Galaxy Beyond Villas

17/08/2024

Got to use a new product today - 2 part epoxy furniture finish. Talk about nerve racking and time consuming.

They’re all finished on one side. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll be able to flip them and do the other sides. Of course I did the less visible sides today while I was learning how to pour it. They look so much nicer.

15/08/2024

It’s finally starting to look like something. And I promise, the mannequins will be clothed.

14/08/2024

Today’s side project is finished. Just installed the Infinity Stones display at the Marvel house. I like how Tony’s heart fits instead of the Gauntlet. Having two sets of stones in there could have been awkward.

14/08/2024

Crisis averted!

For those following along, here are the steps not to follow when attempting to create distressed walls that look like they’re from a galaxy far, far away.

1) Tape off some Star Wars looking designs. You’ll enjoy painting around them later.
2) Add a scratch coat of drywall compound. If you have a spare teenager lying around, have him do it. It doesn’t have to be neat.
3) Remove the tape while the compound is still wet to reveal the designs.
4) Paint it a color that takes you forever to pick out to match your flooring, only for it to clash once it’s on the walls.
5) Distress the walls by rag washing them with a lighter color and “smearing” a darker color in spots. Since you’re in a hurry, don’t wait for the lighter color to dry (big boneheaded move here).
6) After you step back and notice it looks blotchy, cover up the “extra” darker spots with the light color. It kinda works, but you’re going for distressed so just go with it. Make the dark marks along the top larger.
7) Step back, notice that it still doesn’t look right with your flooring and is too light for it. Watch some Andor and focus on the buildings. Then notice a spot on the wall that looks good and figure out a way to make all the wall space look like that.
8) Take the dark paint and thin it to a 1:1 mixture of paint and water. Spread this with a rag over a part of the wall and quickly rub it off with a towel. See that it looks exactly how you wanted. Now do all the walls.
9) Don’t work too fast (it will mostly wipe off) or too slow (it will dry and get too dark) or overlap an adjacent area (it will be too dark where it overlaps).
10) Sit back and enjoy your creation while hoping guests don’t just think it’s a dirty, dingy room.

I’m “finished” with these walls. I think. Not sure about the background color of the relief areas. I am contemplating a burnt orange to give the room a little color. 🤪

13/08/2024

I’m not in love with it, but I don’t hate it either. Tomorrow I’ll temporarily install the shelves to see what it looks like. It might look better with everything in place. Or I might be adding another layer of paint. 🤪

12/08/2024

Ugh! Even though I took the flooring with me to buy paint, the end result doesn’t look like I intended. Now it’s time to work some magic to make this look on the walls like it does in my mind. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Right?!?!

11/08/2024

After about 100 hours of “prep” between me and Carter, it’s time to paint.

07/08/2024

The shelve braces are in and ready for drywall. The horizontal pieces are where the shelves will be anchored. The Stormtrooper and Mando armor are still at the Marvel house, so the naked Clone Trooper had to stand in as a visual for the shelf placement.

07/08/2024

Garage door rails are down and the framework for the wall is up! Carter made us work with the other garage door up because he “liked the daylight.” I think I might have lost ten pounds of water weight.

The highlight of the day might have been selling some bookshelves to Anna. Yes, the Disney Princess. Turns out her and her mom are both Star Wars fans and loved the house. I may have also gained a future guest as Anna’s parents live out of town and might use the house for visits to their Princess. 😝

06/08/2024

Why just paint walls when you can spend a couple days texturing them and adding some unique details? Now I’m just hoping the painting technique will work out the way I’m planning.

05/08/2024

RESIST

05/08/2024

Back to my old drywall compound trick. Fingers crossed on this one.

04/08/2024

New recessed lighting is installed. Once again being the son of an electrician comes in handy.

It was so nice having Carter here to help with this project. Otherwise I’d still be trying to fish wire through insulated floor joists.

Tomorrow we’ll start building a wall in front of the garage door. That’s where all the lightsabers and helmets will be displayed - and the Stormtrooper and Mando armor. They’ll be the focal point of the room and the first thing guests see when they walk in.

03/08/2024

Now it feels like I’m here!

02/08/2024

First thing I do when we get to Kissimmee? Buy more lightsabers.

I may have a problem…

01/08/2024

I’m literally using every inch is space this thing has to get my materials and Maya’s stuff to Florida.

This is the way!!!

31/07/2024

The first couple of shelves and the coffee table are stained. I’m loving the grain and color. They’ll definitely pop as long as I go with a lighter sandstone color on the walls.

Time to start packing the truck for tomorrow’s long haul. The other shelves will have to wait until we get there.

29/07/2024

I hate wasting materials. So I’m going to try to use these pieces that I cut off the backs of the shelves as decorative elements. It will be a game time decision as it might make the wall too busy. I’ve treated them with the wood harder and will put an epoxy over them tomorrow. Now it’s time to break out the sanders on the shelves.

26/07/2024

Just bought 95 board foot of walnut! I have one week to turn it into to floating shelves and a coffee table for the new Star Wars game room.

21/06/2024

Carter and I went to the Keys this week for a father/son dive trip. The winds didn’t cooperate, so we only got to dive today - our last in Marathon.

If you ever get to visit, I would highly recommend Captain Hook’s. They recorded our morning dive and sent everyone a link as a thank-you for diving.

Capt. Hook's Marina & Dive Center

20/05/2024

This is the way.

18/05/2024

What do you do after breakfast on your birthday? Go buy another Clone Trooper helmet of course!

17/05/2024

17/05/2024

The Villa Far, Far Away game room remodel is getting some new life. I finally decided on the look of the room when we were there on our father/daughter trip a few weeks ago. This project is 3 and a half years in the making.

The idea is to make the room look like you're at the Black Spire Outpost. The main feature will be the Star Wars collectibles wall in front of one garage doors. It will have Mando on one side, a Stormtrooper on the other with all the lightsabers and helmets displayed on floating shelves in the middle. They'll all be displayed behind hog wire similar to what's used in Galaxy's Edge.

Now I just need to make as much of this as I can before the end of the summer. Hopefully it will all fit in the van with Maya's stuff. I'd like to take it all down when we move her into UCF in August.

07/05/2024

It’s with a heavy heart that I write this post and ask for your support.

One of the main drivers for me getting into this business was my involvement with the YMCA Parent Child program at the Pittsburgh Y. Formerly known as Indian Princesses and Indian Guides, it is a program designed to help dads form bonds with their children. To me the program was all about creating lasting memories with your kids.

At one point in my life, I lead both programs as the Longhouse Chief. This allowed me to help others create great memories. Hosting families here in Disney is a continuation of that.

This past weekend one of the kids in my daughter’s graduating class was diagnosed with DIPG. It is a rare, inoperable type of childhood cancer. Sam and his twin sister were also a part of this program. Their family needs financial assistance and I’d like to help spread the word. If you’re interested, please consider making a donation to the GoFundMe campaign set up to help. Thank you.

Hey everyone! Our dear friends, the Levine family, could use support from the c… Alissa Mammana needs your support for Support Sam Levine's Fight Against DIPG

28/04/2024

It’s official. Maya chose UCF.

GO KNIGHTS!!!

22/04/2024

1) Why has it taken this long to make this a reality?
2) Why doesn’t it taste like this in the parks? I think they would sell a lot more if it tasted like this.

28/03/2024

Proud Dad Moment

Maya, Carter and I went to Camp Kon-O-Kwee today and finished building a fence for their new zip line. Carter and I started the project last weekend with the YMCA Parent Child program.

However, the big news is that Maya got accepted to NYU!!! That was the last school she was waiting to hear from. Now she has a BIG decision to make. 😬

17/02/2024

It will take a little more finagling, some boots and the proper helmet, but Din Djarin is coming alive. I didn’t realize how skinny mannequins are. It’s surprising that the pants are staying up.

I tried the Stormtrooper on him too, but without a black body suit it looked odd. I might have to find a smaller one too considering there were some rather large gaps.

Oh and if you’re wondering, it is almost impossible to get Stormtrooper armor on yourself. I only got about 1/2 way before giving up.