A to Z Challenge - Z

This is it! The final post (well, until the Reflections Post that is). I made it another year and already have next year lined up in my head (and right now I'm thinking it's time to go back down to one category instead of two, but I might change my mind before next year). I'll save the finished piece of my cross stitch for the Reflections Post, but I'm not sure yet how I'll handle part 2 just yet. Oh well, I have a few days yet and we still have one last letter to get through.

PART 1 - JANE AUSTEN ALPHABET-MISS ELIZABETH BENNET

It's not that I hate Lizzy, I'm just not a big fan like everyone else. I'm not even sure what it is about her that I don't like (it may be her popularity more than anything).

PART 2 - MY DISNEY COLLECTION-ZED...EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK
So I'm cheating a bit with Z...I initially had Zeus's brother as the category, but that fell too much into Characters and since I didn't single out any others (even my beloved Donald), then I don't think Hades should get special treatment either.

After I took all the pictures of my stuff and got to looking around, there were other things that didn't fall into specific categories per-se. I kind of realized that although I think I only collect Donald and Stitch as well as certain Princesses and Villains, hence the specifically named rooms in my house (i.e. Duck Room, etc), I actually do collect a lot more Disney-related stuff and even rooms that I consider Disney-free actually are anything but, like the kitchen:

As well as at least one of the bathrooms:

I have stuff "growing" at work as well, but since I work in a medical facility, pictures are a no-no (at least they are now thanks to HIPAA). I am really bad about forgetting what I have already bought and end up with two (sometimes three or four) of an item, so those end up at work, especially pins...I have an entire bulletin board filled with repeat pins.

And that's it...Jane Austen cross stitch alphabet finished and you got a taste of how junkie my house is! I'm not sure what direction the Reflections post will take yet, although I think I can guarantee I won't be ranting incessantly about how we were constantly bugged to plug our blogs this year, thankfully we were spared that by the moderators (or I just ignored it better than previous years). There were some amazing participants this year and almost all the ones I followed stuck on through, so great job everybody and see you at Reflection time!

A to Z Challenge - Y

PART 1 - JANE AUSTEN ALPHABET-MR. JOHN YATES

I rather like John Yates because he seems to get his act together better by the end of Mansfield Park, but I'm not sure he is a wise choice for a husband for Julia.

PART 2 - MY DISNEY COLLECTION-YEARS OF TRIP MEMORABILIA
On average, I do only get to take one trip a year to Disney World (although there have been exceptions), but I always take each trips stuff and box it up (or at least I have since 1999). All my trip documents that I made as well as what I was given at the resort, a set of the toiletries from the resort, cards, magic bands, maps, character schedules, pens, every single receipt (even for a soda), used/empty gift cards, a set of each size of shopping bags, the discs of original pictures (and the DVDs of the edited ones), the Birnbaum's Guide from that year and even the napkin you get on the flight are kept in their respective year boxes. I wish that airplane napkins were the most menial of the bunch, but there are worse things like drink stirrers and every little knick-knack I consider a "souvenir" (and I have a very fluid definition of souvenir obviously).

I haven't gotten the past couple of years labeled yet, but I'll get around to it eventually.

A to Z Challenge - X

PART 1 - JANE AUSTEN ALPHABET-MISS JANE FAIRFAX

Does Jane Fairfax serve a purpose? I think not, but she's there and suits X pretty good!

PART 2 - MY DISNEY COLLECTION-X STITCH
Not all of my Disney-themed stitches came from Disney World (yes, Disney sells cross stitch kits), but some have. I haven't done them all, but some are finished and hanging:

Then there are others that came from elsewhere:

While others live in my never-ending, life expectancy-exceeding stash or an eternal unfinished object like the 35th Anniversary Celebration (which, incidentally, this year is Disney World's 45th Anniversary, so this one has been around a while):

A to Z Challenge - W

PART 1 - JANE AUSTEN ALPHABET-MISS EMMA WOODHOUSE

It could be because Gwyneth Paltrow played her, but I just can't stand Emma. She ranks as my least favorite Austen heroine.

PART 2 - MY DISNEY COLLECTION-WATCHES
I used to buy a new Disney watch every trip (because I usually go once a year and their batteries last about that long). FYI, most jewelers won't touch a Disney watch for some reason, so getting batteries replaced can be difficult (you used to be able to take it back to Disney World, but they stopped doing that too). Here is a sampling of the dead ones:

A few years ago though, I splurged and got a Citizen eco watch and it's been takin' a lickin' and keepin' on tickin' ever since!

A to Z Challenge - V

PART 1 - JANE AUSTEN ALPHABET-MISS LOUISA MUSGROVE

Another "punch" girl

PART 2 - MY DISNEY COLLECTION-VINYL POPS/VINYLMATIONS
I try really hard to curb my Vinyl Pop collection, restricting myself to only important characters, but it still seems to be getting out of control, taking up space in all rooms (probably because I won't take them out of their boxes):

I'm quite proud of my varied Stitch collection (although apparently I need to clean them up a bit):

But I also have "Disney adjacent" Pops like Once Upon A Time:

Muppets:

and my favorite Avenger:

I've been better where the Vinylmations are concerned and I don't have a problem removing them from their boxes (although I seem to have a problem getting rid of the boxes):

A to Z Challenge - U

PART 1 - JANE AUSTEN ALPHABET-MR. EDMUND BERTRAM

Again, still above Darcy although the whole "first cousin" thing tends to creep me out a bit. Although I'm not a big fan of adaptations taking on a life of their own and veering so off course from their originals, I do admit that the 1999 version with Jonny Lee Miller is one of my favorite Austen adaptations ever. When he finally breaks down and admits he loves her...well, it's right up there with Wentworth's letter to Anne (even though they stuck pretty close to Wentworth's letter and Edmund's speech was way out of left field).

Funny how I now think of the show Miranda when I hear the name Edmund...mund...mund, not Edward, but EdMUND!

PART 2 - MY DISNEY COLLECTION-UNUSUALLY LARGE COLLECTIBLES
Obviously, I don't have room for large collectibles, but I've never been known for common sense. Disney sells figures called affectionately "Big Figs" by the community. When they originally came out, they were actually big, now not so much. I have several of the old ones:

This one they have remade in the newer smaller version, but I have the original:

And my favorite, what was possibly one of the last true big figs:

Despite my dislike of the new versions...I tend call them Big Figs 0.2 (since they are half or less size), I still have couple of them too, but since they are portable, I usually alternate them at work. Right now, the Oswald is at home holding up my Mickey Ears Santa Hat:

And my Merlin and Archimedes is at work.

There are other large items I own that aren't statues, the biggest of which is this:

Maleficent's Dragon is a strange thing to keep by one's bed, but I find it quite comforting...almost like it's my protector! I have a large plush of both Donald and Stitch, but one of my biggest regrets was not getting the super-massive Donald plush they used to sell at Disney World. Every year I would keep saying, "I'll get it next year" (because it was quite expensive), but I never did and they eventually stopped selling it. It was almost five feet tall and probably just about as wide. I would DEFINITELY have no room for that, but it still haunts me to this day.

Then there is my one and only hanging tapestry, a gift from my sister many Disney trips ago:

Due to its long occupied spot taking up a chunk of wall, it will soon be put away for safe keeping and this is where my Jasmine Becket-Griffith wall will be. Granted unlimited space (and funds), there would probably be no limit to the size of collectibles I shall buy!

A to Z Challenge - T

PART 1 - JANE AUSTEN ALPHABET-MR. HENRY TILNEY

My third favorite Austen hero (again, still above Darcy), I like to think of him as "the good Willoughby" in that he didn't give up his love for the sake of money. Again, huge props to Fangirl Stitches because Henry's design is spot on!

PART 2 - MY DISNEY COLLECTION-T SHIRTS
After having to retire most of my closet because I lost weight and since the bulk of my shirts were Disney, I tend not to buy shirts at Disney like I used to (although they are what live in the bins in the infamous closet, so when I gain it all back, I still have clothes). I only bought three this past trip and two the trip before. Funny how my clothes rack in the laundry room still leans heavily in the Disney persuasion though:

A to Z Challenge - S

PART 1 - JANE AUSTEN ALPHABET-MISS LUCY STEELE

I guess for every character I like, there are five I'd like to punch...Lucy Steele falls in the punch category. She reminds me a lot of Isabella Thorpe without the obvious hatefulness (I think Lucy is a bit more crafty).

PART 2 - MY DISNEY COLLECTION-JIM SHORE
I'm not sure what it is about his Traditions line that I'm so obsessed with, but I've been buying them since they first started! I try to stick with just the duck, the experiment, the princesses and villains, but I do stray upon occasion. Again, this is another time when I wished I had a room big enough to keep them altogether because I don't necessarily like having them strewn all over the house. The bulk of them are ducks however, and they have their own curio:

For the eagle-eyed among you, you may have spotted several Jim Shore pieces in the other pictures so far, especially in the "C" post, in princess-land and Stitch world. I have numerous Auroras, several Rapunzels, and a Merida bought for me by Kate on our Disney World trip.

Here is one to re-show though, my absolute favorite purchase from my Disneyland trip:

My very first Jim Shore that I bought at Disney World:

One of my favorite sets:

And one of my Maleficent's is even two-sided:

They are also the biggest clutter on my Amazon wishlist. Since they come out seasonally, they pile up in bulk and it takes me forever to get them off because I can't afford to buy one every payday (although I do try). I will admit that since starting this challenge, I have gained three new ones, including this one that just arrived today:

One thing that really aggravates me about them is the little stand cards. Some have them and some don't and I HATE to open a new one and it does not have a card. They all have the card that hangs off of them, but it's just not the same.