Vacation Week 2015

If you've been following me on Instagram, you've seen my adventures this past week. My family was in town visiting and we did a bunch of fun touristy things! I decided to leave the fancy camera behind and just do some Insta-blogging so here are a few of my snaps.

First, we hit Kennedy Space Center for some fun space adventures! While NASA doesn't do manned missions anymore, they still shoot off lots of rockets for satellites and such and several private companies are working on launching manned ships from the Kennedy Space Center. 

 While something 1960s would have been more appropriate, I went for an easy 1940s look that would be good for a day of walking around in big crowds.

Aside from some really cool space stuff, I spied these adorable vintage orange labels tucked off in a corner. So yummy!

And of course, all of the nerdy things! Even though I'm not much of a t-shirt person, I couldn't help but to snap a shot of this cute one.

Next up was Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure. Being a Disney buff, I've never made time for Universal so I was excited to see if it was as good as everyone says.

 For this adventure, I wore my Mexican peasant blouse, 1950s pedal pushers and comfortable shoes. When you are going some place you've never been, it's always better to be a bit more conservative in your outfits. I went for pants because skirts and roller coasters don't really mix. The park ended up being smaller than I thought but I was happy that I wore sneakers.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was high on my list of must sees at Universal. It was really cool! They did a great job of really making it look like Hog's Mead but the fake snow was a bit annoying in mid summer.

All in all, it was a fun day but definitely nothing to compare with Disney. There were more roller coasters but also a lot of water rides and 3D rides neither of which are really my thing. Universal Studios original park has even more 3D rides (almost all!) so I couldn't image going there. I did like the Jurassic Park section but was bummed that it's ride was a water ride. :(

For dinner, we hit up the Hard Rock Cafe which was yummy!

After two days of big parks, we took a rest day at the beach. It was super calm and we were able to go in quite far and see pretty deep into the water. Thank goodness for sun screen and beach umbrellas because I ended up falling asleep and napping on the beach.

After a break day, we hit up Epcot and I took my video camera so look for a blog some time soon. After my Downtown Disney vlog, one of my readers suggested that I do a Disney Bound. So here it is! I had so much fun doing this. Several cast members and visitors noticed my Snow White Disney Bound. Someone even knew it was a Disney Bound. :) Can't wait to do this again!

One of my favorite things about Epcot is the food! We stopped in France for a snack and look at those yummies! My husband was recently diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that is triggered by gluten similar to Celiac Disease and the staff at Disney were AMAZING with helping find gluten free options for him. Yay for Disney!

 Another reason I love Epcot is all of the fabulous clothes from all the countries! I loved this ensemble from Morocco. We had dinner in Morocco and it was fabulous! I think I'm going to be learning how to make Middle Eastern food soon. I also did some shopping in Mexico. I know I just started the Project 333 but I'm feeling really inspired right now and it might not end well....

All in all, it was a great week with my family. I'm so sad they are gone already but we had a blast. Back to normal life next week.

Prepping for a Vintage Trip

Packing for a trip is always a lot of work and just like most things, it takes a bit more effort for us vintage gals especially when you are just starting out. Planning is key!

Step 1: Pack

This is me packing for a weekend trip to a photography conference! I love laying out my outfits if I've got enough space. If not, I write out my outfits on paper though I might take them out one at a time for a closer look. If you have an itinerary or general idea of the activities/social events you'll be going to, that helps a lot!

If I was going on a cruise, I'd need different outfits than if I was road tripping to State Parks. If you don't have specific list of activities, try to come up with a list of likely events- casual day events, parties, dinners out, outdoor activities, etc. Consider which which activities are vintage friendly, which are me-made friendly and which might be more appropriate for repro or modern pieces.On my trip, I'd have one day of travel, two days of classes and one evening social event.

Once you have your activities, decide how many outfits you'll need. Will you want to change outfits during the day or perhaps bring a day-to-evening outfit with different accessories? Can you wear something more than once on a trip? For long trips, I prefer mix and match separates but for short trips, I'd rather bring really different outfits and bring one set of accessories that can go with more than one outfit since accessories are less likely to make an impact than an outfit.

Here's my outfits again. The left two dresses are my day dresses and the right dress is my evening dress. The outer two dresses are jersey which is great for travel since they won't wrinkle!

Next, start thinking about accessories for your outfits-shoes, tights/hoes, belts, jewelry, hat, hair accessories. And don't forget undergarments! Does one of your dresses need a special bra? Will you bring a sip or crinoline? Might you be inside where the ac could be on? Pack a cardigan or too!

For my trip I picked a black belt that could be worn with any of my dresses, just two pair of shoes and one pair of black tights. I also decided to bring just my small crinoline so it wouldn't take up valuable suitcase real estate. I also chose a classic faux pearl necklace and earrings that would go with any of my outfits.

Then go pack! I got all of my clothes into my small vintage suitcase and the gold bag held all of my modern stuff-toiletries, curling iron, laptop, stuff to do in the car, etc.

Step 2: Prep your hotel room

I know that once you hit the hotel room, you'll either be super tired and want to crash or so excited and ready to start on your vacation but prepping your hotel room will be essential to making your vintage look easy to maintain on your trip!

Most hotel rooms have a closet so hang up your clothes right away to prevent unnecessary wrinkles. If you need to and have time, iron anything that needs it right way so that it's all ready to go! If there's not an iron in your room or you are running short on time, try hanging the wrinkled garment in the bathroom while you shower and the steam will help remove the wrinkles!

I also organized my shoes and stowed my suitcases in the closet so they'd be out of the way!

Don't forget to prep the bathroom with all of your beauty and hair products so you're ready to go the next morning! Plus this is a great way to discover if you've forgotten something important-like your hair brush! *facepalm*

Also, be on the look out for great photo locations! If nothing else, the bathroom mirror tents to be handy!

Step 3: Enjoy your vacation!

Now you're all set to enjoy your trip! Your plan will help with outfit decisions but feel free to switch it up if something isn't working! All that prep will help loads on busy mornings when you are tired and need to get going early.

Do you have any trip packing tips?

Disney: The End

So this Disney post is a long time coming but on my last day of vacation, I didn't get any outfit shots on my camera. They were all on my phone! So now that I've finally figured out how to get them back off of my phone, here they are!

Fabric: sheets (free), gingham ($6)
 Pattern: Wearing History's Chic Ahoy!
Year: 1930s
Notions: Buttons ($9), snaps (stash), hooks and eyes (stash), belt (thrifted)
Time to complete: a while-the top required 3 muslins...
First worn: Downtown Disney
Wear again? Yes! I was a bit nervous about the pants but they are crazy fun to wear. I was able to raise the back on the top so that I can wear a strapless bra with it so I envision wearing it a lot this summer.
Total cost: $15

Sewing wise, muslins are going to be a must for this pattern. I did a bit of pre-adjusting to the bottoms using another pair of vintage shorts pattern that I'd already gotten perfect, but they had to make some more changes. The biggest thing I wanted to change was the location of the crotch. As is common with vintage pants, the crotch is much lower than we wear it today. The top also needed muslins. I had to move the bust points and I also brought the neckline up. The biggest change I made was to raise the back of the top so I could wear a strapless bra with it. I so do not have a 30s sized chest! I used a strip of selvage on the top seam of the back to stabilize it. It's cut on the bias so I didn't want the top to stretch out and sag. So far so good!

I also made the little bolero that went with it but in Florida, I didn't really need it. Next time I wear this, I promise more pictures!

Disney World: Animal Kingdom

 Outfit:

Me-Made Colette Pattern's Macaron

 

 Animal Kingdom is so fun! It's very spread out and pretty for just walking around. Plus loads of animals!

 I made this bird dress especially to wear at Animal Kingdom! This pattern fit me quite well but it was rather short! I cut out the skirt as long as the largest size was and it's still on the shorter side. Also, the neck hole is a bit small so I think I'd do a center back zip instead of the side zip. I'm not much of a fan of side zips anyways.

 The safari is always fun. The expertly designed enclosures make you feel like you're on a safari though it's much safer. No need to worry about a rino attacking the jeep!

 We also saw a really neat bird show (which may have contributed to the post-vacation impulse bird buy)

 I think the skirt part of the dress still needs a bit of work in the fit area. I do fit into it but I think the shape was designed to have a bit more ease.

 Oh, but the back fits fabulously! Guess I'll just have to walk backwards everywhere!

Expedition Everest is the thrill ride of the park. You get to ride a coaster up this hill and perhaps encounter the Yeti!

By the end of the day I was quite tired. This park does not quite have as much to do in it as the other parks but it's very spread out. It's the newest park and a lot of thought was put into the layout. The atmosphere is amazing but it does sure require a lot of walking.

Disney Day 4: Park Hoppers

The lines were crazy short during our first two days in the parks and we got crazy ahead of schedule and decided to take a day to bounce around the parks and take some pictures. We started out in Hollywood Studios, knocked out a couple of rides and got snapping.

Of course, Mickey was there to greet everyone!

This is one ride my husband rode alone! Last trip, he convinced me to try it but I chickened out at the end and had to look silly in front of all of the little kids in line. Dropping rides are just not my thing.

 

This 60s playsuit is Simplicity 5424. The pattern was a gift from Brittany of Va-Voom Vintage and I just had to make it up before vacation! 

Isn't it just darling! The fabric I used was an Asian print knit I thrifted so I did have to make some changes-namely adding a band underneath the bust (to keep the girls from escaping!) and making both pieces without closures (yay for streatchy knits!) Then I added some decorative frogs to keep with the Asian theme.

At Hollywood Studios, there are two movie sets-San Francisco and New York. I just adored this dress shop on the San Francisco street. There were some super cute 40s/50s illustrations in the window.

San Francisco!

The use of backdrops and perspective is straight out of the movies.

New York! New York! What a wonderful town!

They even had a pretend subway entrance that was really just stairs to nowhere.

Now this is my kind of hotel!

There's also a Honey, I Shrunk the Kids! playground. I'm a bit big for the playground now but I could still pose on the ant.

This is my husband's favorite park so he had a blast!

The great movie ride is housed in a replica of Grauman's Chinese Theater. It's pretty awesome and a must for any movie lover!

I feel like a star!

Then we popped back over to Epcot for some lunch (of course!) and more country exploring!

They have some pretty awesome fountains.

In the evening, it was back to the Magic Kingdom for some of our favorite rides one last time.

And we stayed up for the Wishes show! It was pretty amazing!