Day 1163: Missing a Month

Unfortunately, due to traveling, concerts, and classes, I'm obviously not participating in the March Disneybound Challenge this year, a decision that definitely gives me a bit of extra time in the mornings since I don't need to think about what I'm wearing all the time, but also sort of makes me sad. I love doing the Disneybound Challenge, and as a part of the Disneybound group on Facebook, I absolutely adore seeing everyone's outfits!

So, to give myself a bit of cheer today, I thought it might be fun to take a look back at some of my favorite Disneybounds from last year's challenge!

One of my favorite parts about Disneybounding is the opportunity to do some less common outfits, like Russel or Carl from Up or Iago from Aladdin. But more than anything, it's an exercise for both my creativity and my closet as I go through the various options. Some things are definitely used more than others, like my yellow Converse that make multiple appearances, but in the end I usually end up using at least everything in my closet at least once! 

But for now I'll have to stick to a regular t-shirt and jeans combo to get me through my days. Maybe later this year we'll go for a month of Disneybound though! 

Have a magical day! 

Day 834: Modifications

The writer's block is strong today...really strong. I have a French composition due in a few days and I couldn't even figure out what to write in English, much less French. My roommate eventually figured out that I could write a story about a soggy baguette, but that's not especially helpful when it comes to a blog post. So I sat around my desk for a while, changed clothes, looked in my journal notebook which basically holds my life, checked all my social media, turned on the audio from Festival of Fantasy and...still didn't have any ideas.

Just kidding, there's definitely a point to today's blog post, and it has everything to do with the pair of red pants I wore today, or rather, DisneyBounding.

I'm obviously an avid DisneyBounder. I DisneyBound at least once a week for OUAT, just finished the March DisneyBound Challenge a couple of weeks ago, and, per usual, a DisneyBound will pop up here and there. But one of the things that was shocking for me during the March Challenge was the ease in which I was able to DisneyBound every day for a month and still have a significant list of other DisneyBounds I could have done. I could pick my outfit for the day from a long list of options, and that led to a new thought. Actually, a couple of new thoughts.

First, a quote from Jennifer Morrison popped into my head: "I'm trying to incorporate color into my life. Until recently, everything in my closet was black, white, grey, navy, or olive." I understand this because that's how my closet was too. There wasn't any color in it beyond...well...nothing really. Maybe some scarves? But Disneybounding changed all of that. Hence the red pants I wore today as part of one of my favorite bounds, Pinocchio, which you can see below!

So now that my closet is filled with color and elements of DisneyBounds across the board, I figured I would take a page out of the DisneyBound Book. A while back Leslie, the creator of DisneyBound, shared some Essentials. You can read the entire original post HERE, but I've included the graphic below just to give you an idea of what she suggested! Some of my suggestions are the same and some are different, but there's definitely a formula to DisneyBounding in your own style and once you get the hang of it you're home free! 

In order to come up with my own list of DisneyBound Essentials, I went back through my Disneybounds from the March Challenge and debated which I used the most compared to which parts were the most crucial. Of course, my graphic looks nothing like Leslie's, but the point is still the same...My top items for DisneyBounding and why: 

1. Yellow Shoes: Like Leslie suggested, I didn't know how important yellow shoes are until I started DisneyBounding. In fact, I bought my Yellow Converse with the intention of using them to DisneyBound and I've made good use of them ever since. 

Perfect For: Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Donald Duck

2. Brown Boots: Going back through March, I realized that the boots I used most often were my short brown ones. I bought them for a OUAT Disneybound last fall and now wear them at least once a week, not to mention for a significant number of Disneybounds! Plus they're super comfortable! 

Perfect For: Merida, Brer Bear, Frontierland, Fix-It Felix

3. Black Heels: You could definitely go with Black Flats here too, but about two months ago I found a pair of comfortable, leather black heels and throughout March found myself using them constantly. They're comfortable enough to wear all day but also perfect for fancier occasions and edgier DisneyBounds, especially villains!

Perfect For: The Haunted Mansion, Captain Hook, Hades, Bert

4. Colorful Belts: I have four regular belts I alternate: Black, Brown, Red and Light Blue, two of which I picked up for under five bucks. They're a super easy way to bring color into an outfit, especially if it's just a small splash of color. I've found that red and brown come into play most often, with blue used throughout some odd Bounds. 

Perfect For: Pinocchio (Blue), Prince Eric (Red), Peter Pan (Red or Brown), Iago (Blue)

5. Scarves: I'll admit straight off that I'm addicted to scarves. I LOVE them, and have a whole section of my closet simply devoted to the scarves in pretty much every color. I normally buy mine on sale if possible, but there's generally a great selection anywhere you go! They're great for bringing both patterns and colors into an outfit while still keeping warm in the winter and comfortable in the spring and fall! 

Perfect For: Depending on the Color, just about anything! The Yellow One in the graphic would be perfect for Belle though! 

6. Leather Jackets: I'm also a big leather jacket fan (thanks Emma Swan). I know, I know, at first you think you won't wear one, but I've come to love my leather, which is especially great during the colder months. I've got five of them: Black, Dark Brown, Tan, Grey and Red, but it's the black one that comes into play most often! 

Perfect For: Captain Hook (OUAT), Emma Swan (OUAT), Maleficent, Ursula

7. Colored Jeans: The whole colored jeans trend was really high a few years ago, but it's certainly not gone for good. Jeans are a great way to bring color in, especially after you're brave enough to wear them the first time. When I bought my red jeans even I thought myself crazy, but now I wear them, along with my bright blue, leaf green and "Hook Pants," at least once a week. 

Perfect For: Pinocchio (Red), Genie (Blue), Peter Pan (Green), Rapunzel (Purple)

8. Accessories: I couldn't get away from this one on Leslie's list, not by a long shot. So much of a DisneyBound comes together in the accessories! Some of my personal favorites include an arrow ring I got for a couple of dollars, perfect for Merida or Robin Hood, an Anchor necklace, great for anything pirate or nautical themed like Prince Eric and a Fish Necklace I recently fixed, great for Ursula or Ariel! You can always find great stuff in the clearance, so check there first! You never know what you might find! 

9. Hair Bows: I'm the proud owner of a TON of bows, most of which came from Magical Ribbons. I get compliments on these all the time, and they're perfect because you can find them in just about any color or pattern to match an outfit! Tack a red bow onto a green outfit and you're Peter Pan! Have a black bow? Add it onto a Carl Fredrickson DisneyBound? I also love using these as a way to incorporate the Disney Parks into my outfits, especially for attractions such as The Haunted Mansion or entire areas like World Showcase! 

And there you have it. I couldn't really narrow it down to 8 things, so I just included the 9th. Of course, the big idea here is color. All kinds of color. Reds, blues, greens, yellows, oranges! The more color you have, the wider the possibilities for your DisneyBounding. Personally, I almost exclusively shop at stores such as Plato's Closet, which is a store that buys and sells name-brand clothing for a fraction of the cost (many of my shirts cost $5 or less!), or in clearance sections of stores. It takes some time and some money, but when I do go out and buy new clothing, unless it's for a OUAT Bound or for a specific occasion, I have to be able to use the piece for at least two DisneyBounds, and I have to come up with them before I buy it. Eventually, I've come to fill my entire closet with DisneyBound upon DisneyBound, and who knows, maybe someday I'll be able to do more than one month in a row with all different outfits! 

If you Disneybound, what kinds of things do you use most often? 

Have a magical day!

Day 821: No Fooling Here

It may be April 1, and yes, maybe I did decide a bit too late that I should have come up with a brilliant April Fools joke (which I'll now be saving for next year, thank you very much..because I did eventually come up with one), I've been a bit busy working on other things today...including currently watching Gone with the Wind, but that's a blog post for tomorrow.

Nope, today I decided that we're got to go back and review the second half of the month of the March Disneybound Challenge, which I did for the first time this year...at least in its entirety. After all, I do Disneybound weekly for sure for Once Upon A Time, although I realize that the longer I go on the more difficult it becomes. However, as far as this month long challenge went, things were much easier than I expected. I had no problems coming up with various outfits for each day, and I feel like it's a great accomplishment in my life to know that my closet, which used to be filled with lots of black and blue and brown, is so colorful that I can do any wide range of Disneybounds! So without further ado, here's the second half of the month!

I haven't included the OUAT Disneybounds, just as I did the last time, because those have a blog post of their own coming up at the end of the season. I've definitely had a few favorites in this second half of the month, including Iago, Max Goof, Russel, Han Solo, and The Haunted Mansion, plus the ever classic Mickey Mouse! And while I'm certainly glad to have the ability to wear whatever I want and not have to think too hard when putting together my outfits in the morning (I can wear simple T-Shirts again!), I'm also going to miss the challenge a bit. My roommates had a great time everyday guessing what character (or the occasional attraction!) I was, and my Instagram will be a bit more lonely without TWO daily pictures. Regardless, you can bet that I'll be back for the March Disneybound Challenge 2016, and I hope you'll all join in too! Until then, I've got Disneybounds to plan for two Disney trips and the rest of the season of OUAT, so I've got my hands full there! 

Have a magical day!

Day 806: Sláinte

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY EVERYONE!!!!

A couple of years ago, I'm pretty sure I couldn't have cared less about this day, but thanks to one Colin O'Donoghue and a little band called The Enemies, my love of everything Irish has really brought a new meaning to the holiday. Now, I'm pretty sure I can't get enough of everything Irish, and lucky for me I have little Buckley Liam Jones to help me celebrate! So, thanks to Megan's fine suggestion, I figured I'd tell you a bit about how I'm celebrating the holiday, as well as how I often wish I were celebrating it in a much more Disney fashion!

My day began with a trip to the local bakery, where I picked up a loaf of Irish Soda Bread. Now, I normally am not a raisin fan, but of all the things on this planet, there's one baked item I'll condone the use of them in, and that's Irish Soda Bread. After all, since I can't yet legally drink, I need to fill up on Irish foods to solve the lack of Irish in my life!

And of course, I figure I'll throw this in right in the middle, my Disneybound of the day for the March Disneybound Challenge is one of my all time favorites, most likely because of the fact that it got me on Buzzfeed, but it's also all green, and that made it the only option for this holiday! Plus, Peter Pan on St. Patrick's Day when the cause of my obsession with Irish everything also happens to portray Captain Hook? I do believe the connections are strong here!

But the Irish doesn't stop there! I actually still have a slice of Bailey's Irish Cream Cake in my mini-fridge ready to eat once I finish blogging for the day, and as I write this I'm eagerly listening to the St. Patrick's Day Station on Pandora. Best Decision of my day!

Of course, one of my favorite ways to celebrate everything Irish is a trip to Raglan Road at Downtown Disney! A few years back I went to dinner at the Pub, sadly with a headache, and the experience was less than desirable. We did go back this past January and I had a great time though, loving every moment of the Irish surrounding me. Gosh, I think a trip to Ireland is definitely in my future, right?

Also, who's up for putting in an Ireland pavilion at Epcot? I vote yes. No? Just me. Well I can dream.

But before we go, I'll mention a bit about some Irish I've learned! The title of this blog post, Sláinte, is a word I recently learned when watching Rick Steve's Europe, and it's a toast that basically means "good health" in Irish, as it's often accompanied by mhaith.

So sláinte mhaith everyone! And I hope you've had (or are having) a wonderful, safe, and magical St. Patrick's Day!

Day 794: Be The Character

I'm warning you right now that this post might seem a bit off, but it just happens to be where it fits in my order of posts, and so, because of Midterms, I'm writing this on the 16th and not the 5th and therefore you get a glimpse into the future. Actually, time travel is pretty awesome...so I'd better go check the flux capacitor to make sure we can get back.

Anyway, a week or two ago, Disney released the new #DisneySide app where you can turn yourself into a Disney character, and while I didn't turn myself into a character, I did turn Colin O'Donoghue into one...or two...or ten...but we won't share those because I'm not that cruel to one of my favorite actors. As for the app though, you should definitely try it out! It's called simply "Disney Side" and you can find it in the App Store for Apple products for sure (not 100% sure about Androids and such though since, obviously, I don't have one).

As for me, I've officially taken on the March Disneybound Challenge, as you may have read in a post earlier in the month. I do remember attempting the idea last year and it just 100% fell through, but this year I was more determined, and I had a new rule: With the exception of the OUAT Disneybounds, which are generally more thought out and need a bit of extra planning due to their nature, everything that made up my Disneybounds for the rest of the month had to come from my current closet. Surprisingly, the task of coming up with 31 different Disneybounds was pretty easy, or at least much easier than last year, and in fact, I've come up with so many that I have the ability to interchange them here and there! So, since we're well into the month already, I figured I would share some of the Disneybounds. Not pictured are my OUAT Bounds, which serve as the Sunday outfit, as they will have a special post, as usual, later in the season of OUAT.

As you can see, I've had a whole slew of characters that appear from all over the board so far this month. Some of my personal favorites? I LOVED Pinocchio, which was originally created for my trip to Disney in January, only because of the cold it was pretty difficult to get the full effect (I paired it down there with my black leather jacket, which you can see in some of my photos if you go back to the posts that accompany the trip). I was also a huge fan of the Fix It Felix Disneybound, as was Instagram, the Bert Disneybound I did for a recital performance on the 6th and Brer Bear this past week. Over all though, I've really been enjoying the Disneybounding this month, especially with realizing just how many I've come to find in my closet...which leads us to a bit of a short story time! 

I remember a number of years ago when I was first introduced to Disneybounding. It's actually been around longer than I sometimes remember, but if I go back I can find some of my earlier Disneybounds. The first "official" one I can really remember is Merida, but this was the first one I really posted in my traditional Disneybound format: my Epcot Disneybound, which actually is still one of my favorites (yes I still have those shoes, and they're one of the few pairs I keep specifically for one Disneybound. I got them for free so...), only now I also have the World Showcase bow from Magical Ribbons to help tie everything together. 

But back in those days, one thing was for sure: Disneybounding was hard. My closet was filled with blacks and blues and greys, and that's about it. Now? If you look at my closet compared to the closets of my roommates, mine is the bright and colorful one. It's funny because we all have our own individual style, with Megan wearing a lot of pastels, me and my bright, flashy colors, Hannah with her beautiful flower prints and Ashley with these seriously great sweaters and cardigans. But the simple fact is this: Disneybounding has changed my closet to the point where now I have my own list of essential items, but I feel like that's a post for another day. I do have one suggestion though: if you're going to go out and buy some "essentials" for your Disneybounds, do it at a thrift store or Goodwill or something. Personally, here in my area with have Plato's Closet, which buys and sells namebrand clothing. Almost everything I buy comes from Platos now, and I'm literally not joking. About 70% of my closet has come from that store, and many of my shirts that are used over and over for Disneybounds cost me under $5. It's a lifesaver, and once you find a store like that, you very rarely buy things directly from a store. 

As for the rest of the March Disneybound Challenge, there are certainly some interesting ones still to come, and you can expect a full recap of the month at the end of March! =)

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on March 16 due to Midterms).