Monday, August 9, 2010

Happy Anniversary Haunted Mansion

Haunted Mansion by Monique Duke


Happy Anniversary to my tied-for-first favorite Disneyland ride, The Haunted Mansion!

Being an artist, I love all things created. Being a Disney fan, I love all creative things Disney. Here are some of my favorite Haunted Mansion pieces I've found on the web:

This embroidered piece of the tight rope girl down by Giddy Girlie

stretching room portrait: girl with parasol (study)

Vinylmation Stretching room by
Mametchi86

Vinylmation - Haunted Mansion Stretching Portrait

These wedding invites (that would work for a halloween party too) from nyballadeer

DIY Disney's Haunted Mansion Wedding Invites

And how cool is this fan art from
Nekeesorf

Ally Gal Jessica Five Seconds Later

One of the best Haunted Mansion fan blogs out there is run by talented photographer Carrie Vines called Haunted Mansion Collectibles. Really worth a look if you're a fan!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Alice in Wonderland themed party


picture use by permission


I was already working on an Alice in Wonderland when I saw this wonderful post that took the cake! Maybe you might think Let's Explore blogger, Amy had gone over board... maybe the flowers with eyes were too much, or the perfectly drawn caterpillar blowing real life bubbles was over the top... but I disagree! Every child should have at least one birthday so spectacular, so unique, so perfect to remember on all of their unbirthdays!

And if that's not enough, head on over to the next post for more details!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

It's Never Too Late for a Tiki Party

tiki party ideas


Summer seems to be almost over here. Kids are heading back to school. Swimsuits are being put away. Sunscreen isn't a such a necessity. But even with Autumn on the horizon, one last farewell to gods of summer wouldn't be out of the question.

Consider purchasing a few grass table skirts. One for the table, naturally, but drape your windows with them as well. Serve chicken and veggie kabobs, slices of papaya, and dont forget to make a Disneyland inspire Pineapple Whip! I've included a tasty looking recipe below.
1. Grass umbrella 2. Paper Mache Parrot 3. Flaming Tiki 4.Hibiscus flower straws 5. Pineapple whip recipe!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Follow Me on Twitter


Follow me on twitter!

Cute Toy Story Party Ideas

These Jesse Hat cookies from Disney Family made my mouth water! Know what else you need? (click the pictures to bring you to the websites)

This banner from etsy

and

and this fabric campfire

Here's a creative way to lay out the spred


For more creative Toy Story food ideas, go check out this post!

Monday, August 2, 2010

What Should I Wear to Disneyland?


You've booked your airline tickets to California, you've booked your hotel and bought your Disneyland tickets (our favorite agency is Get Away Today really an excellent deal!), all you need to do know is figure out what to pack for everyone. Here are some tips to help make it easier to pack.


1) Check the weather... Mornings in Anaheim are usually a bit overcast and misty leaving you feeling both cool and clammy. As the sun burns off the cool clouds the temperature will of course warm up. Summers usually reach the mid 80's. Winters are mid 60's.


2) What time you will be there will determine how many layers to bring... We always saty at the park from open to close. I dress the kids and I in long pants or shorts, t-shirts, very comfortable shoes (we love a Keens for their durability and comfort). Also make sure to bring a jacket... that cold moist air will definitely be back in the evening. Most lines for rides are shaded to some degree, but a hat is always nice to help prevent sunburns. Also inexpensive camping rain ponchos to avoid getting wet on Splash Mountain and for that unexpected rain shower.


3) Children... If you have them, you know you are likely to have some sort of accident. Dont make me tell you the story about my baby and her diaper incident! Extra clothing items worth packing for inside the park are:
-underwear, pants, and socks for your potty trainer
-onesie and change of out fit for the baby (a onesie will come in handy if the weather gets really warm)
-t-shirts for those messy eaters
-also pack some sandals or inexpensive tennies in your luggage in case your new walker loses a shoe.

I've always found that being over prepared for an out of town trip to Disneyland is far better than having to buy something in an expensive gift shop. Have fun!

Disney Inspired Fashion

Have you used Polyvore yet? I use it all the time to help me throw wardrobe ideas together for my photography shoots. One of the other ways I've used it is designing Disney inspired wardrobes like the one above that I call "Snow White in the City". Wouldn't it be great to have all these outfits?!



Ariel in the City



Modern Day Mary Poppins

Indiana Jones Room Inspired by Disneyland's Temple of the Forbidden Eye

Indiana Jones inspired bedroom by Monique Duke

I was thinking about childhood the other day. How we all know how to be kids, but we don't really know how to be grown ups. I thought about how much fun I had as a kid. A ton of tree climbing, ditch digging, and twilight games of tag. I remember secret bike rides to the gas station to buy jolly ranchers and lemon heads. I remember the smell of of creosote and juniper when we walked the train tracks home. These are things my kids rarely (or never) do. And I feel bad for them. But it got me to thinking about what I could do to make their time at home more imaginative and maybe help them create something to remember. First idea? Turn T's room into something inspired by Indiana Jones (and the outdoor areas of the Disneyland ride)

So of course, the biggest project was the painting. The room used to be lavender (from when it was C's room) The stone wall, and the distressed white walls took me about 8-10 hours to finish. I love them. When I check on T at night it really looks like he is sleeping in a cot outside some ancient Mayan ruins.

The steamer trunk holds his toys, the red shelf his clothes. I tea stained a few dozen maps from thrifted National Geographics for his map wall. They are held in place with just thumbtacks. The headboard is made from an old fence. I painted different cities with the mileage to them (like a sign post) on it and spelled 'Tanzenia' wrong on purpose (you MIGHT know why). You can't see the light fixture, but it's an industrial style light that I found at goodwill for $7. I spray painted it black and distressed it with paint. Eventually I will redo the red shelf to resemble a shipping crate. After that I'll devise a pulley system for the curtain, paint the closet and bedroom door, order the pictures for the wall, and make a night light out of the lantern... fun!


Indiana Jones inspired bedroom


Indiana Jones inspired bedroom


Indiana Jones inspired bedroom


Indiana Jones inspired bedroom