Wednesday 14 June 2017

Disney Day - DIY Cushions!


So I shared these cushions on my last post and someone asked if I could put together a post on how I made them, so here it is! They're really easy to make, and don't take much time either!


The things you will need are a Disney canvas tote bag (you can get these particular ones in Dealz/Poundland if you're in Ireland or the UK, but Penneys/Primark do some too), a stitch ripper, some stuffing (I bought a cushion from Dealz, ripped it open and used the stuffing) and a needle & thread.
The first thing you need to do is rip the stitches at the top of the bag. Then rip the stitches that secure the straps. Finally, and this is optional, turn the bag inside out and remove the tag, then stitch the gap the tag leaves closed. I like to remove the tag because it shows through otherwise.

After removing all those stitches, open up that top fold and iron the bag to remove all the creases. Put your stuffing into the bag and stitch the top closed.


And that's it! Quick and easy, and they look great!

Wednesday 7 June 2017

Disney Day - April & May 2017 Haul, Books and Recent Movies

Hi everyone, welcome to the first of two Disney Day posts this month! This week I've got my April & May haul, as well as some Disney books I've read and movies I've seen. 


First up is this adorable BB-8 salt and pepper shaker! I was in town one day to meet some friends, and decided to pop into Forbidden Planet because I was early and they had a bunch of Star Wars stuff on sale and I knew as soon as I saw this that I just had to have it. He was only €5!


When I went to America this past November, I stumbled upon the Coach x Disney collection and fell head over heels for the card holder in the collection. But at $65 it just didn't seem worth it at the time, so I left it behind. Worst decision ever. I was only starting to get over my bad decision when I got a Kildare Village newsletter that said they were releasing the outlet collection. Best thing about this collection is that it is currently 30% off at Kildare Village, so it's only €35-ish!


I was in the UK for just over a week back in May and I picked up these two nightshirts while in Primark. They are so comfy, especially the Toy Story one (it's so soft!) and I love that the length. They were only £5 too! Unfortunately, I don't think we have these two styles in Penneys, but we do have other Disney characters.


I was a little Toy Story crazy in May so I picked up these socks from Penneys. I love the alien ones most, but I also love that all of them have a secret alien at the top back of the sock! These were only €3.50.


When I was in the UK, my little cousin and I did her Disney Princess puzzle every single day, and I remembered how much I loved doing jigsaw puzzles. So I picked up this Disney Villains one from Amazon, for £13. If you want to see a picture of it completed, check out my instagram @manalawan


The first book I've got is Fairest of All by Serena Valentino. Basically, this is the backstory of the Evil Queen from Snow White. It really explores her transition into the Evil Queen and her struggle with that transition. I loved that this book really fleshed out the character of the Evil Queen.



Poor Unfortunate Soul is also by Serena Valentino and is the third book in the series. When I bought these two books, I thought they were all standalones, which is why I skipped The Beast Within. I started reading this and noticed connections between it and Fairest of All and references to The Beast Within. I was about halfway through when I decided to Google the author to see if she was writing more Disney Villain books when I found out that it was a series and certain things in this book can be a little confusing if you haven't read them The Beast Within. So I've ordered it and will be finishing this when I'm done with that one. I will say though, even being slightly confused at certain points, I was really enjoying this and can't wait to pick it up again.


A Whole New World by Liz Braswell is the first of her Disney Twisted Tale books. Each of these books are standalones, unlike the above mentioned books. The first third or so of the book follows the movie and then comes the twist: what if Jafar got the lamp earlier than in the film. In short, all hell breaks loose over Agrabah. This was an interesting read, and I did enjoy it, but it didn't really feel like the characters were the same ones as in the film.


As Old as Time is the third Twisted Tale novel by Liz Braswell, which is Beauty and the Beast with a twist. I loved this book so much, it was far more interesting than A Whole New World and I felt it was much better written too. I loved that part one of the book switched between past and present: there were chapters revolving around Belle's parents and the kingdom they lived in and why they had to leave,  each followed by a Belle chapter which followed the movie plot. The final chapter of part one is where the twist comes in and then parts two and three deal with the ramifications of the twist and the mystery of what happened to Belle's mother too. Also, unlike in A Whole New World, I felt like the characters were the same as in the movie, the twist didn't cause them to entirely change. I've ordered the second novel too, which is about Sleeping Beauty (but, obviously, with a twist). 


I didn't grow up watching Beauty and the Beast. The first time I saw it was, I think, when I was in my late teens. Honestly, I had no strong feelings for it at all. So when I heard about the live action remake, I wasn't expecting much. But wow, this film really blew me away. I loved (almost) everything about it: the cast, the costumes, the sets, the songs. The only thing I didn't really like was the Beast himself, I thought he was a bit cringey. Everything else though? Amazing. My favourite two characters were definitely Gaston and LeFou, they were hilarious! I loved this so much that I went to see it in cinema a second time, which I'd only done once before!


I'm a huge fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and I'm always so excited for their new releases. While I really enjoyed Guardians 2, I thought it wasn't anywhere near as good as the first one so I was a tiny bit disappointed.


The last new Disney movie I watched was the latest film in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. While enjoyable, it was similar to the fourth film in that it was a little forgettable. I did love that they brought back Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, even though they had small roles, and I hope in the next film ('cause let's face it, this franchise isn't ending anytime soon) they ditch Will and Elizabeth's kid and just keep them instead.