Addison’s First Haircut

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When we started planning for our Walt Disney World trip, I discovered that the Harmony Barber Shop was an actual working salon and that it was possible to make an appointment for a child’s first haircut. Miss Addy was in definite need of a cut months before our trip, but we decided that we would push it off so that she could get her first cut at Disney.

The Harmony Barber Shop was so great and the stylist that cut Addison’s hair was so patient and quick! Addy had a little spinner toy that she was given to keep her content during the cut and honestly, she was not even bothered by the fact that her hair was being cut.

It was a definite once in a lifetime experience and these photographs are some of my very favorites that I’ve ever taken. I hope one day Addy loves and cherishes them as much as I do.

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City Eats: Primrose Bakery, London

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If you know me, you know I really like cupcakes. While we lived in Germany, however, there weren’t too many places you could even find a cupcake. So, when I stumbled upon Primrose Bakery in London while planning our trip there, I was so excited!

This place was so fun and the cupcakes were absolutely delicious! The bakery felt cozy, funky, and eclectic all at once, and those are absolutely my favorite types of places. It took us so long to decide, but my sister and I finally decided on an Earl Grey cupcake and a salted caramel cupcake. I still can’t believe we only got two!

If you’re ever in London, have a cupcake (or two) at Primrose Bakery, you won’t be disappointed.

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Snow Style

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Coat and sweater from H&M, J Brand jeans, hat from boutique in Barcelona, scarf from The Gap, Khombu boots. 

Normally, I prefer to enjoy the snow from the comfort of my home, fireside with a warm mug of tea or coffee, snuggled up with my people. The other weekend, however, presented us with a slight predicament; the only way we were going to have a King Cake this year was if we ventured out into the snow to pick it up. We had waited too long to order one and it was the last weekend before all the bakeries stopped baking King Cakes for this Mardi Gras season, so venture out we did.

I never actually wear enough layers, because I can’t stand feeling too constricted and I don’t love the bulk that too many layers add. I learned a little bit about how to stay warm enough, without too much bulk, while living in Europe and enduring quite a lot of cold a good portion of the year. Hats and scarves help so much – which I don’t mind, I love a good accessory or two.

I am actually really happy we got out, because the snow was absolutely gorgeous and by the time we got out, the roads were fine (which is one thing I always stress about). It was wonderful to see the city all white and covered in snow.

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A Stroll Through the Garden District, New Orleans

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I cannot believe it has already been almost a year since we visited New Orleans in the springtime. Jason and I have made so many wonderful memories together in the city throughout the course of our relationship and we were so excited to get back last year. There is so much to love about New Orleans. The history, the food, the people, the culture, the music, the beauty. For us it is even more, as it holds such special memories with so many people that we love and have celebrated life’s greatest joys with in the city. This time it was really special and memorable once again, because we shared this trip with our sweet daughter and niece and my sister. It was really wonderful to share one of our favorite places with people we love so much. Truly, one of my favorite ways to show the people I love how much I care is to share my favorite things and places with them.

One of the things about this trip that we were most excited about was the amount of time we had to really explore and take in the beauty of the city. We set aside an entire day to just explore parts of the city on foot. We decided to spend some of that time in the Garden District seeing the historic homes and the gorgeous foliage. Being there, walking there, just made you feel like you were a part of living, breathing history. You could almost imagine the people who lived in these homes and walked on these streets, over the course of its existence. There is definitely something to be said for a place that just makes you feel so much and spend time just reflecting on everything that it is.

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Clochin’ About Town

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I think my favorite thing about fashion and about style is that you don’t have to put yourself in a box. A couple of years ago, I would have said my overall style was more classic and modern with a little edge. Now? I wouldn’t even know how to describe all of the pieces I love and styles I am inspired by. I credit part of that to being a fashion major and having the fun task of researching and learning more about the most inspiring and popular styles in history.

Lately, I have been been inspired by styles from the late 1960s and early 1970s and just bought a killer pair of bell bottoms that I cannot wait to wear. I also really love Disney, hence this Tiana bag that I finally purchased after admiring for months. I say all this to say, be you. Wear what you like. Be who you are. It’ll all come together when you are being true to who you are and doing what you love.

“You don’t have time to be timid. You must be bold and daring.” -Lumière, Beauty & the Beast

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Dress & Coat from H&M, Shoes from Rebecca Minkoff, Cloche from Goorin Bros., Bag from Dooney and Bourke, Necklace from Jason’s Dad and Michelle for Christmas.

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Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

 

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Jason and I are so happy to have been able to take Addison to one of our favorite places in the entire world, Walt Disney World!

We tossed around the idea of going to Disney for a while and actually decided against it until she was a bit older, but then she started showing an interest in costumed characters and certain Disney movies and characters. So, after lots of research and tons of planning, we decided to go for it. I am so glad we did! We had the best time experiencing Disney through her eyes. She loved meeting the characters and was not intimidated at all. In fact, she learned really quickly to take each character her little autograph book and give them big hugs! She was such a trooper and we all had such a great time together. She took naps in her stroller when she was tired, but when a show began or it was time to meet a character, she was all eyes and ears!

One thing that I was really passionate about us doing was a character meal. After researching and considering Addy’s favorite characters, we decided on Chef Mickey’s Fun Time Buffet at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Addy has loved her Little People Mickey and Minnie for as long as she was old enough to hold them and play with them, so it was really important to Jason and I that we find a meal that included both Mickey and Minnie. We felt that for this trip, Chef Mickey’s would be perfect and we could also schedule our meal on a day that we did not have tickets to the parks, since the restaurant and resort are outside the parks and do not require an admission ticket. We had read prior to reserving our meal that the food is not necessarily the best of all of the character meals, but because of the nostalgia and ambiance of the Contemporary Resort, as well as the character line-up, we decided that it was a risk we were willing to take. Honestly, we were quite happy with our meal and especially loved the sweet options, and of course, the Mickey-shaped waffles!

We really loved Chef Mickey’s Fun Time Buffet and we really enjoyed spending time exploring the Contemporary Resort as well, as I have long been enamored with “the Disney resort that the monorail runs through.” I think our time at the Contemporary Resort brought out the kid in all of us.

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Embroidered Booties

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Green sweater from Marshalls, Gap jeans, Rebecca Minkoff booties & purse, Target fedora, The Giving Keys necklace. 

It is no secret that I love a good bootie. I also really like items that are edgy and unique. When I spotted these embroidered Rebecca Minkoff booties on sale last year, I grabbed them up knowing I would probably wait months until I would actually be able to wear them. I finally got to take them about town one weekend this fall, when Jason, Addison, and I had Sunday Brunch at one of our favorite spots in downtown Colorado Springs, Springs Orleans. I think the booties and their motif fit right in among the New Orleans themed restaurant.

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Travel Log: Disneyland Paris at Christmastime

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While living in Europe, Jason and I were fortunate enough to be able to visit Disneyland Paris multiple times. I love Disney Parks at any time of the year, but Christmastime is especially magical.

When people knew we had visited Disneyland Paris, one question we got many times was “How does Disneyland Paris compare to Walt Disney World in Florida or Disneyland in California?” To be honest, we went in to each experience with no expectations or comparisons between either park and we feel that each individual park has its own set of unique experiences, food that is unique to each park, and rides that were either unique to each park or were slightly different than the “same” ride at another park. In my opinion, no one park is better than the other, we love them all! One of my favorite memories of Disneyland Paris was when a cast member noticed that we traded pins, which is not typically a huge draw for visitors of the Disneyland Paris parks, but he made a point of bringing out some limited edition pins specific to Disneyland Paris and traded as many pins as we needed to get all the pins that he had, that we wanted.

One year, we opted to spend Thanksgiving Day at the park and ring in the Christmas season there. We were able to see the park’s Christmas parade on Thanksgiving Day, take in all the festive decor, and just enjoy the magic that being at a Disney Park brings. Speaking of enjoying the magic of Disney Parks, we are really excited to be spending a bit of time at Walt Disney World this holiday season; we are especially excited to take Addy to Disney for the first time, as she loves Mickey, Minnie, and Olaf, music and dancing. I also cannot wait to experience Epcot Festival of the Holidays and try things from each of the Holiday Kitchens! Obviously if you read this blog, or know me personally, you know food is one of my very favorite things. 😉

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and are able to spend time with the people (and pets) that you love, make time to slow down, and relish in the season.

 

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Travel Log: Waco + The Magnolia Silos

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This past Spring, Jason and I were finally able to take a trip to Waco, Texas and the Magnolia Silos. Fixer Upper has been such a source of decor inspiration for us, so it was really neat to visit the Magnolia campus and find a few treasures in Magnolia Market.

My sister and niece joined us on our trip and we all really enjoyed our time in Waco. While Jason was off speaking to students at Baylor, sister and I enjoyed several cups of joe from Common Grounds. Common Grounds is just outside of the Baylor campus and is such a neat, local coffee joint. It has a really funky vibe, which is just the kind of place I like.

When we all met back up, we enjoyed perusing the market, checking out the delicious food trucks at the Silos, and of course, the very tasty treats from the Silos Baking Co.

 

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Pumpkin Patchin’

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One of the things we really wanted to do with Addison this fall was visit a pumpkin patch. We wanted to do it last year, but we just never got around to it. To be honest, I think it turned out perfectly, as she wouldn’t have enjoyed it nearly as much as she did this year.

We went to a local farm that also had a few animals available for petting, which Addy really enjoyed. They also had several games and “rides,” but those were not really age appropriate for her yet, so we enjoyed the animals and the pumpkins. Actually, Addy’s favorite thing seemed to be climbing on all of the hay bales in the “pick your pumpkin” area.

We were happy to spend a gorgeous Colorado fall day together and pick a couple of pumpkins to bring home and carve.

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