10 Things About Traveling to Disney

For those of you who know me, I have always loved Disney. I had every single word to The Little Mermaid's "Part of Your World" memorized and I used to perform it for my family at my Nana's house whenever possible. When I'm in Disney, seeing the princesses is still my favorite part. It's a lot of walking, a lot of cool rides, and a lot of awesome shows (and fantastic fireworks!) But for those of you who haven't been to Disney, be warned: it's not all fun and games.

Believe it or not, this (below) is what most people look like while at Disney.

When You Believe in Something

I got back from Mexico safe and sound yesterday, and tomorrow I am off to Disney World with my family! A hectic two weeks, but fun none the less. After spending all last night doing laundry so I'd be prepared for our drive down to Providence today, it's safe to say I'm pretty exhausted. Excited to be going to Disney, not so excited my parents chose to fly us out of an airport that is five (yes, FIVE) hours away from home.

But, I can't really complain because I'm lucky enough to still be going on vacation with them at 20. It's likely to be one of my last family vacations for a long time (seeing as after next year I have to actually be a real grown up...), so I'm planning on cherishing the time I get to spend with my family in our favorite place! Yes, we may or may not call Disney World our home away from home. My brother insists he doesn't like Disney, but I think he secretly enjoys it! Not that he'll ever admit it...

Summer Flip Flops

We landed safe and sound yesterday in Mexico! And oh my, is it gorgeous! Our resort is fantastic and it's all inclusive ;) The sun and the pool bar sand is calling my name, so this post will be a quick one! Hope all is well wherever you are!

I've been rocking flip flops for a month or so now, but as of late my all around shoe fetish has really just become a flip flop fetish. #guilty 

I'm partial to my Jacks in every way possible when it comes to flip flops and sandals. I love them. I'll be the first to admit my feet start to hurt after an extended period of time walking in them though. Although, I'll take the pain with the style I suppose. By the end of the summer I plan on investing in a new pair of Jacks and yes, I might be a little, too excited about it. Call me a flip-flop snob. But you can't wear Jacks all the time, right? (Highly debatable, I know...) so included at the bottom of this post are some equally as cute alternatives!

Take Me to Rio

It should come as no surprise that I'm a Kate Spade addict to any of you, but alas, I couldn't resist doing a post on their latest new arrivals. I browse the site almost daily and while I had my doubts about the latest additions to the collection, they've really grown on me.

As if I wasn't obsessed enough with their book clutches, I absolutely fell in love with this one. It's so bright and summer-y, if I had a reason to carry around a clutch I would totally invest in it! I have a feeling that my bag addiction is never going to stop. I love them, and really, can a girl ever have too many bags? Hint: the answer is an unequivocal no.

Summer is my absolute favorite (although my hair would suggest otherwise... frizz is at it's highest from May to August). I love dresses, and I love skirts. I am the epitome of a girly girl and summer is my season.

Life is About Moments

Some of my favorite moments in my life have been captured on camera. But I have a LOT of favorite moments, so the ones I did happen to get on camera tend to be the ones that aren't necessarily at the top of my list of "favorites." Although, the picture at the very bottom of this post of me and my best friends is definitely in my top three favorite photos (even though I'm still not over how horrible my roots were...).

I hope I'm not alone in this, but I find myself reflecting upon my favorite moments of each day right before I go to sleep. And it's nothing that I do on purpose, it's just where my mind wanders. I find great solace in that every night before I fall asleep I have something to smile about, even on my worst days. The tricky thing about moments though, is making sure that you see them. And appreciate them. And make sure they don't pass you by.

A Good Life is a Collection of Happy Moments

I don't know if I would necessarily want to capture every moment that I appreciate on camera. I love photos and I love the amazing ability they have at telling stories without the use of words. The mark of an extremely good photo is one that could move you to tears, it's so full of emotion--whether it be sadness, happiness, loss, or love. Emotions are what make a moment a moment, and it's absolutely amazing when that can be captured and held onto forever.

That being said, memories are also one of the most sacred things in the world to me. Some memories are meant to be shared, and some meant to be kept private. There's a luxury in that. My favorite moments have been spent alone, with my family, my best friends... and so on. 

The moment you realize you might actually have the guts to chase after your dreams. The moment you realize you actually didn't bomb that exam, and all your hard work paid off. The moment someone you love gets some amazing news. The moment you beat your best mile time, or your team wins the state championship. The moment you come to find the person you like may actually like you back.

But moments aren't just good, and I'm thankful for that too. If we never experienced bad things, the gut-wrenching, tear-jerking, heart-dropping (or stopping) moments that literally make you feel like your world is ending. The moment you lose a loved one. The moment someone breaks your heart. The moment someone beats you out for the job that was everything you could have ever hoped for. The moment you realize that one of the friendships you've held so dear for so long is falling apart.

So here's to moments. To the bad ones that make the good ones so great, and the absolutely out of this world exciting moments that remind you just how wonderful life is. I think we all get extremely caught up in the drama that comes when life keeps throwing things at you day to day. I do wish my eyes could take photos. Sometimes I even wish they could take videos, so I could replay the moments that made my friends and I drop on the floor laughing so hard we almost cried. Mostly though, I'm just happy for all the moments I'm lucky enough to have; after all, they're the things that keep me going when it feels like the entire world is working against me. And we've all been there, right?

Some of My "Favorites"

Penelope <3

Switzerland with some amazing ladies!

#throwback

My cousin and I in Rhode Island

Senior prom with my best!

One of the last pictures I took with my Nana

The moment I realized my brother might actually like me...

Being dysfunctional with the closest thing I have to a sister. In Paris of all places... #typical

High school graduation with the goons I call my best friends

Yeah, I'm a lucky one.

xoxo

All I Think is Mexico...

So after spring break, we're kind of in the home stretch. And I just realized yesterday that I only have one final (granted, it's on the last day of finals... because, well that's just my luck). Ignoring that little tidbit though, I basically decided that I'm officially done school April 30th. It's SO close! But so far away. It's also the most aggravating feeling in the world. I feel like I have senioritis and I'm not even a senior. Whoops!

Moving on though, last week was basically torture scrolling through my Instagram feed and seeing loads among loads of pictures of paradise. Key West, Cancun, the Dominican Republic, oh, they all looked so nice! Needless to say it put my wanderlust into full throttle and two of my best friends and I booked a trip to Mexico this June. To be followed directly by my family trip to Disney! Last summer was amazing, and I knew it'd be hard to beat, but I don't know... this summer's looking pretty good so far.

In other news, I'm broke again...

But oh well! One of the perks of working three jobs is that I know I have a steady inflow of cash coming in. So yay! My anxiety attacks related to lack of funds have officially subsided. And now all I have to really focus on is making sure I get through the next six weeks of school (which is already proving to be an issue as I took a "mental health" day yesterday.) Professors give out freebies for a reason, right? The reason being they understand how vital spending a day online shopping is to a girl. But don't worry! I haven't clicked "purchase" on anything, yet.

Wasted Away Again in Margaritaville

Elan Halter Cover-Up, $64

Steve Madden Crochet Cover-Up, $36

Kate Spade Capri Espadrille Francis, $268

 

Lilly Pulitzer Shoreline Tote, $78

 Lilly Pulitzer Delia Shift Dress, $198

 

J. Crew Sailor-Strip Underwire Top, $58 (I'm eyeing it in blue grotto...)

 

J. Crew Rosewood Geo Bandeau Ring Top, $44

 

Vineyard Vines Reef Strip Maxi Dress, $158

And to think, that's just the start of the list...

Count on a new pair of Jack Rogers for this summer too. Ahh my weakness. But seriously how cute are these?!