All We Needed Was Sand

Compared to my Roaring 1920s party, for my 33rd birthday, this year was very last minute. With Tokyo coming up (have I mentioned we are going?), I wasn't planning on spending extra funds on a party. But, as the date crept closer I felt we should put together something small. A little more than week before my birthday I decided to have a Retro Beach themed birthday party. To be honest I was "phoning" this year's party in by choosing an easy theme. One might say I did the same last year with a 1920s theme, but with that party I mimicked a specific scene from The Great Gatsby film. This year I went ahead and raided the tiki/beach sections for decorations. I think the decor, along with the retro music, conveyed a happy atmosphere. 

I was taking a few test shots with the camera. I didn't want to wash all the photos out with a flash, so I had Rey and Brandi sit for a few silly poses. Work it you two!

Rey and Brandi look great here, but maybe I should've repositioned her straw? Meanwhile, in the background, I don't think that tiki idol was enjoying her photo being taken. Fashionably speaking, Rey looks like a greaser from the 50s while Brandi has that Biker's chick look. We all loved her hair!

Soon after we had the music going. The playlist was simple, full of Annette Funnicello, The Ventures (surf guitar), and The Beach Boys. The loop only lasted about 2 hours, but we just kept repeating it. Sure the music was a little on the corny side, but it was upbeat. 

As we shopped around the stores, Eric was very determined to grab some cocktail umbrellas. I'm sure glad he did because they added that extra touch to the cupcakes and the drinks. The cupcakes were store bought, but now they blended in with their surroundings. As my UK pals Mikey and Jonny would quote me saying, "It's in the details!"

Whether she cared for it, or not, Daphne got in on the beach action. Eric and I thought she looked great in her outfit. We aren't those "dress up your dog" type people, but this definitely called for an exception. 

Soon guests arrived and they were either mingling, or apparently on their iPhones ;-)

I can see here that Rey was about to enjoy more of his Fruit Punch/Coconut Rum concoction. 

Our gal pal Kelly joined us from Newport Beach in what I think was reminiscint of the 1960s character Gidget. I don't know if that was her direct intention, but she sure did a nice job!

The rest of us guys took the easy way out. Beach attire for that era is as easy as a camp shirt and the shortest swim wear you can find. However; Eric did personify a fashionista/trend setter of the early 1960s. All that was needed here was was a nice bonfire, but of course that would've taken down the place. 

We should've had a prize for who travelled the farthest. First we have Ricky and Greg that drove down from the Hollywood area. Then there was Jeff and Lance (pictured directly above) that joined us from Riverside! But, I think the invisible trophy goes to Angie (below w/red headband). She drove down from San Luis Obispo! I can't take all the credit. Angie was also on her way home to San Diego county. No matter from where they drove, I was very lucky to have our group come together to celebrate.

As with any gathering we have, this couldn't have happened with Eric! Who knows, maybe from now on Eric will be the bar keep. He was having a fun time mixing up some drinks for our guests. He kept that blender spinning! I thought he was going to try to chop up our fake pineapples for garnish! 

See below.....What did I tell you all? There's Eric making another drink for Ricky! And that reminds me of something. Everyone came with either a snack or alcohol to contribute. It really does say something about the friends we invited. I didn't ask them to bring anything, only themselves. Sure we did have a few ask what they could help with, and we welcomed that help. Others surprised us with items. I was even given some fabulous and again unexpected gifts. My point is that we had some great people over that night, special people. I hope they know I'm grateful for all of them and I look forward to more times together. 

A Roaring '20s Birthday

When it comes to interiors, I always seem to gravitate toward modern or  "clean lines". It was an easy choice to feature the era filled with Art Deco at my birthday party. Of course the feel of flappers and booze would also permeate the party. This idea was also sparked from the recent release of The Great Gatsby. The lavish parties thrown by the hermit of a character gave me some strong inspiration. I could have stuck with the dark, underground feel of a 1920s Speakeasy, but I wanted a more lively feel. I immediately wanted to feature the colors of Silver, Black, with a touch of Gold. 

Eric contributed quite a bit to the party's look. Brainstorming began in mid June for our July 13th party date. It was decided early on that we had to have our guests dress the part. Although we'd provide a vintage backdrop, our friends would give it life. 

Eric and I gave hard thought to bring in unique details our guests wouldn't forget. I had hoped people would get the sense that others lived in this party setting, that they had time traveled. We looked online for vintage portraits to occupy our frames on the shelving and walls. I'll even give it away that these temporary photo frames were purchased at the Dollar Tree. 

The den was sectioned off from the main living space with a silvery curtain. I had hoped the curtain would do a great job at catching the light. It did just that. Within the den I strived for a lounge with darker lighting. Sticking to the times, the den had a different 1920s track playing. It was a small change from the main area 1920s music that people may not have consciously noticed. The details are key. Eric and our friend Ricky certainly enjoyed the lounge area. 

For beverages we stuck mostly to wines and vodka based concoctions. One of my birthday gifts was the ingredients to a favorite drink of mine, a Manhattan. 

Our friends really put thought into their outfits. I know some of them were nervous they wouldn't get the looks quite right, but everyone did a good job. I'm glad all had fun getting creative for their attire. 

We even made the restroom appear a flapper lived there. She left a mess as you all can see. (I ended up in the pic. I wasn't sly enough)

It was a roaring time! All seemed impressed with the party's look/decor. If we had a bigger place and budget, who knows what we would've done!!

Magic Kingdom Celebrates a Birthday

Well look who turned 40!! Today we return to our 2011 Disney World adventure. One of the reasons Eric made the suggestion for our visit was because he felt it would be great to be apart of this day. He was correct! It would be awesome to think we were the only ones who had the idea, but that wasn't the case. And to be honest, the fact that so many other guests were excited made it that more special.

Approaching from the shuttles.

Taking in the crowd's size!

We were anticipating a big crowd at the main gate. Eric and I took our resort shuttle early, but we should have left 20 minutes sooner. Still, we were very patient and did I mention excited? The anticipation grew when we were able to see the grand crowd at the front of the Magic Kingdom! And, it was touching to see the groups of Cast Members that returned to celebrate. Some of them had shirts stating their years of service and where they worked. 

After the daily welcome show, we headed to grab our free birthday button, and get a spot for the show at the castle. We heard there would be a small re-dedication. There wasn't a lot planned for the festivities, but we wanted to be there for what we could see. We met up with our fellow SoCal friends Josh and Daniel, and found a spot on the "Liberty Square" side of the Partners Statue.

Self Guest Control with a little walkway?? 

In a crowd, I tend to listen into the surrounding conversations. Some were chatting about old times and where they use to work. Others spoke about the fact they were back after many years of not visiting. Everyone was just so happy! People even kept a walkway?? These were definitely Cast Members! Despite the "self guest control", a tall man managed to block Eric's view. However; we had a perfect spot for the cavalcade.

After a few words from a former Cast Member and executive the crowd was blanketed in steamers. It became a free for all as everyone began filtering out through the park. I had never seen the park this busy before. I was sure that prior to the end of the ceremony, the various attraction operators had an easy morning because all guests had to have been there with us. We made a quick plan with our friends to meet up again for the evening entertainment. Since we were on the Liberty Square side of the hub, Eric and I headed to the West end of the park.

Two of our favorite attractions are right near each other, Haunted Mansion and "it's a small world". Although the originals are at Disneyland, they are important in the Disney parks heritage. Eric and I were also curious about the new interactive  queue for Mansion. It was fun to set off the different gags and get photographed with the new busts. It can be bypassed, but it's cute enough to check out. If the queue was full to capacity I'm not sure how one would filter back to the normal queue. We were still one of the few that ran to this attraction. It seemed that a good amount of people were lining up for the special merchandise at the Golden Horseshoe. 

"it's a small world" is starting to need a rehab again. The first time I rode the Disney World version (2003) I was horrified! Then in the middle of the last decade, the attraction had a facelift that really bumped up the quality. Well it seems to be slipping again. While most people our age would skip this attraction, it's a must do for Eric and I. We met at the Disneyland version of "it's a small world", so riding the little cruise is special for us. 

We were about to board Peter Pan's Flight

Eric and I really enjoy the Fantasyland area. I will say that an odd aspect I do like is the whole 1970s look it has. I don't think people who have only ever visited Magic Kingdom would know what I mean because they are use to this look only. I could also say the aesthetic reminds me of the former look of Fantasyland in Disneyland. We all know that will change once the New Fantasyland opens this year at Magic Kingdom. Again most adults may skip this area, but we never could do that. In case you didn't figure it out, we don't skip areas because "that's kid stuff". We even had to say our last Good-Bye to the attraction, Snow White's Scary Adventure. That location will be a princess meet n greet in the near future.

All while sporting our 40th Birthday buttons, we pressed on through the various lands in the park. Jungle Cruise always seems to have a lengthy queue but the fast passes available were during parade time. Maybe next time Eric and I will grab a fast pass earlier in the day. Luckily after the wait, we had a Cast Member who gave us a few laughs. It's also fun to ride with groups that have no clue what's going on. For fun with those non-english groups, the skipper will go off script a bit, but not always. 

As twilight set in we started thinking of the night time entertainment. I may get made fun of, but I always enjoy the Electrical Parade. Does it need to be even more updated? Yes it sure does need more than a new soundtrack and one new float. But, I enjoy the parade for what it is and I do love the new music. We also met up with our friends Josh and Daniel! They too were enjoying their day and were ready for the Wishes fireworks and Electrical Parade. No matter if I've seen a Disney show before, I take more photos. I always try and get better shots than what I have. The one showing here isn't too bad.

Again, there was a crowd I had never seen before. Just as the fireworks ended, we stood up, walked two steps to the curb, and that became our parade spot. We couldn't move and had to stay there for two of the Magic, Memories, and You projection shows. Eric and I can't stand those projection shows, but obviously other guests enjoy it. We lucked out because our seats faced away from the castle. I caved and still took a few shots to pass time before the parade. Did I mention it was REALLY crowded?

One has to keep in mind that most guests visiting are in the park for "the long haul". These people leave when they are close to kicked out! As the park finally cleared out we took in the various shops on Main St by looking at everything. We don't really buy a lot of merchandise, but one shouldn't overlook the possibilities. Somewhere in all that could be a great find! Eric did buy a 40th Anniversay Duffy and we had some camera fun with him. 

 

All in all it was a normal day at Magic Kingdom but with a bigger crowd. If it hadn't been for the ceremony and cavalcade, an unsuspecting guest would never know the difference. At least Disney did do something. We have our buttons, our Duffy, and our photos to remember the day.