La-la-lazy

(Above: Lilly just being Lilly= Awesome)

OK, I need to apologize. I haven't written in a while. Things have been crazy busy! Between filling my Etsy orders (business is actually booming believe it or not), showing our film, Marceline, for Disney D23 members, having a film in the T/F film festival, and just pure laziness, I haven't had the time. I often thought about writing, but the writing would have gotten in the way of my laziness time.

It's pretty hot out for March so every day has felt like a lazy summer day. This makes me more lazy.

I've been so lazy the past few days and I seriously need to do laundry. One good thing about not doing the laundry is it forces you to get creative and take fashion risks. Under normal circumstances I'd be too embarrassed to wear a paper bag out of the house, but at this point, I have no choice. I swear I'll do the laundry tonight. I just got tired of looking like a hobo. And by "just" I mean literally, like, three seconds ago was like, "man I am so tired of looking like a dirty hobo". Laundry. Tonight. I SWEAR.

This weekend I am going to be trying my hand at fondant for the first time. I promised to make about 50 cupcakes for Andy's cousin for her daughters first birthday. I am incredibly flattered that she asked me because she is a perfectionist and even though I know she also ordered a cake from a professional wedding cake baker, it is still a big deal that she trusts my baking abilities for Ellie's first birthday. The theme is ladybugs, which is really cute and lucky for me, also pretty simple baking wise. About 30 to 35 of the cupcakes will just be red icing with white sprinkles. But, about 15 to 20 of them will have fondant ladybugs on top. I am very excited and extremely over confident. Especially considering I've never worked with fondant before... The plan is to make everyone believe I do it for a living. I'll let you know how they turn out. Probably amazing (there's that over confident-ness again), but we'll see.

The next few weekends will be really busy. We will be staying one weeked in Marceline at the bed and breakfast, one weekend at the Lake of The Ozarks at the family condo, and one weekend at "Camp EM-A-LIL-EE-EL-EE"...

Let me explain about camp. I couldn't be more excited about it! My family thought it would be nice to take a camping trip altogether since we haven't done that, like ever. But there were too many complaints about tents and peeing in the woods (I complained about that one) and sleeping on the ground. So we looked for campgrounds with cabins and as it turns out you can rent an entire summer camp. A freaking summer camp! Like with 6 cabins, an infirmary, amphitheater, and even a mess hall! So not only is the family coming along, but we also invited several close friends to join in the fun. This is like a dream come true for me. Having our own summer camp! Everyone in the family was given a job. The jobs are mostly a joke, but I am taking mine (activities director or course) very seriously. I've planned arts n crafts, sports, and a talent show. A mandatory talent show. We'll see how that goes. I hope at least three people actually participate. I might have to offer a prize for the talent with the most applause...

Anyways that's all I have for now. Don't forget to become a fan of my Etsy shop on Facebook. Click HERE for that.

Get your copy of our film, Marceline, HERE

These are the cupcakes I plan to make. (I stole this pic from The Crafty Penguin)

Number 18: Ride A Horse (And Not Be Scared)

I just haven’t felt like writing the past few days. SO MANY things have happened this past weekend that it isn’t that I haven’t had anything to write about, it’s that I am so overwhelmed with all I do have to write about that I have been avoiding it. But I feel bad about that, so I decided to just suck it up and write something, since I don't want you to fall behind in the terribly fascinating story that is my life. 

On Friday night we premiered our film Marceline at the great old historic Uptown Theater in Marceline. It was fabulous. We are very happy and excited over the positive response to our film. I just can’t believe how many people came out to see it and that everybody loved it! Afterwards we headed over to the El Cimmaron Mexican restaurant for a little “after party”. They stayed open late just for us! It was great, we talked and ate and drank (I drank more on Friday than I think I have all year- but that doesn't say much as I don't drink much usually- I do remember one point in the evening where I leaned over to Andy and whispered loudly "I feel awesome- I might should drink more days. Yeah?" or something equally idiotic) and we made lots of new friends. But as we had a very long day ahead of us, we all decided to turn in around midnight.

The following day was Toonfest! I LOVE Toonfest! We had breakfast at Ma Vic’s and then watched the parade. Andy and I got an award after the parade and, along with other special guests of Toonfest, were presented with a special Dreaming Tree plaque. What an honor! Not long after that, Andy told me he had a surprise for me… I simply couldn’t imagine what in the world it could be…

He told me we had to walk to “meet” the surprise. We walked up the street to the grocery store parking lot and he told me we had to wait there. It seemed like a weird surprise to me… Within minutes I noticed a girl leading a horse right to us… Andy had asked her if I could ride her horse to fulfill my “Ride a horse and not be scared” goal. The problem is, is that I WAS scared. I got on the horse, but I had a little trouble at first since my legs are only like, 2 feet long (that’s an exaggeration, people!). I was definitely nervous and a little scared at first, but then I started having fun! Then Andy took the reins and led the horse around. I was thinking; Please don’t kill me, Andy! Please don’t kill me! Good news, he didn’t kill me. It was a lot of fun! I even let go of the little knobby handle thing and gave Andy a “Thumbs up” so he could take a picture. That doesn’t sound too wild and crazy to you I am sure, but that was a big step for me! All in all it was a very fun weekend (and this wasn’t even half of it!). I’ll write more about the weekend soon. Probably. 

Above: I was a little nervous at first....

Below: But then I got the hang of it

Above: Andy leading Ranger and I around (Ranger is the horse)

Below: THUMBS UP!

Preparing for MARCELINE

Andy and I have been spending every night and every weekend finishing up our film, Marceline. The film is about Walt Disney’s ties to his boyhood home, as well as the town and its people. This is what has been consuming every non working hour of every day and why I haven’t been posting too much on here. 

Andy began work on this film five years ago when we still lived in southern California. The idea came on our first trip to Marceline in December of 2006. Being avid Disney fans, Andy and I decided we needed to visit Marceline, especially since we would already be visiting his family for Christmas just an hour and half away.  

Though we arrived on a cold, dreary afternoon, and although the shops and museum were mostly all closed already for the day, we could still feel the magic of this incredible little town. We visited the barn near Walt’s dreaming tree. Inside the barn they had markers and people had scribbled messages and notes all over the walls. You could really see how much Disney means to so many people just reading those notes. We found the perfect place to scribble our note, right above the door and we knew what we wanted it to say; “Here you leave today and enter the worlds of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy” the same note that is inscribed above the tunnels that go under the railroad and lead out to Main St. USA at Disneyland. But we forgot exactly the order in which the inscription was written. Andy and I are very big on accuracy, so we called Disneyland (yes, I keep Disneyland on speed dial) from that spot in the barn. The cast member that answered couldn’t remember what it said either. He put us on hold and went down to Main St. to check for us! I don’t think I’ll ever forget about that moment on our first trip to Marceline.

We knew we had to capture this town on film. Andy decided to head out there with our friend Frank while I was in school. Andy spent nearly two months filming Marceline and its people and then he came back to California and went back to school and back to work. A year and half later we moved to Columbia, Missouri and began making regular trips to Marceline to film or visit the new friends we had made. We finally had enough footage to begin editing.

Editing can be a really long process. Especially when you have 25 hours of footage and the editors already have full time jobs… It has taken a really long time to get to the point we are at right now. The film is nearly complete. We are just now in the process of adding a few finishing touches.

During the making of this film Andy and I moved 5 times, got engaged, graduated from college, got married, and had our daughter, Lilly Belle (she is named for Walt Disney’s private train car, The Lilly Belle, which Walt named after his wife, Lillian- yes, we are Disney FREAKS). It’s been a long journey to get to the point we are at right now.

I am so excited for the people of Marceline to see this film (and nervous too!) The film premieres in just three weeks during Marceline’s Toonfest weekend at the historic Uptown Theater.  There will be a pretty fun and exciting party afterwards- at which point I think we will finally be able to relax!

Toonfest is a fabulous FREE festival celebrating the art of cartooning held annually in Marceline. They have guest artists come from around the world and speak about what they do. There’s a parade, food, games, a princess tea party and a pirate treasure hunt, a dreaming tree celebration and so much more! I recommend that any fan of Walt Disney or Cartooning visit Marceline, especially during Toonfest.

Marceline will premiere on Friday September 16th, 8PM at the historic Uptown Theater in Marceline, Missouri. Andy and I will be on hand for a Q&A following the screening.


There will be an encore screening Sunday September 18th at 2PM at the Uptown Theater. Andy and I will also be at this screening and available for a Q&A after the film.


Did I mention both screenings are FREE!?

Above: In front of Walt Disney Elementary School during my second trip to Marceline in 2007

Below: With Dave Coverly, Cartoonist of the Speed Bump comics, at Toonfest 2008

Above: With Kaye Malins at Toonfest 2008

Below: Trace Jennings, me, Andy, & Walt Disney World Ambassador, Sara 

Above: Trace Jennings, me, & Andy in front of City Hall, Marceline MO

Below: Artwork for our film, Marceline, drawn by Jason Zucker