Disney Princess Running Playlist

I'm sitting here in the middle of packing for Disney and I'm just so excited. I practically grew up at Disney World and still, at 25, get so excited about going back that I can't handle it. I feel so badly for kids and adult who have never experienced that joy, and so blessed that I've gotten to go so many times. This trip is triply exciting because not only am I going to Disney with my family, but I also get to take not only my dearest friend Sara, but also my fiance' Cameron! Cameron has either never been, or went so long ago that he can't remember it. He can't tell the difference between Disney and Universal. What a lame-o.
This trip is for my second time running the Princess Half Marathon. I ran my first half last year at this race, and I'm looking forward to running it again. I learned a lot in that race, so even if I didn't take my training as seriously this year, I think I'm more mentally prepared, and any runner will tell you that's 90% of the race.

One thing I learned: Running this race without a costume of some sort is like trick or treating on Halloween without a costume. People do it, but you just look silly.
So this year I made myself a tutu:

It's shades of blue and white and sparkly and I just love it. I ran around my apartment in it a week ago when I finished it to make sure that it didn't interfere with my stellar running form and I'm sure I looked like an idiot (my fiance' told me I did) but the test was successful and the tutu is a go.

The other thing I learned: they entertain you on the run... but not enough.
I don't typically listen to music when I run, so I didn't think plan on bringing music to the race last year. Plus I was so excited to listen to classic Disney songs piped through loud speakers along the course and be entertained the entire time. I don't even know where I got the idea that that would be happening...but it didn't. There were well-spaced moments of entertainment, and occasionally music, but large portions of the race are run along major roadways and it's just not possible to have music or characters or whatnot at every turn. So this year I decided to bring my own playlist of classic Disney songs, with the occasional random addition that just seemed appropriate (come on, I Gotta Feeling by the Black Eyed Peas is completely motivational at 5am!). I'm a run-walk-run kind of runner, so I included both upbeat songs and slower paced songs.

Here's the songs I've narrowed down to my favorites, in alphabetical order per my iphone:

Arabian Nights - Aladdin
Be Our Guest - Beauty and the Beast
Be Prepared - The Lion King
Beauty and the Beast - Beauty and the Beast
Belle - Beauty and the Beast
Can You Feel The Love Tonight? - The Lion King
Circle of Life - The Lion King
Colors of the Wind - Pocahontas
Don't Stop Believing - Journey
A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes - Cinderella
Friend Like Me - Aladdin
Gaston - Beauty and the Beast
A Girl Worth Fighting For - Mulan
Hakuna Matata - The Lion King
Hawaiian Roller Coaster - Lilo and Stitch
I Gotta Feeling - The Black Eyed Peas
I Just Can't Wait to be King - The Lion King
I'll Make a Man Out of You - Mulan
Just Around the Riverbend - Pocahantas
Kiss the Girl - Little Mermaid
The Lion Sleeps Tonight - The Lion King
Once Upon a Dream - Sleeping Beauty
One Jump Ahead - Aladdin
Part of Your World - Little Mermaid
Party In the USA - Miley Cyrus
Poor Unfortunate Souls - Little Mermaid
Prince Ali - Aladdin
Some Nights - Fun.
Someday My Prince Will Come - Snow White
Something There - Beauty and the Beast
Son of Man - Tarzan
Trashing the Camp - Tarzan
Two Worlds - Tarzan
Under the Sea - Little Mermaid
When You Wish Upon a Star - Pinocchio
You've Got a Friend in Me - Toy Story
1985 - Bowling for Soup

I took out some of the songs that seemed like they would be great, like Hercules' I Can Go the Distance, because while the message is great, the beat or whatever (I'm no music student) just wasn't there for a running playlist. I realize how hypocritical that is when I include songs like Some Day My Prince Will Come... but this is my playlist and I can include what I want. So there.

To all the other Princesses out there running on Sunday: Good Luck!

Bistro Set

It's a rainy, dreary day here in Atlanta, so I thought it was a perfect time to post this blog about the little bistro set from my parents' attic that I refreshed and gave new life to my balcony with... Dreaming of sunnier days and all that. :)
My mom got the set from her grandmother and after using it for years, it ended up in the attic. I had an adirondack chair on the balcony all last summer, but it was a little too big and clunky so it needed to go. This bistro set is much more size appropriate and with the addition of the table, it's more likely to get used.

The set is a wire-framed glass top table and two chairs. They were painted a cream color that had started to look a little drab and while the vinyl upholstery had seen better days, it kept the cushions and particle board discs underneath in excellent condition.

I put my handsome boyfriend (now fiance!) to work by disassembling the chairs. The seat and back were held onto the frame with a couple screws.

The frames almost disappear when the cushions are gone.

I enlisted the help of my brother and his powerwasher to clean the years of dirt and grime off the frames. I cleaned up anything leftover with some sandpaper to ensure a nice smooth surface. The frames got one more good spray down and then were left to dry.

After a day of drying, the frames got several new coats of glossy white paint.

The chair on the left has the new white paint while the chair on the right has the old cream paint. The difference is subtle, but it really gave new life to the frames.

To start the reupholstery process, my mom helped me take the vinyl off the particle board. The vinyl was attached with staples, so we had to pull the staples out one at a time. It took a long, long time, but we needed to save the vinyl to use as a pattern for the new fabric.

This was one of the back pieces. It had the particle board disc, the vinyl on the back side, the cushion for the front and the vinyl for the front. I reused the discs and the cushions.

I numbered all the old vinyl pieces so I would know exactly which chair it went on and which cushion it matched in case they were slightly different sizes. I laid the vinyl "patterns" on the new outdoor fabric I chose and traced them.

You can see the faint white chalk lines from where I outlined all the pieces. I love this new fabric. It's so punchy.

For the seat cushions, I put the foam back on the seat, wrapped the fabric around the edge and stapled it in place. I stapled it in a star-like pattern, as if the seat cushion was a clock face, starting at 12, then 6, then 9, then 3, so that the fabric would be evenly tight on the seat. Then I went back and added staples until they surrounded the seat.

I went through a lot of staples...

Since the back of the chair frame is open, the same wrap-and-staple plan wouldn't work on the back cushions. I did the back side first and stapled the fabric to the rim, then flipped it over, put the cushion on and did the front side. This way the staples and uneven fabric edges would be hidden by the frame around the chair back.

Once the paint on the frames was dry and the reupholstery complete, I could put the chairs back together again.

The original feet on the chairs had dry-rotted with time, but they were made specifically for the set and I knew I wouldn't easily find replacements for them. After a few ideas were thrown around by the family, the decision was made to just get regular chair feet that can be found at any home improvement store. The frame legs of the chairs and table did fit into the standard feet and with the use of glue, they won't be easily coming out. Problem solved.

The set takes up the perfect amount of space on my small balcony and come warmer days, I can see the fiance and I enjoying a nice weekend lunch or dinner out there.

New Years Resolutions

New Years resolutions are a fun, annual event for me. I always start out with the best intentions, but the resolutions usually last approximately as long as it took me to think them up.

This year I'm going to tackle resolutions from a different angle. Instead of starting things, I'm going to finish them.
I'm moving to a new apartment at the end of March and I've been taking inventory of what I need to pack and there are just too many projects-in-progress. I want to complete all the half finished projects that I've started, or I want to get rid of them. I have several half knitted scarves that I've just set aside for another day. If I plan to finish it, I need to do that. If I hate it and don't want to finish it, into the trash, or donate pile, it goes.

My Harry Potter cross stitch is the most glaring example. It has been sitting on my mantle for far too long.
I posted this picture of it in my Bucket List blog post on August 12, 2011.

 

A year and a half later, this is the progress I've made on that project...



 

That is just embarrassing.
So this is my belated new year's resolution: finish what I've started.
I'll even give myself a deadline on this particular one. Finish this Harry Potter cross stitch this year.
I hope this resolution lasts longer than most...