Easy DIY Disney Vacation Memory Making Project: Customized Mouse Ears Autograph / Journal Notebook

Our family is trying to create the lowest cost, budget trip to Disneyland this spring while still maintaining the qualities that will keep it a cherished experience. There are many things we know we can skimp on that won't stop it from being the best vacation ever- but some things just can't be skipped. No matter what your age {my kiddos range from 10-25 years old.} there are certain parts of a trip to Disneyland that are the must see-do-experiences that keep it forever in your hearts.

I do believe my eldest girly-girl, the most princessy, nostalgic girl I know, will not find Disneyland the happiest place on earth, unless we are engaging with the Princesses and other characters. Undoubtedly she is UBER excited to assist her little brother in meeting the characters for the first time. Unfortunately, over the years I have tossed one too many autograph books in the trash. Somehow those "must-have" treasures lose their appeal once the next trip is scheduled. Now, that just seems terribly wasteful to me. So, what could we do that would still allow for those magical moments of meeting the characters but would also hold it's value over time? Hmm, why not a combination of Autograph  & Journal? This would allow us to  retain the memories, laughter and the blunder bumps along the way as well as provide places to get autographs as well. BONUS! Not something so easily tossed in the garbage later. 

As I was dreaming up this concept one of my favorite internet-based publishing companies just happened to be having a special going on. Shutterfly was offering 50% off their custom notebooks. SUH-WEET! I immediately got to work.

First I would need to create some ears... 

Link to download Mouse Ears

Then add an "autograph" graphic banner...

Link to download: Mouse Ears Autograph

{Feel free to use either of the graphics above to make your own}

To finish it off I would add each child's name, as if embroidered on the back of the hat( I know it is usually gold thread but for the visual effect I preferred white), onto the Mickey Ears. I saved each of the named ear designs as individual jpegs and then uploaded them to shutterfly, along with my favorite pictures of my kiddos. 

VOILA! 

Once I found the notebook design I wanted to use, their I heart you design on Shutterfly, I simply placed the photos and I was ready to place my order. 

On our many team excursions to Africa we have realized the value of journaling. When trips are so packed full of new experiences, those what you are sure are "unforgettable moments" find ways to seep out of the brain. Not to mention, those notable blubbers, embarrassing moments or rantings that are sure to take place when you have any kind of agenda at all. With this in mind our clan tries to take note of these whenever we can. (Most likely for future blackmailing - haha.)

Young kiddos could even color their own portraits of their favorite characters next to the autographs. Later you could go back and glue in those fabulous character photos. These journals really allow for a lot of creativity. 

I would love to hear any other ideas you have for these little treasures. Or of course any saving tips you have for our upcoming vaca.

~Simply Sublime

Our Alphabet of Marriage: The Sweetest DIY Gift of Love Ever

In November my husband and I celebrated 21 amazingly difficult, breathtaking, wonder-filled years of marriage. We have experienced the "don't blink you don't want to miss one second of this" adventures of a lifetime, unfortunately we have also experienced enough loss for a lifetime, as well as everything in between. 

The more we have experienced the loss of loved ones, the more we have come to a place where "things" just don't hold as much value. The idea of working our patooshkies off resulting in more time taken away from our family in order to have more stuff, well let's say it has lost it's luster in our eyes. 

This can pose a bit of a problem for us during the "Gift-giving Holidays" of our culture. You know which ones they are, right? The ones that have all the commercials, magazine ads, and store decorations helping direct you to the oh-so perfect gift to show your undying love. If you pay close attention you may even recognize a grading scale on how deep your love truly is - the BIGGER diamond shows you love them that much more, the newest techie toy, the brand name clothing. The hope that after the recipient has gently removed the wrap and tipped open the box you might hear them utter these three simple words: "Oh...you didn't..."  

{Please don't get me wrong here - our family still has a love attraction to the stuff. We just have more inner turmoil that goes along with it. It doesn't "feel" the same as it once did. It has now become more of a love/hate relationship. So, we try to be more purposeful.}

On the day of our Anniversary my Husband was working on being more purposeful. He painstakingly lovingly searched around on the web for thoughtful ideas with a dyno-mite love punch. I am not certain of what he found or where, but he was inspired to create a very thoughtful gift. It didn't come in pretty wrap, it wasn't professionally done... yet it is my most cherished  gift I have from him. 

You see I found him the morning of our Anniversary sitting in a chair with his Bible and a spiral notebook in hand. He appeared pensive as I entered the room so I retreated back into the kitchen to give him some space. About an hour later he gifted me with the precious piece of ink scribbled notebook paper he had recently torn from one of the kids spiral notebooks. {See photo above} At the top of the page was written "Alphabet of Marriage" A through Z he had listed out the hopes, dreams and experiences that have glued us together.

There were a few misspellings & scratched over words but that only made it more precious to me. It was simply beautiful and truly heart touching. It was a line by line reflection of what our lives together were made of. Some of the life-line reflections had me in tears & some had me laughing. It was the PERFECT Anniversary Gift my heart had been unknowingly longing for. 

So if  you haven't already lined up your next token of love, I think this would make a sweet valentines gift for a husband to give a wife, a wife to give a husband, a child to give a parent - or even a gift for a friend. The title can be changed to reflect the Alphabet of Love, or the Alphabet of Our Friendship. Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Best Friends Day or Birthdays: this can be modified to make a very nostalgic & sentimental gift.

I hope this inspires you to take some time to reflect on your relationships & encourages you to let those special people in your lives know just how much they mean to you. They were written into your story with a purpose.

-Simply Sublime