What I Wore to Disney - Top Hits!

Hello friends! I haven't written since I got back from my trip to Disney World for my birthday, and I guess I should get to blogging about it, eh? But first, all hail the shoe and wine altar! That was a little shelf in our hotel room, and we couldn't think of what one would use it for. So I made use of it by mounting my favorite things, including the welcome card, happy birthday photo from Mickey and my birthday pin that was waiting on our bed when we arrived. Now isn't that a great use of space?

I hope to blog about each outfit eventually--how I envisioned wearing it, and how I actually wore it, what I thought in practice, etc. But for now, let's hit some highlights of my fashion foray!



TOP HITS, OR WHAT ROCKED

My New Luggage

I can't talk about fashion and makeup without talking about the awesome luggage that made it so easy to bring it all with me. I have had the same luggage for 15 years (wedding luggage), and it was held together with bailing wire for most recent trips. Broken zippers, broken wheels...I needed new luggage badly. A few years ago I had tried to replace my checked-bag with a cheap Target brand spinner suitcase, and it got destroyed by Delta airlines on its maiden voyage. I couldn't stomach buying still more luggage at the time, so I sucked it up and worked with what I had and loaners from friends for a few more years until we could get something of decent quality.

This trip, hubby finally could see what a misery our luggage was (I travel more than he does for my work, so he doesn't experience as often), and decided we both needed to replace the old luggage. It wasn't cheap--though it was on sale, Briggs & Riley is Serious Luggage--but the result was a stellar travel experience. It's lightweight, sturdy, a breeze to pack, a breeze to get around with. Everything you want in luggage right? And mine was a gorgeous deep shade of RED! YAY! Got both the 26" spinner and the 22" carry-on spinner. Just doing test-packs, I nearly bought the attachable accessory carry-on, since this particular line is being discontinued and it was already hard to find them both in spinners, but it was already money we hadn't planned to spend and I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

Still and all, the luggage was a great investment and we are both happy as clams.

My New Shoes

Okay, I broke one of my own, and every sane traveler's, rules. I wore new shoes on a trip. I did it out of desperation. I had bought a pair of versatile light grey walking/tennis shoes from Skechers on sale months before my trip; and while comfortable at first, they were just lacking in structure. Within a few weeks of breaking them in, they were bowing in ways that indicated it wasn't holding my heel cup firmly enough, which can cause ankle pain--which it was doing. I tried my old walking shoes, but they are dirty, heavy, and more meant for cold weather (I bought them for walking the dog in winter), rather than for 90+ degree Florida. So the day before I left for my trip, I made the insane decision to go out and buy a new pair of sneakers to take with me.

And it was the most comfortable pair of shoes of my entire trip!

I had been told over and over to buy GoWalks, that they were the most comfortable shoes EVAH OMGWTFBBQPONIES! For my initial (failed) purchase, I instead bought the "Flex Appeal" walking shoe, as the only GoWalks at DSW when I was looking had memory foam insoles which I found uncomfortably squishy. As I said, these original shoes did not work out at all. They have been since relegated to "I gotta run the dog out to the yard to go to the bathroom" shoes because if I wear them much longer, my ankles ache. 

Not so with my Skechers GoWalk Flash. I found this style the day before our flight at DSW on sale, and the insole is basically made of yoga mat material ("Goga Mat" material, they call it). I thought it seemed strange, but gave it a try. And wow! I had heard this before and I can confirm it: GoWalks really can make you feel like you are being propelled forward! They were lightweight, but with good heel cup and support structure in the sole. It feels bouncy without feeling squishy, and this girl with plantar fasciatis-type ball and arch pain? Nil. Nothing. Nada. For hours and hours of walking, days on end. The usual fatigue was there of course, but no blisters, hot spots, muscular or "bone pain" in sight. I admit, some days I meant to wear much cuter, more coordinated shoes, and I said "screw it" and put these on because I knew my feet would be so much happier.

Note: I recommend getting lace-up versions. If my Flex are any indicator of the longevity of the life of a slip-on version, and given I have a high arch, they stretched out too much and became a bit loose and slip a bit on my heel. Having a lace to cinch them down was part of the long-lasting comfort, surely.

Wet n' Wild Megaslicks Balm Stain

Being that I didn't want to reapply makeup much during my day, I was seeking a lip stain and thought I would put a balm over the top to keep my lips from drying out. I have had hit and miss experiences with some other brand lip stains, and wanted to try some brands I hadn't sample yet, so picked up a Wet n' Wild Megaslick Balm Stain in Red-Dy or Not.

It goes on sheer at first, but you can apply it in layers to get more intensity and opacity. It left my lips feeling soft, glossy, and not weighed down. It wore away gracefully for the most part, and was easy to pack along and reapply now and again as my lips felt dry. The only downside is also its upside; namely, it is a stain. So what gives it its longevity is also what left a few bright red-pink marks on my purse when I pulled it out with the cap slipping off. Sad face!

Ultimately, I would buy more of these for everyday, and they are only $2 at many drug stores. SCORE!

My Feather Necklace
You can see it in the previous picture. By far, the one item I got the most compliments on throughout my trip was my feather necklace I picked up from Forever 21 over the summer. It went with everything, was large enough to make a statement, but not so big as to feel heavy and overworked. The only downside was, well...cheap jewelry is cheap. It left a mark on the back of my neck due to contact with sweat and sunscreen throughout the day.

Regardless, I was getting so many compliments every day I wore it, we started keeping a tally on my sister's phone. I was getting 3-4 effusive compliments ("Wow! I LOVE your necklace!") on average any day I wore it. Since it was already a favorite of mine back home, I was happy to mix and match it throughout my trip.

My Day Bag

I already knew it was going to rock. It always does, which is why this is the fourth Overland Equipment Placer bag I have purchased and brought to Disney World. It's not too big, not too small, carries everything I need it to carry without being overly stuffed, comfortable, unisex styling (so hubby can carry it when I get sick of it), and colors that don't unduly clash with my outfits.

On previous trips, some days I wouldn't bring my bag at all. But my phone has gotten larger in recent years (I love my smartphone, but they is big!), and ladies' pockets did not increase in size over that same time. I didn't feel safe putting it in my pocket and expecting it to not fall out on rides, so I brought my bag every day. It rubbed my neck a bit on the longest, hottest days, but hubby cheerfully took it from me when I really needed to take a break so it wasn't an issue. My only complaint? I kept forgetting to take it off before many of our photos, so it makes a more frequent appearance in my album than I would like. My bad!

My Ukulele

Okay, it's not fashion-related, but it was a big hit with yours truly, and my husband to boot. I hemmed an hawed about packing it along. Wouldn't it be a pain to carry on? Would I even have time to play it on such an action-packed trip? The answers are no and yes!

I tucked it into my carry-on shoulder bag along with my knitting and it fit easily under my seat. It helped that no one ended up taking our center seat, but it would have been fine anyway. I played it quietly in the airport while waiting to board; I strummed it in the morning when I got up; I played it gently on our balcony in the evenings as we sipped wine, watched the boats come and go and people walk by on the boardwalk. In short, my ukulele and I bonded and it brought a smile to my face. It even opened up a music theory discussion with my non-musical husband which saw us not going to bed until 2am because we were having so much fun playing and talking about octaves as a musical and mathematical function. So yeah, sweet orange ukulele, you can go with me anytime!

Hope you enjoyed my Top Hits from my most recent Walt Disney World vacation! Coming soon, more posts about what I wore to Disney. Have a great day!