Valentine's Day 2016

(Dress: Unique Vintage/ flower crown: Forever 21/ necklace: Michal Negrin/ the bodysuit that wouldn't stop showing: Figleaves.com)

This year I was lucky enough to spend my third Valentine's Day with Elijah, which included dressing up to take these pictures before eating our home-cooked lasagna. Elijah isn't big on pictures, so it is truly a testament to how much he loves me that he got dressed up and smiled for the camera despite being able to smell the lasagna, fresh out of the oven and calling out names. I am so grateful to him for all the other little and not so little things he does for me that make me feel so loved. We're each other's best friends, and Valentine's Day really is a day to reflect on how wonderful and special that is.

Another wonderful thing I really enjoyed about this Valentine's Day was the amount of my friends who happily chose to celebrated Valentine's Day with their friends and family this year. I think it's so important to remember how many people love us and are there for us in so many ways. Nothing is as important in our lives as the people that help support us and make us who we are. Love is essential to our happiness, but it's also essential to realize that love doesn't have to come from a partner or a significant other. The deepest loves are those based on friendship and family, and if you have that (and chances are you do), celebrate it!

On a more materialistic note, how cute is this Unique Vintage dress? The style is very 1950's but the bright, almost neon pink really makes it more modern and super fun. The color exactly matched my pink rose garlands, and my hair exactly matched my purple rose garlands. 

I have really been loving pink and purple combinations, and last week I actually tried unsuccessfully to introduce some pink into my hair. Turns out the drop of purple was too strong though, and it simply went back to purple. Not that I'm complaining though. I love my purple hair, and I was nervous how the pink would look anyways.

A Few of My Favorite Things

 (blouse: thrifted from my mother's closet/ jeans: Forever 21/ coat: vintage from Miami Twice/ headscarf: vintage from Ebay/ necklace and earrings: Lulu's/ boots: Target/ glasses: Sophia Loren Collection)

I had been looking for a tapestry coat for so long before I finally found this coat last year, but because I found it over spring break, when the weather was already warm, it hasn't gotten much use since. Last Friday I decided that it was time to wear it before the weather really warms up again. I paired it with one of my most beloved blouses, my current favorite pair of boots, chunky jewelry, and my go-to vintage headscarf. It was a lot of patterns, but I loved how they all worked together. The whole outfit was a beautiful mix of  pieces inspired by or from the 60s, 70s, and 80s into a unique concoction with lots of colors, patterns, and textures that made me happy and, just as importantly, kept me warm.

On a different subject: I am getting into the habit of wearing my glasses much more. I really only need them for reading lecture slides in class is slowly worsening. Although my eyesight is really not that bad, I am now unable to see as many beautiful details of the world (or of familiar faces) without my glasses. This reality is starting to help me overcome my aversion to wearing them in public, as is my continued conscious effort to care less about the way others may perceive me and be truer to myself. Rather than seeing my glasses as something that conflicts with my style and image, I am seeing them more as an extension of who I am and sometimes even truly enjoy how they look on with some outfits, including this one. I might not ever feel cool wearing glasses, but I am starting to feel more like me in glasses, and that's even better.

First Adventure of the New Year to the Happiest Place on Earth

This year one of my New Year's resolutions is to do as much traveling and adventuring as possible, so it felt really great to go on my first trip on the third day of this new year with my amazing boyfriend. Our destination? Disney World. Elijah and I are both Disney nerds and love the parks, but neither of us have been to them since 2014. I have been aching and pining to go back, and when I convinced Elijah to get an annual pass with me for this year, I was incredibly happy and excited.

We got the chance to stay at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, where my dad, uncle, and grandpa were staying for a work conference, all before going back up to school. Even though we had less than two days, we managed to go to all four parks and do almost everything we had wanted to. It was a wonderful way to begin the year and the semester. 

I hope you all enjoy the pictures! It was truly a magical time.

Hollywood Studios

(Turtleneck: vintage from Elyce Feliz on Etsy/ skirt: Forever 21/ shoes: Target/ ears: Disney World, obviously)

The first night was the last night ever for the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, so of course we had to head over to Hollywood Studios. We didn't get to the park until eight though, so we went to see Fantasmic first, our favorite Disney nighttime show. It was a slightly rainy night in the fifties, so we were cold and wet through the entire show (and the rest of the night), but it was worth it, and the show was still magical.

Afterwards, we went on rides and went to see the Osborne Lights. We actually caught the very last showing of the lights ever. Christmas lights are one of my favorite things about my favorite holiday, so you can imagine how happy all of the lights made me. It was all so beautiful!

We ended our night meeting Chewie and seeing the new Star Wars fireworks show over the Chinese Theatre.

Epcot

  (Dress: vintage from Dusty Desert on Etsy/ shoes: Aliexpress.com/ ears and necklace: Disney World)

Oh, Epcot. It is always such a neat and calm park, even on super busy days. The first half of our first full day in Disney was spent very well in this beautiful park. What I love about Epcot is how you don't ever need to stand in any long lines to enjoy the park, you can just walk around the World Showcase instead. It is also a great park to randomly run into characters who you don't have to wait half an hour to meet.

I always love interacting with characters, and this time every character had something to say about my Mickey and Minnie shoes and/or my purple hair. Donald Duck was very upset by my shoes and necklace. He wanted to know why I wasn't wearing a necklace of him, poor thing. Mickey and Minnie loved my whole outfit though, and my shoes especially. My favorite character that I met was Tigger, who hugged me multiple times, loved my shoes, my hair, and the pen I had him sign my autograph book with (it was orange). I always have to meet "Epcot Tigger" whenever I go, because Epcot Tigger is the best Tigger. I always have such great interactions with him, and he is always very enthusiastic, just like Tigger should be!

Magic Kingdom

(Shirt: thrifted from my mother's closet/ skirt and cardigan: Forever 21/ shoes: Aliexpress.com)  

After half a day at Epcot, we headed over to Magic Kingdom, where it got dark very soon and we got to enjoy the Christmas lights on Cinderella's Castle. We ran around a lot trying to get on all the rides we wanted when the lines were the shortest, and as a result we actually ended up missing both the castle show and the Wishes fireworks show, but we did get a pretty nice alternative view from Fantasyland of the fireworks. The fireworks exploded all around us and the sky above us completely lit up.

The next and last day, we headed to Magic Kingdom again in the morning to try to do everything we had missed the day before. We got there ten minutes before the park opened so that we could get right onto the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train right away, only to find that the park was already open and the line was already an hour long. We decided to make the line anyways though, because it is one of our favorite rides. It was the longest line we had to wait through, but it was worth it.

We were finishing up with Magic Kingdom by lunch time, and since Elijah hadn't seen the inside of Belle's castle, we chose to eat there before heading to Animal Kingdom.

 Animal Kingdom

Our last and final stop was Animal Kingdom, which neither Elijah or I had been to since 2012. It was really nice to finally go back, and compared to the always busy Magic Kingdom, the atmosphere was so much more laid-back and relaxed.

The first thing we saw at Animal Kingdom, even before we got into the park, was their beautiful Christmas tree. It was my favorite tree out of all the trees at all the parks when I was a kid, and I was just as impressed with it this time. The tree is full of animals, Hidden Mickeys, and reminders of the season that all look beautiful!

We only had four hours in Animal Kingdom, but we managed to do everything we really wanted to do, including Everest. I am a scaredy-cat about rides, and I had never been on Everest before for that reason, but I decided to face my fears and be brave. It wasn't that bad in the end, and I felt proud of myself!

From Animal Kingdom we went to the hotel for our bags before heading to catch the bus back to Tallahassee. I am really glad we got to go to Disney right before starting our semester, and I can't wait for all the other adventures and Disney trips I have planned for this year!