A prolonged update! Sorry guys!

Hello everyone! So I know I am doing a HORRIBLE job at keeping up this blog and I am so sorry! I'm always either working, sleeping, or in the parks :) There's really no time for anything else! I have the most AMAZING job in the world with some of the most amazing people in the world! My fellow FGITs and I are really starting to form a family, and it is fabulous :) I just got done with a 12 hour day today...normally I have about 2 (sometimes 3) a week, but by now, I'm used to them, so it's not that bad. I don't even know where to start with my princess stories! I started an autograph book for my princesses. After their transformation, I ask for their autograph "because that's what princesses do" and if they want to, they can draw a picture or write a note or whatever. I've only had it for a week and its almost full which is totally crazy, but I'm gonna continue it because it's a great way to document my journey. And with each princess I put what state they are from and how old they were and if they said any really cute things. For example, one of my princesses kept telling her parents "No peeking" when she was getting transformed and she told her dad to just look at her mom. It was so cute! I also had a princess draw a picture of a pirate (a stick drawing, of course) so that I will know what they look like if they ever come into the castle! AH so adorable!

Life here in Disney World is pretty normal though. It's definitely more expensive, that's for sure! But I'm making it just fine and I still love it! My roommates and I are all getting along and we are always cutting up and having adventures! They pick at me because I say "fixin to" all the time and we all joke around...it's just great :) I'm definitely gonna have some life-long friends after this is over..roommates AND coworkers!

So, I've had 2 entertainment auditions since I've been here, but unfortunately, didn't make it past the first round on either of them. I guess that means that God just wants me to stay at the Boutique, which is completely alright with me! :D I really do have a great role. I mean I get all the perks of being in Entertainment (because I am a 209 year old Fairy Godmother In-Training and I have to convince the princesses that I am!) while also getting that personal connection with each family because I get to spend 45 minutes with them, rather than only 30 seconds and sign the autograph. So I get the best of both worlds at my job!

Apparently, we have had several celebrity guests since I've been here! I've only gotten to see 1...Honey Boo Boo (and I don't even know if I totally count her as a celebrity). But Justin Bieber, Johnny Depp, Channing Tatum, Pink, and Neil Patrick Harris have all been here in the past month..Pretty cool, huh?! Maybe One Direction will visit soon and I'll actually get to see them IN PERSON! :) Ok, fangirl moment over ;)

Well that's pretty much it for now! Have a magical day! :)

Short, Sweet, and To the Point

Hey friends! I don't have time for a long update (I need to do one because its been a long time since I've updated) but just letting you know that I LOVE my job! I have so much fun every day and its just the best ever! On my off day (Tuesday) I'll post a really long update because I have a bunch to tell, but for now, I'm alive, well, and absolutely LOVING Disney World! :) I'm going to bed now because I have to work tomorrow but it's my "Friday" so it'll be a good day! Good night lovelies! :)

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo!!

I survived my 12 hour shift AND I have earned my ears!! I am absolutely LOVING working at the Boutique :) My job is SO incredible!!

So I finished my training on Saturday...I had to work Podium. That means that I am checking people in, helping the princesses pick out costumes, and then setting up their dressing room. Honestly, I had a HORRIBLE day....it was very overwhelming... :/ That's definitely not my favorite part at all..Yes I know I just said how much I love the Boutique well what I mean is actually transforming the girls, not checking them in. I just feel like it's not as magical and I don't get to act as much (which of course is why I love my job so much) There's just a lot going on at the front and we don't get one-on-one time with the princesses. Thankfully, there are several girls who LOVE podium so I will gladly give them that position and I'll take a chair (which means I do the girls hair). But in the end, I earned my ears and got ready to start working FOR REAL....at a 12 hour shift.

I got to work at 7:15am and was SOOOOO GLAD that I got assigned to a chair! I got to do about 13 or 14 princesses yesterday! :) So here's how a transformation goes, starting from the moment they walk in the door of the BBB. They are checked in at the podium and verified with their package. There are several packages they can choose from: Coach, which is hair and makeup and that is $54.95; Crown, which is hair, makeup, and nails and that is $58.95; Castle, which is hair, makeup, nails, a princess dress, wand, crown, AND a photo package which is $189.95 (this one is basically everything). The princess can add shoes or gloves and a purse. And with the first 2 packages, you can add anything else they want. The final package is Courtyard which is different from the other 3. There is only 1 hairstyle they can choose from which is exclusively for the Courtyard. Instead of a dress, they get a BBB t-shirt and a tutu. Aside from that, there are 3 (plus the courtyard) hairstyles the princesses can choose from. The Fairytale Princess-a cool bun with a crown and a mickey clip. The Disney Diva- a ponytail with a long curly hairpiece shaped into a bun. The Pop Princess- a ponytail with 4 twists at the front with mickey clips and a spikey hairpice. The Fairytale and Diva are the most popular. After the princesses choose a hairstyle, they can sit back in their chair and relax. Usually if we have a lot of FGITs (our acronym...pronounced like "fidget") working, we have a buddy that will do the princesses makeup and nails while the other does the hair. The princess gets to choose 2 colors for eyeshadow and 1 lip color. They also get an awesome face jewel that Snow White's dwarfs made for us in their mine! After the everything is done, the royal photographer (a Photopass person) comes and takes pictures of the princess getting pixie dusted. We have a magic wand and everything!!! :D All FGITs say something different, but I say "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo! May all your princess wishes and dreams come true!!" Then after we take the cape (like a hair salon cape to keep stuff from getting on the princess' clothes), we position the princess with her hands in her lap and her ankles crossed and then turn her around to the mirror. Up until this point, the princess has not seen herself at all. So it's a total transformation!! :)

So anyways, I have TONS of stories about all my princesses. They are SOO adorable! Some are pretty talkative, and there are others that got their voice stolen from Ursula. ;) haha...just for example, here are some of my favorite stories from the past several days:

---I am 208 years old as a FGIT. It takes 1000 years of training to become an actual Fairy Godmother (like Cinderella's). I told one princess to guess how old she thought I was and she said 32 (she was 5 years old). When I told her I was 208, she said, "So you're almost as old as my mom!!"
---In the castle, we are very secluded and we don't get out much. After I asked one little girl if she rode here on her flying carpet, she told me that she came in a car. I said "Oh what's that?" She started explaining that it was a vehicle with wheels, so I said, "So like a carriage with horses!" She shook her head and said "No it doesn't have horses!" So I responded, "It has invisible horses! WOW!!" After giggling for a little bit, she said "NO it has a motor and you press the petal to make it go faster." The other FGIT that was buddying with me said, "So you step on it's toes to make it run away!" SOOO apparently, a "car" is a carriage with invisible horses that you step on it's toes to make it go :)
---I also had a little girl explain to me that a plane is a big bird that you ride on to get from one place to another.
---Today I had a Sleeping Beauty...The little 3 year old princess fell asleep in the chair! So cute :)


I just love my job. I'm sure I'll have many more stories that I can tell you all. I hope you have a very magical day and I will update soon! :) By the way, here's what my costume looks like!

Check-in, Moving, Traditions and first day of Training!!

Hello everyone! So I am all settled in at my apartment in Chatham Square! Here's how my week has been!!

Momma and I left our house at 10am on Saturday morning and drove to Tallahassee, FL (about 6 hours) and stayed the night at a hotel...nothing really exciting happened, just usual travelling. On Sunday morning, we woke up and got on the road at around 10am again and drove the rest of the way to ORLANDO! After getting lost and calling my friend Chris to save us, we FINALLY got checked into the Holiday Inn Sunspree (which, by the way, is the hotel right across the street from Vista Way and REALLY nice!) We had dinner reservations with the roomies at Rainforest Cafe in DTD at 8:30pm so we had a little time to do some exploring! Momma and I found all 3 complexes and Walmart, and then we went back to the hotel to get ready for supper! I think we got to DTD at around 5:30/6 and started walking around window shopping (who wants to buy anything when three days later you get a discount, right?! lol) At around 7 I got a call from Krista (one of the roommate) saying she wouldn't be able to make it because the taxi cost like $50 so I went on a rescue mission! .......Unfortunately, I got lost and didn't make it to her in time :( I was really sad that I couldn't. I'm sorry again Krista! Anyways, so I made it back to DTD and met Jack (Jaclyn) and Rae (Raegan) face to face for the first time!! We were all really excited. Jack had both of her parents with her, Rae had her mom, and I had my mom, so we had a party of 7. We spent the next 2 1/2 hours talking and eating. It was fantastic! :)

Now comes CHECK-IN DAY!!! I woke up at 3:45am (yes early I know) and we met up in the lobby of Holiday Inn and walked over to Vista Way at 5am. Future CPs, GET THERE EARLY! It's definitely worth it! By the time we got to Vista, there were already about 100 people in line which is CRAZY! The line finally started moving at 7am....only to be put in another line outside the actual building that check-in was in. I think we waited in that line about 45 more minutes or so, which wasn't bad because we were all talking (plus we were EXHAUSTED from having to wake up so early! haha) Anyway we stood in line and went to many different stations and I got my work location...MAGIC KINGDOM!!! :) yes, I will be INSIDE Cinderella's Castle as a Fairy Godmother In-Training. Then the roomies and I went to get our apartment....well..unfortunately, there were NO 2 bedrooms left in any of the complexes! So we had to get a 4 bedroom which is NOT what we wanted because that would be 4 people that we didn't know and since we are in wellness (no alcohol) we were really worried (thankfully they are really cool! I'll tell you about them a little later on). So then we went to Casting and stood in more lines and did our background checks and fingerprinting, etc. Basically the whole morning was waiting in lines the WHOLE TIME. So after we finished Casting (around 3pm) we went to eat with the families (Jac and her parents, Rae and her mom, Krista, and me and Momma) at Applebees. And then finished moving in!

So in our 4 bedroom, we are on the 2nd floor and our apartment is HUGE! Our roomies are Alexis (which is really weird cause that's my name), Janelle, Kelli, and Alex. They are really cool. We had a roommate meeting on Tuesday night and settled down some ground rules and how we are gonna clean, what to do about guests, etc. It went really well! (as of right now we are having a little trouble with cleaning dishes but that will work out soon I hope) I love how we are already settling in!

TRADITIONS! I can't really tell you much about this or my first day of training because it's top secret, but just know that you will have a BLAST! You learn so much about Disney history, and stuff about the parks, and it's just AWESOME! And you might have a special visit from the Boss! (aka Mickey Mouse) Beware though, we did a TON of walking...my feet are so sore because the past 4 days I've been on my feet for basically 12 hours straight each day.

Today was my first day of training in costume!! Which, by the way, is completely adorable! :) I'll post a picture sometime in the next few days. I spent 8 hours today standing up doing hair on mannequin heads. Aside from the fact that my feet were killing me, I absolutely LOVED it! We have our own Boutique language (for example, going on break is called going to tea with the Fairy Godmother). I'm going to LOVE working there! I have training from 7:30am-4pm until Wednesday. Then I have Thursday and Friday off and then my last day of training (aka I "earn my ears") is Saturday! I also just got my schedule for next week and I work a 12 1/2 hour shift on Sunday! It's gonna be intense...my first time on the floor without a trainer! But overall, it's still gonna be amazing. My trainer Wanda is actually a Baptist too and she said that I might be able to work afternoons on Sundays so I am able to go to church! I'm definitely gonna ask my managers (we have 9 of them because we are in Fantasyland). That really made me happy!

I've gotta wake up at 5am in the morning so I'm gonna go take a shower and get to bed! Good night princes and princesses! :)

I'm Almost There!

15 hours until we leave!! :) The car is all packed and I'm ready to go! I can't wait to see everyone and have the most magical time ever and see what God's gonna do! :) Have a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious day! The next time you hear from me will be from DISNEY WORLD!! :D :D :D

IT'S ALMOST HERE!!!!

Hello friends!

3 more days until I leave for DISNEY WORLD!!!!! :) :) I'm so so excited!! I had a great time this week at MC with all of my friends and at the bookstore. Rush was CRAZY busy with everyone buying textbooks, but I'm so glad that I was able to work for a little bit before Disney :) We had a bittersweet last night in the dorm with Sarah (my college roomie and one of my best friends) and Jordan (another one of my best friends). It was fantastic though. Sarah and I went through all of our inside jokes and watched our favorite youtube videos that we quote all the time and it was absolutely wonderful. I'm definitely gonna miss Sarah as a roomie. BUT on the plus side (well 2 plus sides), I'm only gonna be gone for 7 months and then we can be roomies again. And the second plus is that I have awesome Disney roomies!! I'm so so so excited!

I can't believe that I'm gonna meet everyone in 4 days! AHHHH!! My roomies and I have already planned to spend next Wednesday (like a week from tomorrow) in Universal. I'm definitely gonna be posting a long post about how check-in goes next week. I may be able to divide my check-in post and my traditions/training post separately, but it just depends on how much free time I have and how quickly I can get the internet going! But regardless, I will update everyone on both processes as much as I'm allowed to say!

Nothing much else has happened lately....I'm almost done packing and tomorrow I have the last of my appointments (i.e. hair cut and allergy doctor) and then Thursday the plan is to load up my car!! I can't even believe that this is real!!!!!! I can't wait to see what God's gonna do through me in WDW...It's not really a matter of "if" anymore, just "when" cause I KNOW something amazing is going to happen :)

To everyone traveling down over the next few days (or weeks depending on when your check-in day is) I hope you all have SAFE TRAVELS and I'll "See ya real soon!"

PACKING LIST!!

Some of this stuff is optional, but this is a pretty concise list that I've compiled from SEVERAL other blogs :) Enjoy and hope this helps you!

Bedroom
- Comforter
- Sheet Set x 2(Twin, NOT twin XL! Make sure pillowcases are included!)
- Throw blankets/pillows (optional)
- Bed Pillows
- Egg Crate Mattress Pad (I suggest memory foam)
- Mattress Cover/Pad (one that zips will keep your mattress dry and bug free)
- Bed Risers??
- Over-the-door hangers for towels, clothes, whatever
- Under Bed Storage (ones with drawers work best!)
- Decorations and Personal Items (just make sure everything complies with housing rules, especially for inspections!)
- Extension Cord (1-2)
- Lamp (I suggest a small one that fits on your nightstand)
- Alarm clock
- Hangers
- Closet organizer (to maximize space; there are ones for clothes and ones for shoes)
- Lock (for lockers) need 2- work and apartment
- TV & DVD player
- Fan is helpful to drown out noise from other roommates ... and to cool of during the HOT summer months!!
- White board and markers (for roommate messages, etc)
- Garbage can/bags
- Shoe Rack
- Plastic Storage box
- Ferdinand! ☺


Bathroom
- Shower Curtain
- Shower Curtain Liner
- Shower Curtain Rings
- Shower Organizer (one that hangs over the shower head to store toiletries) optional
- Air Freshener
- Over-the-Door Hooks (to hang towels, clothing, bathrobes, etc.)
- Bath Towels (2-4)
- Hand Towels and Washcloths (2-4)
- Night light
- Soap Dispenser (with soap)/Tumbler
- 3 bin storage box thing where we stored toilet paper and other items
- Toilet seat cover/ Floor mat
- Towel Rack
- Toothbrush holder
- Full length Mirror
- Tub nonslip clingy things
- Toilet paper

Toiletries
- Toothbrush and Toothpaste
- Hair Care Products (including brush, hair ties/headbands, bobby pins hair dryer, straightener, curling iron)
- Hair Styling Products
- Sunscreen
- Shower Gel/Body Wash
- Face Wash/Cream
- Shampoo & Conditioner
- Deodorant
- Q-tips & Cotton Pads/Makeup Sponges/Make-Up remover
- Make-Up products
- Chapstick
- Razors & Shaving Cream
- Kleenex
- Nail Clippers
- Aloe Vera Gel
- Perfume
- Bug Spray
- Extra Hand Soap
- Loofah
- Medicine box
- Neutrogena SPF 35 oil free moisturizer for under makeup EVERY DAY!

Kitchen/Living Room
- Dish Towels (2-4)
- Pot Holders
- Tupperware Containers
- Ziploc Bags (snack size, sandwich size, quart size and gallon size)
- Paper Plates
- Plastic Silverware
- Plastic Cups
- Napkins
- Paper Towels
- Paper Towel Holder
- Travel Coffee Mug
- Refillable Water Bottle
- Reusable Lunch Bag
- Coffee Maker
- Cookie Cutters
- Toaster??
- Dish Soap
- Dish Sponges
- Brita Water Pitcher
- Filters for Pitcher
- Filters for Coffee Maker (or k-cups for Keurig)
- Magnets for Fridge (magnet calendar are great for tracking everyone’s schedule!)
- my roommates and I bought a couple board games
- bean bag chairs were found cheap at target and added extra seating options / pillow options for late night movie nights
- a couple extra pots/pans
- muffin tins
- George Foreman
- pizza pans
- Lawn chairs for patio/deck (optional)
- Measuring Cups/Spoons
- Can Opener
- reusuable grocery bags (great for runs to walmart on the bus),


Cleaning
- Febreeze
- Clorox Wipes
- Kitchen Trash Bags
- Windex
- Handheld Vacuum
- Swiffer
- Swiffer Refills
- Tile Cleaner
- Toilet Bowl Cleaner (scrubbing bubbles toilet wand is suggested?)
- Sponges
- Magic Erasers
- Laundry soap
- Broom
- Dish Washing Detergent

Electronics
- Laptop/Computer
- Power strip
- Printer w/paper & ink (optional)
- Digital Camera and Power Cord/Batteries/Charger and Extra Memory Cards
- Cell Phone & Charger
- Headphones
- Surge Protector (2-3)
- Extra Batteries
- Wireless Router (go in with roommates on this)
- DVDs
- Ethernet Cable (back up for wireless router)
- Ipod/headphones

Miscellaneous
- Backpack
- Disney Travel Books
- Notebooks & Folders
- Pens & Pencils
- Stapler & Staples
- Post-It Notes
- Mini Tool Set
- Check-In Paperwork (helps to keep in folders)
- Insurance & Car Registration (car, health, dental)
- Drivers license, birth certificate
- Flashlight
- Chargers
- Pin Trading Necklace & Pins
- Mickey Ears
- Umbrella
- Poncho
- Money
- Masking tape/duct tape/sharpies to help label food
- A bag to bring with you when you go to the parks.
- Sunglasses in the Disney Look
- Games - Entertainment on nights when the parks close early or you work so late that the parks are closed
- Books
- Jewelry Box
- Beach Bag/Supplies
- Walmart Gift cards
- Space Saving bags