The ABC's of Trip Reporting- PLEASE JOIN US ON THE NEW THREAD!

[Flossbolna]

Mary and Cynthia: these shirts are so cute!!

 

[tinacaplan]

Great shirts!

 

[All7OfUs]

Just a few of my own thoughts about that VERY cool chair cover Mary sewed up!!

First off, I could NEVER sew something like that! Seriously, it fit perfectly, and it was absolutely PERFECT for our trip!!

Secondly, it was very funny in every way, and so creative!! During that brief, ummm, encounter I had with her earlier between my lunch and heading out to Hollywoodland, I didn't even notice it!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

Gorgeous shirts! It must have taken Cynthia forever to cut around all the flowers on the edging of the iron-on. Mary, you SEWED that chair cover? Wow! I can't quite tell, is it a pink camouflage pattern?

 

[marvali]

Mary, great couple of updates!!! Love the pictures of Baker's family. You got some really good ones. And by the looks of those shadow boxes, I would have been right up close with Baker checking out every little detail! Those are really cool looking!

What great pictures of Liesa getting the shirt. I love the one of her sitting there in awe as she sees it for the first time! And great job on the shirt Cynthia!!!

Oh, sure. All I got was the golf clap.

Is that any different from getting the regular clap???

 

[All7OfUs]

What great pictures of Liesa getting the shirt. I love the one of her sitting there in awe as she sees it for the first time!

I was in total awe! I had NO idea she was even doing these for us, and LOVED them!! That was some serious creative there!!

 

[PirateKate]

I am shocked at the number of you all claiming to like Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Did no one else see the scene where the little shoe is boiled alive and dies a horrible death? I may have been only four, but I remember quite vaguely that it was the worst movie I had ever seen. And at age four, I had seen at least three other films.

On a less toony note- what a cool shirt! Great design!

 

[All7OfUs]

I am shocked at the number of you all claiming to like Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Did no one else see the scene where the little shoe is boiled alive and dies a horrible death? I may have been only four, but I remember quite vaguely that it was the worst movie I had ever seen. And at age four, I had seen at least three other films.

On a less toony note- what a cool shirt! Great design!

It's been so long that I've seen it, I don't remember ANY details- and certainly not that icky one!! Yowza!! I still want to see it though, to satisfy curiosity's sake if nothing else.

 

[FauntleroyFAN07]

and no one asked the all important question, did you give her your special gretting and try the shirt on right there in front of her.

 

[jenbear123]

Just dropping in for a quick "HI LIESA!" I am hopelessly behind. Guess that's what happens when you work too much with no time to yourself!

 

[All7OfUs]

and no one asked the all important question, did you give her your special gretting and try the shirt on right there in front of her.

No, that little incident was earlier in the day, we didnt' exchage gifties until after I got back from DHS later that night. Mary is a bit ahead of me chronilogically. Not by much, though. A couple more updates and my day will be done.

Just dropping in for a quick "HI LIESA!" I am hopelessly behind. Guess that's what happens when you work too much with no time to yourself!

Hey Jen! yeah, long time, no see!! Don't work yourself too hard!

 

[Poolrat]

I am shocked at the number of you all claiming to like Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Did no one else see the scene where the little shoe is boiled alive and dies a horrible death? I may have been only four, but I remember quite vaguely that it was the worst movie I had ever seen. And at age four, I had seen at least three other films.

On a less toony note- what a cool shirt! Great design!

I think I may remember that scene but it did not stick with me the way it did with you.

The plot was nonexistent, but what was cool is that many animated characters from all different studios came together for the film. Since Disney had the rights, I think they were hoping it would grow to be a great thing. I think they missed the mark and could not mesh all the different "styles" of storytelling from the various studios. Some gravitate more to adult- Betty Boop, Jessica Rabbit, and the Dip guy and some to children so they had a hard time.

 

[FauntleroyFAN07]

No, that little incident was earlier in the day, we didnt' exchage gifties until after I got back from DHS later that night. Mary is a bit ahead of me chronilogically. Not by much, though. A couple more updates and my day will be done.

that doesnt mean you didnt whip off the shirt and say hello again.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

okay me me i know.

first time is when buddy follows mr incredible into the building to help him out.

the second time is when they are on the island and mr incredible thinks back to when he said it to buddy the first time.

Well, I think that deserves quadruple points!

With as much info as we've got on Durer, we could start an online university course on his life.

That's heap o' kids!!! I can't even imagine how hard that must ahve been on her poor body, especially during that era!!!

In Kazakhstan, EVERYONE would plug one side, lean over and just blow right onto the street. Then give a "cleansing' wipe with the old shirt sleeve. Grossed me out daily.

The one line I clearly remember (for the obvious reasons) came near then end when Yosimite Sam came flying over a wall with smoke coming from his britches and he was yelling "My biscuit's a burnin! My biscuit's a burning! Oooooh-Weeeee that smarts!"

NOW we know why you are GB!!! That one is a classic!

I think we may have the VHS somewhere. As a big Looney tunes fan, the "What a Maroon!" and the baby always got my attention.


I'm not bad.... I'm just drawn that way.

I remember that episode! Must have seen it 200 times!

After I made sure Baker and family were settled…I went back to the room to go get some sleep!!

I plugged in my wheels - (See the cover I made for it! It matched our theme!!)

And I ran into Liesa!

I was not sure that Liesa and I would even see each other at all during these first few days...because she was still in "solo" mode and I was in "Baker" mode...so it was cool that we kept running into each other!

I figured it would be a good time to exchange some gifts….and want to highlight one of those for you guys…because it was not included in the pre-trip report!


Here she is opening it…

She LOVED it!!

Here is the actual logo so you can get a good look at it!!



It says:

Belle Battalion Attacks Disney

Once Strangers, Now Friends


She even included Tate!


Our very own Cynthia made these awesome shirts for us! We LOVED them!



Up next…our first day in the parks!!!!

Awesome Cynthia!!!

Where do I begin .. First I am called a Wart face , then picked on by Glenn in the guise of defending me !!!LOVE IT!!!!

Mary those shirts were awesome Cynthia is so clever !!! Good news Jess;s daughter has bee granted a WISH!!She is thinking of Disney or Hawaii !!

Rosie! I for one would never call you a wart face!

I am shocked at the number of you all claiming to like Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Did no one else see the scene where the little shoe is boiled alive and dies a horrible death? I may have been only four, but I remember quite vaguely that it was the worst movie I had ever seen. And at age four, I had seen at least three other films.

On a less toony note- what a cool shirt! Great design!

Yes, that was very traumatic to my DS, too! Consequently, we never had a copy of it in the house, The other one was "Benji, the hunted!" He was 3. After the first scene where the bobcat kittens (I think) are left in a nest while the mom is shot, even though you don't see it - he said, "Where's he mommy?" I said she was gone. He promptly climbed up in my lap, said, "I don't like this movie!" Stuck his thumb in his mouth and went to sleep! The trauma we put our little ones through!

 

[that's nice]

that doesnt mean you didnt whip off the shirt and say hello again.

Did someone mention whip again?

 

[Flossbolna]

I am shocked at the number of you all claiming to like Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Did no one else see the scene where the little shoe is boiled alive and dies a horrible death? I may have been only four, but I remember quite vaguely that it was the worst movie I had ever seen. And at age four, I had seen at least three other films.

I vaguely remember the scene you mention - I had a similar experience when I watched E.T. as a kid with the scene when they send the dogs out to search for E.T. However, I was surprised that you watched Roger Rabbit when you were 4, I think it is not a children's film! And I checked on IMDB, here in Germany it was rated to be for audiences 12 years or above, while in the US it is PG... Seems like the German commission who does the rating would have agreed with you!

 

[eandesmom]

I'm so glad you liked the shirt Liesa Maroo and I had fun coming up with the design. Here a close up of it, we were going for kind of a Poly Battle theme for Tate.

On a totally unrelated topic,

4 is way too young for Roger Rabbit! I loved it, but then again I was probably the target age at the time it came out.

 

[MEK]

I'm so glad you liked the shirt Liesa Maroo and I had fun coming up with the design. Here a close up of it, we were going for kind of a Poly Battle theme for Tate.

On a totally unrelated topic,

4 is way too young for Roger Rabbit! I loved it, but then again I was probably the target age at the time it came out.

Wow - I should have known that Cynthia had her hand in this! It looks like "Ode to Tate". That is a very cute design!

 

[All7OfUs]

Eventually the rigors of my 3-hour tour, my 3-hour tour, and visit to my realtor started to catch up with me. I was starting to get ready for some time to be pampered and indulged, and I know stars have to watch their waistlines, but I was in a mood to throw caution to the wind, and ready to consume a fair amount of calories!

Alas, I made a tactical error in the documentation of my plans (ie. I wrote the wrong time down in my Mickey book), and as I grandly presented myself, in my star-struck, smug, early-ish sort of way, here:

they told me I was a full 45 minutes early for my reservation, and there was no possible way get me in right then. Well, in Hollywoodland there is much to keep one entertained, so I told them, “No problem, I’ll be back in a bit.” By now, my “cute” feet were starting to get sore, and I had one more major thing on my agenda anyway. I wanted to get some audio clips for my upcoming production to be released! (Still thinking on that title, although there have been some very good suggestions.) The industry, I know, would hate to work with me given my tendencies to micromanage and obsess.

So nearby, I found a place to sit for a spell and fiddle with the POC for some tunes collection, and started recording near a speaker in the bushes. Big mistake! Actually, in doing this it revealed a potentially massive problem, and in the long run I am glad I did it. That ten minutes or so of audio I got cost me the battery of the POC for the entire rest of the evening, and had it not been for my adoring fans and the Paparazzi, I would have ZERO glam photos from my evening dining where stars do. I did know that if I turned it off immediately, and used it ONLY for the most critical pictures, I MIGHT eke out one, or possibly two, more.

I ended up calling my co-star, LeeAnn, RIGHT THEN, and asked her to pick up an extra battery to bring, and she said, “No problem! I’ll get one in the morning and bring it.” I was hugely relieved that there was a relatively easy fix to the situation, but was bummed that my equipment wasn’t going to hold out for my whole day tomorrow and the next day until she got there! It was going to require a bit of plan changing that I just hadn’t counted on. GGGRRRR!!! Yes, I was about to throw a star-studded Lindsay Lohan-style hissy, but refrained myself and regained my on-camera composure.

I also needed to call Brook about our possible Meet for after my cocktails and dinner, but after talking with Joe about their plans, they just weren’t feeling up to it. I was totally fine with that, and went on with my evening’s plans. There were at least a couple more Meet times planned for later in the week with them, and I was definitely looking forward to those.

By now, it was time for me to make my second grand entrance at the Derby, and this time, they checked me in- at 6:45. I would have thought, given my amazing rise to fame that they would have gotten me in sooner, but rather it took another 25 minutes or so to show me to my table!!!! While I was waiting, I was able to get this photo that I thought was fun; something I think might look fun in my bathroom window here at the new house.

I also took time to see what other celebrities of the past had actually dined at the (REAL!) Derby. It was fascinating, but I was tragically handicapped without a camera to show you too. Now I know why directors can get cranky on their sets when the cast or equipment begin to fail. I also wisely used the time to check out the powder room. I had no powder to powder with, but did note that I’d like a bathroom as lovely as this in my new home in Hollywoodland. It was nice enough to actually write about in my journals. The thing that started to pique my interest in EVERY bathroom I visited were the tile jobs. Really, in all seriousness, the tile that these locations presented all over WDW are quite unique and ALWAYS perfectly ”in theme” and work with the story.

Finally, I was seated at a deuce for my meal.

Can I get a bit emotional and sappy here? A few of you might have guessed this was coming.

For those of you who followed my pre-trip report, this was supposed to be a meal that was a tribute or “memorial” to my grandma who passed away the June before my trip. She was the epitome of loveliness in every way. The quintessential grandma who doted on me, but only just enough to make me feel loved- when discipline was called for, it was there. She was elegant, well-mannered, and VERY 40s. Bing or Frank was always playing on the wireless in the kitchen as she cleaned. Every summer, she was my world. We went to Dodger’s games, sushi bars before they were chic, she taught me how to prune roses, made homemade peach ice cream with me, dressed the quail my grandpa came home with, hemmed my jeans (I was a midget then too.), and watched me do backflips off the diving board for hours (THAT’S love!).

The Brown Derby was HER!! She ate there many times (in the real Hollywood), and more than likely had her favorite cocktail- an Apricot Sour. So that’s what I ordered. And that’s when I got teary. It was hard to choke back the tears as I sipped my uber delicious drink thinking about all the goodness she brought to me. Can I also say that that was simply the best cocktail I’ve ever had?? Really and truly, she had good taste; the only other drink that I can say I enjoyed just as much was the Marg from the Cave. It was smooth, and went down WAY too easy. Had I not been on a budget, I’d have gotten another.

My server, Keith, who was fabulous, indulged me by going to ask the bartended what whiskey was used for it, and told me it was called “Bol”. Yum!! I had also been served a piping hot basket of bread with some sweet butter to soak up some of the booze. I was hungry and knew that I’d need to get something in my rumbly tumbly sooner than later, so asked him if I could have that early. “Of course”, he told me, I think sensing that this was not your ordinary dinner-goer.

Shortly after, he brought out my ginormous Cobb Salad. I had asked if they serve half portions, but was told no. I’m sure this is because they are all pre-made in the back. Regardless, it was fabulous in almost every way. For me, it was too heavy on the blue cheese- a little of that goes a long, long way, like tarragon and dill.

There was absolutely NO way I was leaving without getting a picture of this incredible moment for me, so I quickly scanned the room for a likely candidate to get a picture of me enjoying my time. I spied a group of college-aged looking guys, but was too shy (yeah, imagine THAT?!) to get up and go ask. They’d probably think I was drunk (which I was close to being), and opted for the family next to me who was waiting for their check. I explained the situation, and the mom was completely ready and willing to take one and send to my e-mail. When I got home, this is what I found:

(Even the young fans adore me!)


Truly, it is another of my favorite pictures from my whole trip. I was happy, I was sad.

I also love how I am getting the royal treatment! Like I said, Keith was remarkable. He asked if I’d like another cocktail; I sadly declined. He asked if I’d like dessert; I gladly accepted! Crème Brulee, please! It was not the best I’ve ever had. In fact, it really lacked any flavor at all, and had the consistency of pudding rather than custard. Here’s the ONE photo I eked out from the last remaining battery power of the night:

You win some, you lose some. For the same price, I could have had another apricot sour. It was time to get moving- the night was still young. So I asked for the check, and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited. Seriously, it was far too long in getting my check! I felt compelled to thank Keith for my special meal, and thank him personally for making more so. I explained why I had chosen this restaurant for my first meal of my trip and why I was there; he must have noticed the tears welling up in my eyes (as they are doing as I write this) and the quiver in my chin. He sincerely thanked me for coming, and wished me a wonderful trip. I tipped him well, and said good-bye.

By the time I got out, it was almost 8:00! Time to get moving!!!

 

[KatMark]

Maroo, great pictures of the Baker family, and you and Cynthia did a great job on the t-shirts...I love them.

Liesa, I am sitting here with tears blocking my vision as I read your last update. It reminds me of walking into Epcot two years ago for the first time after my Dad died and getting on Spaceship Earth.

How sweet of the lady at the next table to take your photo and email it to you--and a great photo it is. And I love how the "young ones" are admiring you.