Disney Cinderella Password Journal - Expert Review

I'd like to introduce our expert, my 9 year old granddaughter BELLE.  She is the apple of my eye!

Belle with her Cinderella Password Journal

Guess what her PAPA and I surprised her with for getting all A's on her report card?  Yep, a new Disney Cinderella Password Journal.  I think the price varies, but we got hers at Walmart for around $20.

According to her mother, BELLE carries this journal everywhere.  At this age, she is ready to start keeping a diary or journal.  The timing was perfect.  She'd just been to a birthday party where the birthday girl got a similar electronic journal.  BUT it wasn't a DISNEY PRINCESS PASSWORD JOURNAL.  

HUBBY and I are not in on all the latest fads, but we hit a home run with this gift.  She absolutely loves it!!  Here are the answers she gave when I asked her what she liked best about it:

1. It opens to my voice only. (voice recognition lock)

2. It lets me see in the dark. (adjustable bright/soft light when open)

3. It keeps everything private. 

BELLE's advice to grandparents or other potential gift buyers out there looking for a gift for a 9 year old girl?  The Disney Cinderella Password Journal is awesome.  Girls will love it!

Disney Cinderella Password Journal $20

 This is the description from Walmart.  Right now there are no good links to purchase it.  Walmart has it available 'in store' but not online. 

Disney Cinderella Password Journal

The Disney Cinderella Password Journal has privacy inside and out. Your child can record her own special password. The journal only opens to the sound of her voice! Spring-loaded doors open automatically. Girls can switch from show light to glow light and reveal their innermost thoughts and awesome adventures.

Disney Cinderella Password Journal:

• Record your own password
• Only opens to the sound of the owner's voice
• Spring-loaded doors open automatically
• Switch from show light to glow light
• Auxiliary jack for connecting MP3 or CD players
• Requires 3 AA batteries (not included)

 

 

 

 

BELLE takes her Cinderella Password Journal everywhere.

A New Hairstyle - The Perfect Pick-Me-Up

What makes a woman want a new hairdo?  Every woman wants to feel like she looks her best.  Sometime a look or hairstyle becomes...well...tired.  When you get up in the morning, put on your makeup, get ready to fix your hair, and say to yourself, "Well, I'm just not sure what I can do with THIS hair," that is a sign that you may need a new hairdo.   For me, there is nothing in the world that makes me feel prettier and more refreshed than a new hairstyle and some fresh color.

Hair After New Style and Color

I'm not certain whether it is courage or foolishness that prompts me to share with you the unretouched before photos as well as the after photos, but here goes.

Throughout the last 20 years, my hair has become thinner and thinner.  I was definitely in need of a change.  I searched the web for hairstyles that were attractive on people with thin hair.  The beauty advice on the web showed examples of celebrity hairstyles that might also look pretty on women with thinning hair like me.  

Several variations of the pixie cut were shown, so I picked a handful, printed them out on paper, and headed off to my hair appointment.

These were the options, in no particular order, that I considered:

Hairstyle Option One

Victoria Beckham Photo from Hairstyleaa.com

Hairstyle Option Two

Natalie Maines Photo from Sengook.com

Hairstyle Option Three

Dannii Minogue Photo from Celebrity Hairstyles

Hair color Option One

Jenna Elfman Photo from About.com Celebrity Style

 Hair color option Two

Jane Fonda Photo from Lemur Publishing

Just before my hair appointment, HUBBY came home from his regular Saturday morning fishing expedition.  FYI, HUBBY would tell me I looked beautiful if my hair looked like Phyllis Diller's and I was wearing a gunny sack.  At any rate, I asked him which one he liked.  He almost NEVER wants to help me choose a style.  He says he likes it any way I do.  Such a sweetheart!!!  But today, he actually picked one.  Guess what?  It was the same one I picked, Option Three:  Dannii Minogue!  The color option I liked best was Option Two:  Jane Fonda.  I love all the color variation.  However, I told Tiffany, my stylist, that I didn't want THAT much blonde.

This is what my hair looked like just before the new hairstyle:

Hair Before New Hairstyle

Hair Before New Style, Side View

This is me at Hair Zone after Tiffany put the color and foil on my hair.  HUBBY said it would be a great Halloween costume, bahaha!

And this is how it looks after the new style and color.  Tada!  I love it.  

Hair After New Style and Color

Hair After New Style and Color

 

DIY Music and Quote Inspiration Wall Makeover

I've always said that my house was too "brown".  Literally.  Two thirds of the walls are covered with wood paneling.  You know, the kind that was popular back in the 1960's and 1970's?  Yep, that's the stuff.
 

In case you are not familiar with the trend in home interiors that was popular during part of the last century, I'd like to present Exhibit A:

Exhibit A - Wall covered with brown tone wood paneling.

 It may give a rustic appeal to the interior of a fishing cabin, but it grows tiresome once you've lived with so much of it in your home after a decade or so.

Truthfully, this wall is looks better than the wall that is in the photos.  That wall was the 'kid' bedroom for years.  PRINCE, PRINCESS, PEPSI, and PUMPKIN literally put stickers all over that wall...and then scribbled on it a bit.  But...it is made from the same material as this wall in another room.  Since I didn't do this project myself, there is no 'before' photo of that wall.

PUMPKIN is the youngest, and she got that room the siblings moved out.  She deserves all the credit for the quotes and music covering the wall.  When PRINCE moved back home, he needed a place to hang his beautiful guitars.  

I really love this.  The guitars are organized neatly on their hooks and beautifully displayed.  The wall in the background gives the whole room a feeling of creativity and inspiration.

If you want to re-create this, find your own quotes and write them on pretty scrapbook paper.  Then just find printable music on the computer, buy some thrifted music books, or use your old sheet music from high school.

Hang those beautiful guitars or other appropriate instruments on your wall so that everyone can enjoy them.  Let's face it, if you can get to them easily, you're much more likely to use them, right?

I really enjoyed taking these photographs.  As I said before, PRINCE and PUMPKIN deserve all the credit for the beauty that was created on the wall.

If you feel inspired to do this, please let me know.  I'd love to hear about it or see your photos! 

 This post is shared at:

Sincerely, Paula:  NO RULES Weekend Blog Party #45

Chic on a Shoestring Flaunt It Friday 122 Link Party 

Gunny Sack Link Party #59