined with some of the great new summer products that are arriving, it has me itching for the beach, pool, or (I only wish), Castaway Cay!!

As we grow our Small World Memories site, it was only natural that the first new category to add was for Cruise and Beach items, since so many Disney fans have discovered Disney Cruise Line, or have vacationed at Disney's Hilton Head Island or Vero Beach....and of course need to scrapbook those trips!! And if you have not visited those fabulous places, there are surely those great pictures taken at Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon, or the pools at the resorts!

So, as we have been unpacking boxes over the past week, I have been busy pulling some of the best items to include on the website. A few have appeared already: the fabulous new papers and embellishments from Creative Imaginations (I absolutely LOVE the Sandcastle paper...and the Sandollar paper...and the Flip Flop paper...) as well as some great items from Karen Foster, and tropical papers from Sandylion. We included some of the adorable EK Success Jolees with Tropical Mickey and Minnie, Goofy and Mickey snorkeling, and of course the Jolees Cruise Ship (now really, does that NOT look like the Disney Magic and Wonder??) Will we be adding more? But of course! Keep checking, and be assured that when the next perfect papers, stickers, or whatever arrive, I'll get them on the site right away!

Now, I have to ask: What are your favorite Disney "summer" memories? For me, one of the best has to be our Western Caribbean Cruise last summer. If you are a Disney lover, and have not had the chance to experience Disney on the high seas, I encourage you to do so! Combine the magic, the attention to detail, the excellent service, and add 24 hour pampering, tons of fun, an island that must be Paradise (that would be Castaway Cay), and good golly the food.......and it is a vacation not to be forgotten. Disney Cruise Line offers 3, 4, and 7 day cruises, so if you are new to the whole cruising thing, you can ease into it with a few days to try it. (Just a note here: if you don't already know, 7 day cruises to the Caribbean will not be sailing again until September, as the Disney Magic is currently on her way across the Atlantic for a summer of Mediteranean cruises!) Believe me, the names of the two ships, the "Magic" and the "Wonder" are truly appropriate!

Summer memories are, for me, the best. Make sure you scrapbook yours!!

Until next time,

Nancy

Life's a Journey

2007-05-03T08:50:00.000-07:00

They say life's a journey, and in my case, it has been filled with a lot of crazy turns to arrive here! Small World Memories is the product of two loves of my life: creativity and traveling to Disney. And if you had told me 25 years ago that I would be selling scrapbooking products related to Disney/travel on the internet, I would have said you were crazy! (Of course 25 years ago, computers were the size of an entire room and this internet thing......well that's another story!!)

To begin: I went to the University of Maryland in College Park with every intention of becoming an accountant. I loved art, but wanted to be practical...and nothing is more practical than accounting. I got through 3 semesters, was getting migraines every night, and hating everything about college as a result. My Dad told me that being practical was fine...but being true to what you loved was most important. So, I switched majors, became an interior design major, and entered the world of being creative. It was a joy. Graduating cum laude, I began work with a residential interior designer, and spent the next 10 years working in various aspects of the design business. Tough work at times, but as my Dad predicted, doing what I loved got me through it. The journey had some taken a few turns, but things were straightening out it seemed...

Life does throw those roadblocks at you though! In 1990, I became a mom, and quickly discovered that I loved being a mom more than design. Perhaps it was just designing differently: helping to see this new "creation" grow and learn about the world was the greatest thing ever. So, I put my design career on hold, and immersed myself in the joys of helping my daughter create her own works of art. This part of the journey of course, has many bumps and turns: raising a child is like that! But our little family traveled along together, creating wonderful memories that of course, now that my daughter is a year away from college, are the most precious things in the world.

When she was 7, we made our first visit to Disney World, and we all fell in love, me most of all! Perhaps it was the joy of seeing my child's face light up when she met Cinderella, or the magic of the most incredible fireworks displays I had ever seen. Or maybe it was the incredible dedication of the cast members (employees to you Disney novices out there) who took every opportunity to make it a "magical day". Whatever the reason(s), a true Disney junkie was born here. Many trips later, Disney World is still my "happy place", as it is a constant reminder to me that magic can happen, if only you believe.....

And around this same time, I discovered the wonderful world of scrapbooking. What fun!! Here was the chance to be creative again! The idea of preserving our most treasured memories in a creative way was inspiring to me. I spent weeks creating a "family tree" heritage album for my mom for a Christmas gift...and was rewarded with tears of joy from my mom on Christmas Day. It doesn't get any better than that.

Now the journey starts to speed up it seems: little children becoming teenagers have a way of making us feel as if time is truly flying by. Seeing my daughter nearing the end of her childhood, made me realize that it was time to do something for me again. So, in the fall of 2005, my husband and I purchased the Second Floor Scrapbook Store in Eldersburg, MD. When looking for businesses to purchase, I could not believe my eyes when I found this one: here was a business devoted to helping others create! And of course, all those business classes in college came in handy. Funny how that worked out... The journey took another remarkable turn, and a business owner was born.

And now, here we are. Businesses grow, and it was time to look at expanding Second Floor into the world of the internet. But what niche should we fill? Looking at our store, seeing the many, many scrapbooking and stamping items we carried, I realized that one of our biggest (and yes, my favorite) sections was the one devoted to Disney products. It seemed like a natural choice.....and so smallworldmemories.com was born.

It is my hope that this site will become a place to go for everyone who loves Disney and scrapbooking. If you are new to this "Disney thing", well great, we have lots of really cool information to pass along to help make your trips truly magical. If you are creating your first scrapbooks, not to worry, tips and links to great ideas will be shared all the time. And if you are a veteran Disney scrapbooker, then you will surely find that we have a great selection of paper, stickers, albums, you-name-it!! We're excited to be here, and even more excited about the future of our site!

Life is a remarkable journey isn't it? Can't wait to see what's around that next turn ahead...

Until next time,
Nancy