Rompin' Around Animal Kingdom

Hey there!  I'm back today with another look from my February trip to Orlando!

Growing-up, my parents always dressed my sister and me in our cutest outfits for vacation.  The fact that I write a personal style blog might be a dead giveaway that I really like cute outfits, but sometimes, I looked with envy at the families dressed in their comfiest clothes instead of their cutest clothes.

Luckily, for the travelers of today, rompers exist!  Wearing a romper feels like wearing gym shorts but looks like you put in effort.  When I found this chambray, scalloped romper that went perfectly with my Minnie Keds, I was immediately sold!

If you're headed somewhere warm for spring break and are looking for something comfy and cute to wear, check-out a few great rompers that I found online!  I think that these would be great for a day of sightseeing and could easily layer underneath a denim jacket for breezy evenings.

Which romper is your favorite?  Are you headed anywhere warm for spring break?

What I'm Wearing:
Romper: My Sister's Closet (similar)
Sneakers: Keds (exact)
Purse: Old Navy (similar)

And while you're here, don't forget to link-up your latest style with The Blended Blog!

Minnie Mouse à la Mode

I thought about titling this post, "What to Wear in Orlando," but then I realized that I didn't have much to add that you probably don't already know yourself:

1. wear light, breathable, clothing
2. walking shoes that are comfy and cushioned are a must
3. cross-body bags make for hands-free amusement park fun
4. you'll want to wear sunglasses unless you want a headache from squinting
5. suncreen!  suncreen!  sunscreen!

While I don't have many unique tips on dressing for a Disney vacation, I can share with you what I wore and loved during my Orlando trip in February.

I've been packing for trips with a capsule mentality for about a year now (check-out my springtime in Europe and my summer in Belgium posts).  One of my favorite perks of packing this way is feeling like I have a cohesive style throughout my trip.  So, even though this wasn't a long trip and I didn't really need layers (which help so much in remixing capsules), I decided that I wanted all of my Orlando outfits to be in the same color scheme and have the same vibe.

For each capsule, there's usually an item that sparks my inspiration.  This time, I built my capsule around these Minnie Mouse Keds.  I am notorious for making poor shoe decisions that I regret halfway through the day and I was determined not to do so for this trip.  I love my other pairs of Keds so I knew that these would be comfortable and provide lots of cushion to make standing in long lines a bit more bearable.  Plus, if you can't wear whimsical shoes at the Magic Kingdom, when can you??

Want your own pair of Minnie Mouse Keds?  I found a bunch of cute pairs on Amazon like mine but in red, these cute lace-ups, and this more subtle pair.

What I'm Wearing:

Dress: My Sister's Closet (exact)

Crossbody Purse: Old Navy (similar)

Sneakers: Keds (exact)

And since I'm finally on top of publishing a style post on a Wednesday, don't forget to link-up with The Blended Blog!

Save

Orlando Outfits of the Day and Travel Must-Haves

Thank you so much for all of your positive comments on my Orlando adventure photos that I have been posting all week.  If you haven't seen them yet, here are the posts:

A Magical Birthday: professionally captured moments at the Magic Kingdom.
The Belle of the Ball: pictures of my birthday activities.
Just a Muggle: a glimpse at our adventures in Harry Potter World.
Conquering the World One Drink at a Time: a review of our drinks around the world at Epcot.

You've already seen the outfits that I wore during my vacation but I thought it would be fun to talk more specifically about the outfit details and what you must take with you for a trip to Orlando!

Picking-out the outfit for your thirtieth birthday is an important task!  I wanted to feel pretty, classic and like myself.  I also wanted to be cool and comfortable because I knew we would be at the Magic Kingdom for the majority of the day.  This dress from Loft checked all of the must-haves off my list!  I love the v-neck and crossover details that make the dress lovely, unique and flattering.  The jersey material was perfect for a hot day on the move!  The dress is currently 40% off and comes in other colors and patterns.

And now let's talk about these shoes!  I had been on the hunt for some classic cognac flat sandals but with pretty detail.  After searching for a month or so, these beauties popped-up in my Pinterest feed.   Low and behold, the pin actually led to a purchasable link!  The sandals were definitely a splurge but they were exactly what I had been looking for.  They are very well made with strong and soft leather.

As much as I love these sandals.  I would actually not recommend them for a day at a theme park.  While the straps were comfortable and didn't cause any blisters, the soles of the shoes have no padding and left my feet very sore at the end of they day.  Next time I will be looking for sandals with more support!

Pictures compliments of Brittany Morgan Photography.

I had lots of luck shopping at Loft for my birthday weekend ensembles.  While searching for the perfect birthday dress, I came across this fun romper!  The fabric and fit was breathable and the elastic waist made for a super comfy outfit.  I also think that rompers have a playful vibe so what could be better than a romper for a theme park?

And these shoes were a much better choice for a day on the go.  The flat espadrille look is certainly on-trend this summer and the thick, squishy soles were perfect for my already-sore feet.  These exact shoes appear to be sold out but here are the same espadrilles but in denim.

To go with the fun t-shirts that my sister made, I wanted to wear something a bit more fun than jean shorts but still comfortable.  This skirt from Old Navy was perfect!  Plus it travels really well.  This is a great piece to add to your vacation suitcase this summer.

Along with comfy shoes and breathable clothing, here are a few of my other must-haves for a trip to Orlando:
-A small, casual purse: I wanted a bag that would fit the essentials but wouldn't get in the way when riding rides (granted you will probably need a bigger bag if traveling with kids).  I also wanted something that wasn't expensive just in case it was ruined by water, sweat, sun screen, ice cream or any other vacation uh ohs.  This purse from Old Navy was perfect for the task and is super cute with the tassel detail.
-Sunglasses: Do I even need to give an explanation here?  A pair of aviators are a classic accessory for any warm-weather outfit.
-A cooling towel: I mentioned this amazing little towel in an earlier post but my recommendation bears repeating.  When you wet the towel, it doesn't get drippy at all!  But as it dries, it cools!  It's perfect to wrap around your neck or lay across your forehead when you are feeling overheated.

Well friends, that wraps up my Orlando posts!  Thanks for revisiting the memories with me!
SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

Conquering the World One Drink at a Time

Welcome to the last of my birthday weekend review posts!  Thanks for  celebrating my birthday, visiting the Magic Kingdom and exploring Harry Potter World with me already this week!

After visiting Harry Potter World on Sunday morning, we headed back to our rental house to freshen up a bit and then ventured over to Disney's Epcot!

My sister made these fun t-shirts for us to wear as we visited the different countries featured at the park!  (She even created my own hashtag)!

Just a Muggle

Happy Hump Day!  How have you spent your day so far?  I attended my second yoga class ever this morning and I'm loving it!  Add a post-class iced coffee and I am having a lovely morning.

Before I jump into more Orlando vacation photos, make sure that you head to The Blended Blog for a review of Week 3 of Create28.  If you scroll to the bottom of this post, you'll find our weekly link-up and the prompts for the last week of the style challenge!

On Monday I posted some profession photos of my birthday visit to the Magic Kingdom and yesterday I shared some personal snapshots from the day.  Today I will be sharing my pictures from our time in Harry Potter World at Universal Studios.  P.S.  I still can't fit the rest of my photos into this post so stay tuned for just one more vacation recap.  I hope you don't mind!

I haven't talked much about it on my blog, but I'm a huge Harry Potter fan!  Like, I'm still waiting for my letter from Hogwarts kind of a fan!  I can't explain how excited I was to visit Harry Potter World and to feel J.K. Rowling's stories come to life.  I had butterflies in my stomach and tears in my eyes as I entered Hogsmeade!

I share my adoration of Harry Potter with my dad and my sister.  It was such a special moment to enter this magical world together!

The Belle of the Ball

Good evening, lovelies!  I usually schedule my posts in the morning but ahh, the luxuries of a teacher on summer vacation.  I was able to write during the day!

Thank you so much for your positive comments about the birthday pictures I posted yesterday!  We were so grateful to have Brittany Morgan along to take the beautiful photos!  As promised, I'm back today with more pictures from my birthday weekend that were taken by amateurs (my family, friends and me) with amateur equipment (iPhones).

As I was looking through all of the captured moments from the weekend, I struggled to narrow down just a smattering of photos that truly depict all of the fun we had!  And what the heck, this is my little corner of the internet, so I'm going to spread these pictures over my next two posts!  What you see today are my memories of the night we all arrived in Orlando and the pictures from my actual birthday (the first full day in Florida).

One of the best decisions of the weekend was to rent an Airbnb house so that the whole crew could stay together!  I was able to spend every moment with my loved ones and that is what made the weekend so special.  My sister was a party planner extraordinaire and had the house decorated when we all arrived.  She made a fun banner, Mickey-themed cupcakes and welcome gifts for all of us!

The house was perfect!  I just had to share a picture of the super-fun Minnie Room where my friend Michelle and I lived for the weekend!

Another fun feature of the weekend was a Disney-themed cocktail of the day!  My brother-in-law, Brad mixed delicious beverages for us...this was the Belle of the Ball!

A Magical Birthday

If I had to choose one birthday to remember and cherish for the rest of my life, thirty would be the one!  I traveled to Orlando, Florida with ten of my closest family members and friends to celebrate at Disney's Magic Kingdom on May 28th.  Disney is one of my favorite places in the whole world but what truly touched me was the turnout for the party.  I am the absolute luckiest to have so many loved ones in my life with whom I get to spend the little moments and the milestones!

There's nothing quite like walking down Main Street, U.S.A. and catching your first glimpse of Cinderella's Castle, is there?  The lovely Brittany Morgan of Brittany Morgan Photography joined us for the afternoon and captured some beautiful moments!  It's these that I will be sharing today but stay tuned for a week's worth of Florida fun!

Did you know that if you visit Disney on your birthday, you get to wear a fun button for the day (and possibly a tiara)?  But the special treatment doesn't stop there, every single Disney cast member (a.k.a. employee) will shout across the sidewalk to wish you a happy birthday!  I really felt like a princess!