Toy Sale at Disneystore.com

Hey guys!  Just wanted to let you know that Disneystore.com is having a sale on some of their dolls and toys today, up to 30% off.  Included in the sale are the singing "It's a Small World" DAC dolls, which are $10 off.  This includes the new Mexico and China dolls! :)  You can see all of the sale items HERE.

I'm off to get kiddos to school.  Happy shopping! :)

EBay Listings and Giveaway Updates

Hey everyone!  Hope your Saturday is going well. :)  I just had a few quick updates for you.

First of all, I've now heard back from all of my winners, but I'm still waiting on the address from one.  So unless something falls through with that last winner, it's looking like all of the giveaway winners are confirmed. :)  To those of you who won, I will most likely be getting the prizes mailed out on Monday.  I was hoping to do that today, but things didn't quite go according to plan. :}

I also wanted to let you guys know that I have a few items up on eBay, mostly thrift store rescues and a few Frozen extras.  I only have seven things up right now, but I'm hoping to do a few more listings tomorrow afternoon.  You can see everything I have up so far HERE.

Things will probably be a bit quiet around here in the next week as I regroup from the blog party and get caught up on a few things around home, but I'll be back before you know it with more reviews and other fun stuff. :)

Frozen Blog Party: Giveaway Winners! :D

It's the post you've all been waiting for...the post that announces the winners of our Frozen Blog Party Giveaway! :D

Because there were so many things to give away this time around, and to make sure you all knew the drawing was done properly, I did a video of the actual drawings and uploaded it to YouTube.  (You can see it HERE.)

I wanted to print a list of the winners here on the blog, anyway, and now you won't have to wait so long to find out. ;)  So, without further ado, here are our giveaway winners:

1. (Elsa Bottle Cap Keychain):  misspiggy=awesome

2. (Anna and Elsa Bottle Cap Keychain):  Kara

3. (Frozen Bottle Cap Pendant Necklace):  Maria Malaveci

4. (Olaf "In Summer" Necklace):  Morgan

5. (Olaf "Snow Angel" Necklace):  Raey Rendon

6. (Olaf Clip Charm):  Jenni

7. (Olaf Keychain):  Momo

8. (Frozen Fan Art Postcard #1):  Hannah H.

9. (Frozen Fan Art Postcard #2):  Molly W.

10. (Frozen Fan Art Postcard #3):  Vivienne

11. (Mini Elsa and Anna Dolls):  Tracy G.


But wait, there's more!  I included two surprise giveaway prizes!  I have two postcard versions of my current header picture which arrived just in time to be included in the giveaway. :)

Like the Anna and Kristoff postcards, these are prints that are signed by me.  The winners of those two postcards are:

12. (Frozen Header Fan Art Postcard #1):  Sunny_Harper1994

13. (Frozen Header Fan Art Postcard #2):  Julie Mehrkens


I will be contacting all of our winners via email later this afternoon/evening.  The winners will have a week to respond via email with their mailing addresses.  If I have not heard from them by Thursday, April 3rd at the very latest, new winners will be selected for the items the non-responsive winners won.

Congratulations to our 13 winners, and thank you to everyone who entered.  I'd also like to thank all of you who participated in my Frozen Blog Party.  I hope you all had as much fun as I did this past week! :)

NOTE:  Raey Rendon/Jamie, if you're reading this, could you please leave a comment with your email address?  Somehow I ended up without it, and I can't find you on Facebook.  I will not publish the comment, but I need your email so I can get in touch with you. :)

Frozen Blog Party: Frozen Song Covers on YouTube

Hey everyone!  Here it is, the last night of Never Grow Up's Frozen Blog Party!  I hope all of you have had as much fun this week as I have. :)

To wrap up the week (rather than tackling that post that was giving me so much trouble the other night), I've decided to post some Frozen song covers on my YouTube channel.

The first one is a cover of "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" by Oldest Gal, Middle Gal, and Little Gal.  You can see it HERE.

The second video is my 1/2 cover of "Love is an Open Door" (just Anna's part). ;)  What can I say?  It's my favorite song and worked the best with my range. ;)  I know, I'm weird.  Hope you can enjoy it anyway. :)  You can see that video HERE.

The third and final video is my cover of "For the First Time in Forever".  Not the greatest version you'll ever hear of this song, but I had a lot of fun recording it.  It definitely gave me a singing workout, though. ;)  You can see it HERE.

I'm sorry to disappoint those of you who were hoping to hear me sing "Let it Go".  I did about seven tries today and finally gave up.  It's just completely the wrong range for me, and my voice is not nearly powerful enough. :}

Neither of these videos are professional by any means, but were done just for fun as a thank you to all of my readers and followers.  Hope you enjoy them! :)

The giveaway drawing will be tomorrow, but I have my writing appointment in the morning, so the results won't be up until around 1 or 2 PM Pacific Time.  Just didn't want any of you worrying that I'd forgotten. ;)

Talk to you tomorrow! :)

More Frozen Fun Tomorrow

Hey guys!  Just wanted to give you a quick hello. :)

For some reason, after teaching and running errands all day (not to mention cooking up a bunch of ground turkey to be used throughout the next few weeks), I'm not really in the mood to tackle a post tonight. ;)  I'll have another Frozen-themed post up for you sometime tomorrow.

Until then, you all have a great evening!  Remember, tomorrow is the last day to enter the giveaway!! :)

Frozen Blog Party: Another Elsa Sketch

Hey guys!  So I was working on a profound Frozen-themed post about Hans, but it was one of those nights where my thoughts just weren't coming together, and everything sounded jumbled and nonprofound. ;)  Since I have to be awake for art tomorrow and I'm losing brain cells by the minute, I decided I'd save that post for later. ;)

Last Tuesday, the kiddos had "free draw" (where I let them draw whatever they want during art class), so I did a little free drawing of my own. ;)  I had just done my Elsa and Anna header the night before, so I wanted to try drawing Elsa again, from memory and without any pictures for reference, and see how I could do.  This is what I came up with:

I was pretty pleased with all I remembered.  My art students were impressed, too...well, at least the girls were. ;)  I had several girls ask if they could keep the picture. (I didn't let any of them keep it since I only had one.) ;)

Elsa is so much fun to draw!  

I love doing her light freckles and her large, expressive eyes.

Her hair is really fun to capture, too. ;)

This blog party has given me the lovely excuse to doodle and draw some of my favorite characters.  I still want to try another Anna sometime...maybe tomorrow during art. ;)

Well, no more blogging for tonight...off to bed I go!  Hopefully my Hans post will cooperate with me tomorrow. ;)

Frozen Blog Party: Frozen Blog Links and Giveaway Updates

Hey everyone!  Sorry if you were hoping for another post today.  Sundays are usually pretty crazy, so I knew I wouldn't have time for a "real" post. ;)

I wanted to thank all of you who have entered the giveaway so far.  At this point, we have 73 entries (including all of the multiple entries).  Keep them coming! :D

I also wanted to take a moment and say thank you for 340 followers!!  It still floors me that I ever passed 100, which was my ultimate goal when I began.  You guys are great! :D  I'm also getting really close to 900,000 pageviews, too, which is almost impossible for me to even process.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you who read, comment, and follow this blog.  You make blogging so rewarding, and I appreciate each and every one of you. :)

I may not have posted anything today, but I have done some other Frozen-related posts in the past.  I thought now would be a good time to share those links so you have something to tide you over until tomorrow. ;)  Enjoy!

-Frozen Movie Review (theatrical release)
-Disney Store Frozen Fashion Doll Reviews (mainly Kristoff and Anna)
-Disney Animator's Collection Kristoff Doll Review
-Disney Store Toddler Anna and Elsa Doll Reviews

I'll be back later tomorrow with more Frozen fun. :)

Frozen Blog Party: Frozen Blu-ray/DVD Combo Review

On Tuesday, I was thrilled to finally get my hands on my own copy of Frozen on Blu-ray and DVD.  My copy was purchased at Walmart for $19.99.  It included two discs:  the Blu-ray disc with special features, and the DVD disc (which I haven't tried yet).

The Blu-ray cover art is nice.  It comes with a cardboard slip cover with iridescent accents.

 A look at the back.

A look at the inside.

When I opened my case, I was very disappointed to see that the tabs that hold the discs in place had broken.  My Blu-ray disc was actually loose in the case.  I've now watched it three times, and two out of the three times, it had a short glitch in the same spot.  The third time, it glitched in a different spot instead.  While it's not the most major glitch I've seen, I've decided I will still exchange it.  I want it to play without any issues, and I don't want it to get any worse.:(

 

 

 The blue tabs that were supposed to help hold the discs in place. :( I hope that in the future, the Disney company might consider investing a little more in their movie cases.  The plastic was very thin and fragile, and I'm thinking this may have contributed to the tabs breaking off.

One thing I thought was interesting was that this movie came with a digital copy code instead of a physical disc.  It's been a while since I've purchased a movie new, so this might not be any big deal to some of you. ;)  I was not able to get my digital copy to show up, but I'm wondering if it's partially because I'm on Firefox instead of Google Chrome right now (I'm still battling computer issues).  This isn't as detrimental to me since I don't have a smart phone or a laptop.  The only place I could watch it would be on my desktop computer, which is very close to my TV.  I might as well just stick to the Blu-ray. ;)

The movie itself was just as stunning as ever.  I loved the menu, which featured moving snowflakes with video clips of the main characters in their centers.  Watching the film itself on my own home TV was really fun.  There were so many details to enjoy.   And of course, the story was still amazing. :)

 This picture lists the special features included.  I have to say, I was really disappointed in the lack of special features.  I think the Disney/Pixar Blu-ray and DVD special features have spoiled me.  I love it when movies come with an entire disc of extras.  As someone interested in writing, acting, drawing, and music, I'm always fascinated by all of the behind-the-scenes information on movies and how they are made.  

Frozen's special features include the "Get a Horse" Mickey Mouse short that was released with Frozen in theaters, several "Let it Go" music videos (which I haven't watched yet because I prefer Idina's version in the movie), some deleted scenes, "The Making of Frozen", and a feature about "the company's 75 year journey to Frozen".  

From the titles, it sounds like there would be some pretty amazing information, right?  Um...not exactly.  Maybe my expectations were a bit too high, but I came away from watching the special features feeling disappointed.

The deleted scenes were fun and interesting, but there were only four of them (I would have loved to see more!).  They did have nice little intros by the directors, explaining why they were cut.  And after watching them, I definitely feel like they made the right choice in leaving them out.  They were good scenes, but the final cut works best.

The "D'Frosted: Disney's Journey from Hans Christian Anderson to Frozen", which was supposed to span a 75 year journey, gave me the impression that it would be this incredible in-depth look at both Walt's era and the current movie.  While the feature was interesting, it was not very long (twenty minutes or so at the most), and almost completely focused on the earlier attempts at the film.  Even with that, the main bulk of the feature was a look at some of the concept art by Marc Davis, and featured some interviews with his wife, Alice Estes Davis, who designed the costumes for "It's a Small World", among other things.  While the information there was interesting and informative, it left me wishing for more, especially about Frozen itself.

The special feature I was most looking forward to was "The Making of Frozen", which was supposed to be a behind-the-scenes look at the movie set to music.  And sadly, this was the special feature I was most disappointed about.  It was great to see Josh Gad, Kristen Bell, and Jonathan Groff (who, as Kristoff, only got one short song in the movie, but has an amazing voice) singing and dancing together, along with members of the cast and crew at Disney Animation.  There was even a short cameo from John Lasseter. :)  Unfortunately, the song was very repetitive and didn't say all that much.  (We've only watched it twice, but I'm already tired of it because of the amount of times my daughters have sung it around the house.  I'd rather they just sing the songs from the movie.)  But the biggest disappointment was that, aside from the visual walk-through of the studio during the song, there was absolutely no information about the making of Frozen.  This was done on purpose (the song has a little "wink-wink" moment at the end that I won't spoil here), but I think I would have been able to appreciate the humor of it more if it had been followed with some actual information, or if the disc had at least had a separate feature that shared some "making of" moments.  I also might have enjoyed it more if it was not called "The Making of Frozen". :}  I was expecting this really cool behind-the-scenes feature staged as a musical, but if it had been called something else, I probably would have gone into it with the idea of just enjoying a fun song.

I seriously doubt that anyone from Disney reads this blog, but if they did, I would beg them to consider adding more special features to their Blu-rays and DVDs.  And while I'm dreaming away, how about some audio commentaries?  I would love to have a cast and crew commentary on Frozen (and on Tangled too, for that matter!). 

I don't regret getting my copy of Frozen, because the film itself is enough of a gem on its own.  Still, it would have made it even more amazing if there had been some in-depth looks at the true "Making of Frozen". :}

Thankfully, in our computer-saturated world, we have other resources for bonus features.  I figured that some of you might have been similarly disappointed, so I thought I would link to a few of my favorite online "bonus features" (since we didn't get many on the Blu-ray). :)  Enjoy! 

Behind the Scenes:
Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell (Elsa and Anna)
Jonathan Groff (Kristoff)
Josh Gad (Olaf)
Santino Fontana (Hans)
Alan Tudyk (the Duke of Wesselton)
Soundtrack
Animation

Interviews:
Idina Menzel 
Idina Menzel #2
Kristen Bell
Jonathan Groff
Josh Gad
Santino Fontana  (this is one of my favorite interviews...Santino is so funny!) ;)
Alan Tudyk
Josh Gad, Kristen Bell, and Idina Menzel (These are partial interviews; you can find the full ones on YouTube as well)

If you're in the mood for still more Frozen fun, you can visit my Frozen Pinterest board HERE.

Hope you guys enjoyed the post and the links.  What are your thoughts on the Blu-ray?

Frozen Blog Party: Letting it Go...or Not :}

Any of us who have children (and some of us who don't) are very familiar with the most popular song from Frozen:  "Let it Go".  It's fun and singable and has a message that many can relate to.  But is it the best stand-alone message?  

Before I start, I'd like to point out that I love belting out "Let it Go" at the top of my lungs as much as the rest of the world, and this is in no way meant to be a "bashing" post, just one to encourage us to think, and perhaps start a great discussion in the comments. :)

This song is a huge success for Disney, winning them an Oscar and becoming a world-wide phenomenon.  Why is that?  I think it largely has to do with the fact that all of us have some sort of personality quirk or flaw or some sort of issue we struggle with that makes us feel different and pressured by those around us to change.

All of us have had days where we just want to say, "Forget it!  I'm tired of trying to live up to everyone else's expectations.  I'm just going to be me, and I don't care what people think!!"

In my case, my biggest struggle would be my fight to control my weight.  Because of my genetics, height, and build, I will never be able to attain today's standards of weight and beauty (not that I would necessarily want to go that far), even if I spent every waking moment focusing on it.

On one hand, I could pull a "beginning-of-the-movie-Elsa" and hide myself away, obsessing and panicking about each little pound.  And to be completely honest, sometimes I do act this way.  There are days when I want to shut myself away in my room because nothing in my closet fits right and I feel about as lovely as a large dairy cow.  I constantly try to gage what others think of my appearance and wonder if the older ladies in my church are shaking their heads over the fact that I've really packed on the pounds in the last year or so.  That's one extreme.

Then there's the "Let it Go" moment, where I get so frustrated with living this way that I say, "Forget it!  I'm sick of dealing with this!!  I don't care what anyone thinks.  Forget rules, forget everything.  I'm just going to be free and do what I want!!"  (Which is essentially what Elsa is saying in her song.)  And then I start eating everything in sight without a care in the world...or so I convince myself.  Of course, in the back of my mind, I'm still thinking about how much I weigh and what others think and the fact that stroke and heart disease are rampant in my family.  And a few weeks later, when I go up two dress sizes, I'm not going to feel so "free".  That's the other extreme.

This is pretty much how I've made my food choices for the past few months, and the fit of my clothing proves it. :}  (I'd like to just say, though, it was so refreshing to draw a Disney character that wasn't the size of a supermodel!)

Now, as fun as it would be to throw off all restraint and live the way we want to with careless abandon and without any consequences, most of us know that things don't really work that way.  There are always results from our decisions, and to live in such extremes always costs us in the end.

Technically, I am "free" to overeat and do what I want, but I have to be willing to pay the consequences.  I have to be okay with buying bigger clothing.  I have to stop complaining about my body size and the fact that I'm too out of shape to take part in the activities I used to.  I have to be aware that my choices might affect my health in the future.  But if I were honest with myself, I would feel more enslaved than free by this lifestyle choice.  And just as I would not be truly free, Elsa was not truly free at the point of singing "Let it Go".

I don't blame her for that moment at all.  After spending her entire life stifled and paralyzed by fear and stress (mostly due to some sadly misguided parenting...but that's a whole different post), she needed that time to let everything off her chest.  And really, I think we all can use that little "LET IT GO" moment every once in a while when we're struggling with something.  The point is to move on and not get stuck in that moment. ;)

Sadly, by the time her next song rolls around, Elsa realizes that throwing caution to the wind and hiding away from everyone has not solved her problem. ("I'm such a fool, I can't be free...")  Once again, she is trapped by her fears, and she ends up hurting her sister in the middle of her breakdown/panicky moment during that song.

I think we've all been here, too (or at least I have).  When we throw off all restraint and live recklessly, we always pay in the end, whether it's that extra twenty pounds on the scale, or realizing we've unknowingly cursed an entire kingdom in eternal winter, or anything in between. :}  And sadly, when we live this way, we often hurt those closest to us, without meaning to.

But the beauty of "Frozen" is that Elsa's story doesn't end there.  She eventually comes to a balanced conclusion as the film winds down.  She doesn't have to hide who she is, but she has learned that holding everyone at arm's length and doing her own thing doesn't work either.  By controlling her powers with the love she has for her sister, she is able to enjoy who she is in a healthy way.

I will never be a size six.  However, I don't need to go eat everything in sight just because that is unattainable for me.  I need to try to eat right and exercise so I'm taking the best care of my body that I can, and then "let it go". ;)  Let go of the fears and the obsession with numbers on a scale without letting go of the self-control.

I think it's easy to get into a mindset of excess and extremes, at least for me.  I'm a very "all or nothing" type of person, as I've shared before on this blog.  If I can't be perfect, I want to give up.  What a silly way to live. ;)

As a follower of Christ, I have the added blessing of taking these concerns and cares to my Heavenly Father.  He is the best solution for the extremes I unnecessarily add to my life, and He always loves me in spite of my imperfections.

So as much as I love "Let it Go", I like to think of it in the context of the entire movie, and remember where Elsa ended up after her power ballad. :)


P.S.  Hmm, after doing this post, I'm realizing I actually can relate to Elsa a lot more than I originally thought!  :}

Frozen Blog Party: My Answers to the Questions :)

 It's time for me to share my own answers to my blog party questions. :)  Those of you who have not participated yet can see the original post HERE. :)

 Kristoff and Anna, just 'cause they're adorable. ;)

1. Who is your favorite Frozen character (or characters) and why?

   I really love them all, but I'd have to say my top favorites are Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf.

   I love Anna because she's so cute and awkward and just a normal, likeable person.  I think she's the type of princess a lot of girls can relate to because she's not perfect. :)  Even more importantly, just like Eugene and Rapunzel in Tangled, she is willing to sacrifice herself to save someone she loves.

     Kristoff is great because beneath his gruff exterior he's a big softie.  I love that he's not the typical handsome prince you see in so many animated movies.  He and Anna are really cute together, and it's fun seeing their friendship progress throughout the course of the movie.  I also love the fact that he is willing to let Anna go when he thinks that's what's best for her.

    Olaf is a character I did not expect to love.  When I saw the previews, I assumed he'd be another goofy sidekick character, thrown in for comic relief and not much else.  I was pleasantly surprised to discover the heart and depth to his character...and the fact that he was really quite funny. :)  As an added bonus, he shared one of the best definitions of love:  "Love is putting someone else's needs before your own..." 

   
2. Which is your favorite Frozen song (or songs) and why?

    I adore the entire soundtrack to this movie, so this was tough to choose.  Honestly, though, I really like "Love is an Open Door", even though Hans is not what he seems.  It's so fun to sing, and I just love the way Kristen and Santino's voices sound together.  I especially enjoy the last chorus, when the string section does that cool thing in the background and Hans hits that awesome high note (I know, my musical terminology is very technical). ;)

   I also love "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" and "Frozen Heart".  "Let it Go", "In Summer", and "Fixer-Upper" are nice too.  Who am I kidding?  I really love ALL of the songs. ;)

   
3. If you could make one change to the movie, what would it be?

    I would be tempted to make Hans just a shallow jerk instead of an attempted murderer...just because I was so excited that Santino Fontana was in this movie, and so crushed when I found out he was the bad guy.  (And now every time I hear him as Prince Topher in the Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella Broadway soundtrack, I keep waiting for him to say, "Oh Cinderella, if only there was someone out there who loved you!") :}  At the same time, I think the movie works the way it is, which is obvious from its huge success. :)  

  
4. Would you want to see a Frozen sequel?  What would you want it to be about?

   I would be interested in a Frozen sequel if it was well done, like the Toy Story sequels.  As some of you have already mentioned, I feel that Frozen does well as a stand-alone, and I would hate to see that ruined by a less-than-stellar sequel.  I'm sure Disney is looking for ways to make the most of this franchise since it was such a big hit, but the story and the characters have to be there to make any additional films a true success.  There have been too many disappointing Disney sequels in the past that have almost ruined the originals for me, because I always think of the sequels when I watch them.

   I also think it would be rather difficult for Disney to please everyone with a sequel.  For example, so many people loved the fact that Frozen did not focus as heavily on romance, but what a lot of viewers would want to see in a sequel would be more of Anna and Kristoff's relationship, or even their marriage (like Eugene and Rapunzel's in "Tangled Ever After").  And I'll admit, I wouldn't mind that myself, as long as it was set a few years down the road and not right away.  This might frustrate the crowd that were so happy with the first film, though.  "And we're back to the romance again!" ;)

   On the other hand, if they chose to focus on Elsa and Anna once more, there could be a great story there.  Think of how interesting it would be to see their relationship grow now that they could be together again.  It would be nice to see a little more development of Elsa's character, too.  While Frozen was about both of them, a lot of it focused on Anna (which I didn't mind).  Maybe the second film could focus more on Elsa.

  I have to say, though, I kind of like leaving the ending the way it is.  It gives the audience the opportunity to come to their own conclusions about what happened after the movie.

  And you know, to avoid all of the possible disappointment, how about this great idea from someone on Pinterest?

 

(Repinned to my Frozen Pinterest board HERE)

A short sequel all about Rapunzel and Eugene's time in Arendelle.  How cool would that be? :D  I would pay to see that movie! 
  

5.  Ice Palace or Arendelle Castle?

   Arendelle Castle...I'm not into icy furniture, and I hate being cold. ;)

   
6.  If you could choose a sidekick from the movie, would you choose Sven or Olaf?  Why?

   Sven is a big cutie, but I'd have to say Olaf.  He would cheer me up when I was feeling blue. :)
  

7.  Do you think all men pick their noses, as Kristoff claimed?

   I can neither confirm nor deny this theory, but I have my suspicions that it might be true. ;)
 

8. Which Frozen character is the most like you (or the one you relate to most) and why?  

   Probably Anna.  I've always been kind of clutzy, and I've always had a problem with just blurting things out and then having to backtrack. :}  ("I mean, not fuller...you don't look fuller...") ;)

   

9.  How many times have you seen Frozen so far? 

   Six.  Four times in the theaters, once online for Little Gal's birthday party, and once on Blu-ray Tuesday night. :)  And Friday, it looks like I'll be watching it again with a friend who hasn't seen it yet. :D


10.  In keeping with my overall blog theme, ;) which of the Frozen dolls that have been released is your favorite?  (e.g. the Disney Store fashion dolls, Disney Store Disney Animator's Collection and Toddler dolls, Limited Edition Disney Store dolls, Mattel dolls, etc)

   I'm definitely a fan of the Disney Store fashion dolls.  I'd love to get the Deluxe Fashion set with Elsa and Anna in their coronation gowns, but not for the $70 it would cost to get it through the store, or the even higher price I'd pay on eBay. :}  I'll stick with my original classic dolls...I'm very thankful to have those with how difficult they are to find. :)  I love the DAC Kristoff and Toddler Anna and Elsa dolls, too. :)  And if I was independently wealthy, I'd go for the Limited Edition Elsa in her coronation gown and the Limited Edition Anna in her winter attire. :)

 

Hope you guys enjoyed the answers!  Thank you to all of you who have joined in the fun so far. :)  It's been great hearing everyone's thoughts on the movie. :)

Stay tuned for more Frozen fun, coming soon!

Frozen Blog Party: The Giveaway :D

GIVEAWAY CLOSED 

And now for the giveaway! :D  I am super excited because there are eleven prizes to give out, so we will have lots of winners! :D

I'm trying something new this time around since the prizes are all fairly small.  This giveaway will be open to my readers around the world as well as just in the United States, with the exception of the last prize (more on that later).  I figure this is a good time to try shipping internationally.  If it's horribly complicated and crazy, I may go back to "US only" shipping for my next giveaway. :}

But enough of that...let's take a look at the prizes! :D

I was very blessed to find two different Etsy sellers who were willing to donate some of their Frozen items for our prizes. :)  The first is Belinda of Ella's Heart Designs.  Belinda has lots of lovely and affordable items in her shop, including keychains, necklaces, and more.  She donated three items for our giveaway:

 

1. Elsa Bottle Cap Keychain

 

It will come in this cute little baggie, just the way she sent it to me.

 

I love the glitter she uses in her bottle cap pendants...it reminds me of Elsa's ice powers. ;)

 2. Anna and Elsa Bottle Cap Keychain

 

It will also come in its own baggie.

 This picture gives you an idea of the size of the key chain.

 3. Frozen Bottle Cap Pendant Necklace

 This one was a complete surprise that she threw in without telling me.  It was so sweet of her...and such a fun discovery when I opened the package she sent. :)  The necklace has ribbon and cord for the chain and has a clasp at the back.

 Here's a closer look at the pendant itself...many of you will recognize this as the Frozen movie poster. :)

My other giveaway donations came from Alyssa "Elfie" of Magic 'n' Mayhem.  Elfie has a beautiful selection of necklaces, keychains, charms, and more in her shop, and she does wonderful work.  If you love Olaf, you'll love the items she donated:

 4. Olaf "In Summer" Necklace

It will come in a baggie like Belinda's items.

 5. Olaf "Snow Angel" Necklace

 Here it is in the baggie.

 6. Olaf Clip Charm

 In the baggie...I think you get the routine by now. ;)

 Here's a look at the clip on the Olaf charm.  According to Elfie, you can use it as a zipper pull or a charm to attach to anything you choose. :)

 This gives you an idea of the size of the charm.

 7. Olaf Keychain

  

 In its special baggie.

 

Olaf is so cute! :)

Elfie also surprised me with several extra things.  I believe I asked for one necklace, and I ended up with four items!  I was amazed by her generosity. :)

Both Etsy sellers went far above and beyond what I asked.  I'm so thankful to both of them for donating all of these items to make our giveaway extra special. :)  Thanks so much, Belinda and Elfie!  

I hope that all of you get a chance to stop by their Etsy shops and check out their other goodies.  

Meanwhile, we're not quite done with giveaway prizes, so let's take a look at the others! :)

 8-10. Frozen Fan Art Postcards 

 A while back, shortly after I drew my Anna and Kristoff picture, I decided to try making it into postcards through Costco's photo center.  As a result, I have three postcards to give away.  They will be given away individually, so three different winners will receive them.  They are printed on cardstock-type paper...

 ...and have "From:", "Message:", and "To:" on the back, just in case you actually want to send them to someone.  I tend to keep mine...they make great doll-sized posters. ;)  (By the way, they are not stained...my camera is still leaving spots on all my pictures, and I can't figure out why). :(

 Even though the postcards are prints, I signed and dated each one.  So someday, when I'm famous, you'll have a signed print of mine, and you'll be able to say, "I knew her when..." ;)

And now for our final giveaway item.  Because this prize is slightly larger than the others, this particular prize will only be available to my readers in the United States.  Sorry guys, I just don't want to try and figure out International shipping for these.

 11.  Mini Elsa and Anna Dolls

 

 These are the mini dolls, around 4 inches tall, with MagiClip dresses.  They will be given away as a pair, not individually.

 

 Okay, so now that you've seen the prizes, here are the giveaway rules.  Please read them carefully:

1.  This giveaway is open to all of my readers except for the 11th prize listed (the mini Elsa and Anna dolls).  Those will only be given to a reader within the United States.

2.  If you are under 18, please get a parent or guardian's permission to enter, as I'll have to get your mailing address.

3.  To enter, leave a comment on this post with your name or username, email address, and the country you're from.  Comments with email addresses will not be published.

4.  For extra entries you may:

     -Follow this blog

     -Follow me on Facebook

     -Follow me on Pinterest (at least one board)

     -Post my Frozen Blog Party Button on your blog or share it on any other social media site (it's at the top of my right sidebar)

     -Answer the Blog Party Questions from my previous post

    If you are already following me on any of the sites listed above, you can count that towards your extra entries.  Also, while answering the Blog Party Questions gives you an extra entry, it is not a requirement for entering the giveaway.  

Be sure to leave a comment on this post telling me what you did for your extra entries so I can count them.  

Also, if you leave me a link to your blog with the answers to my party questions, please leave them in a comment separate from the one including your email address so I can publish the link to your answers and share them with everyone. :)

4.  Important:  Doing the above increases your chances of winning.  However, to keep things as fair as possible, there will be a limit of one prize awarded per winner.  So if I draw your name a second time after you have already won something, I will redraw for the second prize.

5.  To keep things simple, I will not take requests for specific prizes.  I'm assuming I will have quite a few entries, and trying to keep who wants what straight is just going to be a bit too complicated for me. :}  Everyone who enters will be entered for everything (although my out-of-the-US readers will not be entered for the two mini dolls).

6.   The contest will be open for entries until Wednesday, March 26th.  On Thursday, March 27th, the winners will be chosen by random drawing.  The winners will be notified via email and will have one week to respond with a mailing address.  If I have not heard from the winners by Wednesday, April 2nd, new winners will be selected.

     

I hope that all made sense. :}  It's always so hard to get all the information I need without making it too confusing.  If you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment and ask. :)

Have fun entering the giveaway!  I can't wait to discover who our winners will be! :D