It was all about Princess Tiana at our house this weekend past.

I’m talking bejeweled tiaras.

Sparkly, feathery masks.

Lots of great, New Orleans-style music.

Green and lavender balloons, napkins, and goodie bags filled to the brim with all manner of princess stuff.

Even “frog” cupcakes.

Oh yeah, Disney’s The Princess and the Frog was in FULL effect—please believe it! Mari and Lila hosted eight of their best girlfriends at a super raucous, super cutie sleepover to celebrate the opening weekend of the animated film featuring Disney’s first African-American princess, and I have to tell you, we were all downright giddy to fete Princess Tiana as we anxiously await her debut on the big screen on Friday. Here, a blow-by-blow of our Princess Tiana Rocks Party…

Of course, the key to a great party is a great theme, and Mari and Lila put in overtime to make sure their party celebrated Princess Tiana in every way. While we pumped up the volume our digital download of The Princess and the Frog soundtrack—Princess Tiana’s “Almost There,” performed by actress Anika Noni Rose, gets them moving every time—Mari whipped up some vanilla cupcakes while Lila assembled the eyes for the “Frogs in the Water” cupcake recipe we cribbed from “The Princess and the Frog: Tiana’s Cookbook.” Then we poured some Sun Chips and Tostitos in our fancy bowls, set out some gummy worms and gum drops, and decorated and filled up the goodie bags with loads of neat stuff—The Princess and the Frog buttons, mini posters, and word searches, plus Mardi Gras bead necklaces (in homage to New Orleans, Princess Tiana’s hometown), recipe cards for the cupcakes, songbook lyrics for the soundtrack, and candy (of course). In short, Mari and Lila laid it out!

The feathers were flying when Mari and Lila kicked off the festivities with a Mardi Gras mask-making crafts session—in honor of the fancy masks Princess Tiana and her friends sport in the movie. The girls had quite a time bedazzling their already colorful masks with lots of little sparkly things, and seeing whose was fanciest. Then Nick set off the action when he sent the girls on a wild Tiara Scavenger Hunt; lots of little giggly girls, split into groups of two, were running all through the house in a mad dash for clues that lead them to pretty purple and hot pink tiaras stashed in practically every nook and cranny from the bedrooms to the basement. Of course, there was a tiara for every princess!

Of course, all that tiara hunting worked up a serious thirst! Good thing we had Tiana’s Swamp Water Smoothies—blended frozen mangoes, strawberries, blueberries and bananas, yogurt and OJ—on hand for the parched princesses. And of course, even drinks with the word “swamp” in the title taste delicious served up in fancy glasses fit for a princess. While they sipped, the girls politely took turns playing The Princess and the Frog Wii game (the animation is amazing and the games definitely kept them interested and giggling, especially the one where they had to run from the kissing frog!) and bonding with the balloons (they never tire of balloons, do they?). Soon enough, they sat down to a feast fit for princesses: Spaghetti with roasted tomato and basil sauce and home made meatballs, mixed salad, and garlic bread. They topped off dinner with some sweet frogs—frog cupcakes, that is!

There’s no party like a Princess Tiana party because a Princess Tiana party won’t stop! That’s right—a core group of the girls jumped into their jammies and kept the party going into the wee hours of the morning. They made crystal ornaments (boiling water, Borax, and pipe cleaners make for some pretty neat Christmas tree decorations). They played tag. They played video games. They tickled and smothered each other in the playroom. They told each other crazy stories and watched The Disney Channel and enjoyed each other tremendously. And then (finally!) they drifted off to sleep some time around 2 a.m., only to get back up at around 8 a.m. for more!

The next morning, while they waited for their pancake, bacon, and strawberry breakfast, the super crafty and fashionable Princess Simone encouraged the girls to use leftover tissue paper to make themselves a bouquet of colorful tissue paper flowers. The masks and tiaras made another appearance too, because, well, what princess rises in the morning without the tiara? It was, for sure, a great way to end a fantastic princess slumber party!

Each and every one of the girls left Mari and Lila’s Princess Tiana Rocks Party totally in love with Princess Tiana. I don’t know if they realize the significance of her debut—how her march onto the screen this Friday marks a significant place in history when little girls—little brown girls, in particular—will, for the first time, sit in movie theaters across this nation and celebrate the intelligence and strength of a beautiful princess—a beautiful princess who looks just like them.

Finally.

To ensure my Mari and Lila get a front row seat to this piece of history, I’m buying our tickets today on FANDANGO.COM. I encourage each of you to do the same, as we need to make a STRONG showing at the theaters this weekend to show our support for the first animated movie made specifically with little brown girls in mind.

We HEART Princess Tiana!

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I wrote back in February about how it’s going to be a whole new world at Disney with the debut of Princes Tiana, Disney’s first black princess. First in the year-long roll-out for the holiday 2009 movie were toys and costumes featuring the chocolate face of Princess Tiana. And now, the official The Princess and the Frog movie poster–get into it!

Want some more? Below, too, is the official Disney trailer of the movie, due for a soft release in late November, and a wide release in early December. Take a peek and tell me what you think. Around these parts, it’s considered pretty doggone cute; my girls can’t wait to see the real deal–a princess who looks like them–up on the big screen. Frankly, neither can I.

Press play and enjoy!

Nonsensical but true: My mother was too scared to hang out in big, bad New York City, less than an hour from her house, but she hadn’t a problem traveling all around the world with her church buddies—even to destinations that weren’t exactly the safest places for the holy rollers of St. John’s Baptist Church. Egypt, Alaska, Guyana, Greece, Mexico, Jerusalem—she went everywhere. I even have pictures of her posing with an armed guard at the Israeli border. Both of them are grinning like they’re at a Chris Rock concert.

And if she could cruise to her destination? All the better. Indeed, this was her preferred mode of travel; she loved being able to float to faraway lands, hit a few tourist spots during the day, then get back to the safety of her cruise ship before the sun set, only to float on to the next big adventure (read: tour/shopping excursion). She’d come back with all kinds of wonderful gifts—spices from Guyana, Egyptian gold, Grecian cloth—and fantastic stories of her travels. My Mari would hang on her every word. And my mother would always end each tale with the same promise to her grandbaby: “One of these days,” she’d whisper in Mari’s ear, “I’m going to take you on a Disney cruise.”

My mom never got to take Mari on that cruise—she passed away before Mari was old enough to go with her. For sure, when I went on The Disney Wonder as part of the Mommy Bloggers Cruise last week, Mommy, who would have been 68 today (happy b-day, my sweet), was on my mind. At every turn, I wondered whether the cruise and its activities would have satisfied her seemingly insatiable cruise addiction, and certainly, what kind of time she would have had with her granddaughter.

Here’s what I know she would have liked:

The Ship
Recently rated the No. 1 large cruise by Conde Nast, The Disney Wonder lives up to the hype. A gorgeous statue of The Little Mermaid’s Ariel welcomes guests into the glamorous three-story atrium, where sweeping spiral staircases usher guests up to and through the halls of the ship. The staterooms, comfortable and grand, can accommodate three people easily, but with a pull-out bed in the couch, a family of five can fit, too. I watched the sunset on my veranda as I noshed on chocolate covered strawberries, brie and crackers, and champagne, and giggled imagining my mom feeding my Mari eggs and toast for breakfast while they watched the ocean waves tickle Mickey Mouse’s floating house. Outside the room, Disney whimsy danced everywhere—from the hand-drawn cartoon art decorating the staircases to the larger-than-life themed restaurants to the Disney characters who charmed young charges in practically every hallway. My mother loved casual luxury—she would have found plenty of it on the Disney Wonder.

The Star Treatment
From the moment you enter the rich three-story atrium lobby, Disney treats its guests like stars. A handful of greeters announces everyone’s name as they enter the ship, and then applauds wildly while you take a star bow—a welcome I’m sure my mother and daughter would have gotten a kick out of. Everyone from the guy turning down the beds at night to Captain Henry, the commander of the ship, made us feel like they were our biggest fans and their sole mission was to make sure we had everything we wanted. Shoot, Captain Henry even let us sound the Mickey Mouse horn as we were pulling away from Disney’s private Bahamian island, Castaway Cay. Yup, Bettye, who reveled in the finer things in life—and deserved them, too—would have appreciated the hospitality.

The Entertainment
There was something for everybody on the ship: four different kids clubs for children from infants to teens; a pool for families and a grown-up one with a poolside bar for adults looking to get away; a game room; several clubs—family-themed and adults-only—each packed with games, karaoke, drinks, and light food to keep it interesting; a full movie theater with repeat showings of the latest Disney movies; and, three adorable plays that showcased some of Disney’s most memorable characters. The sets were simply incredible—layers upon layers of eye candy, from moving images splashed across the back wall to shooting stars, snow, and pixie dust falling from the theater “sky” made audience members feel like they, too, were a part of the production. My favorite was the incredibly colorful stage rendition of the modern Disney classic, “Toy Story,” but I think my mom and Mari would have been all into Disney Dreams, a retrospective of all of Mari’s favorite Disney characters—the princesses, Tinkerbell, Peter Pan, and the like. For sure, if my mother needed a break with baby girl, she could have safely left her in one of the clubs to get in some quality grown-up time, like when the girls and I hit karaoke night. But I’m betting my mother would have been too busy having fun with Mari to want to leave her in someone else’s care.

The Off-Ship Excursions
Our group had a blast touring an old water preserve on our own Segways; our Segway coach, Deena, was as beautiful as any model and as daring as any athlete—and encouraged us to let our machines rip. My mother wouldn’t have dared, but she would have certainly enjoyed strolling the beaches of Nassau and pointing out the lighthouse to Mari, and I’m sure she would have had a time snatching up all kinds of homemade goodies in The Straw Market. I know she wouldn’t have bother with the conch at the authentic Bahamian restaurant, Conch Fritters, but Mari would have really loved the spiciness of the curried chicken and the crunchiness of the restaurant’s namesake. She also would have really dug Castaway Cay, the private Disney-owned island we visited on our second off-ship excursion day. There was sand, every kind of water sport imaginable, and plenty of barbeque to fill tanned tummies. We saw Mickey taking a jog as we made our way over to feed and swim with the stingrays. I wasn’t a fan of all those fish swarming around my legs, and I’m pretty sure my mother wouldn’t have played that, either. But Mari? She would have been front and center, letting those fish glide right up to her little fingers.

The Food
The food is delicious—no standard cruise ship fare here. Diners alternate between the three restaurants so that you get to experience a different setting and cuisine each night of your getaway. Chicken, steak, seafood, risotto, pasta, vegetarian fare—you name it, they had it. And if you didn’t see it on the menu, or wanted something different from what was offered, the chef was more than willing to hook you up. The cool part is that your servers remain the same each night, which means that not only do they know your name, they know your tastes. By the second evening, our server, Stacey-Ann, knew to keep the Kir Royals and red wine flowing, and even when I insisted my thighs couldn’t stand one more morsel, she insisted on bringing more food. When I told her I didn’t want anything for dessert, she brought me just that: a plate of nothing! On the last night of my trip, the Mommy Bloggers, along with our gracious Disney hosts, dined at Palo, an upscale, adults-only restaurant with an eclectic menu. The food and service there held up nicely to some of the finer landside restaurants I’ve frequented, for sure. It’s $15 extra per adult to dine there—definitely worth it, though, again, my mother probably wouldn’t have wanted to part with Mari to attend by herself.

The Magic
This is, for sure, the reason why my mother was so intent on taking her grandbaby on the Disney cruise. She was no Disney fanatic, but she so enjoyed the look in Mari’s eyes as she stared at videos of her favorite Disney movies and sang all the songs and mimicked all the movements and recited all the words. That same look was in the eyes of countless little girl cruisers who, decked out in the costumes of their favorite princesses, rushed up to Cinderella, Snow White, Belle, Ariel, and of course Mickey Mouse and his girl Minnie, looking for a hug/high-five/autograph from their heroines.Simply put: They were mesmerized. I can’t say that I had that same warm and fuzzy feeling; I, like many of my fellow African American moms, have always railed against allegiances to the Disney princesses—because they don’t look like us, because they seem to promote being “saved” by a guy, because they just don’t seem as strong as the independent women we’re raising our little girls to be. Still, I couldn’t help but imagine how wonderful it would be if my daughters, decked out in their favorite costume, could glide around The Disney Wonder, looking to give out hugs and kisses to a princess who looks like them. Frankly, I can’t wait for The Princess and The Frog, Disney’s newest princess, to join the team. She’s African American, and, if the trailer for the new movie, set for a Christmas release, is any indication, Princess Tiana (voiced by Dreamgirls’ Anika Noni Rose—love her!) will be quite the independent spirit. Take a look at the trailer; Tiana is kinda fly. (Not so much the firefly, whose grill leaves a lot to be desired.) Anyhoo, if Princess Tiana’s in the house on The Disney Wonder, I’ll be sure to make good on Gamma Bettye’s wish to take Mari on a Disney Cruise.

(Note: This post is the fourth in the MyBrownBaby series on the 2009 Mommy Bloggers Disney Cruise. For more information on a Disney Cruise vacation, click here.)