Random Rhinestones: The Princess and the Gator

I needed to come up with a name for short, random blog posts especially ones that might not have one overall theme.  I decided on "Random Rhinestones", but feel free to leave a comment below with your ideas too! 

On the way back from the runDisney Princess Half Marathon weekend (You can read those posts here, here, and here!), we missed our exit and had to take a different way home.  On this new road, we found a little gem of a place called The Showcase of Citrus!  It basically sums up everything you think about Florida into one place!  There is a lot to do and the staff is very helpful.

First, I got to feed chickens.  It was quite fun and it made me feel like Cinderella - farm style, of course. 

Just call be the bird whisperer...

After, we wandered into the groves to pick some oranges.  It was a fun time especially when I used the "orange picker" (I don't know its technical term...) to reach the high ones from the tops of the trees.  I will admit that picking oranges is slightly harder than I imagined.  They are stuck on there pretty good!

The "orange picker"
(you must say it in the squeaky toy voice from Toy Story like The CLLLLAAWW)

At the end of our journey, I got to hang out with my new friend!  Meet Walter!:



He is a baby gator.  Gators grow one foot every year until they are about 6-8 years old.  Alligators never stop growing actually - they just grow less per year once they have reached a certain age. 

Last but not least, you can go on a Eco-Tour/Swamp ride in this baby (below).  We chose to shop and get back on the road instead, but it could be a lot of fun!  The store sells organic honey, jams, strawberries, veggies, etc.  We got some strawberries, oranges, and a homemade organic orange slushy. 

I'm 5 feet 4 inches and the tire is as big as me!

If any of this sounds oh so wonderful to you, you can send someone a package of sunshine by clicking here.  Or, click here for some yummy citrus recipes!  These are perfect for spring/summer, no?  Comment below and let me know if you ever journey off to road side stands.  Have you found any good treasures this way?

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Girl Crush: Blake Lively

Blake with Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel

Blake Lively has been taking Hollywood by storm recently!  She currently plays New York socialite, Serena van der Woodsen on the hit show Gossip Girl, she is the face of Chanel and she is dating one of Hollywood's hottest actors, her Green Lantern co-star, Ryan Reynolds.  But, I must say I loved Miss Lively way back when!

Blake on the set of Gossip Girl

Blake was born in 1987 into a family of actors.  She actually grew up in acting classes because her parents took her to all of their classes instead of hiring a babysitter.  While not into show biz at first, Blake's brother encouraged her to go on some auditions during the summer before her senior year.  One of these auditions got her her breakout role in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.  (Sidenote:  If you haven't read the books, they are amazing!  The final book came out last year - here is my brief review on the book/series.)  Although her character, Bridget, wasn't my favorite of the four girls, I came out of the theater loving Blake!  Two years later she got the role of Serena on the CW show, Gossip Girl.  This role really catapulted her into the spotlight. 



Blake in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

One of my favorite roles for Blake is her role as Krista in Ben Affleck's The Town.  While the movie was fine, I thought Blake really shined.  Her character was the complete opposite of the fashionista she plays on Gossip Girl.  Fun story - I don't know where I read/saw this, but I heard that when Blake came in to read for the part of Krista, Ben asked her what part of Boston she was from after she had finished auditioning (Krista has a thick Boston accent).  He had no idea she was born and raised in Southern California because she did so well.  I love that story...

Blake as Krista in The Town

Blake is rocking this Target dress like it is Chanel, no?

Another thing I love about Blake is her fashion sense.  Whether she is rocking Target or Chanel, the girl is always put together and gorgeous!  She also has good taste in arm candy, am I right ladies?:

Blake with Penn Badgley

Blake with Leonardo DiCaprio

Blake with Ryan Reynolds

Overall, I don't know how you can't love Blake.  Like the previous girls I have picked for these Girl Crush posts, she is confident, beautiful and classy.  She stays out of the party scene and the tabloids for the most part.  She seems to be a good role model for young girls and a fashion role model for young women.  Her next project is Savages - an Oliver Stone movie starring John Travolta and Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction reunion, anyone?!)  I can't wait to see what she does next!

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This Isn't Sweat! It's Liquid Awesome!

Dark and early Sunday morning was the 4th annual runDisney Princess Half Marathon at Walt Disney World! My mom, our family friends and I have been doing this runDisney race since 2010.  I think the 3am wake up call is getting easier now...maybe!?  The excitement for this race has been building for weeks especially after we completed the Tinkerbell Half Marathon in Disneyland earlier this year.  I was ready to win my Coast to Coast medal!

This year, I ran as Princess Jasmine and Donna ran as Pocahontas.  (Our moms ran/walked together too.)  In past years, I stopped for EVERY photo op and character.  This year I wanted to switch it up a bit and try to get a good time.  I thought we had an awesome race!  We ran the whole way except when we walked through water stations.  There were two things that were really awesome to have.  First, I grabbed one of these free helpful time chart wrist bands at the Expo.  They were created by Clif.  Although we didn't exactly make each mile time (I grabbed a wrist band for a 2:30 finishing time, but there were a lot of options.), it was still helpful to have so we could guestimate what our finishing time would be.  The second thing that helped us get through the 13.1 miles was a pack of Clif Shot Bloks in Citrus that Donna brought.  They were actually quite delicious!  

Check out my photos below!



Donna and I have been friends for 11 years almost.  We met freshman year of high school in homeroom.  Here we are in our corral pre-race!

We made it to Cinderella's Castle!



Princess Minnie

After three years, I finally got a photo with Fairy Godmother!  Dreams come true!

With my BLING!

During our last couple of miles, it started to rain and get windy.  Thankfully, a nice man gave me a trash bag!  They are warmer than one might think.

I am so excited to have my Coast to Coast medal!  I also beat my 2011 Princess Half time by 40 minutes and my 2012 Tinkerbell Half time by 10 minutes! Crazy?! I am a little sad that its all over though.  I might need to sign up for some new races ASAP!  I don't know if it was the race, my first blogger meet-up, visiting Epcot after 8 years or being able to participate in the runDisney Social Media Meet-Up, but this was one of my most fun trips to date!

Now I am recovering in my CW-X compression pants because I have to get back in running shape by Saturday for the Run For Your Lives Zombie 5K!  I am running twice - once as a runner and again as a volunteer zombie-chaser (in full zombie make up and clothes no less!)  Princess to zombie in less than a week?  I am quite the chameleon!  I am sad to be leaving Disney tomorrow, but we have already started planning our 2013 trip for the 5th annual Princess Half Marathon Weekend February 22-24!  See you there?

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PS.  Running with Sass diaries her weekly workouts on her blog which helps her see what she has been doing each week (plus her mileage each week, month, and year!)!  Carrie Underwood also swears by the food and exercise diary!  I think that's a great idea, so I am going to start now:

Monday: 1 mile on 10 incline + weights

Tuesday: different exercise every hour

(definitely recommended if you sit at a desk all day like me!)

Wednesday: different exercise every hour

Thursday: rest

Friday: 2 miles with Jeff Galloway around Epcot...no big deal ;o)

Saturday: does walking around the parks count?!

Sunday: a measly 13.1 miles through Walt Disney World ;o)

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Best Dressed: Academy Awards

It's that time again...my list for the Best Dressed at the Academy Awards.  I actually have a long list tonight because the ladies brought it tonight!  Be sure to comment below and let me know who you thought was the Best Dressed of the night especially if they aren't listed below!:

Cameron Diaz

Emma Stone
A lot of people hate the bow, but I think it keeps her dress on the "young" side!

Giuliana Rancic
If Giuliana was describing this dress on Fashion Police, she would definitely say it was TOTES AMAZEBALLS!

Gwyneth Paltrow
I think this dress is simple and gorgeous although - maybe it's because I am at Walk Disney World right now, but Cruela would totally rock this if it had spots, no?

Louise Roe
How pretty is this dress?!  I love it! 

Milla Jovocich
You know I love me some sparkles!

Octavia Spencer
Octavia has been rocking the red carpet this awards season, yes?

Stacy Keibler
This is another lovely lady that has been rocking the red carpet.  This dress is really daring for the Oscars since one might confuse her with the awards themselves, but she has George - she can do no wrong.  The dress kind of gives "Trophy Wife" to a literal meaning...

Tina Fey
I think this dress is old Hollywood and therefore it had to make my list. 

And my favorite celeb look of the evening goes to... 

...the one and only, Miss Piggy
Kermit and Miss Piggy are the only couple in Hollywood that could steal the show from Angelina and Brad.  Plus, her dress, accessories, and hair are gorg!

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Disney Day 2: Epcot and Blogger Meet-Up

We spent Saturday at Epcot.  I haven't been to Epcot since Junior year of high school...so about 8 years!  It has always been one of my favorites because I love being able to visit the different countries in the World Showcase.  I was really surprised at how "empty" it was for a Disney park.  Maybe all the kiddies were at Magic Kingdom?  While there aren't as many rides at Epcot, there are tons of characters and it's educational (sorry, that was the teacher in me talking...and it's fun!)! The longest line we waited in was for the Viking ride at Norway actually.  Other than that, we waited in about a ten minute line to meet and greet with the characters - except for Mickey -  right when you enter Epcot, there is a character meet and greet station to meet Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, AND Pluto!  We only had to wait in line for 30 minutes to meet all of them.  I was blown away!  I guess the area is pretty hidden unless you spot it or read your map!  I definitely recommend it though.

We met Mickey and friends!

I love visiting the countries.  We also played the Kim Possible Spy Mission that you can do around the World Showcase.  We were really impressed with it.  There are so many hidden treasures in each country we never would have seen otherwise!  It's great for kids and adults.

My first time meeting Marie from Aristocats!  She's so fluffy!

Princess Aurora gave me posing tips for my race as Princess Jasmine!

I had to meet Princess Jasmine and Aladdin!

This was one of the coolest things I've ever seen.  In a Japan shop, you can "pick your pearl".  If you pay $15, you can pick an oyster out of a tank.



They open it for you and each oyster contains a pearl.  The lady we watched got a silver pearl in her oyster.  There is only a 5% chance of that happening!  Next, they clean and size it.  You can take it home with you as is or place it in some lovely jewelry settings.

I had to stop and take a photo of this group's shirts because I have heard of a lot of people doing this - getting a drink or whatnot at each country in Epcot.  This group was there for a friend's birthday.  After seeing so many wedding parties, my mom thought it would be a cool idea to join the bachelor and bachelorette parties and do something like this so everyone can get to know each other before the big day!  Great idea!



We had dinner at the French Bistro as recommended to us.  It was so delicious.  I had lobster bisque, macaroni & cheese, salmon and mashed potatoes (my mom and I split our meals) and this for dessert.  They surprised me with Bonne Anniversaire - Happy Birthday in French!

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My First Blogger Meet-Up

At 3pm, we left Epcot and journeyed over to the Grand Floridian Hotel for my first ever blogger meet-up hosted by Running With Sass.  The hotel is absolutely gorgeous and it has a view of Cinderella's Castle.  No wonder people get married there and at the Wedding Pavillion next door!  (We saw one when we arrived and it was beautiful!)  My mom and I were discussing maybe staying there for the 5th Princess Half next year!

The lobby at the Grand Floridian

This is Janet Oberholtzer.  She spoke with the group about her amazing and inspirational story about overcoming an extremely serious car accident injury (the lower part of her body was shattered and doctors thought she would lose her leg/not be able to walk) to running long distances again!  I actually won an autographed copy of her book and cannot wait to begin reading it!

This is Janet's book - buy it here.  I will do a review on it once I finish reading it!

The group of bloggers - their pages are listed below!

with Heather aka Running With Sass

Here are the blogger links from the meet up: Just Me and My Running Shoes,  Running Toward the Prize, Who Me, Run?, Running at Disney, Shiawase Life, SportyMomme, Pumpkin to Princess, host Heather's Running with Sass, and Janet Oberholtzer's blog.

Check back Monday for my recap of the 2012 Disney Princess Half Marathon!  Tonight I will be watching the Oscars, so check back for my fashion favs soon too!

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Hanging at the House of Mouse

The poster I made for our hotel door.  All the princesses are represented in some way!  Can you name the movies from the drawings?

Today's post is Part One of my Princess Half Marathon Weekend Recap.  For the past three years, my mom and I have been coming down to Walt Disney World in February with family friends to run the Princess Half Marathon.  If you couldn't tell from this post, I promise you that no one does races like runDisney! 

We weren't planning on getting into town until tonight, but our plans changed last week when my mom and I were chosen to be part of a special group that got to participate in the runDisney Social Media Meet Up.  runDisney hosts a meet up during every race weekend - they try to make them all slightly different than the previous ones.  How does one get chosen to participate in these meet ups you ask?  Well, about a week before each race, Disney randomly posts the meet up details and instructions on how to participate.  When that post pops up, you must be quick to email them your name.  Later that day they will post a list of the winners and send out emails with more details. 

I was extremely excited because even though I have done three runDisney races before, I never heard about the runDisney meet ups until January when I completed the Tinkerbell Half Marathon.  I had to do it!  Thanks to Facebook and Twitter, I knew what day and about what time the special blog post would be published!  Now onto the good stuff...

We got to our hotel at 3am after driving 8 hours after work!  We only got about two hours of sleep because we had to be at Epcot by 6:15am!  It was all worth it, let me tell ya!  When we got to the entrance of Epcot, Jeff Galloway, Rachel Booth, Suzy Favor Hamilton, Lori Lovell, and Betty Wong were there to greet us!  We immediately split into two groups: 1) ran the two miles around Epcot or 2) ran/walked the two miles around Epcot according to/with Jeff Galloway.

Betty Wong, Suzy Favor Hamilton, Bob Hitchcock, Jeff Galloway, Rachel Booth

After the run, we all met at Biergarten Restaurant in the Germany part of Epcot.  Once inside, we were greeted with princess tiaras and a delicious breakfast (coffee, juice, danishes, fruit, bagels, muffins and even cute little butters with Mickey's face on them!)  As we ate, we were privileged to hear great advice and inspirational speeches from the runDisney guests.



Fellow Atlantian and Olympian Jeff Galloway
He was part of the 1972 Olympic team.  He has written numerous books on running.  He travels the country as a motivational speaker currently. 

Rachel Booth

"The one thing I’ve always lived by is that if I don’t follow my dreams, how can I teach my children to do the same?" - Rachel

Rachel recently won the Disneyland Half Marathon (she has won twice).  She also just finished the US Olympic Marathon Trials in Texas six weeks ago.  If she wins the Princess Half Marathon this weekend, she will be the first to win bi-coastal races.  Talk about a Coast to Coast Challenge, right?!

 

Suzy Favor Hamilton
Suzy is a three time US Olympian.  She now travels the country doing motivational speeches on everything from training to her battle with depression.  I must tell you that she did admit that the Princess Half is better than the Olympics! :o)

Betty Wong
She is the Editor-in-Chief of Fitness magazine.  She has participated in a lot of races especially in NYC where she lives.  She advised us to carb load today (two days before the race) - which I did...keep reading!

To add to the list of awesome surprises from runDisney, we also got a FREE pass to a Disney park of our choice!  And we got to visit with these lovely ladies:

Princess Minnie

Snow White

Rapunzel

After the meet up, we went to the Princess Half Expo.  It actually had a different layout this year which I liked.  Packet pick-up and photo ops were separate from the vendors section of the Expo.  I was disappointed to learn that there were princesses taking photos at the Expo in the afternoon.  They weren't there in the morning when I went.  Anyway, we got our shop on.  I always have to stop at BeeCharms and get some more bling for my shoes.  I picked up some more goodies along the way too like a magnet that says, "My sport is your sports punishment."  I think that's so funny...yet true! ;o)

My royal carriage awaits!

The Expo was hopping!

Yay! I am almost done with the Coast to Coast Challenge 2012!

I had to get some dust from a fairy godmother!

Annual photo with the glass sneaker!

It is always fun to go down to Disney's Wide World of Sports at this time since our hometown team, the Atlanta Braves, have Spring Training right next to the Princess Half Expo!  We always stop by:

Braves Spring Training

Braves Spring Training

For dinner we met our family friends at Christini's Ristorante Italiano in Orlando (about 20 minutes away from our Disney hotel).  This seemed to be the place to eat as there were cars lined up outside along the curb.  I definitely recommend it.  The food was delicious and they give all the ladies roses for no special reason!  Plus, they were nice enough to surprise me with a birthday cannoli and a song from the accordion player.  I chose to be serenaded with Volare.  I love how the birthday month continues...

The birthday celebration continues!

Thanks for joining me on Day 1 at the House of Mouse!  Now on to day two at Epcot tomorrow!  Check back soon for details!